AWWA Water Science Author Spotlight

Abstract

Having recently published an article in AWWA Water Science, Martin Earle answered questions from the publication's editor-in-chief, Kenneth L. Mercer, about the research. Predicting Manganese and Iron Precipitation in Drinking Water Biofilters Martin R. Earle, Inês L. Breda, Amina K. Stoddart, and Graham A. Gagnon On a recent trip to Hawaii, Martin relaxes during a sunset sail. I went into civil engineering expecting to specialize in infrastructure, without knowing that water treatment fell under the civil engineering umbrella at Dalhousie. My first exposure to water treatment was in my third year, when I took Dr. Graham Gagnon's water quality class. The first assignment for that class was a literature review, which opened my eyes to both water treatment and graduate studies. I found that assignment and the class in general fascinating, and I quickly realized that water science was something important and worth committing my efforts to. I have had many mentors already in my career and have been fortunate to get a lot of great advice. However, I want to highlight my coauthor, Dr. Inês Breda, who was generous enough to share her data with me and help me write this paper at a time when I had no access to research facilities because of COVID-19. She helped me understand that failure is a normal part of graduate school, and that the key to producing quality research is to not let those failures derail you. Martin and his fiancée, Genevieve, enjoy kayaking on Kejimkujik Lake, the largest lake in Nova Scotia's Kejimkujik National Park. I believe that the future of manganese control is biological treatment; however, our understanding of how manganese is removed across biological systems is limited, which has prevented widespread adoption of the technology in North America. To improve our understanding of these systems, we focused on one potential removal mechanism that is often ignored by researchers: homogeneous oxidation. The article investigates this mechanism using full-scale data and generates a framework for future investigations into manganese removal. I grew up enjoying the beautiful lakes, parks, and campgrounds in Nova Scotia, especially Kejimkujik National Park, which I still visit every year. It is very important to me that we protect the natural environment so that future generations can continue to enjoy it. After seeing the destruction left by Hurricane Fiona, which tore through the Atlantic provinces in late September 2022, it has never been clearer that we need to push everything we do to be sustainable, especially water treatment. Replacing the chemical treatments typically used to control manganese with sustainable biological treatments will be a great step toward a cleaner future. Climate change is going to cause more and more problems for the water industry, especially in Canada, where we tend to rely on surface waters. Even if we could stop polluting today, we will still face the consequences of what has already happened. The wilderness of Nova Scotia has always been an integral part of Martin's life and pastimes. Biological manganese treatments have been shown to be robust and sustainable. By continuing to develop this technology, we can help protect the public from health risks associated with manganese and the environmental pollution resulting from chemical treatments. Martin and Genevieve's cat, Apollo, helps bring balance to the stresses of Martin's PhD work. Hiking in Diamond Head State Monument, Hawaii.