Advancing water pollution emissions modelling in cities of the future. Advancing water pollution emissions modelling in cities of the future. This project aims to advance stormwater pollution modelling and enhance its link with urban development. Management of stormwater pollution by industry often results in inadequate strategies and, crucially, sub-optimal financial investments. Since this is unlikely to improve in light of urban growth and climate change, addressing decade-old pollution model ....Advancing water pollution emissions modelling in cities of the future. Advancing water pollution emissions modelling in cities of the future. This project aims to advance stormwater pollution modelling and enhance its link with urban development. Management of stormwater pollution by industry often results in inadequate strategies and, crucially, sub-optimal financial investments. Since this is unlikely to improve in light of urban growth and climate change, addressing decade-old pollution modelling knowledge gaps and the lack of a multidisciplinary approach to stormwater pollution management is urgent. The anticipated outcome is a modelling tool which industry can use to manage stormwater pollution in changing cities through smarter and economic technology and policy.Read moreRead less
Mitigating the risk of cyanobacterial blooms in wastewater ponds. Cyanobacterial blooms in wastewater treatment plants impact on effluent quality and the utility of recycled water, posing a significant risk to the economy, the environment and public health. To understand the causes of cyanobacterial blooms in pond-based wastewater treatment plants and the risk they pose, this project will use the latest molecular techniques to examine how the microbial communities within these systems interact w ....Mitigating the risk of cyanobacterial blooms in wastewater ponds. Cyanobacterial blooms in wastewater treatment plants impact on effluent quality and the utility of recycled water, posing a significant risk to the economy, the environment and public health. To understand the causes of cyanobacterial blooms in pond-based wastewater treatment plants and the risk they pose, this project will use the latest molecular techniques to examine how the microbial communities within these systems interact with each other and their surrounding environment to form blooms and produce toxins and other harmful metabolites. Such knowledge will inform risk assessment and provide strategies for the mitigation of future bloom events, improving the security of our increasingly valuable recycled water resources.Read moreRead less
Sources, sinks and processes of faecal contamination in urban estuaries: a case study of the lower Yarra River estuary. The Yarra River estuary is highly contaminated with faecal pollution, reducing the useability of Melbourne’s most iconic feature. This project will provide the necessary understanding to help mitigate faecal sources, with the ultimate aim of reducing the risks to users of this estuary.
Ammonia recovery from wastewaters using flow electrode-membrane systems. This project aims to develop an innovative approach to the recovery of ammonia from dilute wastewaters using coupled-flow electrode-membrane technologies that also enable energy recovery. The outcome of the project is expected to minimise damage to, and develop solutions for, restoration and remediation of, soil, fresh and potable water, urban catchments and marine systems, and significantly improve the environmental impact ....Ammonia recovery from wastewaters using flow electrode-membrane systems. This project aims to develop an innovative approach to the recovery of ammonia from dilute wastewaters using coupled-flow electrode-membrane technologies that also enable energy recovery. The outcome of the project is expected to minimise damage to, and develop solutions for, restoration and remediation of, soil, fresh and potable water, urban catchments and marine systems, and significantly improve the environmental impacts of ammonia.Read moreRead less
Passive biofiltration processes for nitrogen removal from polluted waters. Traditional urban wastewater treatment is energy and resource demanding. By combining principles of Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) with advanced pollutant removal processes, we will create necessary knowledge to underpin development of novel sustainable urban water treatment systems. This project aims to understand and utilise Simultaneous Nitrification, Anammox and Denitrification (SNAD) processes within passive pla ....Passive biofiltration processes for nitrogen removal from polluted waters. Traditional urban wastewater treatment is energy and resource demanding. By combining principles of Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) with advanced pollutant removal processes, we will create necessary knowledge to underpin development of novel sustainable urban water treatment systems. This project aims to understand and utilise Simultaneous Nitrification, Anammox and Denitrification (SNAD) processes within passive plant-soil-based biofilters for cost-effective removal of nitrogen from a range of polluted urban water sources. The project will open a potential for a new technological advancements in urban water management, while simultaneously providing benefits to the environment and community through greening and waterway protection.Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR180100030
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,103,883.00
Summary
