Monash University
Monash University is a university that is part of the pulse of the water sector. Here we bring together everything it publishes on Smart Water Magazine: its news, its blogs and the events it takes part in.
World’s largest study reveals the long-term health impacts of flooding
The world’s largest and most comprehensive study of the long-term health impacts of flooding – via analysis of over 300 million hospitalisations records in eight countries prone to flooding events, including Australia – has found an increased risk of 26 per cent of all diseases serious enough to require hospitalisation. This impact on the health […]
Water filter with nanoscale channels selectively removes stubborn ‘forever chemicals’
Traditional water filters struggle to remove smaller PFAS molecules, but a new Monash-designed filter changes that. Researchers at Monash University have developed a water filtration membrane that effectively removes small PFAS molecules, overcoming a significant challenge faced by conventional water filters. The research team designed a beta-cyclodextrin (βCD) modified graphene oxide (GO-βCD) membrane with nanoscale channels that […]
Study links heavy rainfall decline to drought
A new study has linked subtle changes in the wettest weather to the occurrence of drought across Australia. The study, led by Dr Tess Parker from the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes at Monash University, shows that a few days less of heavy rainfall annually contributed to severe drought. The study comes as […]
Higher temperatures may decrease antidepressant pollution in waterways
A new study led by Monash University biologists has found that higher temperatures may reduce effects of antidepressant pollution on wildlife. However, the study emphasizes this does not mean that global warming is a good thing. Hundreds of pharmaceuticals end up in the environment after human use, and scientists are learning about how this affects […]
Sustainable water treatment system inspired by nature
Students from Monash Chemical Engineering have used the natural water treatment cycle found in nature as inspiration to develop a sustainable, stand-alone water treatment system that removes persistent organic pollutants from industrial wastewater. Developed by PhD students Mostafa Dehghani and Mahdi Naseri and undergraduate student Clare Carew, the unique Stand Alone Sunflow System (SASS) uses […]
Scientists discover how to restore carbon-rich peatlands using Rapid Evidence Review method
A new study by Monash University researchers has applied the Rapid Evidence Review method for the first time to peatland conservation and suggests the technique can be applied to other environmental problems. The Rapid Evidence Review method was originally developed to address issues in the health care sector. The study, led by Dr Jessica Walsh […]
Sustainable water treatment system inspired by nature
Students from Monash Chemical Engineering have used the natural water treatment cycle found in nature as inspiration to develop a sustainable, stand-alone water treatment system that removes persistent organic pollutants from industrial wastewater. Developed by PhD students Mostafa Dehghani and Mahdi Naseri and undergraduate student Clare Carew, the unique Stand Alone Sunflow System (SASS) uses […]
Victoria’s water catchments may not recover from drought, study says
Australian-first research by Monash University discredits the theory that rivers and underground water supplies eventually replenish following droughts or floods. Following the Australian Millennium Drought, one-third of Victoria’s water catchments included in the study still had not recovered from drought by mid-2017, nearly eight years later. For those water catchments not recovered, roughly 80 per cent showed no evidence of recovering anytime soon. This suggests less rain is going into streamflow and ground water than it used to.
‘Torpedo’ device targets SARS-CoV-2 hotspots in wastewater
Monash University researchers have developed the ‘Torpedo Passive Sampler’ – a cheap, accurate and simple testing device to detect SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater. Current automatic sampling methods are expensive to operate and cannot identify regions small enough for targeted health actions…this new device can. As the intellectual property is open, the 3D printing files can be shared rapidly with governments and health professionals across the world. More than 2500 have been issued globally to date.