Quantification of Traffic Generated Nano and Ultrafine Particle Dynamics and Toxicity in Transit Hubs and Transport Corridors. The socio-economic benefits to Australia will include (i) new knowledge for the multiparameter assessment of nano and ultrafine particles, pollutants in the centre of current scientific, medical and policy debates (ii) a breakthrough in the scientific understanding of traffic generated particles in the urban atmosphere (iii) determining the toxicological impact of these ....Quantification of Traffic Generated Nano and Ultrafine Particle Dynamics and Toxicity in Transit Hubs and Transport Corridors. The socio-economic benefits to Australia will include (i) new knowledge for the multiparameter assessment of nano and ultrafine particles, pollutants in the centre of current scientific, medical and policy debates (ii) a breakthrough in the scientific understanding of traffic generated particles in the urban atmosphere (iii) determining the toxicological impact of these particles on biological systems. The ultimate economic benefit will be improved urban design to lower human exposure to ultrafine particles, thus reducing health care cost and productivity losses. The research will also place Australia at the forefront of international progress towards better methods for achieving environmental sustainability.Read moreRead less
What are the risks of viral infections in drinking water storages? South East Queensland's population growth is the fastest in Australia but our drinking water supplies will be fully allocated by 2020. Maintaining public health standards of the existing supplies is vital. Declines in water quality in these unprotected catchments will influence viral infection but we don't know how. Toxin producing algae (cyanobacteria) also bloom and we don't know why. We have an innovative approach to determine ....What are the risks of viral infections in drinking water storages? South East Queensland's population growth is the fastest in Australia but our drinking water supplies will be fully allocated by 2020. Maintaining public health standards of the existing supplies is vital. Declines in water quality in these unprotected catchments will influence viral infection but we don't know how. Toxin producing algae (cyanobacteria) also bloom and we don't know why. We have an innovative approach to determine how changing water quality influences viral infection of toxic cyanobacteria and the potential of human viral pathogens (disease causing) to infect. This new knowledge will improve SEQWater's ability to manage public and ecosystem health risks in drinking water storages.Read moreRead less
Sustainable Urban Water Governance: Institutional Development and Organisational Change. The research will provide governance and policy advice for advancing integrated urban water management across multiple organisations and sectors in Australian cities. The benefits of the proposed research include: a) prioritisation of current institutional impediments; b) scoping of key institutional reform initiatives; c) improved institutional capacity to lead and innovate; and d) advancement of the nation ....Sustainable Urban Water Governance: Institutional Development and Organisational Change. The research will provide governance and policy advice for advancing integrated urban water management across multiple organisations and sectors in Australian cities. The benefits of the proposed research include: a) prioritisation of current institutional impediments; b) scoping of key institutional reform initiatives; c) improved institutional capacity to lead and innovate; and d) advancement of the national priority goal of facilitating sustainable water management practices. This will also address the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Environment and Heritage inquiry report Sustainable Cities (2005) advocating the need for research programs directed towards facilitating major institutional and policy changes.
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Estuarine wetland rehabilitation and ecohydraulics: the link between hydraulics, sediment, benthic invertebrates, vegetation and migratory wading bird habitat. Water flow is the lifeblood of estuarine wetlands and has a major impact on ecological habitat. Despite this, little is known about the link between the threatened migratory birdlife, benthic invertebrates, wetland vegetation and the aqueous environment that supports them. This study will determine the interrelationships between key chara ....Estuarine wetland rehabilitation and ecohydraulics: the link between hydraulics, sediment, benthic invertebrates, vegetation and migratory wading bird habitat. Water flow is the lifeblood of estuarine wetlands and has a major impact on ecological habitat. Despite this, little is known about the link between the threatened migratory birdlife, benthic invertebrates, wetland vegetation and the aqueous environment that supports them. This study will determine the interrelationships between key characteristics of migratory wader habitat and the hydraulic environment. The study will be conducted in the internationally significant Hunter estuary. The project will result in ecological management strategies based on hydraulic control for estuarine wetlands. These are essential for the design of culverts and roads and other development throughout coastal Australia.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0238492
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$139,000.00
Summary
