Novel disinfection to combat antibiotic resistance . Control of antimicrobial resistance in water is critical. Disinfection in water and wastewater treatment plants is a vital barrier against antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB); however, it is less effective in controlling- and may even facilitate the spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). This project aims to comprehensively investigate the effectiveness of widely-used disinfection processes in controlling ARB/ARGs, determine the underly ....Novel disinfection to combat antibiotic resistance . Control of antimicrobial resistance in water is critical. Disinfection in water and wastewater treatment plants is a vital barrier against antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB); however, it is less effective in controlling- and may even facilitate the spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). This project aims to comprehensively investigate the effectiveness of widely-used disinfection processes in controlling ARB/ARGs, determine the underlying mechanisms, and identify optimal treatment conditions. This project also aims to develop a novel, cost-effective and environmentally friendly disinfection process for efficient ARGs destruction, thus significantly strengthening Australia’s capacity to prevent the spread of antibiotic resistance.Read moreRead less
Novel water treatment processes. The objective of this project is the discovery of novel methods for the treatment and reuse of water for both industrial and household applications. Improved treatment systems with the potential for water reuse offer significant improvements to our overall water management potential. The first part of the project is designed to focus on the study of hot bubble column evaporators for solute decomposition, sterilisation and the de-watering of heavily contaminated i ....Novel water treatment processes. The objective of this project is the discovery of novel methods for the treatment and reuse of water for both industrial and household applications. Improved treatment systems with the potential for water reuse offer significant improvements to our overall water management potential. The first part of the project is designed to focus on the study of hot bubble column evaporators for solute decomposition, sterilisation and the de-watering of heavily contaminated industrial wastewater. The second part would be based on the study of a suitable depth filter medium for the treatment of partially treated household sewage water. This is designed to form part of an on-site household sewage water treatment and reuse system which is currently being developed.Read moreRead less
All-solid-state Z-scheme photocatalysts for water treatment. The project aims to develop high-performance Z-scheme photocatalysts by using two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors as building blocks for low-cost, highly-efficient pathogen inactivation and emerging pollutant degradation in stormwater treatment. The project expects to generate new fundamental knowledge in the area of photocatalyst design and Z-scheme photocatalytic system, and advance the application of photocatalytic oxidation in wate ....All-solid-state Z-scheme photocatalysts for water treatment. The project aims to develop high-performance Z-scheme photocatalysts by using two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors as building blocks for low-cost, highly-efficient pathogen inactivation and emerging pollutant degradation in stormwater treatment. The project expects to generate new fundamental knowledge in the area of photocatalyst design and Z-scheme photocatalytic system, and advance the application of photocatalytic oxidation in water treatment. The expected outcomes of the project include novel 2D Z-scheme photocatalysts and enhanced capacity in stormwater management.Read moreRead less
Novel high retention membrane bioreactors for sustainable water reuse: Process performance and optimization. The protection of public health from chemicals of emerging concern is of paramount priority. This research aims to establish a design framework for the development of high retention membrane bioreactor systems for water reuse applications. Fundamental aspects underlying the performance of such systems including removal efficiencies of chemicals of emerging concern, effects of salinity bui ....Novel high retention membrane bioreactors for sustainable water reuse: Process performance and optimization. The protection of public health from chemicals of emerging concern is of paramount priority. This research aims to establish a design framework for the development of high retention membrane bioreactor systems for water reuse applications. Fundamental aspects underlying the performance of such systems including removal efficiencies of chemicals of emerging concern, effects of salinity build-up, membrane fouling and membrane stability will be systematically elucidated. The research will result in novel treatment processes with enhanced performance in the removal of chemicals of emerging concern and substantial economic savings in both operating and capital costs.Read moreRead less
Overcoming performance limiting chemistries in membrane distillation. This project aims to study performance limiting chemistries associated with fouling of solution-borne components on membrane surfaces that cause critical vapour pressure loss. Membrane distillation could be used for sustainable resource recovery, but no research has overcome the total loss of membrane water flux when removing water from saturated solutions where the critical resource recovery function occurs. This project will ....Overcoming performance limiting chemistries in membrane distillation. This project aims to study performance limiting chemistries associated with fouling of solution-borne components on membrane surfaces that cause critical vapour pressure loss. Membrane distillation could be used for sustainable resource recovery, but no research has overcome the total loss of membrane water flux when removing water from saturated solutions where the critical resource recovery function occurs. This project will characterise the physical and chemical properties of the flux limiting solid on the membrane surface, and the role of membrane chemistry and functional conditions in overcoming this limit. The outcomes of the work will provide innovative sustainable solutions to recover valuable products from current wastes.Read moreRead less
Engineering nanostructured graphene-based semiconductor photocatalysts. Harnessing solar energy and converting it into useful chemical energy efficiently is the expected outcome of the project. Given the strategic solar-geographical position of Australia, solar photocatalysis is a leading option for utilising our renewable energy resources to applications relating to energy conversion and environmental remediation.
Scalable fabrication of novel mesoporous carbonaceous spheres with uniform size as effective adsorbents in water treatment. A productive route to generate mesoporous microspheres as highly effective adsorbents for toxins from algae blooms is proposed via an innovative drying technology. A breakthrough will be achieved in the practical development of novel adsorbents to ensure the availability of clean freshwater with enormous impacts for communities around Australia.
Feedback destabilising control of electro-osmotic flow for reducing fouling and enhancing productivity of membrane systems. This project aims to develop a new approach to improving the productivity of membrane systems. With over $9 billion worth of membrane-based desalination plants either in operation, under construction or being planned in Australia, the expected outcomes of this project will lead to significant social and economic benefit and provide greater water security.
Development of Solar-induced, Dark-active Photocatalytic Membranes for Water Disinfection. Stormwater is one of the last freshwater resources that has not been utilised to its full potential. However, large amount of faecal pathogens in stormwater limit its harvesting practice.This project aims at addressing this significant problem by developing the next generation of photocatalytic membranes for stormwater disinfection. The proposed membranes not only are passive water treatment technology whi ....Development of Solar-induced, Dark-active Photocatalytic Membranes for Water Disinfection. Stormwater is one of the last freshwater resources that has not been utilised to its full potential. However, large amount of faecal pathogens in stormwater limit its harvesting practice.This project aims at addressing this significant problem by developing the next generation of photocatalytic membranes for stormwater disinfection. The proposed membranes not only are passive water treatment technology which only utilises solar energy, but also are operated regardless of weather, even at night. The results will provide new insights on development of future water treatment technologies. This project will also raise Australia’s credibility and competitiveness in the water and membrane industries.Read moreRead less
Characterising nanostructure functionality of conventional and advanced polymeric membranes using electrical impedance spectroscopy. Thin film membranes are an important separation process for industrial and municipal water treatment. This project will benefit Australian cities and industries by creating the tools to help reduce energy consumption associated with fouling of thin film membranes and indentify the next generation of efficient low fouling membranes.