Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354804
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$10,000.00
Summary
ARC Research Network on Degraded Environment Assessment and Remediation. There are over 80,000 contaminated sites in Australia and >750,000,000 hectares of land impacted by soil acidity, sodicity, heavy-metals, nutrients and agricultural chemicals. The research network advances assessment, management and remediation of degraded environments (land, water, and air) through collaboration of the research programs developing sustainable solutions. The collective focus is minimising disposal and impac ....ARC Research Network on Degraded Environment Assessment and Remediation. There are over 80,000 contaminated sites in Australia and >750,000,000 hectares of land impacted by soil acidity, sodicity, heavy-metals, nutrients and agricultural chemicals. The research network advances assessment, management and remediation of degraded environments (land, water, and air) through collaboration of the research programs developing sustainable solutions. The collective focus is minimising disposal and impacts of contaminated soil and wastes, and land remediation. By facilitating communication, the network enhances national and international research coordination, interaction with regulators, end-users, industry, and other stakeholders, achievement of critical mass for new initiatives, enhances research training and contributes to a critical National Priority.Read moreRead less
Defend or retreat? Adapting to the impacts of sea level rise as a result of rapid climate change.
. Rapid sea level rise has been identified as a major threat to coastal Australia, where most of the Australian population lives. Our understanding and ability to respond to this threat is extremely limited at this point. This project will directly benefit Australian communities and businesses, specifically those in southeast Queensland by bringing together a team of distinguished, multidiscipli ....Defend or retreat? Adapting to the impacts of sea level rise as a result of rapid climate change.
. Rapid sea level rise has been identified as a major threat to coastal Australia, where most of the Australian population lives. Our understanding and ability to respond to this threat is extremely limited at this point. This project will directly benefit Australian communities and businesses, specifically those in southeast Queensland by bringing together a team of distinguished, multidisciplinary researchers and Super Science Fellows to explore the threats and challenges posed by rapidly rising sea levels. By building capacity and answering many urgent and difficult questions related to the legal, environmental and planning ramifications of sea level rise, this project will prepare communities and policymakers for the difficult times ahead.Read moreRead less
Environmental fingerprints of biogeochemical cycles embedded in tree rings: Linking global climate change to local long-term forest productivity. Forests cover one-third of the Earth's land surface and account for 80-90% of plant carbon and 30-40% of soil carbon. Forest carbon stocks and dynamics respond to and interact with global climate change (GCC). Recent tree ring research highlights the worsening impact of GCC and acid deposition on long-term forest productivity in central Europe. This pr ....Environmental fingerprints of biogeochemical cycles embedded in tree rings: Linking global climate change to local long-term forest productivity. Forests cover one-third of the Earth's land surface and account for 80-90% of plant carbon and 30-40% of soil carbon. Forest carbon stocks and dynamics respond to and interact with global climate change (GCC). Recent tree ring research highlights the worsening impact of GCC and acid deposition on long-term forest productivity in central Europe. This project seeks to develop and apply novel tree ring technologies for linking biogeochemical cycles of carbon and nutrients to long-term forest productivity in different regions, and to provide a scientific basis for accounting for long-term forest productivity and carbon stocks in response to future GCC.Read moreRead less
The Effect of Fuel Type on Health and Environmental Risks Caused by Motor Vehicle Emissions. Motor vehicles constitute one of the most significant sources of air pollutants but the state of knowledge on the quantity of some of these does not permit for projection of the risk they create. This project aims at quantification of emissions of pollutants contributing to deterioration of health, ozone formation, global warming and acid rain as a function of fuel type, using a novel on-road sampling m ....The Effect of Fuel Type on Health and Environmental Risks Caused by Motor Vehicle Emissions. Motor vehicles constitute one of the most significant sources of air pollutants but the state of knowledge on the quantity of some of these does not permit for projection of the risk they create. This project aims at quantification of emissions of pollutants contributing to deterioration of health, ozone formation, global warming and acid rain as a function of fuel type, using a novel on-road sampling method. Resultantly, a holistic picture of integrated health and environmental risk will be developed that will build a scientific foundation for future fuel,transport and land use to protect the community and the environment.Read moreRead less
Developing and validating an air quality assessment model for application in human exposure assessment, housing/urban planning and policy setting. At present there does not exist a model for assessing human exposure to airborne pollutants in places where people live, work and rest. In addition, experimental exposure assessments display large discrepancies dependent on the measurement method used. This research aims at developing and validating an air quality assessment model that would enable ....Developing and validating an air quality assessment model for application in human exposure assessment, housing/urban planning and policy setting. At present there does not exist a model for assessing human exposure to airborne pollutants in places where people live, work and rest. In addition, experimental exposure assessments display large discrepancies dependent on the measurement method used. This research aims at developing and validating an air quality assessment model that would enable predictions of air quality in various mircoenvironments for the purpose of exposure and risk assessment, housing and urban planning, and policy setting. This research will provide scientific foundation and a tool for developing future directions for management and control to protect the community and the environment.Read moreRead less
