The International Workshop on Ecohydrogeology was a success!

The International Workshop on Ecohydrogeology was successfully held at the University of Waterloo on July 20-21, 2026, bringing together researchers, practitioners, and students from around the world to explore connections between water, ecological, and geological systems.

The two-day event featured research seminars on topics including groundwater biogeochemistry, watershed processes, water quality, contaminant transport, and sustainable water management. Researchers from institutions in Canada and around the world shared their latest findings and perspectives on emerging environmental challenges.

A highlight of the workshop was the Water Talk by Professor Yanxin Wang (China University of Geosciences), whose presentation was entitled "Hydrobiogeochemistry and health risks of geogenic contaminants in groundwater systems."

The workshop strengthened academic exchange and international collaboration across disciplines, helping to build new partnerships and support integrated approaches to addressing complex environmental and water-related challenges.

Many thanks to all speakers, participants, and organizers whose contributions made the workshop a success. We also gratefully acknowledge the support of the University of Waterloo community and our partner institutions for helping make this event possible.

• Yamin Deng, China University of Geosciences: Methanogenic linkages to arsenic methylation in reducing aquifers

• Kunfu Pi, China University of Geosciences: Environmental bioenergetics: A new lens into genesis of geogenic contaminated groundwater

• Tonya DelSontro, University of Waterloo: Emerging issues in the gassy waters sphere

• Laura Hug, University of Waterloo: Landfill cover soils capacity for methane management

• Christopher Wellen, Toronto Metropolitan University: Understanding urban water quality in the Greater Toronto Area: Lessons learned and future perspectives

• Hangzhen Zhang, Tianjin University: Watershed-scale carbon cycles and mechanistic simulations

• Fernanda Souto Barreto, University of São Paulo: From sewage to legacy nitrogen: Reconstructing a century of accumulation in a tropical urban aquifer

• Hang Nguyen, University of Waterloo: Controls on microplastic accumulation in stormwater ponds

• Elizabeth Naranjo, University of São Paulo: Assessment of nitrate and PFAS in shallow urban groundwater and alternatives for treatment

• Juliana Freitas, Federal University of São Paulo: Integrated approaches for old and new contaminants in challenging environments: From tropical forests to urban and polar zones

• Bruce MacVicar, University of Waterloo: Floodplains are nature-based infrastructure

• Roy Brouwer, University of Waterloo: Economic costs and benefits of peatland conservation as a nature-based climate solution

• Jovana Radosavljevic, University of Kassel: Can seawater intrusion mobilize phosphorus in coastal aquifers?

• Camille Vautier, University of Rennes: Headwater streams as interfaces between groundwater and the atmosphere: Implications for nitrogen legacy and N₂O emissions

• Jaeyeon Kim, Seoul National University: Tracing hidden groundwater risks in Korean aquifers: Insights from hydrogeochemistry, environmental tracers, and microbial signatures

• Rock Bagagnan, University of Rennes: Emerging pollutants in agricultural catchments: From legacy to release under extreme hydrological conditions

• Juewen Liu, University of Waterloo: DNA aptamers for detecting contaminants in water

• Elisabeth Prince, University of Waterloo: Installing degradable bonds into synthetic polymers: Toward biodegradable commodity plastics