Predicting pollutant dispersion within the CBD. The accidental or pre-meditated release of hazardous gases and aerosols within an urban environment are potentially threatening to human life and safety. Emergency responders require adequate information to quickly address these concerns yet the lack of detailed observations and the complex nature of the dispersion make this task difficult. This project will collect detailed observations of tracer dispersion within the Perth central business distri ....Predicting pollutant dispersion within the CBD. The accidental or pre-meditated release of hazardous gases and aerosols within an urban environment are potentially threatening to human life and safety. Emergency responders require adequate information to quickly address these concerns yet the lack of detailed observations and the complex nature of the dispersion make this task difficult. This project will collect detailed observations of tracer dispersion within the Perth central business district and combine these observations with multiscale modelling to redefine appropriate emergency response models as well as their limits. Such analysis will enhance mitigation strategies.Read moreRead less
Removal of toxic air pollutants from car cabin by photocatalytic oxidation reactor. The air inside car cabin contains the contaminated air drawn from the traffic exhaust which has high levels of volatile organic compounds and other toxic air pollutants. The poor air quality in the car can pose a public health problem. Photocatalytic oxidation is an emerging technology which can remove the toxic organic pollutants in car cabin by mineralising them. This proposed research aims to quantify the pho ....Removal of toxic air pollutants from car cabin by photocatalytic oxidation reactor. The air inside car cabin contains the contaminated air drawn from the traffic exhaust which has high levels of volatile organic compounds and other toxic air pollutants. The poor air quality in the car can pose a public health problem. Photocatalytic oxidation is an emerging technology which can remove the toxic organic pollutants in car cabin by mineralising them. This proposed research aims to quantify the photocatalytic oxidation process occurring in titanium dioxide mediated reactor by simulating air flow and radiation. The developed simulation model can be used as a designing tool to optimise the cost-effective reactor design.Read moreRead less
Bushfire smoke and the relationship between human and landscape health. A team of landscape ecologists, environmental chemists and public health specialists will determine the ecological causes and adverse health effects of different levels of bushfire smoke in Darwin. Darwin is an ideal setting for this research because the only source of air pollution is the high incidence of controlled and uncontrolled bushfires during the dry season causing variable air quality: a preliminary study found a ....Bushfire smoke and the relationship between human and landscape health. A team of landscape ecologists, environmental chemists and public health specialists will determine the ecological causes and adverse health effects of different levels of bushfire smoke in Darwin. Darwin is an ideal setting for this research because the only source of air pollution is the high incidence of controlled and uncontrolled bushfires during the dry season causing variable air quality: a preliminary study found a link between smoke pollution levels and asthma. The findings of the proposed research will contribute to improved fire management practices to reduce injurious smoke pollution events and contribute to setting appropriate national air quality standards.Read moreRead less
Development of a novel air pollution monitoring strategy - combining passive sampling with toxicity testing. Present approaches for monitoring risk of air pollutants are limited to grab sample analysis for specific pollutants using concentrations based on independent toxicological and/or epidemiological assessment of compounds. This approach does not allow for evaluation of mixtures or that a given compound may exert different toxic endpoints and is based on short sampling periods. This researc ....Development of a novel air pollution monitoring strategy - combining passive sampling with toxicity testing. Present approaches for monitoring risk of air pollutants are limited to grab sample analysis for specific pollutants using concentrations based on independent toxicological and/or epidemiological assessment of compounds. This approach does not allow for evaluation of mixtures or that a given compound may exert different toxic endpoints and is based on short sampling periods. This research aims to develop and evaluate a novel approach combining extraction of pollutants using time-integrated passive samplers and toxicological evaluation using rapid in-vitro and in-vivo assays. The outcomes provide inexpensive tools for sensitive assessment of pollutant effects and baseline data to derive intervention guidelines based on mixture toxicity.Read moreRead less
Plasma-Catalytist Hybrid Process for Simultaneous Removal of NOx and SOx. Coal combustion provides over 80% of the electricity produced in Australia, with the power stations being major emitters of the pollutants NOx and SOx. This project will potentially lead to a new technology to simultaneously remove NOx and SOx in a single and economical process, eliminating the secondary waste streams that disadvantage current competing technologies. This will provide: significant environmental benefits f ....Plasma-Catalytist Hybrid Process for Simultaneous Removal of NOx and SOx. Coal combustion provides over 80% of the electricity produced in Australia, with the power stations being major emitters of the pollutants NOx and SOx. This project will potentially lead to a new technology to simultaneously remove NOx and SOx in a single and economical process, eliminating the secondary waste streams that disadvantage current competing technologies. This will provide: significant environmental benefits for Australia in reducing these dangerous atmospheric pollutants; economic advantage to our power stations by enabling cheaper, more efficient technologies and consolidate Australia's leading position in the world in air pollution control. Read moreRead less
Integrated Carbon Accounting and Information Management Systems. The aim of this project is to integrate environmental science and information technology to enhance carbon accounting management. The project is significant because it will provide for the first time a mechanism by which potential investors in forestry/carbon sequestration programs will be able to acquire online advice on what trees and soil types are most compatible, when and how to plant. This project will provide an interactive ....Integrated Carbon Accounting and Information Management Systems. The aim of this project is to integrate environmental science and information technology to enhance carbon accounting management. The project is significant because it will provide for the first time a mechanism by which potential investors in forestry/carbon sequestration programs will be able to acquire online advice on what trees and soil types are most compatible, when and how to plant. This project will provide an interactive web based program to calculate the environmental and economic value of such an investment, assess current market trends and access to scientists, brokers, current legislation and applicable publications.Read moreRead less
Marine oil seeps and airborne particulates characterisation for organic compositional fingerprinting by using novel gas chromatographic technologies. Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GCxGC) is a powerful new tool for studying complex organic materials. The technique provides a highly sensitive method of fingerprinting not only the composition of the material but also its environmental history and behaviour. In this project the technique will be applied to a range of petroleum- ....Marine oil seeps and airborne particulates characterisation for organic compositional fingerprinting by using novel gas chromatographic technologies. Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GCxGC) is a powerful new tool for studying complex organic materials. The technique provides a highly sensitive method of fingerprinting not only the composition of the material but also its environmental history and behaviour. In this project the technique will be applied to a range of petroleum-related organic samples, including oil seeps from the ocean floor, and airborne particulates contributing to air pollution. The research will lead to a better understanding of geochemistry of petroleum-related materials and their potential impact on the environment and on public health.Read moreRead less
Enhancing the performance of existing industrial enzymes through the application of new chemical modification technology. Enzymes have many uses in industry, replacing undesirable chemicals which adversely effect human & animal health & the environment. Enzymes offer advantages in effectiveness, biodegradability, specificity and safety. The concern with enzymes, in industrial applications, is that enzyme performance is degraded by a harsh chemical and/or physical environment. The aim of this stu ....Enhancing the performance of existing industrial enzymes through the application of new chemical modification technology. Enzymes have many uses in industry, replacing undesirable chemicals which adversely effect human & animal health & the environment. Enzymes offer advantages in effectiveness, biodegradability, specificity and safety. The concern with enzymes, in industrial applications, is that enzyme performance is degraded by a harsh chemical and/or physical environment. The aim of this study is to improve the performance of industrially significant enzymes by enhancing resistance to chemical & physical degradation or inactivation. This will be achieved by modifying the enzymes using new technology that we have developed. This will improve cost effectiveness of existing industrial enzymes & create opportunities for new uses of enzymes.Read moreRead less