Development of a risk assessment tool to minimise mixed metals toxicities from mine tailings. Research based on animal uptake from mine tailings is required to quantify comparative bioavailability of mixtures of metals to provide data for mine rehabilitation design during the planning stage. Such data also provides risk assessment in humans. The optimum balance is minimum environmental effects from the rehabilitated mine structure versus minimised cost through planning prior to project commencem ....Development of a risk assessment tool to minimise mixed metals toxicities from mine tailings. Research based on animal uptake from mine tailings is required to quantify comparative bioavailability of mixtures of metals to provide data for mine rehabilitation design during the planning stage. Such data also provides risk assessment in humans. The optimum balance is minimum environmental effects from the rehabilitated mine structure versus minimised cost through planning prior to project commencement. The significant cost of mining ore bodies, particularly by modern open cut methods, is the removal of rock and soil. The research on animal toxicity testings will provide a tool to more accurately detail mine rehabilitation and give quantitative indicators for closure.Read moreRead less
Quantifying the effects of criteria air pollutants on child health - setting Australian air quality standards. The project is proposed and supported by the National Environment and Heritage Protection Council, who will be reviewing Australian air quality standards from 2005. The study aims to determine whether current air quality standards adequately protect the health of Australian school children, and to provide nationally-based information to inform any changes to the current standards. A cr ....Quantifying the effects of criteria air pollutants on child health - setting Australian air quality standards. The project is proposed and supported by the National Environment and Heritage Protection Council, who will be reviewing Australian air quality standards from 2005. The study aims to determine whether current air quality standards adequately protect the health of Australian school children, and to provide nationally-based information to inform any changes to the current standards. A cross-sectional study will examine cumulative effects; a nested panel study will quantify day-to-day effects of air pollution in sensitive children. Sampling will ensure national representation and generalisability of findings. This will be the first nationally-based study of the relationship between air quality and child health in Australia.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE160100066
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$260,000.00
Summary
Enhanced modelling capacity for the Industrial Ecology Virtual Laboratory. Enhanced modelling capacity for the Industrial Ecology Virtual Laboratory:
This project aims to enable Australian research leaders working on the integrated sustainability assessment of policies, products and projects to collaborate in the Industrial Ecology Virtual Laboratory (IELab). It seeks to develop and implement an enhanced modelling capability and suite of online analytical tools to support sustainability scienti ....Enhanced modelling capacity for the Industrial Ecology Virtual Laboratory. Enhanced modelling capacity for the Industrial Ecology Virtual Laboratory:
This project aims to enable Australian research leaders working on the integrated sustainability assessment of policies, products and projects to collaborate in the Industrial Ecology Virtual Laboratory (IELab). It seeks to develop and implement an enhanced modelling capability and suite of online analytical tools to support sustainability scientists and analysts from Australia and abroad conducting research projects of national and international significance. In particular, the project would provide policy-makers, investors and communities with detailed and tailored information to help make better decisions about a sustainable future. By upgrading IELab hardware and analytical and modelling software, the project would be versatile and flexible and remain up to date.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160101322
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$371,500.00
Summary
Mapping the water-energy nexus: new knowledge for resources security. This project plans to systematically evaluate energy impacts of urban water security across three interconnected systems: the direct consequences of water supply; the indirect influence of water use in industry and homes; and the remote implications of water security on supply chains. The project intends to use a new, high-resolution, open-access, multi-regional, input-output model of the Australian economy and its resources u ....Mapping the water-energy nexus: new knowledge for resources security. This project plans to systematically evaluate energy impacts of urban water security across three interconnected systems: the direct consequences of water supply; the indirect influence of water use in industry and homes; and the remote implications of water security on supply chains. The project intends to use a new, high-resolution, open-access, multi-regional, input-output model of the Australian economy and its resources use: the Industrial Ecology Virtual Laboratory. It expects to help address escalating energy demands and costs for urban water by identifying alternative and optimal pathways for addressing the energy impacts of water supply.Read moreRead less
AN INTEGRATED MODEL OF BUS EMISSION IMPACTS AT AND AROUND BUS STATIONS AND BUSWAYS FOR TRANSPORT AND LAND USE PLANNING. Buses are one of the two most common forms of public transport in Australia, with bus fleet and service coverage increasing, yet the effect on human health and the environment of the emissions from these vehicles is unknown. This research will develop a comprehensive model of bus emission impacts in and around bus stations and along bus corridors for use in exposure and risk as ....AN INTEGRATED MODEL OF BUS EMISSION IMPACTS AT AND AROUND BUS STATIONS AND BUSWAYS FOR TRANSPORT AND LAND USE PLANNING. Buses are one of the two most common forms of public transport in Australia, with bus fleet and service coverage increasing, yet the effect on human health and the environment of the emissions from these vehicles is unknown. This research will develop a comprehensive model of bus emission impacts in and around bus stations and along bus corridors for use in exposure and risk assessment, integrated transport and land use planning and policy setting. This research will provide a scientific foundation for developing future directions for the management of public transport to minimize the impact of emissions on the public and the environment.Read moreRead less