NSERC Funds Carleton Researchers Advancing New Environmental Engineering Projects

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) is awarding Carleton civil and environmental engineering researchers with new funding for their projects that examine the health impacts of micro- and nanoplastics and methods for improving low-carbon energy, notably for areas in Northern Canada.

NSERC is providing over $1 million in grants to the researchers through the Plastics Science and Innovation for a Cleaner and More Sustainable Future and Small Modular Reactors Research Grant Initiative programs.

Congratulations to the awarded researchers. Find out about their work:

The research team, led by Banu Örmeci, aims to provide a thorough understanding of micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) in urban environments by studying their presence, sources and health impacts across multiple settings.

The project is divided into five streams to look at:

1. MNPs in cities such as soil, air, water, road dust and stormwater, taking the unique approach of considering factors like traffic, construction and industrial activities together.
2. Indoor air, where little is known about MNP levels; by testing homes and university buildings, the team will not only count and characterize the plastics but also test how ventilation and filtration can reduce their presence.
3. Health risks of breathing in MNPs using advanced tissue models that mimic human lungs.
4. Tire wear particles using a specialized lab setup to investigate how different tires, road types and weather conditions affect the particles released.
5. Recycled plastic waste in road asphalt to improve pavement performance and reduce waste, while checking if this process creates new sources of MNPs.

Örmeci’s team will use advanced tools to identify the characteristics of plastics and chemical contaminants associated with plastics. By comparing results across different sites and conditions, their research aims to fill key knowledge gaps, inform better policies and help develop practical solutions to reduce plastic pollution and protect public health in Canadian cities.

Mehdi Pouragha and Vahid Sadeghian are both being supported through the Small Modular Reactors Research Grant Initiative with $240,000 each.

Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) are being considered as a source of reliable, low-carbon energy for northern and remote communities in Canada. Many of these sites are underlain by permafrost and other cold-region soils that can behave unpredictably as they warm. When heat from an SMR combines with ongoing climate change, the ground beneath these facilities may thaw, settle or weaken in ways that are not yet fully understood.

Mehdi Pouragha and his team aim to use advanced numerical simulations to link realistic climate-driven temperature changes to the mechanical behaviour of soil and ice beneath an SMR site — providing an integrated modelling framework to identify risk factors under realistic site scenarios.

Findings from the simulations will provide scientifically grounded insights that can support regulatory evaluation and engineering design for SMRs in northern environments.

The combined effects of thawing permafrost and seismic events in Canada’s northern regions on the structural safety and performance of Small Modular Reactor (SMR) containment systems remain largely unexplored.

Integrating geotechnical and structural engineering approaches to address this knowledge gap, Vahid Sadeghian’s research will deliver validated simulation tools, predictive fragility curves and performance-based insights that directly support regulatory evaluations, resilient foundation design and emergency planning for SMRs in permafrost regions.

By advancing the understanding of coupled thermal and seismic effects on critical nuclear infrastructure, this project will inform safer SMR siting, strengthen risk mitigation strategies and contribute to Canada’s clean energy and northern development goals.

More Carleton research news:

• Carleton Water Quality Expert Jumps into Rideau River Swimming Research
• Canada Research Chair Awarded Funding to Advance Low-Carbon Technologies