Degradation of Trace Contaminants Using Sonochemistry and Peroxide Scavenging Advanced Oxidation Processes. Sonochemical degradation of hazardous organic compounds in aqueous solution has been examined extensively in recent years and found to be an effective means of waste treatment however the scavenging of hydroxyl radicals by the relatively high concentrations of hydrogen peroxide produced limits the amount of reactive radicals accessible to target molecules. In this project we will investiga ....Degradation of Trace Contaminants Using Sonochemistry and Peroxide Scavenging Advanced Oxidation Processes. Sonochemical degradation of hazardous organic compounds in aqueous solution has been examined extensively in recent years and found to be an effective means of waste treatment however the scavenging of hydroxyl radicals by the relatively high concentrations of hydrogen peroxide produced limits the amount of reactive radicals accessible to target molecules. In this project we will investigate, by both experimental and computational means, options for the regeneration of hydroxyl radicals through use of hydrogen peroxide. Methods of particular interest include use of Fenton's reagent and ozone.Read moreRead less
Biological phosphorous removal for wastewater treatment. The aim is to provide a scientific basis for understanding how phosphorous can be removed in wastewater treatment plants, using environmentally safe biological methods rather than by using chemicals. This is expected to lead to improved performance in wastewater treatment plants, which will be of economic and environmental benefit, particularly to regional communities in inland Australia.
Remediation of Underground Contaminant Source Areas using Nano-scale, Zero Valent Iron and Potassium Permanganate. Land in parts of Australia valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars is currently contaminated by organic compounds to levels unsuitable for human health and safety . At many of these contaminated sites, the contamination is present as pure, separate phase oil that is trapped due to geology or other physical reasons. This remaining oil is a long term source of contamination, a ....Remediation of Underground Contaminant Source Areas using Nano-scale, Zero Valent Iron and Potassium Permanganate. Land in parts of Australia valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars is currently contaminated by organic compounds to levels unsuitable for human health and safety . At many of these contaminated sites, the contamination is present as pure, separate phase oil that is trapped due to geology or other physical reasons. This remaining oil is a long term source of contamination, and is exceptionally difficult to remediate. The proposed research will investigate a novel and highly effective approach to destroying this contamination in the ground, helping to restore the value and utility of the land.Read moreRead less
Drying sewage sludge using hot oil. The project seeks to investigate and develop an entirely new area of fundamental and applied research involving the process, mechanisms and kinetics of direct dehydration of sewage sludge by fry-drying in hot oil. Frying can be carried out as a drying process, though it not widely recognized or applied in this way, and has consequently not been exploited outside of the traditional food industries. It potentially provides a wide range of significant benefits ....Drying sewage sludge using hot oil. The project seeks to investigate and develop an entirely new area of fundamental and applied research involving the process, mechanisms and kinetics of direct dehydration of sewage sludge by fry-drying in hot oil. Frying can be carried out as a drying process, though it not widely recognized or applied in this way, and has consequently not been exploited outside of the traditional food industries. It potentially provides a wide range of significant benefits for sludge drying, including high efficiency and low costs, and produces a non-offensive product with a high energy value suitable for (renewable) power generation.Read moreRead less
Application of nano-sized zero valent iron particles to agrochemicals degradation through Fenton's reagent oxidation. Zero-valent iron (ZVI) has been successfully used for the degradation of a wide range of contaminant organics in groundwaters in recent years. The rates of degradation however are relatively slow and render the process unsuitable for situations where there are limits on the time available for reaction. An innovative approach is to couple the dissolution of ZVI with hydrogen perox ....Application of nano-sized zero valent iron particles to agrochemicals degradation through Fenton's reagent oxidation. Zero-valent iron (ZVI) has been successfully used for the degradation of a wide range of contaminant organics in groundwaters in recent years. The rates of degradation however are relatively slow and render the process unsuitable for situations where there are limits on the time available for reaction. An innovative approach is to couple the dissolution of ZVI with hydrogen peroxide addition thereby generating hydroxyl radicals as a result of Fenton's reagent reactions. The efficacy of using this innovative ZVI/H2O2 process to degrade herbicides and pesticides of concern to Australian agriculture is investigated at laboratory and field scale in this project.Read moreRead less
