PEOPLE Newsletter – December 23, 2021

Dear colleagues, we have gone through another successful year with you despite the pandemic hit. We are grateful to all of our members, collaborators, and partners for your ongoing support. As 2021 comes to a close, we wish you and your family a wonderful holiday and a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2022! We look forward to working with you, progressing together, and celebrating new success in 2022.

PEOPLE & Partner Events and Open Applications

Call for Abstracts – PEOPLE 2022 at PEI

PEOPLE 2022 International Conference on Persistent, Emerging, and Organic Pollution in the Environment – Challenges and Solutions under Climate Change will take place on August 23-26 in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada. The conference is co-organized by PEOPLE Network, Canadian Association on Water Quality (CAWQ), Sigma Academy for Climate Change, and Canadian Centre for Climate Change and Adaptation (UPEI).

Submit abstract through https://sigma.academy/people2022/ before April 21, 2022

Stay tuned for more information: https://www.people-network.ca/

Attached: PEOPLE 2022 poster

 

Call for Papers – Special issue, Journal of Hazardous Materials

Research Topic: Emerging Technologies for Marine Oil Spill Response

This special issue will be dedicated to emerging marine oil spill response technologies, including treatment techniques and management tools to support decision-making on their use. It aims to provide a summary of current and emerging spill response methods with information on their mode of action, application methods, performance and environmental risks associated with their use. The special issue calls for original research, reviews, and perspectives in the field of the current standing of marine oil spill response technologies.

Submission duration: December 1, 2021 – April 21, 2022

Updates: Authors should select “VSI: Marine Oil Spill Response” in the JHM system when submitting a paper. The maximal number of papers from the same author in this VSI is limited to 2.

For more information

Attached: poster (updated)

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Call for Papers – Special issue, Frontiers in Environmental Science

Research Topic: Waste Management of Petroleum Hydrocarbons in Marine Environment

The proposed Research Topic will aim to provide a summary of the latest advancement in the effective waste management of petroleum hydrocarbons in the marine environment. The special issue welcomes Original Research, Reviews, and Perspectives in the field of the current standing and future trends of managing petroleum hydrocarbons in the marine environment.

Submission deadline: January 31, 2022 Abstract; April 21, 2022 Manuscript

For more information

Attached: poster 

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Call for Abstracts – International Oil Spill Science Conference 2022 – Halifax, NS, Canada

The International Oil Spill Science Conference 2022 (IOSSC) will take place on March 21-24, 2022, in Halifax, Canada. The conference is co-hosted by MPRI, the Oil Spill Research Group at Concordia University and Industry Technical Advisory Committee (ITAC). Presenters/authors are invited to submit abstracts containing no more than 300 words related to the topics of oil spill science by January 31, 2022.

Conference website

Contact: IOSSC2022@gmail.com

 

Recent Publications

Passow, U. and Overton, E. (2021) The Complexity of Spills: The Fate of the Deepwater Horizon Oil. Annual Review of Marine Sciences, 13:109-136.

DOI:10.1146/annurev-marine-032320-095153

This summary of the fate of oil spilled during the Deepwater Horizon (DwH) accident, explores the various physical, chemical, and biological mechanisms that helped to transform, remove, and redisperse the oil and gas that was released, and tracks the movement of oil compounds into different habitats. The research following the DwH accident increased our understanding of the fate of spilled oil immensely, with novel insights focusing on the importance of photooxidation, the microbial communities driving biodegradation, and the formation of marine oil snow that transports oil to the seafloor.

Azizi, D., A. Arif, D. Blair, J. Dionne, L. Vignale, Y. Filion, Y. Ouarda, A.G. Pazmino, R. Pulicharla, V. Rilstone, B. Tiwari, S.K. Brar, P. Champagne, P. Drogui, V. Langlois and J.F. Blais (2021) A Comprehensive Review on Current Technologies for Removal of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals from Wastewaters. Environmental Research (In Press).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2021.112196

Highlights

  • EDC removal methods include physical, chemical, electrochemical, and/or biological treatments.
  • Effectiveness of EDC removal is highly dependent of selecting the appropriate technology.
  • Full wastewater chemical characterization is key prior selecting the removal method to be used.

