Dual-membrane upgrading towards sustainable wastewater management. Water utilities in Australia have set aspirational targets for energy- and carbon-neutral wastewater services by as early as 2030. However, these two aims are often incompatible because of excessive aeration energy consumption and substantial greenhouse gas emissions in wastewater treatment plants. This project aims to develop a novel biotechnology that enables simultaneous bioenergy recovery, cost-efficient nitrogen removal and ....Dual-membrane upgrading towards sustainable wastewater management. Water utilities in Australia have set aspirational targets for energy- and carbon-neutral wastewater services by as early as 2030. However, these two aims are often incompatible because of excessive aeration energy consumption and substantial greenhouse gas emissions in wastewater treatment plants. This project aims to develop a novel biotechnology that enables simultaneous bioenergy recovery, cost-efficient nitrogen removal and mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions, thus bringing multifaceted benefits to wastewater management. The project will provide strong support to the Australian water industry in their endeavour to achieve economically and environmentally sustainable wastewater services.Read moreRead less
Fate of PAPs and short-chain PFAS in biosolids amended soils. Biosolids generated during wastewater treatment contain PFAS which are persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic. Application of biosolids to agricultural land may result in soil, groundwater and surface water PFAS contamination via leaching and run-off and pose unknown potential risk to soil health, crops and beneficial biota. This study aims to generate novel knowledge on the PFAS fate in biosolid amended soils, crops and toxicity to ke ....Fate of PAPs and short-chain PFAS in biosolids amended soils. Biosolids generated during wastewater treatment contain PFAS which are persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic. Application of biosolids to agricultural land may result in soil, groundwater and surface water PFAS contamination via leaching and run-off and pose unknown potential risk to soil health, crops and beneficial biota. This study aims to generate novel knowledge on the PFAS fate in biosolid amended soils, crops and toxicity to key soil and aquatic biota at environmentally relevant concentrations. This study is supported by Australian water and its allied industries, as it is important for them to ensure that biosolids application to agricultural land is an environmentally sustainable solution to the Australian farmers and communities.Read moreRead less
Biofilm-based solution for cost-effective high-quality drinking water. Approximately 90% of the drinking water in Australia is sourced from surface water bodies, which are naturally rich in nutrients and organic matter. This leads to the growth of cyanobacteria, which are known to be a major cause of taste and odour compounds and cyanotoxins. Climate change is causing increased cyanobacterial growth due to higher temperatures, exacerbating this existing challenge to water utilities. This project ....Biofilm-based solution for cost-effective high-quality drinking water. Approximately 90% of the drinking water in Australia is sourced from surface water bodies, which are naturally rich in nutrients and organic matter. This leads to the growth of cyanobacteria, which are known to be a major cause of taste and odour compounds and cyanotoxins. Climate change is causing increased cyanobacterial growth due to higher temperatures, exacerbating this existing challenge to water utilities. This project proposes a novel biofilm-based approach for cost-effective drinking water treatment production. Our approach represents a simple retrofit to existing processes and drastically reduces the chemical dosing costs and improve climate resilience while ensuring the production of high-quality, safe drinking water.Read moreRead less