A landfill cover that generates electricity: a Microbial Fuel Cell application. Landfills account for over two per cent of Australia’s greenhouse emissions, dominating emissions from waste and wastewater. Methane emissions are inherent to landfills because waste cannot be permanently sealed until a landfill cell is full. In this project, a microbial fuel cell (MFC) landfill cover will be developed as a means of achieving full biogas capture, from the time that waste is placed. The MFC cover syst ....A landfill cover that generates electricity: a Microbial Fuel Cell application. Landfills account for over two per cent of Australia’s greenhouse emissions, dominating emissions from waste and wastewater. Methane emissions are inherent to landfills because waste cannot be permanently sealed until a landfill cell is full. In this project, a microbial fuel cell (MFC) landfill cover will be developed as a means of achieving full biogas capture, from the time that waste is placed. The MFC cover system would consist of a relatively thin and deformable granular graphite layer colonised by current generating methane oxidising microorganisms, overlain by a proton exchange membrane and steel mesh as the anode layer. The MFC cover will provide the benefit of power generation as well as more complete greenhouse gas mitigation. Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE150100393
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$335,000.00
Summary
Reducing nitrous oxide emission in wastewater systems by pathway regulation. Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a potent greenhouse gas that can be produced during biological nitrogen removal in wastewater treatment systems. N2O emissions primarily occur in aerated zones due to active striping, and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) are the major contributors to N2O production under such conditions. The project aims to carry out a systematic study on N2O production by AOB in mixed culture wastewater treatment ....Reducing nitrous oxide emission in wastewater systems by pathway regulation. Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a potent greenhouse gas that can be produced during biological nitrogen removal in wastewater treatment systems. N2O emissions primarily occur in aerated zones due to active striping, and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) are the major contributors to N2O production under such conditions. The project aims to carry out a systematic study on N2O production by AOB in mixed culture wastewater treatment systems. The project aims to advance the fundamental knowledge on N2O production pathways by AOB under different operational conditions, and deliver a modelling tool for reliably estimating N2O emission from wastewater treatment systems as well as strategies to reduce the emissions.Read moreRead less
Unravelling the dynamics of nitrous oxide production in wastewater systems. This project aims to unravel the dynamics of Nitrous oxide (N2O) production in wastewater treatment systems by combining continuous stable isotope tracing techniques with innovative experimental design and sophisticated mathematical modelling. Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a potent greenhouse gas and a major contributor to the carbon footprint of wastewater treatment systems. Yet we have a poor understanding of how it is produc ....Unravelling the dynamics of nitrous oxide production in wastewater systems. This project aims to unravel the dynamics of Nitrous oxide (N2O) production in wastewater treatment systems by combining continuous stable isotope tracing techniques with innovative experimental design and sophisticated mathematical modelling. Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a potent greenhouse gas and a major contributor to the carbon footprint of wastewater treatment systems. Yet we have a poor understanding of how it is produced in such systems. The outcomes of this project will benefit Australian water utilities by helping them to reduce N2O emissions.Read moreRead less
Optimising permeable pavements with underlying reservoirs to enhance urban tree performance. This project will determine the optimal configuration of permeable pavements with underlying storage reservoirs and water delivery system to resolve the water security challenges that trees face in urban environments. This project will promote the healthy growth of urban trees and will lead to more liveable and healthier cities.
