4th Annual Symposium 2024 Day 2 Highlights

Author Editor
Updated October 2024

Insights and Practical Innovations delivered on Day 2 of the 4th ARC Biosolids Symposium 2024 

PERTH, WA – September 4, 2024

The second day of the ARC Training Centre’s 4th Annual Biosolids Symposium 2024 at the University of Western Australia’s Banquet Hall continued to inspire attendees with hands-on workshops, expert presentations, and opportunities to explore practical applications of biosolids innovations.

Morning Highlights:
The day opened with a warm welcome from Prof. Megan Ryan (UWA), setting the stage for a productive day and introducing our first 2 presentations of the morning:

  • BTTAS Tool Workshop: Dr. Ganesh Veluswamy and Dr. Savankumar Patel (RMIT) guided participants through this interactive session, demonstrating how the tool supports biosolids technology assessments.
  • National Collaborative US PFAS Project: Prof. Ian Pepper (University of Arizona) shared progress on this pivotal initiative, addressing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) management in biosolids.

Theme 2: Enhancing Product Applications:

The third and final research Theme undertaken by the Training Centre was presented following the format of the previous day:

10-minute Talks

  • Dr. Bede Mickan (UWA) introduced a classification framework for organic waste products.
  • Dr. Curtis Rollins and Prof. Megan Ryan explored farmer acceptance and agronomic impacts of composted biosolids-blended fertilizers.
  • Dr. Arun Krishna Vuppaladadiyam (RMIT) discussed innovative approaches to H₂S removal from biogas using biosolids biochar.
  • Manish Sharma (UWA) presented insights into the use of wastewater-recovered struvite as a sustainable phosphorus fertilizer.

 

Theme 2 presentations: Dr Bede Mickan (Top left), Dr Arun Krishna Vuppaladadiyam, RMIT (Bottom left), Dr. Curtis Rollins ( Top right), Manish Sharma (Bottom right)

Theme 2: Poster sessions and 3-minute snapshot presentations
The 3-minute poster session showcased innovative research in biosolids management and related fields. Each presenter delivered a concise yet impactful three-minute summary of their findings, highlighting key challenges and advancements in biosolids application and environmental sustainability.

  • Kraiwut Jansriphibul RMIT– Potential risk of spreading antibiotic resistant genes form biosolids fertiliser to soil and environment
  • Ibrahim Al Waili RMIT– Economic Assessment of Alternative Biogas Utilization Routes
  • Dr. Ibrahim Hakeem RMIT– Techno-commercial feasibility of biosolids biochar for nutrient recovery from digester effluent
  • Julie Besedin RMIT– Remediation of arsenic contaminated mine waste
  • Thierry Bore UQ – Tracking organic carbon with Geophysics
  • George Mercer UWA – Agricultural soils can’t have their biosolids cake and eat it too!
Theme 2 Poster presentations: Kraiwut Jansriphibul (Top left), George Mercer (Bottom left), Ibrahim Al Waili (Middle), Dr Ibrahim Hakeem (Top right), Dr. Thierry Bore (Bottom right)

Theme 2 Panel Feedback and Wrap-up 

The Panel Feedback & Wrap-up on Theme 2 followed, where industry leaders and researchers came together to share their perspectives on the discussions of the day. A useful discussion with panel members Dr Bill Richmond from DWER, Dr. David Bergmann, South East Water and Michael Thomas from Barwon Waster, was anchored by Andreas Pfeifle from UWA. The panel engaged in a dynamic exchange, answering pressing questions, offering fresh perspectives, and setting the stage for the future of sustainable biosolids use.

Invited Speaker – Churchill Fellowship Insights

Hilary Hall (RMCG) shared international perspectives on biosolids management based on her recent fellowship experiences. Drawing from experiences abroad, Hilary’s talk explored global strategies, emerging technologies, and best practices that could shape the future of biosolids management in Australia.

Andreas Pfeifle, Bill Richmond, Dr. David Bergmann and Michael Thomas (1st picture-left to right); Hilary Hall (Right)

Hands-On Experience

Site visits were planned for the afternoon. Participants split up to visit the Water Research and Innovation Precinct (WRIP) in Shenton Park while others were given a tour of the UWA campus Glasshouses, gaining firsthand insight into advanced technologies shaping the future of biosolids management.

The day concluded with an interactive training session presented by Sha Ragnauth and Andre Sequeira (Water Corporation) entitled “Kick Start Your Career ” Workshop, equipping attendees with tools to navigate career opportunities and the application process.

Glasshouse tour visitors (left picture); Sha Ragnauth and Andre Sequeira (right picture)

Celebrating Excellence

Awards were presented on the 2nd day in recognition of outstanding contributions:

  • Best Presentations: Sponsored by SA Water, was awarded to Dr. Curtis Rollins, Jingwen Luo, and Dr. Bede Mickan.
  • Best Posters: Sponsored by SUEZ, was awarded to Thais Guerrero, George Mercer and Dr. Shamim Aryampa.
  • Best Communicator: The Prof. Anas Ghadouani Memorial Award was presented jointly to George Mercer and Dr. Bede Mickan.

Congratulations to all our award winners, and a big thanks to our Award sponsors.

(Top left) George Mercer, Dr Bede Mickan and Dist.Prof Andy Ball; (Bottom left) Dr Bede Mickan, Dr Curtis Rollins, Jingwen Luo and Dr Alex Keegan, SA Water. (Right) George Mercer, Thais Guererro, Dr Shamim Aryampa and Irina Mouilleron, SUEZ

Summing up the 2nd day of the Symposium 

The second day of the ARC Biosolids Symposium 2024 emphasized practical applications and collaboration, bridging the gap between research and real-world implementation. The Symposium successfully fostered knowledge sharing and inspired actionable solutions to advance biosolids management.

 

THANKYOU TO OUR SPONSORS

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