Chairholders
Profile
M. James Hendry
Department of Geological Sciences
University of Saskatchewan
Chair title
NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Environmental and Aqueous Geochemistry
Chair program
Industrial Research Chairs program
Role
Senior Chairholder since 1995
Summary
Migration of dissolved chemicals in the subsurface is typically controlled by groundwater flow under a hydraulic gradient (advection). The movement of dissolved chemicals can also occur by molecular diffusion from zones of high concentration toward zones of low concentration under a chemical potential. In clay-rich geologic media (termed aquitards), which are common throughout the world, transport of the dissolved chemicals is, for the most part, controlled by diffusion. Because diffusion is a slow process, surficial aquitards are attractive deposits for the containment, disposal, and management of industrial and agricultural waste. In addition to diffusion, the movement of reactive dissolved chemicals is controlled by chemical processes (e.g., sorption, chemical and biochemical reduction, dissolution and precipitation reactions).Despite the importance of these reactions in controlling the natural geochemical evolution of groundwaters and the fate of contaminants in aquitards, little research has been conducted on this topic. Research conducted with James Hendry’s NSERC Industrial Research Chair grant since 1995 was very successful in developing an understanding of the controls on the migration of dissolved chemicals in aquitards. Through his current NSERC Industrial Research Chair grant (2000-2006), he is furthering our understanding of the controls on the migration of dissolved chemicals in aquitard systems throughout the world. This research, a partnership between the University of Saskatchewan, Cameco Corporation, and the Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan, is vital to quantify the long-term containment of contaminants in geologic media.
Partners
- Cameco Corporation
- Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan
Contact information
Department of Geological Sciences
University of Saskatchewan
Geology Building
114 Science Place
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
S7N 5E2
Tel.: 306-966-5720
Fax: 306-966-8593
Email: jim.hendry@usask.ca
Website:
http://www.usask.ca/geology/
