ELODIE PASSEPORT
Green infrastructures to remove environmental contaminants
“My goal is to see better, more integrated management of environmental problems. This means small treatment systems in homes combined with efficient, large-scale processes that mimic nature. I want to put all my efforts into preserving our environment.”
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Each year, humans use thousands of tonnes of organic chemical compounds, such as pharmaceuticals, antibiotics, pesticides and more. These substances eventually make their way into streams, lakes and oceans. Many of these compounds are known or suspected to have potentially toxic effects on these aquatic ecosystems and need to be removed. Yet, surprisingly little is known about how they move through the environment, or their final fate. Elodie Passeport (CivE, ChemE) is dealing with this problem through two complementary strategies. Using isotope ratio mass spectrometry — a chemical analysis technique — Passeport and her team can trace the fate of the chemical contaminants in samples collected from industrial, agricultural and urban areas. For example, they can determine whether the chemicals are being broken down by bacteria or sunlight, or merely sticking to soil or clay. In the lab, Passeport and her team validate this work by building working models of wetlands (pictured) or other natural and engineered ecosystems.
Passeport aims to usher in a new era of “green infrastructures” by redesigning wastewater treatment systems to take advantage of natural processes, including bacterial action, that break down or filter out harmful compounds. Her work will also influence government policy by helping to identify where compounds end up and which ones need to be regulated most urgently. Passeport is collaborating with Ontario companies that design bioretention cells, a water treatment system that leverages natural processes to remove organic chemical contaminants from stormwater runoff. Her work will determine the roles played by each element of the system, including soil composition, water levels and vegetation, and help optimize overall function.