 

Yang, M., Zhang, B., Xin, X., Liu, B., Zhu, Z., Dong, G., Zhao, Y., Lee, K., and Chen, B. (2021) Microplastic-Oil-Dispersant Agglomerates in the Marine Environment: Formation Mechanism and Impact on Oil Dispersion. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 127825.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.127825

Highlights

  • Identification of two types of microplastic-oil-dispersant agglomerates (MODAs).
  • First report of MODA formation mechanism in the marine environment.
  • Dispersants could change MODA morphology and size distribution.
  • MODA reduced oil dispersion effectiveness under various mixing energy and salinities.
  • MODA-1 would cause a larger reduction in oil dispersion effectiveness than MODA-2.

 

Spotlight on PEOPLE Members

PEOPLE Knowledge and Skills (KS) set Leads on “Prevention and treatment technologies”

Dr. Pascale Champagne, Director General of the Energy, Mining and Environment Research Centre, National Research Council Canada

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Dr. Pascale Champagne joined the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) as the Director General of the Energy, Mining and Environment Research Centre in 2021. The NRC is home to a Student Employment Program that offers students a challenging and intellectually stimulating environment, while providing them with access to superior equipment, facilities and expertise.  Prior to her appointment at the NRC, Dr. Champagne was the Scientific Director at the Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique in Quebec.  During her career spanning over 28 years, she held various roles, starting in 1993 as an environmental engineer in training (EIT) consultant with Ferguson Simek Clark in Yellowknife, then a faculty member in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Carleton University. Between 2005 and 2021, she was a Professor of Civil and Chemical Engineering at Queen’s University, as well as the inaugural Director of the Beaty Water Research Centre from 2017 to 2020. She also spent 9 years as the Canada Research Chair in Bioresources Engineering between 2012 and 2021.  As a researcher, her studies focused on the development of alternate water and waste management strategies and environmentally sustainable approaches, and on integrated bioresource management. Her research activities were interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary and she collaborated and evolved synergistic relationships with a number of researchers in these fields.  They collaborated to develop new integrated bioresource management practices, to introduce alternate aqueous and solid waste management approaches, and to create unique opportunities for the bioenergy and bioproducts sectors.  Dr. Champagne earned her Bachelor’s degrees in Biology from McGill University and Water Resources Engineering from the University of Guelph. She also holds a Masters and a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from Carleton University. She is the author and co‑author of over 265 peer-reviewed publications, book chapters and technical reports in her area of research.

Website: www.canada.ca/nrc-energy-mining-environment

Twitter: @NRC_CNRC

Selected Recent Publications:

  1. Rillstone, V., L. Vignale, J. Craddock, A. Cushing, Y. Filion* and P. Champagne (2021) The Role of Antibiotics and Metals on the Development, Promotion and Dissemination of Antimicrobial Resistance in Drinking Water Biofilms Chemosphere 28(November 2021):131048 (In Press; Online publication June 11 2021) (IF = 8.424)
  2. Amadu, A., S. Ge*, S. Qiu, Y. Ziwei, X. Wenhao, Z. Chen, G. Addico, K. deGraft Johnson, G. Ameka and P. Champagne (2021) Microbial Poly-β-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) Accumulation in Wastewater for Bioplastics: A Review Science of the Total Environment 756(2021):143729 (Online publication November 25 2020) (IF = 6.551)
  3. Zeng, X., J. Huang*, B. Hua, P. Champagne (2020) Nitrogen Removal Bacterial Strains, MSNA-1 and MSD4, with Wide Ranges of Salinity and pH Resistances Bioresource Technology 310(August 2020):123309 (Online publication April 27, 2020) (IF = 7.539)
  4. Gao, Y.*, P. Champagne, D. BlairO. He and T. Song (2020) Activated Persulfate by Iron-Based Materials Used for Emerging Contaminants Degradation: A Review Water Science and Technology 81(5):853-875 (IF = 1.624)
  5. Rey, A., R. Mulligan*, L. Boegman, Y. Filion, A. da Silva and P. Champagne (2021) Temperature Stratification in an Operational Wastewater Stabilization Pond Journal of Environmental Engineering 147(6):June 2021 (Online publication March 25 2021) (IF = 1.657)
  6. Rey, A., R. Mulligan*, L. Boegman, Y. Filion, A. da Silva and P. Champagne (2021) Three-dimensional Hydrodynamic Behaviour of an Operational Waste-Stabilization Pond Journal of Environmental Engineering 147(2):February 2021 (Online publication December 7 2020) (IF = 1.657)

