INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier
Environmental problems: Environmental problems caused by organic pollutants count among our Center's main preoccupations. The purpose of several ongoing research programs involving multidisciplinary teams of professors and students is to find practical and economical solutions for these problems:
Waste Treatment/ Treatment of effluents; Landfill leachates; Domestic waste waters; Agricultural wastes; Industrial waste water; Decontamination of sites; Domestic waste landfills; Industrial waste landfills; Biobleaching of paper mills.
Our expertise: Evaluation, Investigation, Analysis and Expertise; Scientific evaluation; Measurement of yields, performance and reliability of industrial biotreatments; Assessment of the process to respect current decontamination regulations and criteria; Technical feasibility studies; Optimization of the biotreatment; Development of adapted efficient microorganisms; Determination of optimal conditions (pH, N, O2 etc); Development of engineered efficient biocatalysts; Rectification to optimize existing processes; Development of more efficient and more economical technologies; Identifications of problems that can be corrected to enhance the biotreatment process.
Examples of solutions: Anaerobic bioreactors to degrade phenolics and pentachlorophenol (PCP); Two-phases microbial process to degrade petroleum hydrocarbons; Development of a thermophilic bioreactor to stabilize pig waste; Analysis of pollutants by mass spectrometry; Use of molecular biology techniques (PCR, in situ hybridization) to follow the bioprocesses; Development of genetically engineered enzymes (biocatalysts) to degrade persistent pollutants.
Company Details
Company Information
Rjean Beaudet
Title:
Manager
Telephone:
(450) 687-5010
Fax:
(450) 686-5501
Email:
Click Here
Pierre Juteau
Title:
Manager
Area of Responsibility:
Management Executive
Telephone:
(450) 687-5010
Fax:
(450) 686-5501
Email:
Click Here
Franois Lpine
Title:
Manager
Telephone:
(450) 687-5010
Fax:
(450) 686-5501
Email:
Click Here
Michel Sylvestre
Title:
Manager
Area of Responsibility:
Management Executive
Telephone:
(514) 630-8829
Fax:
(514) 630-8850
Email:
Click Here
Richard Villemur
Title:
Manager
Area of Responsibility:
Management Executive
Telephone:
(450) 687-5010
Fax:
(450) 686-5501
Email:
Click Here
Pierre Lapointe
Title:
Directeur
Telephone:
(450) 687-5010
Fax:
(450) 686-5501
Jean-guy Bisaillon
Title:
Director
Telephone:
(450) 687-5010
Fax:
(450) 686-5501
Email:
Click Here
Products
Environmental Products And Services
Anaerobic Bioprocess
We have developed an anaerobic process (fixed film bioreactor) for the treatment of phenol-containing industrial waste water. We have shown that the process can be used efficiently to reach the criteria established for petrochemical waste water. On the other hand, we have purified a bacteria able to perform the first two steps (carboxylation and dehydroxylation) required for the degradation of phenol under methanogenic conditions. These bacteria act in association with a second bacteria that we have also isolated.
The enzymes that catalyze the carboxylation of phenol have been partially purified and characterized. We also have isolated a new anaerobic microbe called Desulfitobacterium frappieri PCP-1 which is able to dehalogenate PCP to produce 3-chlorophenol. That bacteria can dehalogenate several other aromatic and aliphatic compounds. Following an investigations on the genetics of this bacteria we have developed tools to detect this bacteria in the environment during the degradation process in soil and waste water.
Analysis Of Pollutants By Mass Spectrometry
Mass spectrometry coupled with liquid chromatography or gas chromatography is a very useful tool for the analysis of pollutants and their metabolites in the environment. Professor Franois Lpine has developed protocols for the detection and identification of pollutants by mass spectrometry.
Development Of A Thermophilic Bioprocess To Stabilise Pig Waste
Pig waste management is one of the major problem encountered by the Quebec pork industry because of the abundance of waste and the disagreement caused by the odor it generates. We have developed, at the laboratory scale, a thermophilic process for the biological stabilization of pig waste. The treatment is effective in lowering the BOD, degrading the odorous compounds, eliminating ammonia and eliminating pathogens. Ongoing work with partners is aimed at scaling up the process.
Two-phase Microbial Process To Degrade Petroleum Hydrocarbons
We have developed an innovative two-phase (water/oil) bioreactor to degrade high molecular weight polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). The purpose of the ongoing investigation is to identify and characterize the most appropriate bacteria for this type of bioreactor. Specific goals are to understand the factors affecting biosurfactant production, microbial adherence, and biofilm formation in the biodegradation process.
Use Of Molecular Biology Techniques (pcr, In Situ Hybridization) To Follow The Bioprocesses .
We have developed probes that can be used effectively to detect bacteria involved in the degradation of PAH under aerobic conditions or to detect anaerobic bacteria involved in the degradation of chlorophenols (dehalogenase I of Desulfitobacterium frappieri PCP-1 or the pcpB gene (PCP 4-monooxygenase)).
Furthermore, we use molecular biology techniques such as 16S RNA, PCR, quantitative PCR, in situ hybridization coupled to cytometry and reporter genes to evaluate microbial diversity in contaminated sites, to identify the bacterial strains involved in the degradation and to follow the bacterial population during the bioremediation process.
Development Of Genetically Engineered Enzymes To Degrade Persistent Pollutants
We have expertise in the development of genetically engineered bacteria and enzymes for the degradation of persistent pollutants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). In recent work, we have identified some of the structural elements of the biphenyl dioxygenase, which are determining the enzyme specificity towards various PCB congeners.
These results have been used to facilitate the enzyme engineering to obtain enhanced enzymes able to degrade more persistent PCB congeners. The performance of these modified enzymes is presently being investigated in bioreactors at the laboratory scale.
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