The Australian Research Council has allocated $8.2m for research on remediation of PFAS contamination in soil, groundwater and “marine environments.” PFAS chemicals were used in firefighting foam, they do not degrade into the environment and are widely reported to cause cancers and immune dysfunction. PFAS contamination is identified at sites around the country, perhaps best known, around the RAAF base at Katherine in the NT.
The first $4m goes to; Deakin University (one project), UoQ (four projects), UniNewcastle (two projects), UNSW (two projects). A second round of grants will be allocated “in the coming months.”