GROW Project

The surface mining of oil sands, while contributing significantly to Canada’s gross domestic product and economic development, produces large volumes of oil sands process-affected water (OSPW). A broad family of constituent organic compounds called naphthenic acids (NAs) are a major contributor to the toxicity of OSPW. This project will apply genomics-based methods toward enhancing the efficacy of constructed wetland treatment systems (CWTS) for the treatment of OSPW. This research will provide insight on the mechanisms of plant-microbe interactions to facilitate the development of a robust, ‘green’ and cost-effective CWTS approach for the remediation of OSPW.