RAiD 10.71676/94b5cc7b
NESP MaC Project 2.4 - Ecological outcomes of wastewater discharges in contrasting receiving environments (UTS)

Dates

Start Date
01-Jun-2022
End Date
28-Feb-2024

Titles

Title
NESP MaC Project 2.4 - Ecological outcomes of wastewater discharges in contrasting receiving environments (UTS)
Title Type
Primary
Title Type:
Primary
 Preferred full description or abstract.
Start Date
01-Jun-2022
End Date
28-Feb-2024
Language
English

Descriptions

Description

Coastal and marine environments are increasingly exposed to pollution from land-based sources, including wastewater. With the majority of Australians living near the coast, household chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and plastics can enter the ocean via wastewater treatment plant outfalls. National policies and action plans, including Australia’s Waste Policy Action Plan, the Threat Abatement Plan for the impacts of marine debris, and the One Health Master Action Plan, all emphasise the need to incorporate emerging pollutants into contaminant guidelines. However, current monitoring programs focus on a limited set of contaminants, leaving major gaps in our understanding of the presence, concentration, and ecological effects of emerging pollutants in the marine environment.

This project addressed this problem by: (1) identifying priority pollutants of concern; (2) determining concentrations of Chemicals of Emerging Concern (CEC) at a range of wastewater outfall sites with varying hydrodynamic settings; and (3) assessing where environmental impacts are likely to be greatest. It focused on five key pollutant groups: microplastics, nutrients, heavy metals, PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), and antimicrobials. Hydrodynamic modelling was used to evaluate residence times and pollutant dispersal in selected marine settings, and field sampling was conducted to assess contaminant levels and potential ecological impacts on the lower food web. The project built on the findings of NESP MaC Scoping Study 1.16, which identified the need for impact assessments for CECs.

The project generated new knowledge to inform risk assessments of emerging contaminants in the marine environment and provides recommendations for prioritising future monitoring and investment. It also enhances access to wastewater discharge data through continued development of the National Outfall Database.
Description Type

Primary
Description Type:

Primary

 Preferred full description or abstract
Language
English

Contributors

Name Martina A. Doblin ORCID Logo (unauthenticated)
Contributor ID ORCID Logo https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8750-3433 (unauthenticated)
Leader
Yes
Contact
Yes
Positions
Position
Principal or Chief Investigator
Position:
Principal or Chief Investigator
 Principal investigator refers to the person(s) in charge of a research project
Start Date
01-Jun-2022
End Date
28-Feb-2024
Roles
No Entries
Name Justin Seymour ORCID Logo (unauthenticated)
Contributor ID ORCID Logo https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3745-6541 (unauthenticated)
Leader
Yes
Contact
Yes
Positions
Position
Principal or Chief Investigator
Position:
Principal or Chief Investigator
 Principal investigator refers to the person(s) in charge of a research project
Start Date
01-Jun-2022
End Date
28-Feb-2024
Roles
No Entries
Leader
No
Contact
No
Positions
Position
Co-investigator or Collaborator
Position:
Co-investigator or Collaborator
 A Co-Investigator is a senior or key investigator involved in a research project who does not have the overall responsibility and authority of the Principal Investigator
Start Date
01-Jun-2022
End Date
28-Feb-2024
Roles
No Entries
Name Peter Scanes ORCID Logo (unauthenticated)
Contributor ID ORCID Logo https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6722-168X (unauthenticated)
Leader
No
Contact
No
Positions
Position
Co-investigator or Collaborator
Position:
Co-investigator or Collaborator
 A Co-Investigator is a senior or key investigator involved in a research project who does not have the overall responsibility and authority of the Principal Investigator
Start Date
01-Jun-2022
End Date
28-Feb-2024
Roles
No Entries
Leader
No
Contact
No
Positions
Position
Co-investigator or Collaborator
Position:
Co-investigator or Collaborator
 A Co-Investigator is a senior or key investigator involved in a research project who does not have the overall responsibility and authority of the Principal Investigator
Start Date
01-Jun-2022
End Date
28-Feb-2024
Roles
No Entries
Leader
No
Contact
No
Positions
Position
Co-investigator or Collaborator
Position:
Co-investigator or Collaborator
 A Co-Investigator is a senior or key investigator involved in a research project who does not have the overall responsibility and authority of the Principal Investigator
Start Date
01-Jun-2022
End Date
28-Feb-2024
Roles
No Entries
Name Moninya Roughan ORCID Logo (unauthenticated)
Contributor ID ORCID Logo https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3825-7533 (unauthenticated)
Leader
No
Contact
No
Positions
Position
Co-investigator or Collaborator
Position:
Co-investigator or Collaborator
 A Co-Investigator is a senior or key investigator involved in a research project who does not have the overall responsibility and authority of the Principal Investigator
Start Date
01-Jun-2022
End Date
28-Feb-2024
Roles
No Entries
Leader
No
Contact
No
Positions
Position
Co-investigator or Collaborator
Position:
Co-investigator or Collaborator
 A Co-Investigator is a senior or key investigator involved in a research project who does not have the overall responsibility and authority of the Principal Investigator
Start Date
01-Jun-2022
End Date
28-Feb-2024
Roles
No Entries
Name Charlene Trestrail ORCID Logo (unauthenticated)
Contributor ID ORCID Logo https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3037-6055 (unauthenticated)
Leader
No
Contact
No
Positions
Position
Co-investigator or Collaborator
Position:
Co-investigator or Collaborator
 A Co-Investigator is a senior or key investigator involved in a research project who does not have the overall responsibility and authority of the Principal Investigator
Start Date
01-Jun-2022
End Date
28-Feb-2024
Roles
No Entries

