University of Toronto
University of Toronto is a university that is part of the pulse of the water sector. Here we bring together everything it publishes on Smart Water Magazine: its news, its blogs and the events it takes part in.
Researcher uses quantum chemistry and AI to purify drinking water
At age 17, Diana Virgovicova discovered a molecule that can eliminate pollutants from water when exposed to sunlight.
‘Too comfortable in our own comfort’: Experts on why we shouldn’t waste water
It’s common knowledge that reducing our carbon footprint is important, but what about our water footprint? Showering, cooking, doing dishes and flushing toilets adds up fast, and Canadians use more than 215 litres each day. “We need to ask more questions about our water, where that water comes from and how it gets to us,” says Mandy Meriano, associate […]
Researchers uncover life’s power generators in the Earth’s oldest groundwaters
An international team of researchers has discovered 1.2-billion-year-old groundwater deep in a gold- and uranium-producing mine in Moab Khotsong, South Africa, shedding more light on how life is sustained below the Earth's surface and how it may thrive on other planets. The findings were published earlier this week in the journal Nature Communications. "For the first […]
Researcher seeks to improve clean water access in Africa
Thelma Abu wants her research to make a difference. For her, this starts with ensuring everyone has access to a human right and necessity: water. The global health researcher – one of nine recipients of the Black Research Network’s inaugural IGNITE grant – is driven by her lived experiences in her home country of Ghana to improve water […]
Researchers use machine learning to speed up counting of microplastics
Microplastics are all around us—in the water we drink, the food we eat and the air we breathe. But before researchers can understand the real impact of these particles on health, they need faster and more effective ways to quantify what is there. Two recent studies by researchers at the University of Toronto's Faculty of […]
Road traffic could be a major source of water pollution
Heavy traffic is often associated with air pollution. But a new U of T Scarborough study suggests it’s also a major contributor to water pollution. The study found that chemicals commonly used in vehicle fluids, tires and paints were much higher in rivers next to roads with heavy traffic. “We found a strong relationship between […]
Researchers develop early warning system for water pollution using tiny water fleas
Researchers at the University of Toronto are developing an early warning system for water quality and pollution that combines tiny water fleas and an instrument so sensitive it’s able to detect changes at the molecular level. The technique being developed by Myrna Simpson, a professor in U of T Scarborough’s department of physical and environmental sciences, and post-doctoral […]
Oil-adsorbing sponge could prevent environmental contamination
U of T researchers have developed a new strategy to remove tiny oil droplets from wastewater with more than 90% efficiency, in just 10 minutes. Their secret weapon: a sponge. “Oil extraction operations such as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, produce nearly 100 billion barrels of oil-contaminated wastewater each year,” says Professor Chul Park (MIE). “Because the oil is in the […]
Is there plastic in our drinking water?
Is there plastic in your drinking water? The University of Toronto’s Bob Andrews and Chelsea Rochman say there is – but, unfortunately, they don’t have much more information to share. “If someone asks me how microplastics in drinking water influence human health, I have to say that we have no idea,” says Rochman, an assistant professor in the department […]