SOLUTIONS For Present And Future Emerging Pollutants In Land And Water Resources Management
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$259,784.00
Summary
The European Union project SOLUTIONS will develop a novel conceptual framework to prioritise chemical contaminants for ecological and human health risk assessment of water resources and fish for human consumption. The Australian partner will implement health-relevant bioanalytical endpoints to inform cumulative risk assessment. The developed concepts and tools will be validated using European river case studies, with the knowledge generated to be transferred to the Australian context.
Food And Water For Life: Co-creation And Evaluation Of Sustainable Innovations To Strengthen Food And Water Security
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,169,419.00
Summary
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples suffer a disproportionate burden of non-communicable diseases. Poor diets, exacerbated by low quality water supplies, are one of the biggest contributors to this. Through our existing long-standing partnership, his project will establish a framework and use regulatory analysis to support the Aboriginal community in Walgett to develop a transformative community-led food and water security action plan to improve the long-term health and well-being.
Establishing Australian Health Based Targets For Microbial Water Quality
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$174,799.00
Summary
It is of great public health importance to ensure that our drinking water supplies are safe. This is true both for conventional drinking water supplies and for supplies derived from alternative water sources, including water derived from recycled sewage. National guidelines exist for management of drinking water and recycled water supplies, but currently there are no targets for determining whether water has an acceptably low level of infectious agents. This project involves a number of steps to ....It is of great public health importance to ensure that our drinking water supplies are safe. This is true both for conventional drinking water supplies and for supplies derived from alternative water sources, including water derived from recycled sewage. National guidelines exist for management of drinking water and recycled water supplies, but currently there are no targets for determining whether water has an acceptably low level of infectious agents. This project involves a number of steps to develop national consensus on health targets for microbial water qualityRead moreRead less
Prospective Study Of Birth Defects From Fetotoxic Agents In The Public Water Supply
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$732,036.00
Summary
Recent research in Australia & internationally shows that birth defects are more common in areas where mothers are exposed to poor quality drinking water, particularly when treatment chemicals known as trihalomethanes (THMs) are present. We will determine the risk that high THM levels pose to unborn babies by accurately measuring individual exposures to THMs & correlating these with adverse birth outcomes. The study will be in Perth where THM levels are very high in a number of suburbs.
A Randomised, Double Blinded Intervention Study To Assess Health Effects Of Drinking Water From Rainwater Tanks
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$860,510.00
Summary
We are planning to perform a study in Adelaide to assess if drinking untreated rainwater causes a health risk. Eight years into a drought Australia's water sources are becoming increasingly depleted, so we need to reduce water consumption and consider using alternative sources of water. Increased use of rainwater is one of a number of solutions available. However, current recommendations state that rainwater can be safely used for purposes other than drinking, but because of potential contaminat ....We are planning to perform a study in Adelaide to assess if drinking untreated rainwater causes a health risk. Eight years into a drought Australia's water sources are becoming increasingly depleted, so we need to reduce water consumption and consider using alternative sources of water. Increased use of rainwater is one of a number of solutions available. However, current recommendations state that rainwater can be safely used for purposes other than drinking, but because of potential contamination and limited evidence regarding safety, drinking untreated rainwater is not approved by state health departments. The main outcome of this study will be to determine whether drinking untreated water from rainwater tanks poses a significant health risk. Additionally, we will determine if specific tank or maintenance characteristics can be identified that increase illness risk. The study design consists of following the health of 300 families who drink unboiled rainwater. Families will have a special tap installed that draws water through a water treatment unit (WTU). Half the families will have a working WTU and half will have a sham unit identical in appearance. The functional units sterilise water to remove any microorganisms present, while the sham filters have no effect. All participating families will keep a health diary for one year to record how often they suffer gastroenteritis. Neither the families nor the research workers will know which type of filter has been fitted. Water samples will be collected from selected households. At the end of a year the number of illnesses in the two groups will be compared. If those drinking rainwater from a sham filter suffer more often, then rainwater would be implicated as a source of gastroenteritis. This study will provide health authorities with a better understanding of the relationship between rainwater consumption and human health, and will provide data regarding safe uses of this alternative water source.Read moreRead less