Onita Basu Leads Unique Canadian Study

(Ottawa, September 22, 2008)– Carleton University engineering professor Onita Basu will oversee a full-scale study that could decrease damage to fish and marine life when chlorinated wastewater is released into municipal water systems.

The Ontario Ministry of the Environment approved the study that will allow Dr. Basu to research the use of peracetic acid to treat wastewater as an alternative to chlorine.

“This is the first study of its kind in Canada that is related to municipal wastewater,” says Dr. Basu. “My research could really minimize the adverse effects on the environment, especially for aquatic life, that are associated with chlorine.”

“Many municipalities will be interested as the federal government passed legislation that will force municipalities who surpass a specific flow of chlorinated effluent to dechlorinate their wastewater by 2010,” points out Dr. Basu.

Peracetic acid has been recently approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for similar full scale testing in the United States. Research already conducted in Europe shows that peracetic acid is less toxic than chlorine.

Dr. Basu, an assistant professor in the civil and environmental engineering department, has already successfully conducted pilot tests with peracetic acid with the Niagara Region.

“This study has been part of team experiment that could not have occurred without the proactive support of the Niagara Region to seek innovative alternatives to existing problems,” says Dr. Basu.