Flavia Braghiroli: in search of products that are less toxic for the planet

A concrete example of the positive impact of applying science, led by an inspiring woman.

Photo provided by the researcher - Le Devoir

Flavia Braghiroli, professor of forest bioproducts at UQAT

By: Blanche Mongeon

Originally from Brazil, Flavia Braghiroli is a professor of forest bioproducts at the Forest Research Institute of the Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue (UQAT). Her research focuses on bio-based and carbon-based bioproducts and materials that have uses in various fields such as bioremediation, bioenergy, agriculture, wastewater treatment, and energy storage.

Let's take a closer look at one of his research projects, which involves replacing phenol with tannin.

Phenol Phenol is a highly reactive compound produced during the petroleum distillation process. It is currently used to make paint, fabrics, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, plywood, insulation materials, and even soft drinks, among other things. However, phenol can contaminate groundwater and waterways, in addition to causing damage to human organs such as the liver and kidneys.

In contrast, tannin is a macromolecule just as reactive as phenol, which is found in the bark of black spruce trees. This resource represents great wealth since black spruce trees are abundant in the boreal forest of northern Quebec. Currently, sawmills harvest spruce wood to produce construction materials, while the bark is burned to produce energy.

Did you know that?

Phenol has not been produced in Canada since 1992. Promoting the use of tannin instead of phenol therefore represents a great opportunity to encourage a local industry.

Flavia Braghiroli launched a research program so that Quebec tannin from Abitibi-Témiscamingue black spruce can enter the market. Technological challenges in extracting tannin from spruce bark are to be expected. In addition, to avoid disrupting the cycle of use of spruce products, this researcher aims to extract the tannin before its transformation from bark into energy. Finally, the use of tannin is not only of interest in Quebec. In Brazil, the tannin content of acacia bark is four times higher than in black spruce bark. This research program established by Flavia Braghiroli therefore represents a great opportunity for global collaboration.

Flavia Braghiroli is undoubtedly an inspiring researcher in the forestry industry, a field that is still largely male-dominated. Her research project is a perfect example of the practical use of science with a positive impact on our society. By using this local compound, not only are we utilizing an already available resource, but we are also reducing our use of phenol and, by extension, the associated risks for humans and the environment.

This article is inspired by the article Exploiting the full potential of black spruce barkpublished in the newspaper Le Devoir.

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References:

Duchaine, Alexandra (2024, February 24). Harnessing the full potential of black spruce bark. Le Devoir . 🔗

Flavia Braghiroli . University of Quebec in Abitibi-Témiscamingue. Available online 🔗

Public Services and Procurement Canada. Fact Sheet: Phenol . Government of Canada. Available online 🔗

Production of bio-sourced materials based on tannin extracted from bark in Abitibi-Témiscamingue . Abitibi-Ouest Community Development Assistance Corporation (SADCAO). Available online 🔗