MSc Environment and Management Theses
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A comparative life cycle assessment of hydrogen production in British Columbia
(2021-08-27)Hydrogen can play a key role in decarbonizing energy systems and the transition to a low carbon economy. While scaling up hydrogen production plays a critical role in initiating a hydrogen economy, it is also important ... -
Overcoming adversity : promise of recovery of native plants in a temperate wetland community following removal of yellow flag iris (Iris pseudacorus L.) using benthic barriers
(2021-07-01)Global declines in biodiversity and ecosystem function in wetlands is exacerbated by invasions of invasive plants such as yellow flag iris (Iris pseudacorus L.). Benthic barrier treatments were recently introduced as a ... -
Assessment of a constructed wetland pilot of mine impacted water at the closed Nickel Plate Mine, British Columbia, Canada
(2021-01-26)The use of a water treatment plant for treating thiocyanate, nitrates, weak acid dissociable cyanide, and ammonia at the Nickel Plate Mine has been ongoing since mine closure in 1996. This process, although effective, ... -
Determination of the most effective technologies in methane emissions reduction for oil sands operations in Alberta, Canada
(2020-12-03)Several regulatory policies have been implemented in the past five years on methane mitigation and oil sands industry emission in Alberta, Canada; however, most effective technologies in methane reduction remain to be ... -
Anaerobic digestion enhancement : impact on the volatile solids reduction and biogas production within municipal anaerobic digestion systems via routine bioaugmentation with a biocatalytic microbial and enzyme consortium
(2020-12-02)Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) frequently use anaerobic digestion (AD) to break down organics to reduce the total volume of biosolids produced. As population increases, cost of biosolids disposal increases while ... -
Restoring anthropogenic fires to Garry oak ecosystems : a case study from Tumbo Island North
(2020-11-27)This research is focused at the sites of Tumbo Island North and Tumbo Cliff (both on Tumbo Island within the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve [GINPR]), with supplemental data from Rocky Point Department of National Defense ... -
Biosurfactant enhanced bioremediation of petroleum hydrocarbons in weathered drilling waste
(2020-10-20)Mismanagement of hydrocarbon-based drilling waste from oil and gas operations is a concern in Alberta and around the world. Their disposal in landfills is a commonly used practice which represents an unsustainable risk ... -
Testing infrared technology to locate active migratory bird nests
(2020-10-05)The Migratory Birds Convention Act of 1994 prohibits the destruction of migratory bird nests (incidental take), requiring industry to avoid activities that may put nesting birds at risk. Active nest surveys currently used ... -
Landfill leachate : an alternative water source for Alberta oil and gas development
(2020-09-25)The Alberta oil and gas industry continually seeks ways to reuse wastewaters within the context of environmental regulations. This thesis examines the use of landfill leachate as an alternative source to freshwater in the ... -
Mechanical treatment of sandy clay soils in winter conditions for the reduction of hydrocarbon contaminant concentrations
(2020-09-05)The remediation of soils returns contaminated land to productive use and protects the environment and human health. As many as 60% of contaminated sites in Canada are impacted by Petroleum Hydrocarbons (PHCs) and many ... -
Coral reefs old nemesis- anthropogenic runoff
(2020-08-19)South Coast Marine Park (SCMP) is a marine conservation area with extensive coral reefs in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG). My study evaluated the land-use changes adjacent the SCMP and the impacts of pollution and ... -
Assessment of spawning platforms constructed to remediate flood damage and Kokanee habitat : the case study of the Powers Creek flood recovery project, West Kelowna, British Columbia
(2020-06-05)Powers Creek, located within West Kelowna, British Columbia (BC) experienced high flows and in channel deposition in the spring of 2017, resulting in damage to public infrastructure and degradation of kokanee salmon ... -
Risk of exposure to metals from urban garden soils in Kelowna and West Kelowna, BC
(2020-03-11)Health risk exposure of heavy metals from home and community garden soils in Kelowna and West Kelowna, BC were assessed. Total metals in samples collected from 28 home and 17 community garden plots and one soil conditioner ... -
Characterizing habitat for threatened forest birds in Prince Edward Island, Canada
(2020-03-04)Understanding habitat use is a first step in conserving species at risk. The objectives of this study were to determine the landscape, spatial, and habitat correlates of the number of bird Species of Conservation Concern ... -
Peatland vegetation response post-fire in a changing climate
(2020-02-28)Peatland communities in western Canada have slowly developed over thousands of years with wildfires being a constant influence on these systems. As fires move through mature peatland communities, the aftermath is an open ... -
Assessment of heavy metals concentrations in sediment and soil samples at Royal Roads/Hatley Park, Colwood, BC
(2020-01-17)Site investigations were performed at two locations on the Royal Roads/Hatley Park property and the Esquimalt Lagoon to determine metals concentrations. Soil and sediment samples were analyzed for heavy metals concentrations ... -
Phenological effects on southern resident killer whale population dynamics
(2020-01-04)Southern resident killer whale survival is threatened by a variety of known risk factors, but more likely exist. As this population lives entirely within the coastal Pacific waters of North America, the ocean environment ... -
Oil sand tailings water in the Athabasca River
(2019-09-19)This study developed a screening level methodology for surveillance of oil sands process-affected water that had potentially migrated to groundwater in the oil sands development area of northern Alberta, Canada. We pilot ... -
Aquatic health effects of biotechnical streambank restoration of the Elbow River in an urban environment
(2019-09-17)Streambank stabilization that uses non-living and living design elements, called biotechnical restoration, is an increasingly common approach to stream restoration design. With this increase in use, it is important to ask ... -
Increasing water temperatures from changing climate and their effects on the survival of adult sockeye salmon, (Oncorhynchus nerka) on Snake River in the Columbia Basin
(2019-08-29)As a consequence of climate change, many populations of sockeye salmon in the U. S. Pacific Northwest are now experiencing significantly warmer river conditions during their spawning migration from the ocean to their ...
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