ECU developing microplastics filters for wastewater plants

An engineering researcher from Edith Cowan University (ECU) will investigate new ways to remove dangerous microplastics from our water supplies with the help of an Australian Research Council (ARC) grant.

Dr Masoumeh Zargar from ECU’s School of Engineering has won a Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) worth more than $410,000 over the next three years. It will support her work on developing new types of membrane filters for use in water treatment plants to remove microplastics from our water supplies.

“Microplastics have multiple known and potentially numerous unknown environmental and health risks,” she said. “Around 10% of all plastics we produce pollute the marine environment and can cause enormous damage to the ecosystem of oceans.

“Unfortunately, our existing wastewater treatment plants aren’t properly designed to remove these tiny particles from water so they either end up in our oceans, rivers and lakes or even in our drinking water.”

Microplastics are a major cause of greenhouse gas emissions and have been shown to affect microscopic plankton’s ability to absorb carbon dioxide in the ocean. There are also serious concerns about the impact on human health.

“This research aims to find innovative ways to remove microplastics from water using specifically developed membrane filters modified by advanced functional materials and treatment techniques.”

Dr Zargar said the combination of advanced structural and surface modification techniques including the use of nanotechnology, together with innovative analysis of prototypes, will provide new insights into the development of large-scale integrated membrane systems in industry.

Dr Zargar’s grant will also fund a scholarship for one PhD student associated with her project. It will also include international collaboration with partners in Belgium, the UK and Qatar.

ECU Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Caroline Finch congratulated Dr Zargar and welcomed the investment in important research at the university.

“This research tackles an important issue affecting our environment and the health and wellbeing of Australians and potentially people around the world,” she said. “The combination of innovative engineering solutions to a complex environmental problem is an outstanding example of the world-class research happening at ECU.”

Professor Finch said Dr Zargar’s success was great recognition of ECU’s ongoing commitment to increasing women’s representation in engineering and other STEM fields.