The measurement of toxins, such as arsenic, mercury, cadmium, lead and chromium for example, in food, beverages, environmental samples, waters, etc. must be carried out to verify that there is no danger. This requires analyses of numerous samples each day using instruments that can measure the small amounts that may be present.

This project focuses on the development of new solvents, to replace those that are currently used in industrial processes. Currently, the majority of solvents used in industry are harmful to both people and the environment. These solvents are full of volatile organic compounds, which are released to the atmosphere and contribute to smog formation. Globally, smog is a major risk factor for human health, following only malnutrition, dietary risks, high blood pressure, and tobacco.

This project is geared towards the development of a cost-effective method to fabricate thin films of carbon materials, such as diamond. The idea is to use solution-based methods coupled to electrochemistry to produce the films. Avenues for the deposition of the film on surfaces of arbitrary shapes will also be explored.

The increasing use of engineered particulate matter in a variety of fields, including medicine, cosmetics and textiles, results in greater human exposure than in the past. As this matter may be swallowed or breathed in and penetrate the blood stream where it may reach organs and exert a toxic effect, techniques are needed that can quickly measure minute amounts of this matter in various media, such as the air that we breath, the water that we drink and the food that we eat.

A major contributor to smog formation is the release of volatile chemicals into the atmosphere which are emitted from many sources including automobile exhaust and consumer products such as paints. To combat the adverse effects smog has on air quality in North America, agencies such as Environment and Climate Change (Canada) and the Environmental Protection Agency (United States) enforce limits on the types and amounts of chemicals used in industrial applications and consumer products.

This project will demonstrate the cause and effect of industrial material failures in the harsh Newfoundland climate under the general umbrella of corrosion. Our main focus is materials used in the marine and oil & gas industries.

Micro-scale particles composed of high-voltage spinel LNMO (LiNi1-xMnxO4) will be characterized using electron microscopy techniques. These particles are stabilized through the inclusion of coating materials. The methods to prepare these particle coatings consisted of either an in-situ or post-synthetic method. The interface between the particle and the coating will be characterized at the atomic-scale by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM).

Buckwheat contains an active ingredient that lowers blood glucose in diabetic rats. The active ingredient is not a known compound such as chiro-inositol or rutin. The goal of this project is to fractionate buckwheat by a technique known as countercurrent chromatography (CCC) and determine the presence of a biological activity.