 

Dr. Pierre Bérubé, University of British Columbia

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Dr. Pierre Bérubé is a Professor with the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of British Columbia. He has over 25 years of research and consulting experience dealing with the development and optimization of membrane technologies for water and wastewater treatment applications. Dr. Bérubé actively collaborates with researchers nationally and internationally on a number of research projects funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Canadian Water Network, the Water Environment Research Foundation, and the European Membrane- Network.

Research Interests: Filtration/membrane processes for water/seawater treatment and resource recovery from wastewater; passive technologies for small/remote/decentralized systems; distribution system water quality assessment and modeling.

Website: https://civil.ubc.ca/faculty/pierre-berube/

Selected Recent Publications:

  1. Liu Z., Mills E., Mohseni M., Barbeau B., Bérubé P.R., Biological ion exchange as an alternative to biological activated carbon for natural organic matter removal: impact of temperature and empty bed contact time (EBCT), Chemosphere, 288 (2), article 132466, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.132466 (open access).
  2. Robinson S. Bérubé P.R. (2020) Seeking Realistic Membrane Ageing at Bench-Scale, Journal of Membrane Science, 618, article 118606, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.memsci.2020.118606 (open access).
  3. Tobias A. and Bérubé P.R. (2020) Contribution of Biofilm Layer to Virus Removal in Passive Membrane Systems, Separation and Purification Technology, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seppur.2020.117336 (open access).
  4. Robinson S. Bérubé P.R. (2019) Membrane Ageing in Full-Scale Water Treatment Plants, Water Research (open access), 169:115-212.
  5. Radaei E., Liu X., Tng K.H., Merendino G., Trujillo F.J., Bérubé P.R., Leslie G. (2019) Numerical and Experimental Investigation of Pulse Bubble Aeration with High Packing Density Hollow-fibre MBRs, Water Research, 160:60-69.

 

Spotlight on PEOPLE HQP

Jess Wei – Master’s student in Civil Engineering, University of British Columbia

Supervisor: Dr. Pierre Bérubé

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Jess Wei is a master’s student in civil engineering at the University of British Columbia. She is primarily interested in membrane filtration for potable water treatment. Her current research focuses on the implementation of a full-scale passive membrane filtration system in a small community, monitoring the performance and exploring the opportunities to expand this technology to more remote communities. During her undergraduate studies in civil engineering at the University of Alberta, she also obtained twenty-month of work experience in designing and modelling in the fields of drainage and infrastructure. Besides research, Jess is an executive member at several student clubs and is actively involved in the organization of student-led initiatives.

Publication:

Wei J. and Bérubé P.R. (2022) Implementation of Passive Membrane Filtration for Potable Water Treatment, Proceedings American Water Works Association – American Membrane Technology Association Membrane Technology Conference, Las Vegas.

If you have news, events, publications, and grant opportunities that are aligned with PEOPLE, please feel free to share the information with peoplenetwork@mun.ca.

 

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