Combined strategies to extinguish underground coal fires and to extract geothermal energy. This project addresses two serious environmental issues that occur worldwide. Firstly, it aims to develop strategies to combat underground coal fires which are a serious environmental problem. It has been estimated that underground coal fires in China alone contribute 2 to 3 per cent of the total world output of carbon dioxide (CO2) from burning fossil fuel. Concentrations of CO2 and CO (carbon monoxide) o ....Combined strategies to extinguish underground coal fires and to extract geothermal energy. This project addresses two serious environmental issues that occur worldwide. Firstly, it aims to develop strategies to combat underground coal fires which are a serious environmental problem. It has been estimated that underground coal fires in China alone contribute 2 to 3 per cent of the total world output of carbon dioxide (CO2) from burning fossil fuel. Concentrations of CO2 and CO (carbon monoxide) of up to 2200 ppm and 1000 ppm, respectively, have been measured in gases produced by underground coal fires. Secondly, the project is a proof of concept to validate the feasibility of production of geothermal energy from burning coal seams. This aspect has the potential to harvest large amounts of geothermal energy which is currently wasted.Read moreRead less
Understanding the role of vegetation in nitrogen removal by biofiltration. Many of Australia's bays and waterways are threatened by eutrophication due to excess nitrogen loads, particularly from urban stormwater. Biofiltration systems are a widely used (Melbourne Water alone has a programme of constructing 10000 systems in partnership with municipalities over the next 5 years) and potentially effective treatment, but their nitrogen removal is highly dependent on the type of vegetation used. Th ....Understanding the role of vegetation in nitrogen removal by biofiltration. Many of Australia's bays and waterways are threatened by eutrophication due to excess nitrogen loads, particularly from urban stormwater. Biofiltration systems are a widely used (Melbourne Water alone has a programme of constructing 10000 systems in partnership with municipalities over the next 5 years) and potentially effective treatment, but their nitrogen removal is highly dependent on the type of vegetation used. This project will improve the understanding of the role of vegetation in nitrogen retention by stormwater biofilters, and will thus provide important guidance on plant selection and design for biofiltration.Read moreRead less
Qualitative and quantitative modelling of hydraulic fracturing of brittle materials. Few technologies have caused more concern in the general population than the so called hydraulic fracturing technique, applied to enhance the hydraulic conductivity of resource-bearing rocks by injecting high pressure fluids. The concern revolves around uncertainty with leakage of used chemicals to overlying aquifers, unwanted seismic events and surface subsidence. This research, combining experimental and compu ....Qualitative and quantitative modelling of hydraulic fracturing of brittle materials. Few technologies have caused more concern in the general population than the so called hydraulic fracturing technique, applied to enhance the hydraulic conductivity of resource-bearing rocks by injecting high pressure fluids. The concern revolves around uncertainty with leakage of used chemicals to overlying aquifers, unwanted seismic events and surface subsidence. This research, combining experimental and computational investigations, aims to establish fundamental understanding of key processes controlling fracture formation in brittle materials (coal seams and porous rocks) under the action of hydraulic fracturing. The research outcomes will help to assess and minimise the risks associated with the hydraulic fracturing technology. Read moreRead less
Interdisciplinary greenhouse gas assessment - nitrous oxide emissions from marine wastewater disposal. Data generated during this research will resolve ongoing uncertainties surrounding a blind spot in national greenhouse gas (GHG) abatement policy and methodology. Current national and international GHG emission estimates are unable to account for N2O emissions resulting from the downstream disposal phase of the wastewater management cycle, and as a result, actual GHG emissions may be far greate ....Interdisciplinary greenhouse gas assessment - nitrous oxide emissions from marine wastewater disposal. Data generated during this research will resolve ongoing uncertainties surrounding a blind spot in national greenhouse gas (GHG) abatement policy and methodology. Current national and international GHG emission estimates are unable to account for N2O emissions resulting from the downstream disposal phase of the wastewater management cycle, and as a result, actual GHG emissions may be far greater than currently estimated. This research will provide primary data on the magnitude of downstream N2O emissions coming from the near-shore marine disposal of primary-level municipal wastewater in Australia. Results from this research will help quantify the carbon footprint associated with marine disposal of poorly treated effluents worldwide.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
