Research summary
Disinfection by-products (DBPs) are chemicals that can form when chlorine in drinking water reacts with decaying leaves or vegetation in lakes and rivers. Dr. Susana Kimura-Hara, Canada Research Chair in Aquatic Analytical Chemistry, is working to better understand how and why DBPs form to ensure the safe reuse of wastewater.
She and her research team are integrating chemical and toxicological analysis to evaluate the efficacy of new engineering processes in order to produce safe water from sources affected by wastewater. They are identifying the chemical formation mechanisms of DBPs in drinking water and assessing the toxicity of different DBPs and their mixtures. She and her team are also evaluating advanced engineering processes at a full-scale potable water reuse facility. Ultimately, their research will help establish guidelines for the safe reuse of wastewater so we can sustainably meet our current and future water needs.