New perspectives on arsenic speciation and fate in anoxic aqueous environments: Resolving unexplored interactions with the sulfur cycle. Using exciting new experiments and innovative analyses, this project will provide transformational insights into how sulfur cycling in the Earth’s critical zone affects arsenic speciation and fate. The project will resolve, for the first time, unexplored interactions between arsenic geochemistry and the low-temperature formation and transformation of metastable ....New perspectives on arsenic speciation and fate in anoxic aqueous environments: Resolving unexplored interactions with the sulfur cycle. Using exciting new experiments and innovative analyses, this project will provide transformational insights into how sulfur cycling in the Earth’s critical zone affects arsenic speciation and fate. The project will resolve, for the first time, unexplored interactions between arsenic geochemistry and the low-temperature formation and transformation of metastable iron sulfide minerals. The outcomes will provide crucially important new perspectives on arsenic geochemistry in anoxic soils, sediments and groundwater systems.Read moreRead less
Interactions between antimony and the sulphur cycle. This project aims to unravel unexplored interactions between the sulphur cycle and fundamentally important aspects of antimony geochemistry in the Earth’s critical zone. This project will resolve interactions between antimony geochemistry and the low-temperature formation and transformation of metastable iron sulphide minerals. The outcomes are expected to provide crucially important perspectives on antimony geochemistry in anoxic soils, sedim ....Interactions between antimony and the sulphur cycle. This project aims to unravel unexplored interactions between the sulphur cycle and fundamentally important aspects of antimony geochemistry in the Earth’s critical zone. This project will resolve interactions between antimony geochemistry and the low-temperature formation and transformation of metastable iron sulphide minerals. The outcomes are expected to provide crucially important perspectives on antimony geochemistry in anoxic soils, sediments and groundwater systems. This understanding should lead to more accurate geochemical risk assessments and better site treatment strategies for environmental antimony contamination.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE140100088
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$150,000.00
Summary
A coupled high temperature elemental analyser - gas chromatograph - mass spectrometer for climate, water and ecological research. A coupled high temperature elemental analyser - gas chromatograph - mass spectrometer for climate, water and ecological research: This project is for a high temperature, elemental analysis, gas chromatography, isotope mass spectrometry facility. This would permit the analysis of the isotopes of up to four elements in a range of environmental samples such as tree cell ....A coupled high temperature elemental analyser - gas chromatograph - mass spectrometer for climate, water and ecological research. A coupled high temperature elemental analyser - gas chromatograph - mass spectrometer for climate, water and ecological research: This project is for a high temperature, elemental analysis, gas chromatography, isotope mass spectrometry facility. This would permit the analysis of the isotopes of up to four elements in a range of environmental samples such as tree cellulose, ecological samples and dissolved nutrients in surface and ground waters. Results will help improve our understanding of climate - surface water - ground water interactions, ecosystem function, and past climate and environmental change. The new facility will meet the need for organic isotope analyses to better understand the underlying physical processes.Read moreRead less
Reactive oxygen species production on oxygenation of subsurface sediments. This project aims to examine the nature, extent and effect of redox processes in subsurface environments. Reactive oxygen species, including hydrogen peroxide, superoxide and hydroxyl radicals, transform and affect redox-active substances in the environment such as arsenic, uranium and natural organic matter (which may be oxidised to carbon dioxide). Production of significant quantities of reactive oxygen species on oxyge ....Reactive oxygen species production on oxygenation of subsurface sediments. This project aims to examine the nature, extent and effect of redox processes in subsurface environments. Reactive oxygen species, including hydrogen peroxide, superoxide and hydroxyl radicals, transform and affect redox-active substances in the environment such as arsenic, uranium and natural organic matter (which may be oxidised to carbon dioxide). Production of significant quantities of reactive oxygen species on oxygenation of subsurface sediments through actions such as aquifer recharge and high flow events may alter the form and mobility of trace elements and influence the cycling of carbon and eventual efflux of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. This project will examine the nature, extent and effect of these redox processes in selected subsurface environments. This research could have implications for contaminant transformation and fate and carbon cycling.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160100628
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$368,394.00
Summary
Dissolved organic carbon quality influences metal toxicity in freshwaters. This project aims to characterise the types of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) found within Australian freshwaters and investigate how these influence metal toxicity to organisms. DOC has the ability to decrease the toxicity of metals to organisms in natural waters, and the intensity of the decrease is related to the type of DOC. Information regarding the types of DOC commonly found within Australian waters is lacking, and ....Dissolved organic carbon quality influences metal toxicity in freshwaters. This project aims to characterise the types of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) found within Australian freshwaters and investigate how these influence metal toxicity to organisms. DOC has the ability to decrease the toxicity of metals to organisms in natural waters, and the intensity of the decrease is related to the type of DOC. Information regarding the types of DOC commonly found within Australian waters is lacking, and their impact on metal toxicity to Australian biota is unknown. This project aims to characterise DOC from different Australian ecoregions and investigate the influence of different DOCs on metal toxicity. The expected outcomes are better predictive toxicity models and better assessment of risks associated with metal contamination.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE150100770
