Contaminants

Using satellite imagery to detect and map oil spills along Australia’s coastline

Detection of oil spills using state of the art satellite imagery will support Australian environmental agencies to manage and protect the Great Barrier Reef, and other Australian marine regions.

Helping sugarcane farmers reduce impacts of cropping on the Great Barrier Reef

In a world first, we've developed a new suite of apps to help sugarcane farmers in far north Queensland manage fertiliser use and reduce nitrogen runoff onto the Great Barrier Reef.

Weeding out a killer pesticide

A new study in the journal Clinical Toxicology examines how effective enzymes can be for treating organo phosphate poisoning in humans.

Phosphorus: a finite resource essential for life, critical for agriculture and food security

Strategic use of phosphorus fertilisers can ensure higher crop yields. High yields minimise the amount of land devoted to food production, maximise the use of scarce rainfall and help keep food supplies stable and relatively cheap. Getting the balance right is important in an increasingly crowded world.

Nature’s cleaners

Tiny organisms – or microbes – are being explored for mine water treatment at Evolution Mining’s Mt Rawdon gold operation, where the company plans to adopt a wetland-like system to remove contaminants.

Digging up the dirt on water quality on the Great Barrier Reef

A huge amount of effort is going into protecting the Great Barrier Reef - often the kilometres away from where the coral is actually living. Researchers now have a better understanding of the system of erosion and sediment transport processes connecting agricultural land with water quality in the Reef. Critical to improving land management practices.

Testing the waters against antimicrobial resistance

Research exchange in India is expanding the investigation into what the World Health Organisation names as one of the greatest threats to human health – antimicrobial resistance.

Benefits and risks of neonicotinoid insecticides to Australian agriculture

On the farm, the negative impact to beneficial insects can sometimes negate the positive effects of insecticides. But there's a lack of research quantifying non-target impacts of one particular group, neonicotinoids.

Soils study key to tracing PFAS leaching

They’re one of the strongest bonds in chemistry and are not only unique in the way they can be used to fight fire, but unique in the way they leach through soils into the environment. A new paper suggests understanding first how PFAS chemicals behave in soils requires a large-scale soils study and, perhaps, a global research effort if we’re to work towards a solution.