Organisations

Roles
Role
Lead Research Organisation
Role:
Lead Research Organisation
 The research organistion administratively responsible for the project; administering organisation
Start Date
2022-06-01
End Date
2024-02-28
Roles
Role
Other Research Organisation
Role:
Other Research Organisation
 A research organisation such as a university participating in the project, usually hosting Contributors and providing other support
Start Date
2022-06-01
End Date
2024-02-28
Roles
Role
Other Research Organisation
Role:
Other Research Organisation
 A research organisation such as a university participating in the project, usually hosting Contributors and providing other support
Start Date
2022-06-01
End Date
2024-02-28
Roles
Role
Other Research Organisation
Role:
Other Research Organisation
 A research organisation such as a university participating in the project, usually hosting Contributors and providing other support
Start Date
2022-06-01
End Date
2024-02-28
Roles
Role
Other Research Organisation
Role:
Other Research Organisation
 A research organisation such as a university participating in the project, usually hosting Contributors and providing other support
Start Date
2022-06-01
End Date
2024-02-28
Roles
Role
Other Research Organisation
Role:
Other Research Organisation
 A research organisation such as a university participating in the project, usually hosting Contributors and providing other support
Start Date
2022-06-01
End Date
2024-02-28

RelatedObjects

Citation

Doblin, M., Nguyen, T. M. H., & Seymour, J. (2025). Effluent and seawater sampling data from wastewater treatment plant outfalls [Data set]. Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies.
Type
Dataset
Categories
Output
Citation

Doblin, M., Nguyen, T. M. H., & Seymour, J. (2025). Sediment sampling data from wastewater treatment plant outfalls [Data set]. Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies.
Type
Dataset
Categories
Output

Alternate Identifier

No Entries

Alternate URLs

Related RAiDs

Title
NESP Marine and Coastal Hub (10.71821/418be95a)
Relation
IsPartOf
Relation:
IsPartOf
 Relates a subproject back to its parent project

Access

Type
Open Access
Type:
Open Access
 Open access refers to a resource that is immediately and permanently online, and free for all on the Web, without financial and technical barriers.The resource is either stored in the repository or referenced to an external journal or trustworthy archive.
Language
Text
Embargo Expiry

Subjects

Subject
Environmental assessment and monitoring (410402)
Keywords
Subject
Wastewater treatment processes (400410)
Keywords
Text
water quality
Language
eng
Subject
Pollution and contamination not elsewhere classified (410599)
Keywords
Text
contaminants of emerging concern
Language
eng
Text
ecotoxicology
Language
eng

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        "text": "Doblin, M., Nguyen, T. M. H., &amp; Seymour, J. (2025). <i>Sediment sampling data from wastewater treatment plant outfalls</i> [Data set]. Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies."
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