Combining recycled water use, biofuel production and phytoremediation of contaminated land and biosolids. The storage of biosolids, by-products of sewage treatment, is an environmentally unsustainable practice exacerbated by the presence of inorganic and organic contaminants. Phytoremediation is a plant-based technology which is potentially a cost-effective option for progressive long-term and sustainable clean-up of contaminated soils and sediments. Combining metal extraction by plants with r ....Combining recycled water use, biofuel production and phytoremediation of contaminated land and biosolids. The storage of biosolids, by-products of sewage treatment, is an environmentally unsustainable practice exacerbated by the presence of inorganic and organic contaminants. Phytoremediation is a plant-based technology which is potentially a cost-effective option for progressive long-term and sustainable clean-up of contaminated soils and sediments. Combining metal extraction by plants with reuse of wastewater and the production of a biofuel will provide multiple benefits of a cleaner environment, water conservation, waste reduction, carbon capture and a reduction in fossil fuel use. Development of such a low-cost combined bioenergy/remediation system will be of considerable local/regional benefit and national significance.Read moreRead less
Investigation of Australian crop species for the rhizoremediation of residual sulfonyl urea herbicide contaminations in agricultural soils. This research aims to identify an environmentally sustainable and economically viable solution to the problem of residual herbicide contaminations in agricultural soils. The strategy is focused on stimulation of microbial degradation of pesticides in the root zone of crop species (Lupins). Such a strategy will improve crop yields and reduce soil contaminatio ....Investigation of Australian crop species for the rhizoremediation of residual sulfonyl urea herbicide contaminations in agricultural soils. This research aims to identify an environmentally sustainable and economically viable solution to the problem of residual herbicide contaminations in agricultural soils. The strategy is focused on stimulation of microbial degradation of pesticides in the root zone of crop species (Lupins). Such a strategy will improve crop yields and reduce soil contaminations and environmental impacts at minimal cost. Read moreRead less
Degradation of Oestrogenic and Carcinogenic Substances in Water using alternative water treatment technologies- Membrane Technology and Photocatalysis. There is currently much concern about the release into the aquatic environment of oestrogenic and carcinogenic pollutants. Current conventional water treatment technologies are ineffective in removing them from our water supplies. This research proposes to investigate alternative water treatment technologies for the removal of these compounds of ....Degradation of Oestrogenic and Carcinogenic Substances in Water using alternative water treatment technologies- Membrane Technology and Photocatalysis. There is currently much concern about the release into the aquatic environment of oestrogenic and carcinogenic pollutants. Current conventional water treatment technologies are ineffective in removing them from our water supplies. This research proposes to investigate alternative water treatment technologies for the removal of these compounds of concern. The technologies to be investigated involve integrating membrane technology and titanium dioxide photocatalysis to produce a highly effective and efficient water treatment process. The effects of various parameters on degradation of the pollutants will be investigated and monitored using different analytical techniques.Read moreRead less
Developing and testing a novel biological reduction cell to remediate heavy metal and acid-containing industrial and mine leachates. Echo Remediation Ltd. has a new reduction cell that uses sulfur and bacteria to remove heavy metals and acidity from mine leachates, but development is now required to make it viable. The project aims to optimise the process using molecular approaches to study the effects of operating conditions on the bacterial communities. As part of the investigation, active iro ....Developing and testing a novel biological reduction cell to remediate heavy metal and acid-containing industrial and mine leachates. Echo Remediation Ltd. has a new reduction cell that uses sulfur and bacteria to remove heavy metals and acidity from mine leachates, but development is now required to make it viable. The project aims to optimise the process using molecular approaches to study the effects of operating conditions on the bacterial communities. As part of the investigation, active iron reducers will be selected and introduced to the cell (in conjunction with chemical amendments) and their colonization monitored. The new technology once developed has the potential to be used at mine sites in Australia and overseas and its employment offers a sustainable, biological "green" approach to mine waste remediation.Read moreRead less