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$358,536.00
Summary
Solving the mystery of natural carbon mineralisation in Australian lakes. Some lakes, such as the Coorong lakes in South Australia, naturally sequester carbon dioxide in magnesium carbonate minerals. These minerals, which form in association with microorganisms in lake water, represent the safest possible long-term traps for carbon dioxide pollution. This project aims to determine the essential geochemical constraints on formation of magnesium carbonate minerals in the Coorong lakes, which are u ....Solving the mystery of natural carbon mineralisation in Australian lakes. Some lakes, such as the Coorong lakes in South Australia, naturally sequester carbon dioxide in magnesium carbonate minerals. These minerals, which form in association with microorganisms in lake water, represent the safest possible long-term traps for carbon dioxide pollution. This project aims to determine the essential geochemical constraints on formation of magnesium carbonate minerals in the Coorong lakes, which are unique natural laboratories for studying carbon dioxide sequestration. By delivering fundamental understanding of how microbial populations alter water chemistry for carbonate production, this project aims to inform the design of efficient and sustainable technologies for carbon dioxide sequestration that emulate natural processes in lakes.Read moreRead less
Maximising carbon sequestration in freshwater wetlands. Maximising carbon sequestration in freshwater wetlands. This project aims to determine how manipulation of wetland hydrology can alter sulphur and iron cycling to inhibit methane emission and improve wetland net-carbon sequestration. Wetlands are among earth's most efficient ecosystems for carbon sequestration, but methane emission can offset this capacity. Redox cycling of sulphur and iron in wetlands can inhibit methane emission, but the ....Maximising carbon sequestration in freshwater wetlands. Maximising carbon sequestration in freshwater wetlands. This project aims to determine how manipulation of wetland hydrology can alter sulphur and iron cycling to inhibit methane emission and improve wetland net-carbon sequestration. Wetlands are among earth's most efficient ecosystems for carbon sequestration, but methane emission can offset this capacity. Redox cycling of sulphur and iron in wetlands can inhibit methane emission, but the precise biogeochemical processes and their efficiency are very poorly constrained due to a lack of studies—especially in Australian freshwater wetlands. This project is expected to inhibit methane emission in freshwater wetlands and maximise their net carbon sequestration efficiency.Read moreRead less
Unraveling hexavalent chromium formation and fate in fire-impacted soil. Hexavalent chromium is a cancer-causing toxin. It can form via heating of natural (unpolluted) soil during bushfires. However, little is known of the processes and factors which govern its formation and behavior in fire-impacted soil. Using a combination of field-based investigations, innovative experiments and cutting edge analytical approaches, this project aims to systematically explore hexavalent chromium formation vi ....Unraveling hexavalent chromium formation and fate in fire-impacted soil. Hexavalent chromium is a cancer-causing toxin. It can form via heating of natural (unpolluted) soil during bushfires. However, little is known of the processes and factors which govern its formation and behavior in fire-impacted soil. Using a combination of field-based investigations, innovative experiments and cutting edge analytical approaches, this project aims to systematically explore hexavalent chromium formation via fire-induced heating of soil and to examine its post-fire fate in soil systems. The results will transform our understanding of the chromium cycle at the Earth’s surface, and will facilitate accurate assessment and mitigation of the risks posed by hexavalent chromium formation in fire-impacted soil.Read moreRead less
The application of clumped isotope thermometry to the terrestrial environment. Clumped-isotope geochemistry, a novel method for measuring the temperature of formation of carbonate minerals, will be applied to terrestrial materials (soil carbonates, lake deposits and speleothems) from Australia and New Zealand. The method relates the abundance or 'clumping' of rare isotopes (for example, carbon dioxide of mass 47 as carbon-13, oxygen-18, oxygen-16) extracted from carbonates to their formation tem ....The application of clumped isotope thermometry to the terrestrial environment. Clumped-isotope geochemistry, a novel method for measuring the temperature of formation of carbonate minerals, will be applied to terrestrial materials (soil carbonates, lake deposits and speleothems) from Australia and New Zealand. The method relates the abundance or 'clumping' of rare isotopes (for example, carbon dioxide of mass 47 as carbon-13, oxygen-18, oxygen-16) extracted from carbonates to their formation temperature and is independent of the oxygen-18:oxygen-16 value of the host water from which the mineral precipitated. The materials to be investigated span the Last Glacial-Interglacial Transition and will provide robust past temperature estimates and the delta-oxygen-18 values of waters, thereby permitting hydrological balances (for example, precipitation/evaporation) to be constructed. Read moreRead less
Antimony geochemistry and Earth's dynamic near-surface iron cycle. This project aims to advance our fundamental understanding on the geochemistry of antimony – a critical mineral resource and environmental pollutant of growing concern. This will be achieved by pioneering an innovative combination of advanced synchrotron-based tools and sophisticated isotopic approaches to unravel important interactions between antimony geochemistry and the iron cycle in soils, sediments and aquatic systems. The ....Antimony geochemistry and Earth's dynamic near-surface iron cycle. This project aims to advance our fundamental understanding on the geochemistry of antimony – a critical mineral resource and environmental pollutant of growing concern. This will be achieved by pioneering an innovative combination of advanced synchrotron-based tools and sophisticated isotopic approaches to unravel important interactions between antimony geochemistry and the iron cycle in soils, sediments and aquatic systems. The expected outcomes will provide novel insights into refined strategies to manipulate coupling between antimony mobility and iron cycling for improved rehabilitation of degraded landscapes, safe disposal of hazardous wastes and sustainable exploitation of Australia’s valuable antimony reserves.Read moreRead less