Cleaning up toxins from stormwater run-off

Every time it rains, urban stormwater dumps dangerous pollutants into our waterways. Sediment, phosphorus, heavy metals and hydrocarbons all flood into our estuaries and bays. But of particular concern are the high levels of nitrogen.

The result is that algal blooms occur, starving plant and marine life of vital oxygen.

Assoc. Prof. Tim Fletcher is leading a new project, funded by the Australian Research Council examining the role of vegetation in long term, sustainable pollutant removal. 

The project team includes researchers from the Faculty of Engineering and the Faculty of Science, including engineers, chemists, soil scientists and plant physiologists.

The work builds on new biofiltration technologies developed by Monash University’s Facility for Advancing Water Biofiltration (FAWB), which is a joint venture with Edaw Aecom.

Tim says “FAWB’s work shows that some plants have a remarkable capacity to adsorb and transform pollutants from stormwater. These experiments look at the best plant species to use in biofiltration systems in different parts of Australia”.

Twenty different species of grasses, sedges, reeds, shrubs and trees are being tested in a variety of different soils.

The research has already found the best plants for nitrogen removal are those with a high growth rate and a dense root system that penetrates the entire soil area.

Another aspect to the research is testing the capacity of the biofiltration system to produce stormwater of a quality suitable for re-use.

This Monash research has major implications for the health of our waterways and conservation of precious water resources. The technology is already receiving industry-wide adoption and implementation.