News Stories
VIU researchers investigating origins of toxic tire chemical that can kill salmon
March 12, 2024
VIU research lab at the centre of a large-scale project to detect toxic chemical in Vancouver Island streams. As rain and atmospheric rivers fall on Vancouver Island the seasonal weather also brings the possibility of a toxic chemical entering urban streams from nearby roadways. Vehicle tires release a chemical known as 6PPD-quinone that is acutely toxic to salmon at extremely low levels. This... Read more
VIU researchers measure methane at Alberni Valley Landfill
August 17, 2022
Student researchers gain valuable hands-on experiences while helping to fight climate change. Methane is more potent than carbon dioxide and reducing or eliminating emissions is a critical step to help fight climate change. Researchers at Vancouver Island University (VIU) are working with the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District to monitor the Alberni Valley Landfill to find methane hot spots.... Read more
Microplastics Exposed to Sunlight Can Change their Behaviour in the Environment
March 1, 2022
VIU alum Misha Zvekic’s research on microplastics and the effects of exposure to light was recently published by the Royal Society of Chemistry. Microplastics are everywhere – in the oceans, rivers and the air you breathe – and are being ingested by various animals and other organisms. And while microplastics are already problematic on their own, they can also absorb toxins and other harmful... Read more
VIU Researcher Developing Precise Chemical Tests Requiring Minutes Instead of Hours
February 23, 2022
Chemistry Professor Dr. Chris Gill receives a $240,000 Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada grant to pursue research. For two decades, Dr. Chris Gill and his research team have been revolutionizing scientific methods using direct mass spectrometry – an analytical technique that is used to rapidly measure the chemical makeup of substances. Gill, Co-Director of Vancouver... Read more
Researchers Developing "Game-Changing" Methods to Measure Contaminants
December 3, 2020
VIU acquiring first high-resolution mass spectrometry instrument of its kind in the central Vancouver Island region thanks to grants from the Canada Foundation for Innovation and BC Knowledge Development Fund. Vancouver Island University (VIU) researchers are striving for faster, better and more economical mass spectrometry methods to measure environmental and biological samples in the field to... Read more
Air Quality Improves Across the Province During the COVID-19 Crisis
May 26, 2020
Vancouver Island University (VIU) student researchers see a dramatic decrease in air pollution levels due to reduced car and plane traffic. Restrictions imposed to help save lives during the COVID-19 pandemic have led to less people driving and flying, which has created a rare opportunity for Vancouver Island University (VIU) researchers and students to study the impacts of automobile and plane... Read more
Alum of the Month: Hannah McSorley
January 14, 2020
It’s been a few years since Hannah McSorley graduated from Vancouver Island University, but her connections to the institution remain strong. Thanks to a research background in environmental analytical chemistry which she gained while still a student at VIU, as well as significant field experience in hydrology, McSorley is working for the university’s Coastal Hydrology Research Lab as an analyst... Read more
VIU Researchers Awarded $25,000 In Health Canada's Drug Checking Technology Challenge
April 25, 2019
VIU researchers developing a breakthrough opioid drug testing system using new equipment provided by Thermo Fisher Scientific – were declared semi-finalists in Health Canada’s Drug Checking Technology Challenge. Researchers at Vancouver Island University (VIU) developing a drug-testing system that could one day save lives are getting some much-needed help from Health Canada and a leading... Read more
Innovative Chemistry Major Now Being Offered at VIU
April 10, 2019
The emerging disciplines of green chemistry and analytical chemistry are just two of several unique aspects of the new Bachelor of Science, Major in Chemistry degree program being offered at VIU this fall. Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Undergraduate Student Research Award holder Misha Zvekic is excited to be among the first to graduate with Vancouver Island... Read more
World-Class VIU Research Vehicle Will Monitor Air Quality in Nanaimo this Winter
November 19, 2018
Researchers with Vancouver Island University’s (VIU’s) Applied Environmental Research Laboratories (AERL), in co-operation with community partners are conducting a Regional Air Quality Mapping Pilot Project in the Central Island region. The Mobile Mass Spectrometry Lab, a.k.a. the Mass Specmobile, is the only one of its kind in Canada. The high-tech innovations onboard allow researchers to... Read more