Areas of expertise
Isotopic geochemistry , Adaptation to climate change , Contaminant transport and degradation , Emerging energies in the subsurface , environment , Groundwater quality , Hydrogeology
- Assistant Professor
- Holder of Canada Research Chair in Groundwater Protection in a Changing World
Phone
418-654-2543
Eau Terre Environnement Research Centre
490 de la Couronne Street
Québec City, Quebec G1K 9A9
CANADA
Research interests
Professor Bordeleau’s work focuses on groundwater geochemistry, particularly isotope geochemistry. Whether used to understand regional water flow, to track contaminants in groundwater and surface water, or to understand the interactions between deep geological units and shallow aquifers, isotope geochemistry can provide concrete answers to complex environmental problems. Professor Bordeleau uses her expertise to characterize the quality of drinking water and groundwater in both natural and disturbed environments, with a view to protecting this precious resource. More specifically, her research focuses on the following areas:
- Geochemical and environmental implications of emerging energies and other subsurface activities (geothermal, green hydrogen, natural hydrogen, CO2 sequestration, legacy hydrocarbon wells)
- Impacts of flooding on groundwater quality in the context of climate change
- Upward flow of deep-seated fluids (brines, gases) towards surface aquifers, along geological discontinuities
Prospective students
I invite students interested in my research and wishing to pursue graduate studies to contact me. You may also consult the directory of projects currently offered at INRS.
Team
Philip-Alex Guay-Hébert
MSc UQAT – cosupervision (sup. J. Walter)
paghebert@etu.uqac.ca
Silvère Ramanantoanina Tsaravola
PhD candidate – cosupervision (sup. S. Homayouni)
Maria Alejandra Taborda Ortiz
MSc candidate – cosupervision (sup. J. Raymond)
Academic background
- Postdoctoral Fellow, Natural Resources Canada (Geological Survey of Canada)
- PhD. Water sciences, Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS)
- MSc, Earth sciences, INRS
- BSc Agronomy, McGill University
Biography
After studying agronomy, Geneviève Bordeleau chose to focus her career on the environment. She completed a MSc in hydrogeology and a PhD in contaminant geochemistry. This field of research became a passion that she pursued as a researcher at the Geological Survey of Canada before joining the Centre Eau Terre Environnement at INRS as a professor in the fall of 2019.
Current projects (as principal investigator)
Evaluation of the natural hydrogen potential in southern Quebec and eastern Ontario, and methodological developments to improve the quality of measurements. Funding: Mitacs (2024–2025)
Canada research chair on groundwater protection in a changing world. Funding: Canada Research Chairs (2023-2029)
Modern-day dowsers: what possible contributions to the field of groundwater research? Funding: FRQNT Engagement program (2022-2024)
Spatial assessment of the risk of consuming contaminated (drinking) water during floods. Funding: RIISQ-Ouranos (2022-2025)
Multi-isotope approaches : towards taking into account cumulative impacts of contaminants on groundwater. Funding : NSERC Discovery Grant (2021-2026)
Current projects (as co-researcher)
Development of a deep fluid sampler for resource exploration. McGill University project, principal investigator Vincent von Hinsbert. Funding: FRQNT Sustainable Development of the Mining Sector program (2025-2028)
Aquifer characterization and assessment of water resource impacts from multiple sources of contamination in the western part of the Niagara Peninsula (southern Ontario). Natural Resources Canada Project, principal investigator Christine Rivard (2024–2029)
Towards a CO2 storage pilot project in the St. Lawrence Lowlands in Quebec. INRS project, principal investigator Bernard Giroux. Funding: Natural Resources Canada Energy Innovation Program, and Innov–R (2024–2027)
Valorization of dewatering water from underground mines into geothermal energy. INRS project, principal investigator Jasmin Raymond. Funding: FRQNT Sustainable Development of the Mining Sector Program (2024–2027)
From pore space to well scale: a multi-scale assessment of porous media heterogeneity to reduce risk when selecting promising sites for CO2 sequestration and geothermal energy production. Natural Resources Canada project, principal investigator Christine Rivard (2023-2028)
Past projects
CRDS instrument for the analysis of stable isotopes of water. Funding: Canadian Foundation for Innovation, John R. Evans Leaders Fund (2023-2024)
State of knowledge on natural hydrogen. INRS project, principal investigator Jasmin Raymond. Funding: Ministère de l’Économie, de l’Innovation et de l’Énergie (MEIE) (2023)
Development of tools for sampling and interpretation of gas isotope analyses useful for hydrogeological study in the context of hydrocarbon closure operations. Funding: Ministry of the Environment, the Fight against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks (MELCCFP) (2022-2023)
