Search

Over the past decade, escalating extreme weather events have significantly affected New South Wales (NSW), Australia, with unprecedented droughts and intense fires. Yet, the impact on water quality and purification processes remains insufficiently studied. This research focuses on the immediate changes in NSW's environmental water quality and issues in water purification unit operations following the 2019 bushfires. Water samples and maintenance records from affected catchments, intakes, purification units, and reservoirs were analysed. Compared to control samples, post-bushfire water exhibited high turbidity. Sediment and ash shock loads posed significant threats to aquatic ecosystems. Elevated turbidity, suspended sediments, pH, and alkalinity were major concerns for water purification. Raw water samples showed turbidity exceeding 195 NTU, with flocculation and sedimentation most impacted. Immediate measures included sediment traps, aeration, pre-chlorination, and inline monitoring. These findings inform strategies to mitigate bushfire impacts on water quality and optimise water purification in fire-prone regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water fluoridation is considered a safe and effective public health strategy to improve oral health. This review aimed to systematically summarize the available evidence of water fluoridation in Australia, focusing on the history, health impacts, cost effectiveness, challenges, and limitations. A systematic search was conducted on the Ovid Medline, Web of Science, Scopus, ProQuest Central, Cinahl, and Informit databases to identify literature on water fluoridation in Australia. A grey literature search and backward snowballing were used to capture additional literature. Primary studies, reviews, letters, and opinion papers were included in the quantitative analysis and summarized based on the year of publication and geographical location. The data were extracted from primary studies and summarized under three subheadings: history, community health impacts and the limitations and challenges. Water fluoridation in Australia was first implemented in 1953 in Tasmania. Most states and territories in Australia embraced water fluoridation by 1977 and currently, 89% of the Australian population has access to fluoridated drinking water. Studies report that water fluoridation has reduced dental caries by 26–44% in children, teenagers, and adults, benefiting everyone regardless of age, income, or access to dental care. It has been recognized as a cost-effective intervention to prevent dental caries, especially in rural and low-income areas. Water fluoridation as a public health measure has faced challenges, including political and public opposition, implementation and maintenance costs, access and equity, communication and education, and ethical concerns. Variations in research activities on water fluoridation across Australian states and territories over the last seven decades can be due to several factors, including the time of implementation, funding, and support. Ongoing monitoring and research to review and update optimal fluoride levels in drinking water in Australia is warranted to ensure sustainable benefits on oral health while preventing any adverse impacts. [Display omitted] • Approximately 90% of Australians can access fluoridated drinking water. • Water fluoridation has reduced the prevalence of dental caries by 26%–44% in Australia. • There is still some opposition to fluoridation due to health and ethical concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concentrations of PFOS and PFHxS in a contaminated site in regional New South Wales, Australia, were above the human health screening values for industrial land use. In this study, the effects of different management options on the quality of groundwater were investigated through numerical modelling. At first, a complete transfer model including the main features of advection, dispersion, adsorption and decay, was developed to simulate the long-term migration of PFOS from topsoil subjected to full climate interaction for 100 years. The sorption isotherm characteristics of the contaminated soil were determined from chemical analysis using LC/MS equipment. The model results were confirmed by PFOS values measured from a monitoring well in the proximity of the site. The model showed that PFOS values in groundwater increased gradually and exceeded the guideline values for drinking water. Three management options were suggested: a do-nothing approach, cut and replacement, and immobilisation of the topsoil up to 2 m depth. The numerical models showed that although all these strategies reduced the PFOS level in the groundwater significantly, the values were still higher than the guideline values for drinking water. This was because PFOS migrated in the ground beyond the site location. The cut and replacement and immobilisation strategies ensured that the PFOS values were lower than the guideline values for soil screening, but PFOS levels in the groundwater were not necessarily lower than the guideline values for drinking water after a long time. • A model was developed to study the migration of PFOS from topsoil to groundwater. • The PFAS management options were modelled to study the quality of groundwater. • The cut and replacement and immobilisation method reduced PFOS level in groundwater. • PFOS levels exceeded the guideline values for drinking water in the long term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]