Advanced Science Based Engineering Solutions for Environmental Pollution

推动我们研究计划的理念是建立一个从推进基础研究知识到大规模环境应用的管道。我们的研究计划的目标是集中和利用光（照片）科学和技术的进步，以开发成本效益的系统（a）饮用水处理（B）工业水处理和（c）氯污染（如多氯联苯）矩阵的修复。为了实现我们的目标，我们有一个研究计划，遵循一个系统的4阶段过程：（A）评估先进的光化学方法的前沿成果，（B）采用有前途的概念，并在实验室规模证明，（C）进行实验室规模的成功，通过试点技术（D）支持试点成功走向商业规模的技术。我们已经从这个计划中取得了两个成功（在C和D阶段）。这两个项目分别是：（1）开发一个商业规模的多氯联苯污染土壤移动的处理系统（获奖并在媒体上进行了专题报道，引起了全世界的关注）;（2）全球首个基于LED的饮用水处理系统（C阶段）。我们相信，LED的快速发展使其成为光处理未来的关键（更低的能源成本、更长的寿命、直流离网使用、脉冲操作和无汞）。使用大面积LED阵列的能力可以克服更紧凑光源所面临的光化学方法应用的主要限制，从而促进大规模应用。 对于饮用水处理，我们的目的是进一步评估和改进我们基于LED的系统，以（i）消除新出现的污染物（CEC），如农药，药品，个人护理产品和其他（ii）提供消毒和（iii）最大限度地减少消毒副产物（DBP）的形成。消毒副产物是氯用于消毒时形成的一系列化学物质。 下一步，它将扩大到多模块试点，并在一个全面的研发设施，推进加拿大废水资产，其有效性和研究将进行测试，以提高其性能。这项技术将在安装到社区之前由沃克顿清洁水中心进行进一步的独立评估。在平行研究中，我们将继续进行基础研究，并开发和研究前沿纳米光催化剂，以提高基于LED的水处理系统的性能。 在石油工业工艺沃茨中，工艺沃茨中痕量有机物的存在妨碍了节能锅炉的使用，因此限制了其再循环。我们的研究结果表明，我们可以联合收割机混凝与UV-H2 O2完全降解这些有机物。我们建议探索电凝法代替混凝法的可能性。最后，我们打算将这一概念应用于开发一种技术，该技术将首先在我们的实验室进行试点测试，然后扩大到工业试验和应用。 我们在开发PCB污染土壤处理系统方面的成功，鼓励我们研究石油中的PCB，这也是一个主要的环境问题。我们的基础研究表明，我们可以经济有效地降解低浓度的多氯联苯在Transformer油使用紫外线。在接下来的五年里，我们打算将其扩展到移动的技术，用于处理石油中的多氯联苯。我们亦会致力降解其他对环境有影响的氯代碳氢化合物，以扩大现有多氯联苯系统的处理范围。 该研究方案的预期成果是：（a）以合理的成本向加拿大的小型和农村社区提供更好、更安全的饮用水的技术（B）处理并随后回收油砂加工沃茨的技术（c）处理Transformer油中多氯联苯的技术。

The philosophy driving our research program is to establish a pipeline from advancing fundamental research knowledge right through to large scale environmental applications. The goal of our research program is to focus and exploit advances in light (photo) science and technology to develop cost effective systems for (a) drinking water treatment (b) industrial water treatment and (c) remediation of chlorinated contaminated (e.g. PCBs) matrices. To achieve our goal we have a research program that follows a systematic 4 stage process: (A) evaluate frontier results on advanced photochemical methods, (B) adopt promising concepts and prove at bench scale, (C) carry bench scale successes through to pilot technologies (D) support pilot successes toward commercial scale technologies. We have already achieved two successes (in stages C & D) from this program. They are (1) development of a commercial scale mobile treatment system for PCB contaminated soils (award winning & featured in media and drew worldwide attention) and (2) a global first LED based drinking water treatment system (stage C). We believe that the rapid advance of LEDs now make them key to the future of photo-processes (lower energy cost, longer life, DC off-grid uses, pulse operation and absence of Hg). The capacity to use large area LED arrays can overcome a major limitation on application of photochemical methods faced by more compact light sources, thus fostering large scale applications. For drinking water treatment, our intent is to further evaluate and improve our LED based system for (i) eliminating contaminants of emerging concern (CEC) such as pesticides, pharmaceuticals, personal care products and others (ii) providing disinfection and (iii) minimizing disinfection by-product (DBP) formation. DBPs are a family of chemicals that are formed when chlorine is used for disinfection. Next, it will be scaled-up to a multi-module pilot and tested in a full scale R&D facility, Advancing Canadian Wastewater Assets, for its effectiveness and research will be conducted to improve its performance. This technology will be further independently assessed by the Walkerton Clean Water Center before installing it in communities. In parallel studies, we will continue basic research and develop and investigate frontier nano-photocatalysts which will improve the performance of the LED based water treatment system. In oil industry process waters, presence of trace organics in process waters prevents the use of energy efficient boilers and therefore limits its recycling. Our findings show that we can combine coagulation with UV-H2O2 to completely degrade these organics. We propose to explore the possibility to replace coagulation with electrocoagulation. Finally, we intend to apply this concept to develop a technology which will be pilot tested, first in our lab and then scaled up for industrial trials and applications. Our success in developing a treatment system for PCB contaminated soils, has encouraged us to investigate PCBs in oil, which is also a major environmental concern. Our basic research has shown that we can economically and effectively degrade low concentrations of PCBs in transformer oil using UV. During the next five years, we intend to scale this to a mobile technology for treating PCBs in oil. We will also pursue the degradation of other chlorinated hydrocarbons that are of environmental concern so that the scope of treatment by our current PCB system can be broadened. The expected outcomes of this research program are (a) technology to provide better, safer drinking water at reasonable costs, to small & rural communities in Canada (b) technology to treat and consequently recycle oil sands process waters (c) technology to treat PCBs in transformer oil.