At York University, we are tackling complex global issues and preparing students for long-term success. One of the greatest challenges today is ensuring that more people have access to safe, clean drinking water. 

That’s the focus of the work happening today in the lab led by Professor Satinder Kaur Brar, the James and Joanne Love Chair in Environmental Engineering. She leads research projects that apply innovative solutions to the worldwide problem of water contamination. 

One of those projects has led to the development of a biofilter capable of removing cyanotoxins from surface water sources. These toxins, caused by blue green algae, can have negative health impacts ranging from skins rashes to serious illness and, in rare cases, death. 

The Great Lakes, the primary source of drinking water for eight million Canadians and Americans, have seen a sharp rise in algae blooms in recent years. 

With unwavering determination to make a difference, postdoctoral fellow Pratik Kumar decided to develop a household-scale solution that was sustainable and economical. After exploring several options, he settled on one that sounded deceptively simple: sand. Sand coated in graphite, to be exact. 

The choice of sand was particularly important, as Kumar realized early in the project that household users would likely be uncomfortable using bacteria or biological compounds to treat their drinking water. As an added benefit, the graphitized sand used in Kumar’s filter can be obtained through sustainable methods, repurposing existing waste products. 

The result is a new type of biofilter that reduces the concentration of cyanotoxins to 0.61 µg/L, less than the critical concentration of 1 µg/L established by the World Health Organization. Kumar published the results of his work in the journal Science of the Total Environment and was recognized by the International Water Association with the Young Water Professionals Canada Award. He joined that organization following the completion of his PhD to support collaborations among water professionals and to create awareness about the water research and technology being developed within Canada. 

“Everyone in the lab is incredibly proud of what Pratik is accomplishing in helping to deliver safe drinking water to people,” says Brar. “Moving our work from the bench to the field is our ultimate goal. Not only is Pratik succeeding in doing that, but his work is getting recognition, which only helps all of us as we keep investigating new ways to get pollutants out of our most valuable resource. He’s moving on from our lab and he will be missed, but our loss is India’s gain. We wish him every success.” 

Kumar was appointed as a professor at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Jammu and started in April 2021. His focus has shifted to his home country, where the need to remove toxins and other primary pollutants from water sources is greater, as less than half of the population has easy access to safe drinking water. 

With Kumar’s focus on India, Brar and her colleagues at York will continue to study more ways to deliver safe, clean drinking water to people around the world.