Fungal Biomass Protein, a Bioproduct Derived from a Treatment Process of Winery Waste Streams. The Australian wine industry produces a substantial quantity of wastewater containing high levels of organic materials that are both highly polluting and costly to treat. This research aims to develop a biotechnological treatment process integrated with fungal biomass protein (FBP) production from the winery waste streams. The outcomes of this project are i) the production of fungal biomass for use as ....Fungal Biomass Protein, a Bioproduct Derived from a Treatment Process of Winery Waste Streams. The Australian wine industry produces a substantial quantity of wastewater containing high levels of organic materials that are both highly polluting and costly to treat. This research aims to develop a biotechnological treatment process integrated with fungal biomass protein (FBP) production from the winery waste streams. The outcomes of this project are i) the production of fungal biomass for use as a protein-rich animal feed; ii); the treatment of waste water to allow reuse for farm irrigation; and iii) reduced pollution of watercourses. The research will develop a novel technology that is environmentally friendly and adds value to the Australian winery industry via pollution reduction and FBP production.Read moreRead less
Assessment of bentonites as remediating agents for metal contaminated soils using innovative bioavailability reduction technology. The project seeks to carry out research on innovative, economically sustainable risk-based solutions (soil amendments) for metal-contaminated soils and methods for assessing the potential risk/bioavailability of soil bound metals. The work will determine factors affecting the reactivity, mobility and bioavailability of metals in Australian soils and clays and method ....Assessment of bentonites as remediating agents for metal contaminated soils using innovative bioavailability reduction technology. The project seeks to carry out research on innovative, economically sustainable risk-based solutions (soil amendments) for metal-contaminated soils and methods for assessing the potential risk/bioavailability of soil bound metals. The work will determine factors affecting the reactivity, mobility and bioavailability of metals in Australian soils and clays and methods by which these can be controlled. Remediation options, such as natural clay amendments to reduce metal bioavailability, will be assessed against in vivo and in vitro bioavailability assays in order to develop cost effective, risk-based remediation strategies and assessment protocols for urban and rural contaminated soils.Read moreRead less
Photodesorption Phenomena and Photoreactive Nanosorbent Materials for Water and Wastewater Purification. Introducing more efficient production of drinking water and wastewater treatment methods for reuse is important to address increasing water scarcity in Australia. The proposed project will develop a water purification technology to remove pollutants using a recently discovered process. This process offers simple and affordable operation that is clean, robust and requires minimal attention. Th ....Photodesorption Phenomena and Photoreactive Nanosorbent Materials for Water and Wastewater Purification. Introducing more efficient production of drinking water and wastewater treatment methods for reuse is important to address increasing water scarcity in Australia. The proposed project will develop a water purification technology to remove pollutants using a recently discovered process. This process offers simple and affordable operation that is clean, robust and requires minimal attention. The technology is particularly suitable for small-scale applications in rural and remote areas, and has significant export potential. The project will strengthen established links between Australian and Korean research centres through the production of improved nanomaterials, and the development of the novel water purification technologyRead moreRead less
An innovative strategy for stormwater remediation and reduction of contaminant supply from catchments. Many urbanised harbours world-wide are polluted and the main source is stormwater. Currently, emphasis is to remove gross pollutants from stormwater using numerous devices scattered through the catchment. In a radical shift from traditional approaches, we will identify primary contaminant sources in the catchment for later targeted education and regulation and a single remediation device will r ....An innovative strategy for stormwater remediation and reduction of contaminant supply from catchments. Many urbanised harbours world-wide are polluted and the main source is stormwater. Currently, emphasis is to remove gross pollutants from stormwater using numerous devices scattered through the catchment. In a radical shift from traditional approaches, we will identify primary contaminant sources in the catchment for later targeted education and regulation and a single remediation device will remove most toxic substances in stormwater currently discharged to estuaries. Stormwater reuse will provide a new valuable urban resource. This paradigm shift in traditional stormwater strategy will ensure biodiversity and ecologically sustainable development of urbanised ports. Port Jackson is used as a test case.Read moreRead less
Underlying mechanisms of e-waste bioleaching and hydropyrolysis. The project will develop a reclamation technology with an ecologically sustainable solution to e-waste management. Focusing on printed circuit boards, we will use our novel bioleaching and hydropyrolysis methods to process e-wastes, recover base and precious metals and reclaim energy. This will create safe working methods, high recycling efficiencies and generation of products from e-wastes.