In-situ electrochemical generation of caustic and oxygen from sewage for emission control in sewers. This project aims to deliver an innovative technology that controls the emission of notorious compounds from sewer networks using chemicals directly produced from sewage, with electricity being the input. Compared to existing methods, this technology provides a much safer and more environmentally friendly solution, at less than 50 per cent of the cost.
Treatment of secondary sludge using free nitrous acid to enhance performance and economics of a wastewater treatment plant. This project will deliver a new process that utilises a by-product of wastewater treatment to reduce the environmental and financial costs of wastewater treatment. The project will significantly reduce waste materials discharged from wastewater treatment plants and enhance bioenergy recovery from wastewater, in addition to improving effluent quality.
Toxic metal removal from wastewater sludge. This project aims to efficiently remove toxic metals from wastewater sludge. Sludge management is a problem for water utilities, incurring substantial costs. Land application of wastewater sludge is a sustainable way of sludge management, but toxic metals hinder its long-term repeated application. The project’s chemical-free and energy-positive technology is based on the treatment of wastewater sludge using acidified nitrite. The outcomes will help wat ....Toxic metal removal from wastewater sludge. This project aims to efficiently remove toxic metals from wastewater sludge. Sludge management is a problem for water utilities, incurring substantial costs. Land application of wastewater sludge is a sustainable way of sludge management, but toxic metals hinder its long-term repeated application. The project’s chemical-free and energy-positive technology is based on the treatment of wastewater sludge using acidified nitrite. The outcomes will help water utilities to sustainably manage sludge and could bring large economic, environmental and social benefits to the water utilities.Read moreRead less
Fungal Biomass Protein, a Bioproduct Derived from a Treatment Process of Winery Waste Streams. The Australian wine industry produces a substantial quantity of wastewater containing high levels of organic materials that are both highly polluting and costly to treat. This research aims to develop a biotechnological treatment process integrated with fungal biomass protein (FBP) production from the winery waste streams. The outcomes of this project are i) the production of fungal biomass for use as ....Fungal Biomass Protein, a Bioproduct Derived from a Treatment Process of Winery Waste Streams. The Australian wine industry produces a substantial quantity of wastewater containing high levels of organic materials that are both highly polluting and costly to treat. This research aims to develop a biotechnological treatment process integrated with fungal biomass protein (FBP) production from the winery waste streams. The outcomes of this project are i) the production of fungal biomass for use as a protein-rich animal feed; ii); the treatment of waste water to allow reuse for farm irrigation; and iii) reduced pollution of watercourses. The research will develop a novel technology that is environmentally friendly and adds value to the Australian winery industry via pollution reduction and FBP production.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160100667
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$340,000.00
Summary
Removing a Key Barrier for Autotrophic Nitrogen Removal from Wastewater. This project aims to develop new technology to enable stable autotrophic nitrogen removal from domestic wastewater. The technology selectively suppresses the growth of nitrite-oxidising bacteria using a by-product of wastewater treatment – free nitrous acid. Maximising energy recovery from wastewater and providing greenhouse gas neutral water services have been the targets of water utilities in Australia and worldwide. The ....Removing a Key Barrier for Autotrophic Nitrogen Removal from Wastewater. This project aims to develop new technology to enable stable autotrophic nitrogen removal from domestic wastewater. The technology selectively suppresses the growth of nitrite-oxidising bacteria using a by-product of wastewater treatment – free nitrous acid. Maximising energy recovery from wastewater and providing greenhouse gas neutral water services have been the targets of water utilities in Australia and worldwide. The project will potentially change wastewater management and bring economic, environmental and social benefits to water utilities.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE130101401
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
A novel autotrophic biological nitrogen removal process driven by ammonia-oxidising archaea and anammox bacteria. This project will provide fundamental support to the development of more sustainable nitrogen removal processes. This would bring considerable benefits to the Australian wastewater industry and could potentially influence the way that biological nutrient removal plants are designed and operated.
Mineral transformation and oxidant production in subsurface environments. Sporadic influx of oxygen-rich rainwater / groundwater into subsurface waste sites induces dramatic biogeochemical changes which greatly influence the transport of contaminants present. In this project, fundamental knowledge gaps regarding the impacts of redox oscillations upon contaminant behaviour in these sediments will be addressed through a comprehensive program of field studies at a purpose-constructed experimental f ....Mineral transformation and oxidant production in subsurface environments. Sporadic influx of oxygen-rich rainwater / groundwater into subsurface waste sites induces dramatic biogeochemical changes which greatly influence the transport of contaminants present. In this project, fundamental knowledge gaps regarding the impacts of redox oscillations upon contaminant behaviour in these sediments will be addressed through a comprehensive program of field studies at a purpose-constructed experimental facility in an existing waste site, and complementary laboratory investigations. The intended outcomes are to improve understanding of contaminant mobility at the field-scale in these pervasive sites spread across the globe, and provide critical insight into their remediation using cost-effective techniques.Read moreRead less
Optimising permeable pavements with underlying reservoirs to enhance urban tree performance. This project will determine the optimal configuration of permeable pavements with underlying storage reservoirs and water delivery system to resolve the water security challenges that trees face in urban environments. This project will promote the healthy growth of urban trees and will lead to more liveable and healthier cities.
Intracellular manufacturing - high performance biomaterials from methane. The aim of this project is to produce high performance biodegradable polymers directly from methane. The key innovation is employing cutting-edge community genomic and transcriptomic approaches to characterise intracellular production lines in order to tailor polyhydroxybutyrate-co-valerate (PHBV) copolymer microstructures. This is a truly multidisciplinary project bringing together engineers, polymer scientists and molecu ....Intracellular manufacturing - high performance biomaterials from methane. The aim of this project is to produce high performance biodegradable polymers directly from methane. The key innovation is employing cutting-edge community genomic and transcriptomic approaches to characterise intracellular production lines in order to tailor polyhydroxybutyrate-co-valerate (PHBV) copolymer microstructures. This is a truly multidisciplinary project bringing together engineers, polymer scientists and molecular biologists. It is expected that a direct outcome of the project will be the first PHBV copolymer from methane. As such, the project aims to develop technology for the production of tough, flexible and affordable biopolymers and, at the same time, provide an opportunity to add value to methane.Read moreRead less
Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL170100086
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,924,858.00
Summary
Methane bioconversion to liquid chemicals. This project aims to develop a suite of leading-edge biotechnology solutions to enable the cost-effective production of liquid chemicals from biogas. This will create a much stronger economic driver for biogas production from organic wastes, by significantly increasing the value of biogas compared to its current use for power generation. With a multi-disciplinary approach, the project will substantially advance the fundamental science in the exciting an ....Methane bioconversion to liquid chemicals. This project aims to develop a suite of leading-edge biotechnology solutions to enable the cost-effective production of liquid chemicals from biogas. This will create a much stronger economic driver for biogas production from organic wastes, by significantly increasing the value of biogas compared to its current use for power generation. With a multi-disciplinary approach, the project will substantially advance the fundamental science in the exciting and highly valuable area of anaerobic microbial conversion of methane, the least understood process in the global carbon cycle. This transformational research has a strong potential to create a new biotechnology sector producing high-value chemicals from methane, and will propel Australia to the forefront of sustainable resources research.Read moreRead less