'We don't see agricultural residue as waste': U of S researchers tackling Sask.'s arsenic problem in water
A team of chemical engineering scholars at the University of Saskatchewan (U of S) are tinkering with agricultural waste, to create water filters that remove harmful chemicals such as arsenic from drinking water and wastewater.
Using the synchrotron at the Canadian Light Source (CLS), along with funding from the province’s Agricultural Development Fund, engineers were able to look at agricultural waste such as wheat and canola straw on a microscopic level, to study how this residue absorbs toxins in water.
Jafar Soltan, professor of chemical and biological engineering at U of S said the research into removing harmful chemicals from water could be used at the industry level, to help mining companies clean up tailings from mine sites, but it can also be used at the municipal level, helping communities such as First Nations reserves and clean drinking water supplies.
“Our initial thought was the industry that is dealing with tailings, so we could find these filters … something you pass the water through or you put the filter in the lake and it grabs the pollutants,” Soltan said. “Now we’re looking at a wider range of applications, maybe drinking water, surface water flowing through communities and we want to treat it. We can translate this science into technology.”
Khaled Zoroufchi Benis, a Ph.D. candidate in chemical engineering at U of S says arsenic is a harmful carcinogen found in many sources of water in Saskatchewan, and his research focuses on ways to develop environmentally-friendly filtration systems to get the harmful toxins out.
“We know we have an arsenic problem in our water in Saskatchewan, in drinking water in some rural areas and also in northern Saskatchewan and in the mining industry,” Zoroufchi Benis said.
He added U of S is collaborating with the mining industry to see how agricultural-based residue filtration systems can help remove arsenic from uranium wastewater. But, Zoroufchi Benis is also looking at how this natural filtration system could be used to comb out pharmaceutical chemicals from water systems.
If his research is adopted by technology and used as a new form of water filtration, the country’s agricultural sector could see a big opportunity to recycle its waste into something useful.
“We don’t see agricultural residue as waste, it’s more valuable and in the future we will hear a lot about using agricultural residue not just in water treatment but other applications like energy generation,” Zoroufchi Benis said.
According to an annual report from Saskatchewan’s Water Security Agency, who regularly test Saskatchewan water for chemicals including arsenic, of all the testing for arsenic resulting from regular required sampling, there were 32 instances of arsenic exceedances that occurred in samples from 15 human consumptive systems in 2020, according to its report.
Additional voluntary arsenic testing was conducted by 10 human consumptive municipal systems, resulting in 66 additional exceedances.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Iran President Ebrahim Raisi found dead at helicopter crash site, state media says
Iranian president, the country’s foreign minister and others have been found dead at the site of a helicopter crash Monday after a search through a foggy, mountainous region of the country’s northwest.
Court eases internet restrictions for Sask. man who matched with a 15-year-old girl on Tinder
A Saskatchewan man who had a sexual encounter with a 15-year-old girl he met on Tinder successfully appealed to shorten release conditions barring him from online dating.
Stittsville residents seeking answers as bylaw cracks down on street basketball nets
Stittsville residents on Kearnsley Way are seeking answers after an unusual bylaw crackdown on Friday. Every home with a basketball net received a ticket instructing homeowners to remove their nets from the road.
'A horrible way to start the summer': 3 killed in serious boat crash on lake north of Kingston, Ont.
Three people were killed and five others were injured Saturday night following a boat crash on the Buck Bay area of Bobs Lake, north of Kingston, Ont., the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) said.
What do we know so far about the mysterious crash of the helicopter carrying Iran's president?
The apparent crash of a helicopter carrying Iran's president and foreign minister on Sunday sent shock waves around the region.
Ex-partner charged with first-degree murder after 55-year-old woman killed in Montreal
Less than 24 hours after Montreal's 12th homicide investigation began, Montreal police confirmed that a 55-year-old woman's death in St. Michel is the island's 13th homicide. The woman's ex-spouse has been charged with first-degree murder.
Walmart, Costco refusing to sign grocery code of conduct 'untenable': industry minister
Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne says it's 'untenable' for 'smaller players' like Walmart and Costco to delay signing on to the government- and industry-led grocery code of conduct, now that industry giant Loblaw has agreed to do so.
VIDEO Born without front legs, this dog has been inspiring the world for 3 years: Dresden farm owner
A sanctuary dedicated to animals with disabilities is celebrating the third birthday of one of its most popular residents.
Toxic drugs circulating in northeastern Ont., police say
Canada’s largest First Nations police service, the Nishnawbe Aski Police Service issued a community safety alert as extremely toxic drugs are likely circulating in many of the communities it serves.