Engineering the strength and consolidation of reclaimed soft soil. Engineering the strength and consolidation of reclaimed soft soil. This project aims to strengthen reclaimed soft soils by controlled desiccation. Soft soil is a significant engineering challenge for many industry sectors in Australia and worldwide. The disposal of dredged soft soil is costly and time-consuming, and failure of soft mine tailings is an environmental catastrophe that can cause loss of life and interrupt mining prod ....Engineering the strength and consolidation of reclaimed soft soil. Engineering the strength and consolidation of reclaimed soft soil. This project aims to strengthen reclaimed soft soils by controlled desiccation. Soft soil is a significant engineering challenge for many industry sectors in Australia and worldwide. The disposal of dredged soft soil is costly and time-consuming, and failure of soft mine tailings is an environmental catastrophe that can cause loss of life and interrupt mining production. This project will research the underlying processes of material behaviour, by developing new electromagnetic measurement and modelling methods to predict material strengths at the micro and macro scales during desiccation. The new approach is expected to lead to innovative solutions to bearing capacity and settlement problems associated with soft soils.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
ARC Centre for Functional Nanomaterials. The Centre will consist of leading researchers from four Australian universities, four CSIRO divisions, and two US research centres. The vision is to position Australia as a world leader in nanomaterials science and technology. The Centre will involve nanoscale science for building functional nanostructures of materials at the molecular level. It aims to develop new methods and techniques for self-assembling and characterizing nanomaterials with tailorabl ....ARC Centre for Functional Nanomaterials. The Centre will consist of leading researchers from four Australian universities, four CSIRO divisions, and two US research centres. The vision is to position Australia as a world leader in nanomaterials science and technology. The Centre will involve nanoscale science for building functional nanostructures of materials at the molecular level. It aims to develop new methods and techniques for self-assembling and characterizing nanomaterials with tailorable properties. The outcomes will include leading-edge science, the development of human capital, and intellectual property in new materials and products for applications in clean energy, environmental, and health care industries.Read moreRead less
Sustainability of water and wastewater treatment chemicals. In recent years, the environmental design and management of water and wastewater treatment facilities has broadened from consideration of water quality outcomes to include the environmental consequences of energy and material inputs. This has produced nationally agreed approaches to estimating greenhouse gas emissions from power consumption, but for important chemical additives analysts are forced to work with low-quality estimated dat ....Sustainability of water and wastewater treatment chemicals. In recent years, the environmental design and management of water and wastewater treatment facilities has broadened from consideration of water quality outcomes to include the environmental consequences of energy and material inputs. This has produced nationally agreed approaches to estimating greenhouse gas emissions from power consumption, but for important chemical additives analysts are forced to work with low-quality estimated data. In a time when society wants to account for the 'carbon-footprint' of decisions and more broadly consider the resources used and emissions produced by industry, this research will make this quantitatively possible for chemicals used in water and wastewater treatment.Read moreRead less
Optimising Decentralised Membrane Bioreactors for Water Reuse. Water is a critical resource in Australia and as pressures on water resources increase, water recycling has emerged as an important component of water management practises throughout Australia. Decentralised wastewater treatment systems (or package plants) offer opportunities for water recycling in regional communities; however this application is limited by our understanding on the removal of contaminants of concern through these tr ....Optimising Decentralised Membrane Bioreactors for Water Reuse. Water is a critical resource in Australia and as pressures on water resources increase, water recycling has emerged as an important component of water management practises throughout Australia. Decentralised wastewater treatment systems (or package plants) offer opportunities for water recycling in regional communities; however this application is limited by our understanding on the removal of contaminants of concern through these treatment systems. This project will assess the suitability and efficiency of decentralised membrane bioreactors (MBRs) for the removal of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) and pathogens in accordance with the 2006 National Guidelines for Water Recycling.Read moreRead less