telephone: (403) 220-8987
fax: (403) 282-7026
e-mail address: achu@ucalgary.ca
Education:
| 1990-1995 | PhD degree in the Department of Civil Engineering (Environmental) at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B. C. Thesis research: Investigation of substrate metabolism in thermophilic aerobic digestion of primary sludge. Academic: Environmental instrument analysis, Enzymology, Advanced wastewater treatment, Transport and mixing of pollutants in aquatic systems, Water pollution engineering, Biological waste treatment, Water resource engineering. Experimental design: Designed and manufactured pilot scale thermophilic aerobic digesters with on line, real time data logging of various probes. Developed biochemical model describing substrate metabolism in thermophilic aerobic digestion. |
| 1988-1990 | Master of Science the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B. C. Thesis research: A microbial examination of the enhanced biological phosphorus removal process. Academic: Gene expression, Molecular bacterial pathogenesis, Molecular virology, Bacterial cytology and genetics, Microbiological research procedures. |
| 1983-1988 | Bachelor of Science at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B. C. |
Employment:
| 1996-present | Assistant Professor: Engineering for the Environment Program Department of Civil Engineering University of Calgary |
| 1995-1996 | Process specialist: NovaTec Consultants |
| 1988-1994 | Teaching Assistant: |
| 1983-1995 | Self Employed (references available): General contracting |
| 1984-1988 | Trainman/ Yardman (Canadian National Railway): |
Computer Skills:
Proficient with Symphony/ Lotus 123, Word Perfect, Quattro Pro, Word, Excel, Systat for Windows, Corel draw and Freelance.
Volunteer Experience:
1994 6 week field trip examining the feasibility of water disinfection in 3 small remote villages in western Nepal (Project Concern International).
Most Significant Research Contributions
The dissemination of this study was in a journal that had published much of the advancements of the understanding of the Autothermal Thermophilic Aerobic Digestion (ATAD) process. Today, ATAD is a widely accepted and proven treatment alternative for the stabilization of municipal sludges. It has been recognized that the optimization of this process is dependent on a comprehensive understanding of the ecology and physiology of the organisms involved. The objective of this research program was to map the probable metabolic pathways of the oxidation of specific carbon substrates within the sludge biomass. In developing a biochemical model describing substrate metabolism in ATAD we have provided a greater understanding of not only the process but have laid the foundations for the development of a novel system known as the microaerobic process.
If the oxygen demand of any aerobically metabolizing system is higher than the ability of the aeration equipment to meet this requirement, microaerobic conditions will prevail and be accompanied by the production of byproducts from partially oxidized substrates. Previous models have only considered substrate metabolic patterns in ATAD from a fermentative point of view. This new model has significantly advanced our understanding of not only Volatile Fatty Acid (VFA) and substrate flows in ATAD but has broadened our general understanding of metabolism in complex biological ecosystems.
Funded by:
The Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP)
The Fraser Pollution Abatement Office of Environment Canada (FPAO)
The Science council of British Columbia
Before accepting the faculty position at the University of Calgary, I was employed as a process specialist with NovaTec Consultants Inc. (a local B.C. Environmental Engineering consulting company) in their Environmental Research and Development Division. Within this company we have developed a strong research program concerned with the potential commercialization of the microaerobic process, a concept that was developed during the completion of my Ph.D. thesis in the department of Civil Engineering at the University of British Columbia (UBC). At the time of my departure from NovaTec, we had completed one project with funding from the Industrial Research Assistance Program and was at that time holding an additional two research grants. One was from the Fraser Pollution Abatement Office of Environment Canada and the other was from the Science Council of British Columbia. The completed IRAP funded project used existing 60 L thermophilic aerobic digesters located at the wastewater treatment pilot plant site at UBC. The findings from the completed IRAP project were positive and allowed us to apply for and receive two additional grants. The subsequent funding from the FPAO and the Science Council are intended to reproduce the results from the IRAP study on a much larger scale (i.e. 2000 L reactors).
The demonstration scale facility has been in operation at the Lulu Island wastewater treatment plant operated by the Greater Vancouver Regional District. In addition, we were assessing the utility of a new sensor technology that we hoped would have wide applications in the wastewater treatment field. The sensor is a fluorescent probe which monitors culture fluorescence and is marketed by BioChem Technologies, King of Prussia, PA. The belief was that the probe signal was a direct measurement of the reduced form of Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide and gives an indication of the oxidation state of the organisms within the sludge biomass. This technology is currently being employed by biological nutrient removal plants in the U.S. to monitor the metabolic state within their bioreactors. Since my departure from NovaTec, the pilot plant has been moved to the Lion's Gate Wastewater Treatment Plant. Funds are secured to continue operation until the fall of 1997. Due to the proprietary nature of the results from this study, the research findings cannot be illustrated here.
This study examined the influence of small amounts of air on VFA generation (specifically acetate) in two sludge treatment processes (i.e. thermophilic aerobic digestion and primary sludge fermentation). Conventional anaerobic fermentation processes result in the formation of VFA which consists of approximately 40% acetate and 60% other longer chain VFA. The introduction of microaerobic conditions (controlled addition of small quantities of air) was shown to result in the conversion of most fermentative byproducts to acetate. Processes that require acetate as a substrate , such as the anaerobic zone of biological phosphorus removal facilities and the second phase of anaerobic digestion, could potentially benefit from such a pretreatment step. Conclusions drawn from this study were included in the successful proposals to IRAP, the FPAO of Environment Canada and the Science Council of B.C. to develop and commercialize the microaerobic process.
