Groundwater pollution seminar

Nipissing is pleased to welcome Dr. Jianyao Chen, professor in the School of Geography and Planning at Sun Yatsen University, Guangzhou, China, to campus for a special seminar on Wednesday, April 27, noon-1 p.m. in room A259.

Dr. Chen will be speaking on Case Studies of Groundwater Pollution in the Pearl River Delta, Guangdong province, China.

The event is part of the Master of Environmental Studies/Master of Environmental Sciences speaker series.  

Here’s an abstract:Rapid urbanization has occurred in the Pearl River Delta since the 1980s, resulting in tremendous accumulation of population and material in an area of around 1.1x104km2. Massive nutrients were released to the coastal zone either via the Pearl River or the aquifer, and effects of these nutrients on the ecosystem and drinking water supply are a big public concerns. Field campaigns to collect groundwater samples were implemented in rainy (April – September) and dry (October – March ) seasons during the period of 2005-14, and samples were analyzed for major ions, nutrients, multiple isotopes, N2O and microbiological DNA. Seasonal and spatial pattern of nutrients from the recharge to the discharge zone in two case study areas were identified and compared regarding relevant N transformational processes. Maid sources of nutrients in groundwater and major mechanisms (e.g. denitrification, nitrification etc.) involved in these processes were evaluated by integrating microbiological, isotopic and geochemical evidences.  Driving forces of the change in nutrients in the past 10 years were investigated based on statistical data, and total nutrient load in groundwater in the delta was estimated.

All are welcome and the event is free of charge.

Dr. Chen is currently a visiting scholar at McGill University.