BQE expands business with aquatic toxicology services

Executive Summary

• BQE Water Inc. is integrating aquatic toxicology services into its core competencies to enhance its water treatment offerings for the mining industry.
• The company is establishing an in-house aquatic toxicology laboratory and hiring senior toxicologists to reduce timelines and costs associated with mine water toxicity remedies.
• This strategic move aims to provide science-based site-specific water quality benchmarks and offer guarantees to clients regarding effluent toxicity.

Key Details

• Strategic Investment: BQE Water is expanding its core competencies by integrating aquatic toxicology services, including the establishment of an in-house aquatic toxicology laboratory.
• Key Personnel Hired: The expansion is supported by the addition of senior aquatic toxicologists to the BQE Water team:
  • James Elphick
  • Dr. Ebrahim (Ebi) Lari
  • Josh Baker
• Operational Goals:
  • Reduce timelines and costs for implementing remedies for toxicity in mine waters.
  • Create a multidisciplinary team capable of evaluating toxicity causes, performing required testing, and designing remedies.
  • Establish science-based, site-specific water quality benchmarks holistically, considering treatment costs and risks.
  • Provide guarantees to clients regarding effluent toxicity as part of plant operations services.
• Laboratory Focus: The new laboratory is intended to be fully accredited but will primarily focus on investigative work to support the water treatment business, rather than high-volume routine bioassays.
• Expertise Areas: The new team brings experience in developing water quality benchmarks for contaminants such as selenium, nickel, copper, sulphate, chloride, nitrate, and ammonia.

Notable Quotes

• David Kratochvil, President and CEO: "Over the last few years, we have identified aquatic toxicology services as an area of strategic interest for the company. These services are not only perfectly complementary to our existing suite of services, but they also offer the potential for accelerated growth in our water treatment business."
• James Elphick: "Approaching toxicity identification investigations and addressing gaps in the understanding of toxicant behaviour from a practical treatment perspective provides a unique service that will address ecological risks and reduce timelines for implementing the right remedies."