Geothermal energy: a second life for mines. INRS project, lead Jasmin Raymond. Funding: FRQNT Sustainable Development of the Mining Sector program (2021-2024)
CommunoSerre: Socio-technological integration of community and solidarity greenhouses in disadvantaged urban neighbourhoods affected by the pandemic. INRS project, co-leads Jasmin Raymond and Nathan McClintock. Funding: INRS Covid-19 initiative (2021-2023)
The effects of flooding on groundwater quality: preliminary investigation. Funding: Eco Canada grant (2021)
Rano Madagasikara : Improving the resilience of communities in the Ikopa sub-basin (Madagascar) with regards to contamination of drinking water sources due to flooding. Funding: PCCI, Government of Quebec (2020-2024)
Quantification of diffuse contaminant fluxes: multi-method approach to optimise enviromnental management of mining sites. Université du Québec au Témiscamingue (UQAT) project, lead Vincent Cloutier. Funding: FRQNT Sustainable Development of the Mining Sector program (2020-2023)
Unconventional hydrocarbon exploitation in Fox Creek, Alberta: towards considering cumulative impacts on the groundwater resource. Natural Resources Canada project, lead Christine Rivard (2019-2024)
Aquifers, a natural infrastructure for eco-energetic cooling. INRS project, lead Jasmin Raymond. Funding: NSERC Advancing Climate Change Science in Canada program (2019-2022)
Assessing impacts of shale gas production on groundwater quality in an active production area (McCully gas field and Elgin prospective field near Sussex, New Brunswick). Natural Resources Canada project, lead Christine Rivard (2015-2019)
Assessing aquifer vulnerability to hydraulic fracturing in the prospective region of Saint-Édouard-de-Lotbinière. Natural Resources Canada project, lead Christine Rivard (2012-2016)
Affiliations
Member of the Intersectorial flood network of Québec (RIISQ)
Member of the International Association of Geochemistry (IAGC)
Member of the Canadian chapter of the International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH-CNC)
Member of the France-Québec Associated International Laboratory, Resources and Society
Scientific activities
Member of the Technical comittee program on natural hydrogen (TCP49) of the Internal Energy Agency (co-lead for the axis on environmental impacts) (2024-2026)
Member of a canadian expert comittee on the resilience of private wells under climate change pressures (2024-present)
Graduates
Wong, Charis (PhD, 2025). A spatio-temporal study of the geochemistry and microbiology of an aquifer resulting from the operation of groundwater heat pump systems.
Goldoni de Souza, Mariana (MSc, 2024). Hydrogeochemical study for a sustainable exploitation of geothermal energy in former open–pit mines: the case of the King Beaver and Carey Canadian mines, Quebec.
Boujghad, Abdelaziz (MSc UQAT, 2023). Characterization and evaluation of contaminants in solids and waters: the case of a tailings management facility.
Colléau, Élise (MSc, 2020). Geochemistry and age of groundwater in the Eastern Townships in relation to arsenic and manganese issues and the vulnerability of supply wells.
Former postdoctoral fellows
Maxime Fortin Faubert (2022-2024)
Former research trainees
Bouchard, Mathieu (Undergraduate intern, Laval University, 2025)
Naghmouchi, Rayen (MSc intern, Jendouba University (Tunisia), 2024)
Lee Slew, Christine (Undergraduate intern, University of Ottawa, 2024)
ben Youssef, Aya (MSc intern, Tunis El-Manar University (Tunisia), 2023)
Rihab, Brik (MSc intern, Superior School of Engineers of Medjez El Bab (Tunisia), 2023)
Yu, Lisa (Undergraduate intern, University of Waterloo, 2023)
ben Arous, Yachar (MSc intern, University of Tunis El-Manar (Tunisia), 2022)
Somera, Reginald (Undergraduate intern, University of Waterloo, 2021)
Teaching
- Environmental isotopes (ETE424)
- Characterization methods for the subsurface (GEO1502, teaching of the hydrogeology and surface water – groundwater interaction modules)
- Field course in water sciences (ETE102, teaching of the groundwater module)
- Climate change adaptation (ETE6054, teaching of the saltwater intrusion module)
Publications
Lavoie, Denis, Crow, Heather, Rivard, Christine & Bordeleau, Geneviève (2025). Groundwater-driven sedimentary diagenesis and control on aquifer characteristics: Integration of core and downhole geophysical data from the Paleocene Paskapoo Formation, west-central Alberta, Canada. Hydrogeology Journal, 33 (4): 1157-1180.
DOI: 10.1007/s10040-025-02904-4
Bordeleau, Geneviève, Lavoie, Denis, Rivard, Christine, Pinet, Nicolas, Barton, D., Hinds, Steve & Tom, Al (2024). Saline and hydrocarbon-bearing fluids detected in shallow aquifers of southern New Brunswick, Canada: Natural occurrence, or deep migration along faults and industrial wellbores?. Science of The Total Environment, 933: art. 172999.