Optimising biodegradation and removal of organic and inorganic pollutants in wastewater using constructed wetlands. The urgency of water recycling is dictated by drying climate and rapid expansion of population in Australia. Constructed wetlands are environmentally-benign way to purify wastewater by removing inorganics and facilitating biodegradation of organic pollutants, thus producing recycled water that can be used in a variety of fit-for-purpose applications. This project will produce a dec ....Optimising biodegradation and removal of organic and inorganic pollutants in wastewater using constructed wetlands. The urgency of water recycling is dictated by drying climate and rapid expansion of population in Australia. Constructed wetlands are environmentally-benign way to purify wastewater by removing inorganics and facilitating biodegradation of organic pollutants, thus producing recycled water that can be used in a variety of fit-for-purpose applications. This project will produce a decision-support system for optimising wetland performance in removing inorganics and biodegrading organic pollutants from wastewater, thus enhancing water recycling and reuse in this drying continent of ours.Read moreRead less
Improving the sustainability of Australia's water resources: an effective approach for diagnosing and treating foulants on water recycling membrane filters. By determining ways to diagnose and treat fouling problems we will have effectively solved a critical problem in the water recycling industry. By creating more efficient and sustainable ways of using water, we will transform the effectiveness of a wealth of Australian industries that increasingly rely on the efficient use of water (e.g. mini ....Improving the sustainability of Australia's water resources: an effective approach for diagnosing and treating foulants on water recycling membrane filters. By determining ways to diagnose and treat fouling problems we will have effectively solved a critical problem in the water recycling industry. By creating more efficient and sustainable ways of using water, we will transform the effectiveness of a wealth of Australian industries that increasingly rely on the efficient use of water (e.g. mining, agriculture, textiles, energy). By reducing the demand for water (by effectively recycling it), and the energy requirements (by efficiently recycling it), we will increase national wealth and provide significant social and environmental benefits to all Australians.Read moreRead less
Are acidic mine lakes usable as regional water resources? After the de-commissioning of open-cut mines, the voids frequently fill with water. In Australia, hundreds of mine lakes will develop over the next ten years and beyond. When the base mineralogy is pyritic the water can become highly acidic with high concentrations of dissolved metals. These mine lakes frequently exist in regions where water resources are in short supply. This project will investigate possible strategies to remediate such ....Are acidic mine lakes usable as regional water resources? After the de-commissioning of open-cut mines, the voids frequently fill with water. In Australia, hundreds of mine lakes will develop over the next ten years and beyond. When the base mineralogy is pyritic the water can become highly acidic with high concentrations of dissolved metals. These mine lakes frequently exist in regions where water resources are in short supply. This project will investigate possible strategies to remediate such lakes and assess the possibility of using mining lakes as valued water resources in these regions. The primary outcome of the research will be improved management of the lakes for optimal long term water quality.Read moreRead less
PHYTOREMEDIATION OF BIOSOLIDS AND SOILS CONTAMINATED WITH HEAVY METALS AT THE WESTERN TREAMENT PLANT, WERRIBEE. This project will provide a scientifically-sound basis for the practical implementation of phytoremediation technology to remove or stabilize metal and metalloid contaminants in soils and biosolid stockpiles at Melbourne Water's Western Treatment Plant at Werribee. Through glasshouse and field trials it will identify plants suitable for the use in large-scale phytoremediation of bioso ....PHYTOREMEDIATION OF BIOSOLIDS AND SOILS CONTAMINATED WITH HEAVY METALS AT THE WESTERN TREAMENT PLANT, WERRIBEE. This project will provide a scientifically-sound basis for the practical implementation of phytoremediation technology to remove or stabilize metal and metalloid contaminants in soils and biosolid stockpiles at Melbourne Water's Western Treatment Plant at Werribee. Through glasshouse and field trials it will identify plants suitable for the use in large-scale phytoremediation of biosolids and soils to which these have been applied, underpinned by a greater understanding of the controls of contaminant bioavailability.Read moreRead less
Wetland regeneration for effluent reuse, acid sulfate soil management and carbon credits. This project will research and develop a full-scale effluent reuse wetland to manage acid sulfate soils, regenerate wetlands and sequester atmospheric carbon. Many rural communities worldwide are affected by acid sulfate soils, unsustainable effluent disposal and wetland degradation, and the Greenhouse Effect threatens all coastal areas worldwide. This project is located at Byron Bay, a coastal and predomin ....Wetland regeneration for effluent reuse, acid sulfate soil management and carbon credits. This project will research and develop a full-scale effluent reuse wetland to manage acid sulfate soils, regenerate wetlands and sequester atmospheric carbon. Many rural communities worldwide are affected by acid sulfate soils, unsustainable effluent disposal and wetland degradation, and the Greenhouse Effect threatens all coastal areas worldwide. This project is located at Byron Bay, a coastal and predominantly rural electorate in northern NSW that is strongly affected by this combination of environmental stresses, causing serious degradation of water quality culminating in regular fish kills. The technology developed from this project will be readily transferable to other rural coastal communities worldwide.Read moreRead less