The Groundwater Geochemistry and Remediation Research Group (GGR) at the University of Waterloo invites qualified applicants for undergraduate co-op, technical staff, MSc, PhD, and Post-doctoral Fellow (PDF) positions.
PDF Position and PhD Candidate - Characterization of the microbial community structures proximal to arsenic-bearing mine waste
This research will investigate the composition and metabolic function of the microbial community in mine wastes and proximal to the underground storage chambers and stopes and from tailings impoundments at abandoned mines in Ontario and Northwest Territories.
The primary task of the postdoctoral fellow and PhD candidate will involve investigation of metabolic potential for dissimilatory oxidation and reduction of As, Fe, S, and other elements that may impact the biogeochemical fate and stability of the As-bearing mine wastes. Field samples of water, tailings, and/or biofilms will be collected from legacy waste deposits concurrent with hydrogeochemical investigations at the study sites. Autotrophic and heterotrophic microorganisms that participate in As, Fe, and S cycling, with potential to contribute to As bioremediation, may be identified and cultured.
Microbial community and activity data will be linked to As sources and sinks by examining microbial-mineral relationships through mineral characterization via secondary electron scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), back-scattered electron SEM in conjunction with elemental analysis using EDS, transmission electron microscopy-EDS and electron diffraction, and synchrotron-based X-ray fluorescence microscopy.
Interested candidates are invited to provide their transcripts, CV, a brief statement of research interests, names and contact information for three referees, and copies of publications (if available). For further information regarding this position, please contact Dr. David Wilson, Program Manager (dwilson2@uwaterloo.ca), Dr. David Blowes (blowes@uwaterloo.ca), Dr. Carol Ptacek (ptacek@uwaterloo.ca), or Dr. Jenine McCutcheon (jenine.mccutcheon@uwaterloo.ca).
PDF Position - Characterization of arsenic-bearing mine wastes and remediation systems using emerging techniques
This research will implement emerging analytical techniques to analyze solid- and aqueous-phase samples collected from tailings and other mine wastes at abandoned sites in Ontario and Northwest Territories.
Electron microscopy (e.g., TEM, SEM-EDS) and advanced synchrotron-based X-ray absorption spectroscopic (XAS) techniques (e.g., µX-ray fluorescence mapping, X-ray near-edge absorption spectroscopy (XANES), extended X-ray absorption fine structure analyses, will be integrated with high-energy resolution fluorescence detection (HERFD) XANES with a focus on characterization of As- and Sb-bearing phases. The characterization results from the synchrotron-based techniques will be integrated with measurements that will be conducted using mineral liberation analysis and laser ablation-based analytical techniques (e.g., LIBS, LA-ICP-MS).
Comprehensive characterization of tailings samples collected at Ontario abandoned sites will be conducted using advanced techniques to provide detailed information on weathering processes that influence the transport of As and other elements of concern. Detailed characterization will be used by end-users and partners to inform the design of remediation strategies.
Interested candidates are invited to provide their transcripts, CV, a brief statement of research interests, names and contact information for three referees, and copies of publications (if available). For further information regarding this position, please contact Dr. David Wilson, Program Manager (dwilson2@uwaterloo.ca), Dr. David Blowes (blowes@uwaterloo.ca), or Dr. Carol Ptacek (ptacek@uwaterloo.ca).
PDF Position - Application of novel characterization approaches to a waste-rock pile located at an abandoned mine in Yukon Territory, Canada
This research will apply advanced pore-gas concentration and flux measurement techniques, and reactive transport modelling to provide a rigorous quantification of waste rock evolution and contaminant loadings under current conditions at the field site, and will evaluate and assess the potential effectiveness of remediation alternatives. The main tasks of the postdoctoral fellow will be to implement a comprehensive pore-gas concentration and flux measurement program that will complement the large geochemical and mineralogical data set to develop an integrated characterization of the pore-gas transport processes influencing the geochemical evolution of the waste rock and to conduct gas transport and reactive transport modelling.
This project is associated with the TERRE-NET program, which is a multi-institutional and multi- and trans-disciplinary research Network spanning seven universities across Canada and supported by numerous partner organizations, with the overarching goal of ensuring the environmentally responsible, socially acceptable extraction of mineral and energy resources using cutting-edge approaches and technologies.
Interested candidates are invited to provide their transcripts, CV, a brief statement of research interests, names and contact information for three referees, and copies of publications (if available). For further information regarding this position, please contact David Wilson, TERRE-NET Program Manager (dwilson2@uwaterloo.ca), Dr. David Blowes (blowes@uwaterloo.ca), or Dr. Carol Ptacek (ptacek@uwaterloo.ca).
PDF Position - Controls on release of contaminants from Au mine tailings
This research will apply advanced pore-gas concentration and flux measurement techniques to provide a rigorous quantification of tailings evolution and contaminant loadings under current conditions at the field site, and will evaluate and assess the potential effectiveness of remediation alternatives. Supplemental analysis of historical data and continuation of data collection and monitoring of an instrumentation network to enhance the existing data set will be used to develop an integrated conceptual model of contaminant transport mechanisms within this system. The main tasks of the postdoctoral fellow will be to implement a comprehensive pore-gas concentration and flux measurement program that will complement the existing large geochemical and mineralogical data set to develop an integrated characterization of the pore-gas transport processes influencing the geochemical evolution of the tailings and to conduct gas transport and reactive transport modelling.
This project is associated with the TERRE-NET program, which is a multi-institutional and multi- and trans-disciplinary research Network spanning seven universities across Canada and supported by numerous partner organizations, with the overarching goal of ensuring the environmentally responsible, socially acceptable extraction of mineral and energy resources using cutting-edge approaches and technologies.
Interested candidates are invited to provide their transcripts, CV, a brief statement of research interests, names and contact information for three referees, and copies of publications (if available). For further information regarding this position, please contact David Wilson, TERRE-NET Program Manager (dwilson2@uwaterloo.ca), Dr. David Blowes (blowes@uwaterloo.ca), or Dr. Carol Ptacek (ptacek@uwaterloo.ca).