Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0775548
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$180,000.00
Summary
Advanced characterisation facilities for functional nanostructured materials. A critical factor that enhances frontier research is a set of advanced core research experimental facilities for material characterisation purposes. The proposed equipment aims to: (1) provide research facilities for advanced nanomaterial research; (2) improve national competitiveness and growth in a knowledge-based economy; and (3) foster local talented researchers in order to meet the strategic needs of the nation fo ....Advanced characterisation facilities for functional nanostructured materials. A critical factor that enhances frontier research is a set of advanced core research experimental facilities for material characterisation purposes. The proposed equipment aims to: (1) provide research facilities for advanced nanomaterial research; (2) improve national competitiveness and growth in a knowledge-based economy; and (3) foster local talented researchers in order to meet the strategic needs of the nation for a sustainable environment. These activities will revitalise Australia's leading role in creating new technologies with particular relevance to using advanced nanostructures for the production of clean air and water, and sustainable energy alternatives.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
Restoring hydrological connectivity of surface and ground waters: Biogeochemical processes and environmental benefits for river landscapes. This project examines the restoration of lateral hydrological connectivity to improve floodplain structure and function. The connections between stream flows and both shallow groundwaters and floodplains are critical in sustaining river landscapes. Degrading land and water management practices compounded by natural climatic extremes have severed this link. ....Restoring hydrological connectivity of surface and ground waters: Biogeochemical processes and environmental benefits for river landscapes. This project examines the restoration of lateral hydrological connectivity to improve floodplain structure and function. The connections between stream flows and both shallow groundwaters and floodplains are critical in sustaining river landscapes. Degrading land and water management practices compounded by natural climatic extremes have severed this link. Restoring hydrological connectivity is vital for replenishing groundwater storage and increasing base flows that affect fundamental riverine processes. Using an innovative approach to sustainable agriculture, our project unites multidisciplinary scientific and industry expertise to investigate the biogeochemical and biophysical effects of secondary floodplain channels and in-stream structures on riverine groundwater processes.Read moreRead less
Phytocapping for sustainable waste containment systems and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and odour from waste disposal sites. Landfills remain the main method of waste disposal in Australia and are a major source of groundwater contamination and greenhouse and odour emissions. This national research program will establish, under a wide range of Australian conditions, whether landfill phytocaps can meet regulatory performance criteria for water infiltration into and gas emissions from clo ....Phytocapping for sustainable waste containment systems and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and odour from waste disposal sites. Landfills remain the main method of waste disposal in Australia and are a major source of groundwater contamination and greenhouse and odour emissions. This national research program will establish, under a wide range of Australian conditions, whether landfill phytocaps can meet regulatory performance criteria for water infiltration into and gas emissions from closed landfills more effectively, efficiently and sustainably than conventional capping systems. The project will produce (a) a scientific basis for site owners and regulators to agree on the performance and cost of conventional and phyto cover technologies, (b) a manual for the design and permitting of alternative covers and (c)improved scientific prediction of cover performance.Read moreRead less
Computer simulation and field application of tidal buffering and sub-surface alkaline barrier techniques to enhance acid sulphate soils management. In low-lying coastal areas, groundwater drawdown due to deep flood mitigation drains and prolonged droughts has exacerbated sub-surface pyrite oxidation, forming sulphuric acid. The distribution of acid following rainfall affects soil-water quality. The pressures of urban development in the Shoalhaven floodplain (civil infrastructure, agriculture, aq ....Computer simulation and field application of tidal buffering and sub-surface alkaline barrier techniques to enhance acid sulphate soils management. In low-lying coastal areas, groundwater drawdown due to deep flood mitigation drains and prolonged droughts has exacerbated sub-surface pyrite oxidation, forming sulphuric acid. The distribution of acid following rainfall affects soil-water quality. The pressures of urban development in the Shoalhaven floodplain (civil infrastructure, agriculture, aquaculture and recreational industries) necessitate the accurate prediction of acid migration. Therefore, the key challenge will be the development of comprehensive numerical models, which include complex estuarine hydrogeology and tidal dynamics, supported by field monitoring. Using these models, the novel concepts of 2-way floodgates that promote tidal flushing and the effectiveness of sub-surface alkaline barriers can be tested in the Shoalhaven, and subsequently applied globally.Read moreRead less