State of Art Particle Size Analysers. Particulate materials are encountered in many different forms, sizes and environments, and vastly different areas such as biological, environmental, chemical and materials engineering. Particle size and its distribution are fundamental properties of these materials. Existing particle size measuring equipment in Australia is poor as currently available facilities cannot accurately resolve particle sizes in concentrated dispersions, nor can they visualise the ....State of Art Particle Size Analysers. Particulate materials are encountered in many different forms, sizes and environments, and vastly different areas such as biological, environmental, chemical and materials engineering. Particle size and its distribution are fundamental properties of these materials. Existing particle size measuring equipment in Australia is poor as currently available facilities cannot accurately resolve particle sizes in concentrated dispersions, nor can they visualise the in situ structure and size of fragile assemblies of particles (flocs). This proposal seeks funding for a suite of complementary particle size analysers, for use in an extensive number of research areas, to specifically address these critical current deficits.Read moreRead less
Establishing the relations between starch nano- and mesostructure and macroscopic physical properties. Starch is the major energy component within human diets, and the most abundant polymer that can be readily extracted from annual crop plants, leading to many actual and potential industrial applications. There are major opportunities to optimise the nutritional value of starches in the human diet, and to enhance the properties of extracted starches as renewable alternatives to petrochemical pol ....Establishing the relations between starch nano- and mesostructure and macroscopic physical properties. Starch is the major energy component within human diets, and the most abundant polymer that can be readily extracted from annual crop plants, leading to many actual and potential industrial applications. There are major opportunities to optimise the nutritional value of starches in the human diet, and to enhance the properties of extracted starches as renewable alternatives to petrochemical polymers. This project will open up our understanding of the structure of starch polymers and show how this relates to important properties such as enzyme digestibility rates, leading to new opportunities for public health and commercial benefits.Read moreRead less
New Mg-based hydrogen storage material with destabilised hydrides. This project will develop a new magnesium-based hydrogen storage material for applications such as hydrogen-powered automobiles. Clean energy is a global challenge to reduce greenhouse emissions. Safe storage of hydrogen is a key barrier to the widespread implementation of hydrogen as a clean energy carrier. Magnesium is amongst the few materials able to meet the requirements for effective, safe, light-weight and cheap hydrogen s ....New Mg-based hydrogen storage material with destabilised hydrides. This project will develop a new magnesium-based hydrogen storage material for applications such as hydrogen-powered automobiles. Clean energy is a global challenge to reduce greenhouse emissions. Safe storage of hydrogen is a key barrier to the widespread implementation of hydrogen as a clean energy carrier. Magnesium is amongst the few materials able to meet the requirements for effective, safe, light-weight and cheap hydrogen storage. Light metals is a priority area for Australia with our large resources of aluminium and magnesium. Magnesium-based hydrogen storage could create a huge market for Australian magnesium and hydrogen storage systems. Read moreRead less
Functional Analyses of Bacteria Involved in Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal from Wastewater. The abundant growth of blue-green algae in global waterways is substantially caused by phosphorus (P) release from wastewater treatment plants. This environmental drama can be mitigated against by P-accumulating bacteria partitioning the P inside their cells. The P-removal process often fails, but since the metabolism of P-accumulating bacteria is unknown, remedial actions are based on conjecture ....Functional Analyses of Bacteria Involved in Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal from Wastewater. The abundant growth of blue-green algae in global waterways is substantially caused by phosphorus (P) release from wastewater treatment plants. This environmental drama can be mitigated against by P-accumulating bacteria partitioning the P inside their cells. The P-removal process often fails, but since the metabolism of P-accumulating bacteria is unknown, remedial actions are based on conjecture. This fundamental, knowledge-generating project will address this shortfall and will develop methods to evaluate the activity of P-accumulating bacteria, contributing substantial understanding of their metabolism. The final goal is to promote stable, reproducible P-removal from wastewater.Read moreRead less
An optimally integrated treatment process for food waste and wastewater to maximise sustainability in a decentralised treatment plant. Decentralised small scale treatment plants are required for remote communities, resort locations and 'rural residential' developments. This project has access to an operational plant in urban Brisbane serving 21 houses, the first development in urban Australia with full approval for an onsite treatment facility. The plant has been designed to treat an integrate ....An optimally integrated treatment process for food waste and wastewater to maximise sustainability in a decentralised treatment plant. Decentralised small scale treatment plants are required for remote communities, resort locations and 'rural residential' developments. This project has access to an operational plant in urban Brisbane serving 21 houses, the first development in urban Australia with full approval for an onsite treatment facility. The plant has been designed to treat an integrated kitchen waste and blackwater stream, with upstream anaerobic digestion that reduces the survival of wastewater pathogens and generates soluble organic carbon for the biological removal of nitrogen and phosphorous. The project will produce expertise in decentralised treatment systems, including the development of two PhD students in this area.Read moreRead less