Saving Earth’s water from toxic waste

Scientists have devised a better way to protect groundwater from acids, heavy metals and toxic chemicals, helping to secure the Earth's main freshwater supply.

The advance is a major step towards shielding groundwater from mining, industrial and domestic waste, all of which can contaminate the water for decades, rendering it unusable and undrinkable.

A team led by Professor Derek Eamus at The National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training (NCGRT) and University of Technology Sydney (UTS) has developed a cheaper and more efficient way to test the optimal design of ‘store-release covers' - layers of soil and plants that prevent water from leaking into the waste and contaminating the aquifers underneath.

"Globally, mining produces millions of tons of waste known as tailings that are often stored above ground," says Prof. Eamus. "Industrial and domestic waste are buried as landfill, with Australia alone burying over 21 million tonnes in 2010."

This waste poses a big threat to groundwater, which makes up 97 per cent of the world's fresh water and is thus a major element in global water security, Prof. Eamus explains.

When rain water travels through waste, it leaches toxic chemicals from discarded electronic equipment, batteries, detergents, solvents and pesticides. The contaminated water then drains into the aquifer below, which may be used for drinking or watering crops. Once polluted, groundwater is expensive and difficult to clean up.

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• Natural Resource Management
• Groundwater Recharge