New approach to sampling oil sands impact

by Victoria Van Cappellen.

Normally, rivers are monitored for pollution upstream and downstream of a pollution source. But this method is problematic in an area like the Athabasca oil sands, where erosion of bitumen-rich riverbanks naturally releases substantial quantities of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and metals into the river.

A new study carried out by scientists at the University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University has resulted in a novel approach that can accurately determine the natural baseline levels of metals in river sediment. This approach allows regulators to immediately determine if values from routine monitoring programs contain evidence of man-made pollution.

“The detection of river pollution is often hampered by a lack of knowledge about pre-industrial contaminant levels,” said Johan Wiklund, lead author on the study and postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Biology in the Faculty of Science. “This new methodology can be applied to any river around the world.”

The study, which appears in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Environmental Research Letters, measured eight priority metals, including nickel, vanadium and zinc, in sediments taken from floodplain lakes in the Athabasca Delta that were supplied by river floodwaters before the industrial era (1700-1920). The researchers compared the metal concentrations in sediments collected between 2010 and 2013 to this natural baseline.

Results show that the concentration of metal contaminants travelling via the Athabasca River to its terminus at the Athabasca Delta has not yet increased as a result of Alberta oil sands development or other human activities.

The sampling area, located 200 kilometers north of the oil sands, is home to a community of Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, Mikisew Cree First Nation and Métis residents who have expressed concern that pollutants from the oil sands are reaching their traditional food sources via the Athabasca River.

Next, the research team plans to create pre-industrial baselines for metals in the Athabasca River sediment further upstream where oil sands mining and processing activities occur.

“Our study does not address concerns of river sediment pollution closer to the oil sands development,” said Professor Roland Hall of the Department of Biology. “Up until now, pre-industrial baseline levels of contaminants were not known, which has undermined the ability of monitoring programs such as RAMP to determine if oil sands development has been polluting the river. We now have a way to obtain these critical baseline data.”

Costs of the research were funded by Suncor. The paper’s authors also include Geography and Environmental Studies Professor Brent Wolfe of Wilfrid Laurier University, and Earth and Environmental Sciences Professor Tom D. Edwards, Biology Research Associate Andrea Farwell and Biology Professor D. George Dixon of the University of Waterloo.

Photograph of a bitumen a bitumen layer along the Athabasca River by Mike Morin.

Back to top

Registration open for OHD workshops

Organizational & Human Development (OHD) has opened registration for its winter term workshops. OHD is offering the full series of the Principles of Inclusivity courses as well as the full Business Communication certificate series. OHD is also offering its “much-requested” customized customer service session Exceptional Service and two new courses associated with the Personality Dimensions series (PD: Work-Life Balance and PD: Conflict Management).

OHD will also be offering two financial workshops (Defining Your Financial Future and Taxes 101) for those looking for in-depth direction with financial matters and quick tips and information at tax time.  

Workshops for January include:

• Performance Conversations (OHD405) – January 16, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.;
• Principles of Inclusivity (OHD502) – January 22, 8:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.;
• Principles of Leadership (OHD106) – January 27, 8:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; and
• Performance Conversations (OHD405) – January 28, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Check OHD’s calendar for a full listing of workshops into February, March and April.

To register for OHD workshops, visit MyHRinfo. Register through the Learning and Development module of the Self Service MyHRinfo menu. Select Request Training Enrollment and enter the course name or course number.

Questions about your registration may now be directed to OHD’s new Administrative Assistant, Linda Rowe Moakler, who is now handling matters of workshop registration, including cancellations and enrollment.

Back to top

Fitness training for staff and faculty

Have you set a goal to lose weight, increase strength and muscle tone, improve endurance, or just feel healthier? Do you want the convenience of exercising on campus in a fun, private, well-equipped gym supervised by trained exercise professionals?

Are you willing to make a modest investment in your health and fitness?

If your answer is yes to the above, then you may be interested in UW Fitness, located in the Manulife Wellness Centre and Lyle Hallman Institute for Health Promotion, which offers small group personal training sessions for Waterloo staff and faculty. These twice weekly exercise sessions include cardiovascular exercise, resistance/weight training, and flexibility exercises under the certified exercise physiologist in a private and encouraging environment on campus. 

To sign up for a 6 week session or for more information, check out the UW Fitness website. You can also contact UW Fitness by emailing  fitness@uwaterloo.ca or by calling extension 36841.

There are limited spaces available. The first set of sessions begins next week.

Back to top

EngSoc issues first teaching award

This article was originally published on the Faculty of Engineering's news page.

David Brush, a civil and environmental engineering lecturer, is the first recipient of Waterloo Engineering Society's Engineering Society Teaching Excellence Award introduced to promote and reward faculty or staff's outstanding contributions toward undergraduate learning.

Honourable mentions were received by Mark Smucker, a management sciences professor, and Carol Hulls, a mechanical and mechatronics engineering lecturer. 

As part of the selection process for EngSoc's teaching award nominations were accepted from students describing how instructors exemplified in one or more categories. The categories included using non-conventional teaching techniques, allowing opportunities for experiential learning, and/or showing a commitment and dedication towards ensuring academic success for our students.

Students noted that Brush has gone above and beyond to ensure his class receives the help it needs through a variety of ways including hosting extra office hours and uploading fully annotated notes to Learn for students who missed classes due to interviews.

“Some of the best labs from my three years here were in Professor Brush’s classes,” said Dylan Dowling, a third-year civil engineering student.

Devansh Malik and Summer Kavan interviewed Brush about his thoughts on teaching for the November 22 edition of the Iron Warrior. 

Back to top

Thursday's notes

As the holiday bills continue to roll in, consider that today is the deadline to RSVP for the Lunch 'n Learn session offered by the University of Waterloo Staff Association (UWSA) and the Education Credit Union (ECU) entitled "Debt Management: Practical Strategies." The session, which will run from 12:00 p.m. to 12:45 p.m. on Tuesday, January 13 in DC 1302, features Eva Englehutt and Sharon Feldmann. RSVP to Angela Burkholder if you're interested in attending.

Sandwiches and beverages will be provided by Education Credit Union.

Employers on campus hosting employer information sessions for the week of January 5-9 include EY, Mozilla, CIBC, Noom, Infusion, Enflick, Maluuba Inc. & OPSEU Pension Trust. Visit the info sessions calendar for more information.

The School of Pharmacy's White Coat Ceremony takes place today at 5:00 p.m. in the Humanities Theatre.

The Faculty of Environment is hosting a graduate program open house on Tuesday, January 20 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on the fourth floor of Environment 3. Professors representing the Faculty's programs and schools will be on hand with Dean Andrey to discuss research opportunities offered in the Faculty of Environment.

The Faculty of Science and Faculty of Engineering are once again teaming up to offer an alumni ski day at the Osler Bluffs Ski Resort near Collingwood. The event will take place on Friday, January 23.

Registration has opened for the 16th annual Fantastic Alumni, Faculty, Staff and Retiree Day, which will be held on Saturday, February 21 from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. The men's and women's Warriors basketball teams will be taking on the Western Mustangs in two games that will feature half-time shenanigans including the annual Alumni vs. Staff Monster Hoops Showdown where three staff members will battle three alumni for the 2015 Monster Hoops Championship title, and the ever-popular (paper) Airplane Toss. Gates open at 12:00 p.m., with the women's game starting at 1:00 p.m. and the men's game at 3:00 p.m.

Back to top