The general goal of the research as a whole was to gain a better understanding of the process of biological phosphorus removal from wastewater. The specific objective was to determine whether the bacteria isolated from the process biomass correspond to the organisms with the real functional capabilities to sequester phosphorus within the treatment process. To answer this fundamental question of which bacteria are responsible for the phenomenon of phosphorus accumulation, a pure culture autoradiographic assay was developed to screen organisms isolated from sludge for their potential to accumulate phosphorus. According to the results presented in the paper a variety of organisms were capable of the potential to accumulate phosphorus. The results showed that, contrary to what many investigators believe, Acinetobacter may not be the only genus that is responsible for phosphorus accumulation. The results from this study demonstrated that other genera and organisms within a genus can differ in their capacity to accumulate phosphorus.
Other Research Contributions
Participation in Industrially Relevant R & D Activities:
As mentioned previously under the heading Most Significant Research Contributions, I was involved with a local B.C. Environmental Engineering consulting company (NovaTec Consultants Inc.) in the development of the microaerobic process. The nature of my activities include:
I am also currently involved in seven collaborative research projects, one with the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, four with Imperial Oil Resources Ltd. and two with the City of Calgary. A brief description of these projects are included:
Contribution to the Training of Highly Qualified Personnel
In addition I have supervised three undergraduate and three graduate research project courses. Each student's name, degree program and title of thesis is included in the following table:
| Name | Degree Program | Title of Thesis |
| Jennifer Sharp | M. Eng. Candidate | Conceptual Plan for the Priddis Stormwater Wetland |
| Monique Wong | B.Sc. Co-op Candidate | Identification of leachate from Bioventing of Contaminated Soils |
| Davina Henderson | B. Sc. Candidate | Greywater Treatment in Alpine Huts in the Canadian Rockies and Nothern Selkirks |
| Ian Tait | B. Sc. Candidate | Phosphorus Mass Balance at the Bonnybrook Wastewater Treatment Plant |
| Richard Rogalski | M. Sc. Candidate | A Comparative Study of Eight Neural Networks for the Optimization of Coagulant Dose. |
| Case van Wyngarrden | B. Sc. Candidate | Phytoremediation of Flare Pit contaminated Soils |
| Ole Mrklas | M. Sc. Candidate | Species Specific DNA Sequences: Targets for Water Borne Pathogen Quantification and Qualification |
Graduate students supervised:
| Name | Years Supervised | Degree Completed or in Progress / Present Position | Research Project |
| Jamie Kvicula | <1 (Principal supervisor) |
|
Biologically Determined Hydrocarbon Endpoints |
| Bernard Amell | 2 (Principal supervisor) | M. Sc. (in progress) |
Ecotechnologies for Agricultural Pollution |
| Ian Tait | 1 (Principal supervisor) |
|
Storm Water Treatment Wetlands |
| Susan Rowsell | <1 (Co-supervisor) |
|
Microbiological Study of Hydrocarbon Degraders |
| Erin Long | 2 (Principal supervisor) | M. Sc. Candidate (in progress) |
Optimization of Full Scale Fermenters |
| Ole Mrklas | 2 (Principal supervisor) | M. Sc. Candidate (in progress) |
Molecular Identification of Pathogens |
| Sonja Cook | <1 (Principal supervisor) | M. Sc. Candidate (in progress) |
Toxicity Determination of Flare Pit Wastes |
| Richard Rogalski | 1 (Principal supervisor) | Ph. D. Candidate (in progress) |
ANN Modeling of Chlorine Residuals |
| Heather Mills | <1 | Environmental Technologist | In charge of research and teaching labs |
| Eric Jordan | 2 (Co-supervisor) | M. Sc. Candidate (in progress) |
Bioremediation of Flare Pit waste |
Research Grants and Contract support:
a) Currently held
b) Applied for
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| a)
Principal investigator |
Effect of fermenter optimization on biological nutrient removal
Petro Canada, Young Innovator Award |
20,000 | 1996-1997 |
| Principal investigator | Infrastructure needs for the Environmental lab
ACCESS Cycle III Grant |
25,000 | 1996-1997 |
| Principal investigator | Full scale fermenter optimization
NSERC Research Grant |
22,000 | 1997-2000 |
| Principal investigator | Natural treatment systems for agricultural applications
Agriculture and Agrifood Canada |
7,500 | 1997-1998 |
| Principal investigator | Infrastructure needs for the Engineering for the environment lab
Research Excellence Grant |
25,000 | 1998-1999 |
| Principal investigator | Chlorine residual modelling using artificial neural networks
City of Calgary Cooperative Research Agreement |
30,000 | 1998-2001 |
| Principal investigator | IAWQ biennial conference
The University of Calgary Travel Grant |
1,320 | 1998 |
| Principal investigator | Molecular tools for the quatitation of pathogens in water and wastewater
The University of Calgary Research Grant |
10,000 | 1998-1999 |
| Principal investigator | Toxicity of flare pit sludges
Imperial Oil Research Grant |
10,000 | 1998-1999 |
| Co-investigator | Bioventing in cold regions
NSERC Industrially Oriented Research Agreement |
29,750 | 1997-1999 |
| Principal investigator | Wetland for Stormwater management
City of Calgary Collaborative Resarch Agreement |
66,991 | 1998-1999 |
| b) Principal investigator |
Ecotechnologies for treament of runoff from manured fields
Canada-Alberta Beef Industry Development Fund |
128,958 | 1998-2002 |
| Principal investigator | Toxicity of flare pit sludges
Imperial Oil Research Grant |
10,000 | 1998-1999 |