The occurrence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAs) in various environmental media is of great concern due to their potential adverse effects on living organisms. This project aims to investigate the feasibility of natural-occurring foams in aeration tanks for removal of PFAs and other contaminants of emerging concern from sewage.

PhD Thesis underway by Angel Chyi En We.

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Intertidal marine environments are highly valued for their ecosystem services, yet it is often unclear whether productivity within sandy beaches and rocky shores is driven by nutrients derived from terrestrial, marine or in situ sources. This project utilised stable isotopes to trace nutrients derived from  key sources and determine their spatial and temporal fate in intertidal beaches and rocky shores.

Honours Thesis completed by Angus Lachlan Noel Fanning in November 2015.

Every day, Australians produce ~5 billion litres of wastewater, which contains a cocktail of chemicals. Industries that discharge wastewater are required to assess chemical risks to the receiving environments by conducting whole animal direct toxicity assessments (DTAs), which are expensive and pose an ethical dilemma. Our preliminary research shows that new in vitro bioassays provide an ethical and cost effective alternative that could be incorporated into DTA programs if their ecological relevance can be demonstrated. This project will develop and validate a new and internationally significant suite of in vitro bioassays for incorporation into DTA programs, leading to more ethical, cost effective and improved environmental protection.