Science Award
0th December
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Congratulations to UNSW PhD student, Jodie Smith, who has won a Science and Innovation Award for research that could see 'black sludge' - a by-product of acid-sulfate soils - saving Australian industry $10 million dollars a year.
Jodie, from the School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, won $8000 from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries & Forestry (AFFA) to continue her research into whether the naturally occurring 'black sludges' or iron monosulfides can be used as a catalyst to treat hydrogen sulfide gas.
"The steel, petroleum and coal industries are currently importing synthetic monosulfide catalysts from the US, which costs over $10 million a year," said Jodie.
The research may prove a money earner for cane growers in the Tweed River flood plain where Jodie is based, who until now have viewed the sludge as waste. "It negatively affects sugar cane growth by up to 30%, so to prevent this they have to mix the sludge with lime, which costs a lot of money," said Jodie.
Jodie, from the School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, won $8000 from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries & Forestry (AFFA) to continue her research into whether the naturally occurring 'black sludges' or iron monosulfides can be used as a catalyst to treat hydrogen sulfide gas.
"The steel, petroleum and coal industries are currently importing synthetic monosulfide catalysts from the US, which costs over $10 million a year," said Jodie.
The research may prove a money earner for cane growers in the Tweed River flood plain where Jodie is based, who until now have viewed the sludge as waste. "It negatively affects sugar cane growth by up to 30%, so to prevent this they have to mix the sludge with lime, which costs a lot of money," said Jodie.
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