An will collaborate with fellow researchers from the Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering — Ashutosh Bagchi, Zhi Chen, Catherine Mulligan, Samuel Li and Biao Li — as well as academic and industrial partners from Canada, the United States and Norway.
“Marine accidents can cause serious environmental damage as the spilled oil frequently reaches shorelines. Once on shore, cleanup operations can be expensive and time consuming,” An says.
The project, entitled Oil Translocation Pathways and Processes in Canadian Shoreline Environments, will develop ways to decrease environmental risks during an oil-spill clean-up process by accelerating degradation and removal of the pollutant.
“Our research program takes an innovative approach that addresses oil translocation processes and pathways under complicated shoreline conditions, particularly in the context of Canada,” An explains. “The results can help us understand shoreline oil persistence and provide better input for potential treatment decisions.”
This particular project was awarded $4,648,201, the highest amount within the MPRI program.
An also received $632,000 for a second project, Washing Agent-Aided Shoreline Treatment Tool Sets — Evaluation, Improvement and Development. The project can help fill the gap between the available surface washing techniques and the increasing application need.
It will support Canadian government and industry to identify, evaluate and manage clean-up operations.
Find out more about Concordia’s Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering.