Project Overview

This project extends FES research on hydrocarbon biodegradation to a new, high-priority challenge: the breakdown of hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM) in oil sands tailings. Using novel carbon sources and controlled redox conditions, PhD student Catherine Mar Pineda will investigate HPAM degradation kinetics, microbial community dynamics, and greenhouse gas production. This work will identify native microbial microorganisms already present in the oil sands tailings capable of degrading HPAM and provide strategies to reduce methane emissions. The obtained results will provide critical insights for sustainable tailings management and advance the FES legacy in environmental remediation.