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Carleton U receives funds for research to protect ground water and improve healthy behaviour

Ottawa – Carleton University researchers have received more than $200,000 in combined funding for work that will help prevent the contamination of ground water and improve the healthy behaviour of Canadians.

Richard Amos and a team led by Marina Milyavskaya have received approximately $204,000 in combined funding from the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s John R. Evans Leaders Fund for their work.

Amos is investigating sources of heavy metal contamination from hard-rock mining and oil sands extraction, the university said in a news release.

“My research will use a number of approaches to understand the mechanisms that control the movement of metal contaminants in ground water, soils and sediment, over the long and short term,” said Amos, professor at the Global Water Institute and Department of Earth Sciences. “Mining in Canada generates a substantial portion of gross domestic product, but it requires careful management to mitigate environmental risks.”

In addition to many operating mines, Canada’s long history in the industry has resulted in abandoned mines that require assessment and possible remediation, the release said. This research will enable mining companies and governments to manage mining waste with greater confidence, resulting in greater protection of the environment while minimizing costs.

Amos’s research group has successfully combined field studies to understand real-world complexity, laboratory studies to isolate and understand specific phenomena, and numerical modelling studies to provide quantification and a deeper interpretation of results.

Milyavskaya and fellow researchers Rachel Burns and Katie Gunnell, professors in the Department of Psychology, will use the funds to develop the Centre for Health Behaviour and Well-Being in Daily Life. Research conducted at the centre will take a unique approach to studying associations between health behaviours and mental health by examining participants in their natural environments. The team intends to uncover feasible methods relevant to the daily lives of Canadians to enhance health-promoting practices and reduce health-compromising behaviours.

“Carleton is leading the way in research that is vital to the health of Canadians and the Canadian environment,” said Rafik Goubran, vice-president (Research and International). “We are grateful for CFI’s ongoing support of this important research.”