Robert Hughes - PhD Research Scholar
The impacts of household chemicals and organic waste on the treatment in the Biolyti™ onsite wastewater treatment system

Robert’s PhD project is on an innovative wastewater treatment (‘termed vermifiltration’) system that relies upon vermicomposting species such as worms, mites, beetles and associated micro-organisms to break down the organic solid waste in wastewater to produce a self sustaining humus filter. The filter is able to remove nutrients, organic material and significantly reduce the oxidation demand, nutrient and suspended solid load in domestic wastewater. The process has been widely utilised in Australia and overseas (e.g. South East Asia and Southern Africa) for onsite and decentralised treatment of domestic and some commercial sources of wastewater.

The process produces wastewater suitable for reuse purposes, without the need for high energy consumption, as it is a passive process that relies upon active biological consumption and filter production. It is hoped due to the low energy demands and self sustaining capabilities of the treatment process it can be applied to remote communities and developing nations for improved sanitation and water efficiency.

Previous research on this process has shown the treatment of organic carbon and nutrients. However to ensure the robustness of the system, the PhD research covered by Robert is specifically assessing the biodegradation and biological inhibition from common and toxic chemicals in domestic wastewater to the key species involved in humus production. The research is taking place both at Murdoch University and on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland where a full-scale trial site of vermifiltration technologies is being utilised for the final stages of the research.

The project is one of the first comprehensive studies to assess the biological inhibition and biodegradation of household chemicals in an onsite and decentralised wastewater treatment system. The chemicals covered in the biological inhibition and biodegradation testing include surfactants; anionic, nonionic and cationic; commonly used solvents and hydrocarbons; metals such as sodium, chloride and boron; disinfectants and by-products; including hypochlorite, chloramines, perborates and chlorophenols. The information from the ongoing research has been published in a number of books, journal articles and conference proceedings.

Robert is pictured above with the Biomax Total Wastewater Treatment Unit on display at the ETC.