Field Flow Fractionation for Evaluating Colloid-Metal Interactions in Drinking Water

场流分级（FFF）将为Gagnon博士的研究团队提供一个机会，使其在与腐蚀控制、生物膜工程和天然有机物相关的工艺中处于水处理设计的最前沿。具体而言，FFF与电感耦合等离子体质谱（ICP-MS）耦合将使研究团队能够了解胶体金属颗粒（即，纳米级颗粒）。Gagnon博士的团队在利用先进的分析技术来了解胶体和神经毒性金属（如铅）的相互作用方面有着良好的记录。据估计，饮用水中铅的相对丰度为40-60%，胶体级分中的铅占总铅的很大一部分。利用现有的设备，Gagnon博士的研究小组可以估计饮用水中胶体铅的相对丰度和大小;然而，FFF提供了一个提高精度的机会。在加拿大和许多司法管辖区，人们强烈希望降低饮用水中铅、锰和铝等金属的监管限制。因此，有必要区分胶体颗粒和溶解金属，以确保做出适当的基于公共健康的决定，并且水处理厂的设计和操作可以响应新出现的法规。拟议的FFF系统将加速一个强大的研究计划，该计划的总价值超过500万美元，并将在未来五年内为60多名HQP的培训做出贡献。NSERC资助的关键研究包括哈利法克斯水/NSERC工业研究主席，合作研究和开发赠款和拟议的发现赠款。Gagnon博士的团队拥有必要的研究经验和训练有素的人员，可以快速利用拟议的设备并整合研究项目。FFF的颗粒分离主要基于颗粒尺寸和密度，取决于施加的外力。与ICP-MS等检测器相结合，研究小组将能够根据胶体金属的大小和质量对其进行量化。由于Gagnon博士的团队经常使用ICP-MS检测饮用水中的铅和其他金属，预计这种新仪器的启动将很快。虽然FFF广泛用于制药和保健部门，但很少用于饮用水社区。此外，我们不知道达尔豪西大学有类似的设备。因此，预计该设备将提供突破性的信息，以协助水处理决策，特别是因为它涉及到腐蚀控制，生物过滤和颗粒分离过程。

Field-Flow Fractionation (FFF) will offer Dr. Gagnon’s research team an opportunity to be at the forefront of water treatment design in processes related to corrosion control; biofilm engineering and natural organic matter. Specifically, FFF coupled with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) will allow the research team to understand colloid-metal particles (i.e., nano-sized particles) in drinking water. Dr. Gagnon’s team has proven track record for utilizing advanced analytical techniques to understand the interaction of colloids and neurotoxic metals, such as lead. With an estimated relative abundance of 40-60% in drinking water, lead in the colloidal fractions represents a significant portion of total lead. Using existing equipment, Dr. Gagnon’s research team can estimate relative abundance and size of colloidal lead in drinking water; however, FFF offers an opportunity to increase precision. In Canada and across many jurisdictions, there is a strong desire to lower regulatory limits for metals such as lead, manganese and aluminum in drinking water. Accordingly, there is a need to distinguish between colloidal-particle and dissolved metals to ensure that proper public health based decisions are made and that water treatment plant design and operation can respond to emerging regulations. The proposed FFF system will accelerate a robust research program that has a combined value of over $5M and will contribute to the training of over 60-HQP over the next five years. Key NSERC-funded research includes the Halifax Water/NSERC Industrial Research Chair, a Collaborative Research and Development Grant and a proposed Discovery Grant. Dr. Gagnon’s team has the necessary research experience and trained personnel to quickly utilize the proposed equipment and integrate across research programs. Particle separation with FFF occurs primarily based on particle size and density, depending on the external force applied. Coupled to a detector, such as ICP-MS, the research team will be able to quantify colloidal metals based on their size and mass. As Dr. Gagnon’s team regularly uses ICP-MS for detecting lead and other metals in drinking water, it is anticipated that start-up with this new instrument will be rapid. Although FFF is widely used in the pharmaceutical and health-care sector, it is rarely used by the drinking water community. Further, we are not aware of similar equipment at Dalhousie University. As such, it is anticipated that the equipment will offer breakthrough information to assist water treatment decision-making, specifically as it relates to corrosion control, biological filtration and particle-separation processes.