Iron and phosphorus recovery from ferric precipitation sludge. To minimise health risks and environmental pollution, water and wastewater treatment processes often use iron salts to eliminate phosphate and other pollutants. This generates large amounts of chemical sludge that is typically sent to landfill. The benefits of this new process will be the recovery of both the iron, which can be reused in the process, and the phosphate, which is a key component in fertiliser. Since phosphate is a limi ....Iron and phosphorus recovery from ferric precipitation sludge. To minimise health risks and environmental pollution, water and wastewater treatment processes often use iron salts to eliminate phosphate and other pollutants. This generates large amounts of chemical sludge that is typically sent to landfill. The benefits of this new process will be the recovery of both the iron, which can be reused in the process, and the phosphate, which is a key component in fertiliser. Since phosphate is a limited natural resource with an increasingly high value, the recovery and recycling of this critical element in food production is highly important. The process will also avoid a large part of the sludge production and will make the water treatment processes more cost-effective.Read moreRead less
Ehanced Hydrodynamic Fractionation of Particles. The coal industry, which is a major contributor to the Australian economy, urgently needs a new washability method following its decision to abandon the existing laboratory standard. The existing method relies on the use of heavy organic liquids which are known to be toxic to human health. The 'water-based' approach proposed in this study overcomes the problem of risk to human health, thus benefiting Australian workers, the immediate industry, and ....Ehanced Hydrodynamic Fractionation of Particles. The coal industry, which is a major contributor to the Australian economy, urgently needs a new washability method following its decision to abandon the existing laboratory standard. The existing method relies on the use of heavy organic liquids which are known to be toxic to human health. The 'water-based' approach proposed in this study overcomes the problem of risk to human health, thus benefiting Australian workers, the immediate industry, and wider community. New separation technologies that could benefit the minerals industries and other key industries should follow. The project will also result in the education and training of two postgraduate students, and the advancement of two postdoctoral researchers in this area of industry. Read moreRead less
Microbial fuel cells for nutrient recovery from source-separated urine. This project aims to reduce the strain on urban wastewater treatment plants by removing and recovering nutrients from water collected in residential and commercial buildings. Urban wastewater treatment plants in Australia are under pressure from increasing population and urbanisation, and there are also ever stricter environmental regulations on discharge of nutrients (mainly nitrogen and phosphorus) into receiving waters. W ....Microbial fuel cells for nutrient recovery from source-separated urine. This project aims to reduce the strain on urban wastewater treatment plants by removing and recovering nutrients from water collected in residential and commercial buildings. Urban wastewater treatment plants in Australia are under pressure from increasing population and urbanisation, and there are also ever stricter environmental regulations on discharge of nutrients (mainly nitrogen and phosphorus) into receiving waters. With many plants operating close to capacity, water utilities may face large expenditure to increase the capacity of existing treatment facilities. This project proposes an alternative solution: decentralised removal and recovery of nutrients from urine separated at the source. It is planned that novel microbial fuel cell technology will be developed to deliver an economical solution, which will additionally generate valuable fertiliser as a by-product.Read moreRead less
Adsorption on activated alumina: mitigating fouling of water treatment processes caused by deposition of silica, organics and hardness ions. Coal seam gas offers tremendous economic potential but development of gas reserves will generate considerable quantities of saline water. This project will develop activated alumina technology for the removal of silica and organics from these waters to enable the industry to use evaporative technologies to reduce water volumes.
Biosolid flow, separation and activity in anaerobic lagoons. This project aims to develop a fundamental model of the complex, non-steady state flow behaviour in anaerobic lagoons. The project will develop new operating procedures and designs for large municipal, industrial and agricultural anaerobic lagoons. This will improve the efficiency of anaerobic digestion and reduce wastewater treatment costs, as well as increase renewable and sustainable biogas production. The intended outcome is a va ....Biosolid flow, separation and activity in anaerobic lagoons. This project aims to develop a fundamental model of the complex, non-steady state flow behaviour in anaerobic lagoons. The project will develop new operating procedures and designs for large municipal, industrial and agricultural anaerobic lagoons. This will improve the efficiency of anaerobic digestion and reduce wastewater treatment costs, as well as increase renewable and sustainable biogas production. The intended outcome is a validated 3D model that captures the physical and biological complexities of anaerobic lagoons. This will impact the design and operation of partner organisation lagoons, reducing capital and operating costs and improving biogas production.Read moreRead less
An evaluation of the environmental health risk of heatwaves associated with global warming. Global warming is associated with an increased frequency of severe weather events including frequent and severe heatwaves. Previous studies have demonstrated that heatwaves are amongst the most deadly disasters to affect the community. This study will identify those members of the community who are most at risk from heatwaves so that strategies may be identified and implemented by governments to protect t ....An evaluation of the environmental health risk of heatwaves associated with global warming. Global warming is associated with an increased frequency of severe weather events including frequent and severe heatwaves. Previous studies have demonstrated that heatwaves are amongst the most deadly disasters to affect the community. This study will identify those members of the community who are most at risk from heatwaves so that strategies may be identified and implemented by governments to protect those people during severe heatwave conditions. The direct benefit to the community will be reduced mortality and morbidity and the consequential reductions in the cost of community and health support services.Read moreRead less
Determination of the fate of dissolved organic nitrogen in biological nutrient removal (BNR) processes and development of appropriate treatment technologies. The aim of this project is to better characterise the dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) in sewage treatment plant influent, determine its fate in biological nutrient removal (BNR) plants, and to evaluate and develop an appropriate treatment technology.