Early Career Industry Fellowships - Grant ID: IE230100422
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$386,637.00
Summary
Feasible quantification of greenhouse gas emitted from wastewater treatment. This project aims to develop an accurate and practical approach to quantify greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from wastewater treatment. Australian water utilities have pledged to net-zero emissions. However, most utilities do not know its actual emissions due to lack of feasible quantification method. This project will apply an interdisciplinary approach via mechanism investigations, mathematical modelling, and field work ....Feasible quantification of greenhouse gas emitted from wastewater treatment. This project aims to develop an accurate and practical approach to quantify greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from wastewater treatment. Australian water utilities have pledged to net-zero emissions. However, most utilities do not know its actual emissions due to lack of feasible quantification method. This project will apply an interdisciplinary approach via mechanism investigations, mathematical modelling, and field works to develop and validate a new feasible quantification method. This project will also advance knowledge on GHG emissions to guide quantification design. The outcomes will be translated into industry protocols and disseminated into industry. The outcomes provide timely support to water sector on its pathway to net-zero.Read moreRead less
A balancing act: Resolving coastal wetland water, carbon and solute fluxes. Coastal wetlands offer an impressive capacity to regulate the Earth’s climate by altering the way carbon dioxide is extracted from the atmosphere and stored while simultaneously influencing the water cycle, thus providing ecosystem services such as carbon storage, abating flood waters, improving water quality and protecting the coastline from sea level rise. This project aims to address the current gaps in understanding .... A balancing act: Resolving coastal wetland water, carbon and solute fluxes. Coastal wetlands offer an impressive capacity to regulate the Earth’s climate by altering the way carbon dioxide is extracted from the atmosphere and stored while simultaneously influencing the water cycle, thus providing ecosystem services such as carbon storage, abating flood waters, improving water quality and protecting the coastline from sea level rise. This project aims to address the current gaps in understanding the critical exchanges of water and greenhouse gases (GHGs) combining field methodologies and hydrological models, under different climatic conditions. The intended outcomes will benefit management of GHG emissions, coastal flooding and vulnerable groundwater dependent habitats.Read moreRead less
Vacuum insulated energy-efficient windows. Vacuum insulated energy-efficient windows. This project aims to develop large vacuum insulated windows with higher insulation performance than triple glazing, the best currently available, by toughening glass to increase its strength, flatness and safety. Higher performance windows reduce energy wastage in the developed world, and vacuum glazing’s thin profile means they can be retrofitted into buildings immediately, without the delay of replacing build ....Vacuum insulated energy-efficient windows. Vacuum insulated energy-efficient windows. This project aims to develop large vacuum insulated windows with higher insulation performance than triple glazing, the best currently available, by toughening glass to increase its strength, flatness and safety. Higher performance windows reduce energy wastage in the developed world, and vacuum glazing’s thin profile means they can be retrofitted into buildings immediately, without the delay of replacing building stock. The anticipated outcome is a major reduction in energy use for climate control in buildings, a large and rapidly growing energy sector that climate change makes unsustainable; and rapid economic, social and environmental benefits through sustainable climate control in cities.Read moreRead less
Production of valuable chemicals from gaseous waste. This project aims to develop an innovative biotechnology to enable the conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) available in waste gases into liquid chemicals. This will create strong economic drivers for carbon-intensive industries to implement CO2 capture and utilisation, by significantly increasing the value of otherwise wasted CO2. Using a multi-disciplinary approach, this project will substantially advance the scientific knowledge in this excit ....Production of valuable chemicals from gaseous waste. This project aims to develop an innovative biotechnology to enable the conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) available in waste gases into liquid chemicals. This will create strong economic drivers for carbon-intensive industries to implement CO2 capture and utilisation, by significantly increasing the value of otherwise wasted CO2. Using a multi-disciplinary approach, this project will substantially advance the scientific knowledge in this exciting and underexploited area of biological carbon recycling. The outcomes of this project will enable the establishment of a new CO2-based biotechnology sector creating high-value chemical products from waste gases, while also support achieving national target of reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.Read moreRead less
Discovery Indigenous Researchers Development - Grant ID: DI110100028
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$198,824.00
Summary
Indigenous knowledge: water sustainability and wild fire mitigation. Sustainable management of the environment in Australia is currently informed by science. This project will create a space for cross-cultural translation between indigenous knowledge on environmental management practices and mainstream science practices.
Long range toxic metal pollution in Australia and the Southern Ocean. This project aims to investigate how environmental change and human activities since industrialisation have impacted toxic metal transport and deposition on the south coast of Australia, Tasmania and Southern Ocean islands. This project expects to fill gaps in understanding of the global mercury cycle using a state-of-the-art multidisciplinary methodology including the role of sea salt aerosols and hemispheric-scale wind patte ....Long range toxic metal pollution in Australia and the Southern Ocean. This project aims to investigate how environmental change and human activities since industrialisation have impacted toxic metal transport and deposition on the south coast of Australia, Tasmania and Southern Ocean islands. This project expects to fill gaps in understanding of the global mercury cycle using a state-of-the-art multidisciplinary methodology including the role of sea salt aerosols and hemispheric-scale wind patterns . Anticipated outcomes involve a novel palaeo-atmospheric model that can be applied in other parts of the world. This should provide significant benefits, such as science-based evidence to ratify the Minamata Convention on Mercury and guide new regulations to reduce environmental/health risks from metal pollution.
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