News Release

October 13, 2005: Human and animal health focus of international water meeting held in Alberta

B.C.

Attention News Editors:

Human and animal health focus of international water meeting held in Alberta

EDMONTON, Oct. 13 /CNW/ - Did you know? New subdivisions in Calgary are now built with holding ponds for storm water run-off - so that pesticides, herbicides, antifreeze, dog feces, other chemicals and waste in yards and lawns do not go directly into the Calgary water supply.

Both urban and rural issues are being tackled by water researchers at the Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Water Research who took part in a recent International Water Association conference held in Alberta.

"Water affects everyone, especially in a province like Alberta, which is relatively dry, and therefore tends to concentrate water problems," says Darrel Danyluk, Chair of the Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Water Research and president of the conference. Nine researchers in the Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Water Research were among the presenters at the high-profile meeting, with representatives from 26 countries. In addition to the Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Water Research, conference sponsors included Alberta Environment, Alberta Economic Development, City of Calgary, and the University of Calgary.

"Alberta Ingenuity researchers are recognized around the world as significant contributors to the science available to address water concerns at an international level," Greg Shyba, Executive Director of the Ingenuity Water Centre says.

"Alberta can afford to do world-class water research that many other parts of the world cannot," says Peter Hackett, President of Alberta Ingenuity. "We want to lead in this area so we can share our advantages, and this is a crucial role because water has enormous international human development contributions."

Some of the Alberta Ingenuity Center for Water Research researchers are looking at the phenomenon and removal of micropollutants in the water such as endocrine disruptors.

"This is the kind of thing that has often been found in polluted rivers, so we are looking at ways of removing these," Dr Mohamed Gamel El-Din at the University of Alberta explains.

What does science tell us about our water supply? Ask the almost 40 internationally known water research experts, who make up the Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Water Research.

Note to editors and reporters: List of research contacts attached.

Researchers working in related areas:

 

Dan Johnson Biomonitoring of Alberta rivers and streams,

effects of weather and climate variability

Canada Research Chair in Sustainable Grassland

Ecosystems Professor of Environmental Science,

Department of Geography,

University of Lethbridge

403-329-2040

 

Mohamed Gamal El-Din Monitoring water supplies, advanced water

Dan Smith treatment systems, removing micropollutants such

Ian Buchanan as endocrine disruptors and cyanobacteria toxins

Environmental Engineering Program, Civil and

Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta

780-492-5124

 

Alice Hontela Fish toxicology and endocrine disruption

Canada Research Chair in Ecotoxicology Associate

Professor of Biology, Department of Biological

Sciences,

University of Lethbridge

403-394-3929

 

Cathy Ryan Toxicology in the Bow River

Associate Professor, Geology and Geophysics,

University of Calgary

403-220-2793

 

Joseph Rasmussen Structure and dynamics of river food webs,

containment fluxes through aquatic food webs

Canada Research Chair in Aquatic Ecosystems

Professor of Biology, Department of Biological

Sciences,

University of Lethbridge

403-382-7182

 

Caterina Valeo Urban water issues

Associate Professor, Geomatics, University of

Calgary

403-220-4112

 

For further information: contact: Mary Anne Moser, Director of

Communications, Alberta Ingenuity, moser@albertaingenuity.ca or

(403) 949-3306

 

 

Topic(s): Healthy Communities News, science news, Water News

Posted By ECOBC

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