As a result of tightening effluent N licence requirements for sewage treatment plants, ....Determination of the fate of dissolved organic nitrogen in biological nutrient removal (BNR) processes and development of appropriate treatment technologies. The aim of this project is to better characterise the dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) in sewage treatment plant influent, determine its fate in biological nutrient removal (BNR) plants, and to evaluate and develop an appropriate treatment technology.
As a result of tightening effluent N licence requirements for sewage treatment plants, the dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) fraction has become extremely important. In many cases, the DON forms the major fraction of the effluent N, and is constraining further reductions in licence specifications, and in some cases it is the cause of failure to meet licence.
DON is refractory (un-biodegradable), very poorly characterised, its fate in conventional biological treatment processes not known, and its eventual impact on the environment unknown. Considering its importance, it is critical that these issues are addressed. This proposal intends to address some of them.
This project is an APA(I) PhD student project.Read moreRead less
Development of a Nitrogen Removal Technology to Integrate with the Novel ‘EnRec’ Energy Recovery Sewage Treatment Process. The aim of this project is to develop a nitrogen removal technology to integrate with the novel energy recovery sewage treatment process, EnRec. EnRec is presently being developed as part of a collaborative R&D activity between the partners, and is partly supported by a Queensland Government (QSEIF) grant which was awarded in November 2002.
One important issue yet to b ....Development of a Nitrogen Removal Technology to Integrate with the Novel ‘EnRec’ Energy Recovery Sewage Treatment Process. The aim of this project is to develop a nitrogen removal technology to integrate with the novel energy recovery sewage treatment process, EnRec. EnRec is presently being developed as part of a collaborative R&D activity between the partners, and is partly supported by a Queensland Government (QSEIF) grant which was awarded in November 2002.
One important issue yet to be addressed is how to achieve nitrogen removal in the EnRec process. One of the major differences between the EnRec process and conventional sewage treatment technology is that the main process reactor is anaerobic, thus eliminating aeration costs and enabling methane production. However, anaerobic treatment processes do not provide significant nitrogen removal, and thus it will be necessary to integrate a nitrogen removal technology with the main energy recovery process. This is the aim of this project.
The project is an APA(I) PhD student project.Read moreRead less
Development of a framework for assessing the vulnerability of eco-environmental health to climate change. Many governments and international agencies are increasingly concerned about the potential eco-environmental and public health impact of emerging issues such as climate change, urbanisation and loss of biodiversity. However, it remains unclear how the vulnerability of eco-environmental health to these changes can be assessed and which framework should be adopted. This research will focus on ....Development of a framework for assessing the vulnerability of eco-environmental health to climate change. Many governments and international agencies are increasingly concerned about the potential eco-environmental and public health impact of emerging issues such as climate change, urbanisation and loss of biodiversity. However, it remains unclear how the vulnerability of eco-environmental health to these changes can be assessed and which framework should be adopted. This research will focus on the development of a framework for assessing the vulnerability of eco-environmental health to climate change, and will provide valuable information to help identify knowledge and information gaps in the risk assessment of major eco-environmental health hazards.Read moreRead less
Managing the social, environmental & economic impacts of high density-living within inner-urban sub-tropical environments. Higher-density (HD) living is a popular strategy for managing urban growth (i.e., reducing greenhouse gas emissions). In sub-tropical environments, it represents a significant change from the traditional suburb, but provides a potential solution to the impacts of population growth on resources/infrastructure. By identifying the impacts associated with HD living & developing ....Managing the social, environmental & economic impacts of high density-living within inner-urban sub-tropical environments. Higher-density (HD) living is a popular strategy for managing urban growth (i.e., reducing greenhouse gas emissions). In sub-tropical environments, it represents a significant change from the traditional suburb, but provides a potential solution to the impacts of population growth on resources/infrastructure. By identifying the impacts associated with HD living & developing strategies (including design solutions & impact management strategies) to enhance the sustainability of HD, this research will have immediate and long-term triple bottom line benefits for Australia - encouraging the uptake of HD living achieving an environmentally sustainable Australia (Research Priority 1). Read moreRead less