Dr. Beata Gorczyca, PhD, P.Eng.

Biography

Beata Gorczyca obtained a doctorate in Environmental Engineering through the Department of Chemical Engineering. In 2001, Beata Gorczyca joined the Department of Civil EngineeringCivil Engineering at the University of Manitoba. Dr. Gorczyca’s research is primarily in potable water treatment. Solid/liquid separation is the key process in water purification. She specializes in the analyses of particles formed during the treatment process and the methods to remove them from the water. She is an active member of the Particle Specialist Group at the International Water Association and has been invited as a keynote speaker at several conferences. Dr. Gorczyca and her students have been working with many Canadian water utilities, especially those located in the Prairies, such as Portage la Prairie, the City of Brandon and the Pembina Valley Water Co-op.

Research

Area

Environmental Engineering

Expertise

Water and Wastewater Treatment

Research description

Municipal water supply, water and wastewater treatment processes, solid/liquid separation, chlorine disinfection by-products control, membrane filtration, fractal analysis of materials.

Graduate Student Opportunities

There are M.Sc. positions available in Dr. Gorczyca's Water Treatment research group.

Students interested in this position should be a good team player, have a valid driver's license and be open to learn many advanced water testing laboratory techniques.

Selected Publications

Selected articles in refereed publications (names of HQP trained are in bold type)

  1. Motevasselin M., Gorczyca B., Kalinovich I., Sparling R. and R.S.Ranjan (2024) Bioremediation of chlorate and chromium in soil columns using contaminated site native culture.  Submitted to Groundwater Monitoring and Remediation. Volume 44, https://doi.org/10.1111/gwmr.12643
  2. Czerniak G., Gorczyca B. (2024) Rapid assessment of surface water quality using statistical multivariate analysis approach: Oder River system case study. Science of Total Environment. 912, 168754.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168754 
  3. Motevasselin M., Gorczyca B., Kalinovich I. and Sparling R. (2023). Bioremediation of chlorate and chromium  contamination with native microbial culture in cold climate.  Groundwater Monitoring and Remediation. Volume 44, https://doi.org/10.1111/gwmr.12610
  4. Gorczyca B. (2021)   Fractal properties of flocs, filtration cakes and biofilms in water and wastewater treatment processes. In: Water in Biomechanical and Related Systems (Series title : Biologically-Inspired Systems) ed. A. Gadomski, Springer   (https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783030672263)
  5. Mirzaei, S., & Gorczyca, B. (2020) Removal of trihalomethanes from high organic matter water sources using aeration: a feasibility study. Water Qual. Res. J 55(2), 184–197. https://doi.org/10.2166/wqrj.2020.016
  6. Sadrnourmohamadi M., Brezinski K., Gorczyca B.(2020) Effect of ozonation on the structural characteristics of natural organic matter, humic acid, and fulvic acid. Water Qual. Res. J.; 55(2), 155-166. https://doi.org/10.2166/wqrj.2020.011
  7. Vojdani Z., Gorczyca B. (2020) Preliminary investigation into the claims of IBROM system. Water Qual. Res. J. 55(2), 198-208. https://doi.org/10.2166/wqrj.2020.017
  8. Brzezinski  K., Gorczyca B. Sadrnourmohamadi M. (2018)  Ion-Exchange for trihalomethane control in potable water treatment – A municipal case study in Rainy River, Ontario. Wat.Qual.Res.J. 54 (2): 142-160. https://doi.org/10.2166/wqrj.2018.134
  9. Jha N., Kiss Z., Gorczyca B, (2018) Fouling mechanisms in nanofiltration membranes for the treatment of high DOC and varying hardness water. Desal. and Wat.Treatment. 127, 197-212. https://doi.org/10.5004/dwt.2018.22830
  10. Winning L.D., Gorczyca B., Brezinski K.(2017)  Effects of total organic carbon on aquatic humic substances and the occurrence of lead at the tap. Wat.Qual.Res.Jour.Canada, 52.1, https://doi.org/10.2166/wqrjc.2017.028
  11. Goss, C.D., R.Wiens, Gorczyca, B., K.M. Gough (2017).  Comparison of three solid phase extraction sorbents for their solation of THM precursors from Manitoban surface waters.  Chemosphere,168, 917-924. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2016.10.118
  12. Sadrnourmohamadi M. and Gorczyca.(2015) Effects of ozone as a stand -alone and coagulation-aid treatment on the reduction of trihalomethanes precursors from high DOC and hardness water.  Wat. Res. 73, 171-180 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2015.01.023
  13. Vahedi A. and Gorczyca B. (2014) Settling velocities of multifractal flocs formed in chemical coagulation process.  Wat. Res. 53, 322-328. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2014.01.008
  14. Goss, C.D., Gorczyca, B. (2013) Trihalomethane Formation Potential of DOC Fractions Isolated From Two Canadian Prairie Surface Water Sources. Water Science and Technology: Water Supply.13.1, 114-122  
  15. Vahedi A. and Gorczyca B. (2012).  Predicting the settling velocity of flocs formed in water treatment using multiple fractal dimensions.Wat. Res. 46,(13), 4188-4194   http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2012.04.031
  16. Vahedi A. and Gorczyca B. (2011).  Application of fractal dimensions to study the structure of flocs formed in lime softening process. Wat. Res.; 45, 2, 545-556. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2010.09.014

Refereed conference papers and posters

  1. Díaz, J. & Gorczyca, B. (2024). Organic gel-like foulant characterization on nanofiltration membranes supplied by high hardness and dissolved organic carbon surface   American Water Waterworks Association, Fresh Ideas Poster Contest, Western Canada Water Annual Conference and Exhibition 2024. RBC Convention Centre, Winnipeg, MB. Sep. 16-20, 2024. https://www.wcwwa.ca/page/PosterContest
  2. Díaz, J. & Gorczyca, B. (2024). Chemical and biological fouling in nanofiltration membranes for drinking water production [Oral presentation]. Canadian Society for Bioengineering 2024 Annual General Meeting. University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB. July 7 – 10, 2024. https://csbe-scgab.ca/winnipeg2024
  3. Díaz, J., Wang, C., & Gorczyca, B. (2024). Reduction of dissolved organic carbon by UV/H2O2 advanced oxidation in surface water feeding nanofiltration membranes. 107th Canadian Chemistry Conference and Exhibition, Canadian Society for Chemistry 2024. RBC Convention Center, Winnipeg, MB. June 2 – 6, 2024. https://www.cheminst.ca/conference/canadian-chemistry-conference-and-exhibition-csc-2024/
  4. Díaz, J., Penner, K., & Gorczyca, B. (2023). Foulants on nanofiltration membranes used for purification of surface waters with high dissolved organic carbon and hardness.  The 10th International Water Association Membrane Technology Conference & Exhibition for Water and Wastewater Treatment and Reuse, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, United States, July 23-26, https://mtc2023.wustl.edu/
  5. Díaz, J. & Gorczyca, B. (2023). Multilayer structure of gel-like foulant on nanofiltration membranes purifying surface water with high dissolved organic carbon and hardness 2nd Canadian IWA YWP Conference 2023, Vancouver, BC, Canada, June 1 – 3, https://iwa-ywp.ca/canadian-iwa-ywp-conference-2023/
  6. Motevasselin, M., Gorczyca B., Kalinovich I. Sparling R. (2021) Bioremediation of chlorate and chromate contaminated groundwater in cold climate. The Remediation Technologies Symposium 2021 (RemTech™ 2021), October 2021; https://esaa.org/remtech/proceedings/#gsc.tab=0 https://esaa.org/remtech/webinars/