Drains in acid sulfate soils: behaviour and management for optimal water quality. Water draining from acid sulfate soil (ASS) into rivers via drains is often severely polluted, resulting in massive fish kills and chronic environmental and economic damage. Effective drain management techniques to minimise the export of acidity and deoxygenating drain oozes will be developed. The basic processes that affect hydraulic functioning, acidity and toxic drain ooze export in ASS drainage systems will be ....Drains in acid sulfate soils: behaviour and management for optimal water quality. Water draining from acid sulfate soil (ASS) into rivers via drains is often severely polluted, resulting in massive fish kills and chronic environmental and economic damage. Effective drain management techniques to minimise the export of acidity and deoxygenating drain oozes will be developed. The basic processes that affect hydraulic functioning, acidity and toxic drain ooze export in ASS drainage systems will be addressed. This project will provide the basis for the environmentally sound management of these drains. The technology developed here will be applicable throughout Australia and can be exported overseas, especially to south-east Asia.Read moreRead less
More bang for your carbon buck: carbon, biodiversity and water balance consequences of whole-catchment carbon farming. Farming carbon via tree plantings on pasture land is becoming increasingly common to address the effects of climate change. This activity is likely to produce dramatic changes in Australia's rural landscapes, but we have little knowledge of likely effects on crucial ecosystem services and attributes such as stream water yields and biodiversity. This project will investigate the ....More bang for your carbon buck: carbon, biodiversity and water balance consequences of whole-catchment carbon farming. Farming carbon via tree plantings on pasture land is becoming increasingly common to address the effects of climate change. This activity is likely to produce dramatic changes in Australia's rural landscapes, but we have little knowledge of likely effects on crucial ecosystem services and attributes such as stream water yields and biodiversity. This project will investigate the relationship between tree cover, carbon uptake, water yield and biodiversity. The outcomes will allow government agencies, landowners and carbon farming groups to better evaluate the effects of different landscape planning options and contribute to effective long-term planning for multiple goals.Read moreRead less
Understanding the health effects of landscape burning and biomass smoke in Australian towns and cities. Bushfires are increasingly affecting Australian towns and cities directly and indirectly from episodes of severe air pollution. An approach to manage bushfires is to reduce fuel loads by setting planned fires under stable weather conditions, yet this strategy is controversial because of community concerns about ecological sustainability and negative health impacts from smoke. The relative im ....Understanding the health effects of landscape burning and biomass smoke in Australian towns and cities. Bushfires are increasingly affecting Australian towns and cities directly and indirectly from episodes of severe air pollution. An approach to manage bushfires is to reduce fuel loads by setting planned fires under stable weather conditions, yet this strategy is controversial because of community concerns about ecological sustainability and negative health impacts from smoke. The relative importance of air pollution from planned and unplanned bushfires vs. wood heaters, agricultural burning and other sources of air pollution will be determined. Our study will enable evidence-based bushfire smoke management, help formulate national air quality standards and shape policies regarding biomass smoke and bushfire management.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
Use of remote sensing actual evapotranspiration estimates and water delivery data for assessing water use efficiency in an irrigated landscape. Improving management of water in irrigated agriculture will lead to increased sustainability, decreased environmental impacts and increased profitability. Quantifying water use efficiency for an irrigation district is a vital part of improving water management. This project aims to develop new methods for quantifying water use efficiency by combining ac ....Use of remote sensing actual evapotranspiration estimates and water delivery data for assessing water use efficiency in an irrigated landscape. Improving management of water in irrigated agriculture will lead to increased sustainability, decreased environmental impacts and increased profitability. Quantifying water use efficiency for an irrigation district is a vital part of improving water management. This project aims to develop new methods for quantifying water use efficiency by combining actual evapotranspiration estimates with water delivery information at the farm scale for an entire irrigation district. Remote sensing techniques will be utilized to map actual evapotranspiration and water meter data will be combined with cadastral and channel network data to map water delivery.Read moreRead less