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172999
Séjourné, Stéphan, Comeau, Félix-Antoine, dos Santos, Maria Luisa M., Bordeleau, Geneviève, Claprood, Maxime, Mulliez, Valentin, Malo, Michel, Giroux, Bernard, Gloaguen, Erwan & Raymond, Jasmin (2024). Potential for natural hydrogen in Quebec (Canada): a first review. Frontiers in Geochemistry – Section Mineral Geochemistry, 2: art. 1351631.
DOI: 10.3389/fgeoc.2024.1351631
Boumaiza, Lamine, Walter, Julien, Chesnaux, Romain, Zahi, Faouzi, Huneau, Frédéric, Garel, Émilie, Stotler, Randy L., Bordeleau, Geneviève, Johannesson, Karen H., Vystavna, Yuliya, Drias, Tarek, Re, Viviana, Knöller, Kay & Stumpp, Christine (2022). Combined effects of seawater intrusion and nitrate contamination on groundwater in coastal agricultural areas: A case from the Plain of the El-Nil River (North-Eastern Algeria). Science of the Total Environment, 851 (Part 1): Art. 158153.
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158153
Marcotte, Pascal, Neculita, Carmen Mihaela, Cloutier, Vincent, Bordeleau, Geneviève & Rosa, Éric (2022). Tracing the sources and fate of nitrogen at a Canadian underground gold mine. Applied Geochemistry, 142: Art. 105238.
DOI: 10.1016/j.apgeochem.2022.105238
Roy, James W., Bordeleau, Geneviève, Rivard, Christine, Ryan, Cathryn M., Malet, Xavier, Brown, Susan J. & Tremblay, Vincent (2022). Continual long-term monitoring of methane in wells above the Utica Shale using total dissolved gas pressure probes. Hydrogeology Journal, 30 (3): 1005-1019.
DOI : 10.1007/s10040-022-02452-1
Bordeleau, Geneviève; Rivard, Christine; Lavoie, Denis & Lefebvre, René (2021). A systematic multi-isotope approach to unravel methane origin in groundwater: example of an aquifer above a gas field in southern New Brunswick (Canada). Appl. Geochem., 134: Art. 105077.
DOI: 10.1016/j.apgeochem.2021.105077
Ladevèze, Pierre; Rivard, Christine; Lavoie, Denis; Séjourné, Stéphan; Lefebvre, René & Bordeleau, Geneviève (2019). Fault and natural fracture control on upward fluid migration: insights from a shale gas play in the St. Lawrence Platform, Canada. Hydrogeol. J., 27 (1): 121-143.
DOI: 10.1007/s10040-018-1856-5
Rivard, Christine; Bordeleau, Geneviève; Lavoie, Denis; Lefebvre, René; Ladevèze, Pierre; Duchesne, Mathieu J.; Séjourné, Stéphan; Crow, Heather; Pinet, Nicolas; Brake, Virgina; Bouchedda, Abderrezak; Gloaguen, Erwan; Ahad, Jason M. E.; Malet, Xavier; Aznar, Jean-Christophe & Malo, Michel (2019). Assessing potential impacts of shale gas development on shallow aquifers through upward fluid migration: A multi-disciplinary approach applied to the Utica Shale in eastern Canada. Mar. Petrol. Geol., 100: 466-483.
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2018.11.004
Bordeleau, Geneviève; Rivard, Christine; Lavoie, Denis; Lefebvre, René; Ahad, Jason M. E.; Xu, Xiaomei & Mort, Andy (2018). A multi-isotope approach to determine the origin of methane and higher alkanes in groundwater of the St. Lawrence Platform, Saint-Édouard area, eastern Canada. Environ. Geosci., 25 (3): 75-100.
DOI: 10.1306/eg.04121817020
Bordeleau, Geneviève; Rivard, Christine; Lavoie, Denis; Lefebvre, René; Malet, Xavier & Ladevèze, Pierre (2018). Geochemistry of groundwater in the Saint-Édouard area, Québec, Canada, and its influence on the distribution of methane in shallow aquifers. Appl. Geochem., 89: 92-108.
DOI: 10.1016/j.apgeochem.2017.11.012
Rivard, Christine; Bordeleau, Geneviève; Lavoie, Denis; Lefebvre, René & Malet, Xavier (2018). Can groundwater sampling techniques used in monitoring wells influence methane concentrations and isotopes?. Environ. Monit. Assess., 190: Art. 191.
DOI: 10.1007/s10661-018-6532-7
Rivard, Christine; Bordeleau, Geneviève; Lavoie, Denis; Lefebvre, René & Malet, Xavier (2018). Temporal variations of methane concentration and isotopic composition in groundwater of the St. Lawrence Lowlands, eastern Canada. Hydrogeol. J., 26 (2): 533-551.
DOI: 10.1007/s10040-017-1677-y
See previous publications on ORCID