CERAR celebrates five years of growth
by Geraldine Hinter
UniSA’s Centre for Environmental Risk Assessment and Remediation turns five this year.
Since its launch in August 2003, UniSA’s Centre for Environmental Risk Assessment and Remediation (CERAR) has been developing new cost-effective and environmentally-friendly solutions for cleaning soils and groundwater contaminated by all manner of toxins.
Founding Director, Professor Ravi Naidu has brought together one of the largest teams of scientists and engineers in Australia committed to finding solutions to potentially life threatening and environmental disasters.
Starting as a one-person show, CERAR has grown to an impressive team of 75 people. But as the Centre’s research profile continues to grow, Prof Naidu expects staffing levels to rise to 110 people in 2009.
"CERAR’s expansion has been made possible with support from industries and government including the Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC CARE)," Prof Naidu said.
"We have been able to convince people that chemicals in the environment including waste need to be managed properly for sustainability of the environment and for human health."
Prof Naidu described CERAR as "the engine house" of the CRC CARE, of which he is Managing Director.
Citing a current project funded by the Australian Government Department of Defence, he said engineers are working alongside scientists in the remediation of contaminated soils and water.
"For our scientists to be able to move forward, they have to work with engineers, who help us to develop technologies," Prof Naidu said.
"When we discover that toxins have contaminated groundwater while out in the field, it is expensive to pump and then clean groundwater. Working with engineers, we have developed an effective solution that involves cutting a trench 15 metres deep into the soil. We install a chemical reactive barrier that allows groundwater to flow through the barrier, but not the toxic contaminants, which are destroyed by chemicals in the reactive barrier."