Development of electrochemically activated sorbents for PFAS defluorination. This project aims to develop a new treatment technology to completely defluorinate per- and poly-fluroalkyl substances (PFAS) and to treat significant water quantities. The majority of existing water treatment technologies are unable to remove PFAS to the desired extent, are prohibitively expensive or are only useful for a very limited lifespan. This project is expected to develop a new treatment technology with the abi ....Development of electrochemically activated sorbents for PFAS defluorination. This project aims to develop a new treatment technology to completely defluorinate per- and poly-fluroalkyl substances (PFAS) and to treat significant water quantities. The majority of existing water treatment technologies are unable to remove PFAS to the desired extent, are prohibitively expensive or are only useful for a very limited lifespan. This project is expected to develop a new treatment technology with the ability to completely defluorinate PFAS, treat significant water quantities and help address many of the pressing concerns facing water treatment operators. This technology is also scalable, and can potentially be used to treat significant quantities of contaminated water.Read moreRead less
The effect of wastewater treatment on the ecotoxicity of chiral chemicals. This project aims to assess the environmental implications of pharmaceuticals discharged in effluents from wastewater treatment plants. Trace levels of human pharmaceuticals occur in sewage and urban waterways, but during sewage treatment, some pharmaceuticals can undergo a chemical transformation known as 'chiral inversion'. In some cases, this may convert relatively benign environmental contaminants to more ecologically ....The effect of wastewater treatment on the ecotoxicity of chiral chemicals. This project aims to assess the environmental implications of pharmaceuticals discharged in effluents from wastewater treatment plants. Trace levels of human pharmaceuticals occur in sewage and urban waterways, but during sewage treatment, some pharmaceuticals can undergo a chemical transformation known as 'chiral inversion'. In some cases, this may convert relatively benign environmental contaminants to more ecologically toxic species. This project will investigate why and how some pharmaceuticals become susceptible to chiral inversion and assess ecotoxicological differences. This work is expected to determine the significance of considering chiral inversion in environmental risk assessment, with applications to a broader range of chemicals including pesticides and industrial chemicals.Read moreRead less
Development and Modellling of Advanced Coagulation and Oxidation Processes. The success of this program will help place Australia at the forefront of water quality control and management research. It will address concerns with managing and treating waters of changing characteristics due to climate change. In addition to the socio benefits, project success will also impart economic benefits to the nation through (i) fabricating new hybrid coagulants, that are versatile with enhanced performance ....Development and Modellling of Advanced Coagulation and Oxidation Processes. The success of this program will help place Australia at the forefront of water quality control and management research. It will address concerns with managing and treating waters of changing characteristics due to climate change. In addition to the socio benefits, project success will also impart economic benefits to the nation through (i) fabricating new hybrid coagulants, that are versatile with enhanced performance for removing NOM, and possess antimicrobial properties (ii) developing a new energy efficient photocatalysis technology.The proposed research will expand the knowledge base in this area and increase Australia’s international profile as a global leader in developing cutting-edge cost effective water resource technologies.Read moreRead less
From hazard identification to risk management. From hazard identification to risk management. This project aims to explore health risks from water- and sediment-borne bacteria to recreational users of urban rivers, using a suite of novel molecular microbiological and in-vitro assays and microbial risk assessment modelling. This project also aims to develop source tracking methods to mitigate and manage these risks. The number of bacterial-related water-borne outbreaks associated with recreationa ....From hazard identification to risk management. From hazard identification to risk management. This project aims to explore health risks from water- and sediment-borne bacteria to recreational users of urban rivers, using a suite of novel molecular microbiological and in-vitro assays and microbial risk assessment modelling. This project also aims to develop source tracking methods to mitigate and manage these risks. The number of bacterial-related water-borne outbreaks associated with recreational activities is rising, but waterway managers are under pressure to re-open these rivers for recreation. The project is expected to benefit urban communities by ensuring waterway managers make informed decisions about river recreation.Read moreRead less
Optimising CDI Water Treatment for Ion Removal and Energy Recovery. This project aims to develop capacitive deionisation (CDI) for the decontamination of water. The specific goals are firstly to identify applications where CDI could cost-effectively make brackish, contaminated water usable. The project then intends to optimise CDI design and operating conditions to remove particular ions of concern and to develop approaches to energy recovery. The main outcome is intended to be a photovoltaic-po ....Optimising CDI Water Treatment for Ion Removal and Energy Recovery. This project aims to develop capacitive deionisation (CDI) for the decontamination of water. The specific goals are firstly to identify applications where CDI could cost-effectively make brackish, contaminated water usable. The project then intends to optimise CDI design and operating conditions to remove particular ions of concern and to develop approaches to energy recovery. The main outcome is intended to be a photovoltaic-powered CDI unit that is capable of stand-alone operation with optimal energy recovery and inbuilt monitoring, and control technology enabling cost-effective and sustainable operation.Read moreRead less