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    • Exhibitors
  • Presenters
    • Oral Presenters >
      • Ravi Naidu
      • Michael Wright
      • Matthew Newton
      • Travis Peake
      • Ingrid Meek
      • Karin Fogarty
      • Rob Loch
      • Maria Eugenia Cola
      • Stephen White
      • Paul Storer
      • Chris Gimber
      • Robert Scanlon
      • ​Clayton Richards
      • Alex Watson
      • Chris Waygood
      • Colin Schiller
      • Scott Sleap
      • Ihsan Noor
  • Workshops
    • Donna Pershke
    • Gilles Tremblay
    • Charles Lee
    • Nanthi Bolan
    • Tim Roberts
    • Yudi Firmanul Arifin
    • Ihsan Noor
    • Amalia Rezeki
  • About Us
    • Our Team
    • Past Conferences >
      • 2018 Mine Rehab Conference >
        • 2018 Presenters >
          • Will Mitry
          • José F. Martín Duque
          • Stephen Barry and Hamish Aiken
          • Stephen White
          • Nanthi Bolan
          • Eduardo Arellano
          • Jo-Anne Everingham
          • Yudi Firmanul Arifin
          • Thomas Baumgartl
          • Gede Widiada
          • Harley Lacy
        • 2018 Workshops >
          • José F. Martín Duque
          • Greg Hancock
          • Jo-Anne Everingham
      • 2017 Mine Rehab Conference >
        • Mine Rehab Registrations
        • 2017 Sponsors
        • Local Information for MLRC
        • Conference Program
        • 2017 Presenters >
          • Matthew Newton
          • Penny Dunstan
          • Travis Peake
          • Karin Fogarty
          • Ben Clibborn​​
          • Neil Griffiths
          • Shannon Mulholland
          • Howard Wildman
          • Nanthi Bolan
          • Laura Kuginis
          • Carmen Castor
          • Didik Triwibowo
          • Chris Gimber & Brad O'Reilly
          • Corinne Unger
          • Simit Raval
          • Greg Hancock
          • Grant Dickins
        • 2017 Panel Discussion >
          • Peter Elliott
          • Stephen Barry
          • Martin Rush​
          • Andrew Keith
          • Matthew Newton
          • Richard Bush
        • 2017 Poster Presenters >
          • Robert Scanlon
          • Angus Carnegie
          • Hannah Alcantara
          • Andrew Keith
          • Yilu Xu
          • Hasintha Wijesekara
          • Shannon Diener
          • John Ritchie
          • Charles Lee
          • Bikram Banerjee
          • Sonia Shilpi
        • 2017 Cocktail Dinner
        • 2017 Workshops >
          • Garry Willgoose
          • Peter Elliott
          • Donna Pershke
          • Simit Raval
          • Michael Hitch
          • Wendy Timms
        • 2017 Mine Tours
        • Information for Exhibitors
        • Delegate Handbook
        • Conference Feedback Survey
        • Mine Tour Feedback Survey
        • Sponsor and Exhibitor Feedback Survey
        • 2017 Mine Rehab Conference - original
      • 2016 Mined Land Conf
      • 2015 Mined Land Conf >
        • Conference Presenters
        • Poster Presentations
        • Supporters
      • 2014 Mined Land Conf
    • Research >
      • Soil quality monitoring
      • Coal Dissolution Testing
      • Health implications of coal dust in rainwater
      • Honey bees the new canaries for monitoring of mined-land rehabilitation
      • Geomorphic design and modelling at catchment scale for best mine rehabilitation
    • Publications
    • News
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Hasintha Wijesekara​ - Runner up for BEST STUDENT POSTER COMPETITION at 2017 Mine Rehab Conference

Global Centre for Environmental Remediation​
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I am a passionate PhD student from the University of Newcastle (UON). My thesis tittle is “Biogeochemical mechanisms of biosolids application on carbon sequestration in soils”. I use biosolids which is treated sewage sludge to limit greenhouse gas emission, and enhance soil carbon sequestration, thereby mitigating climate change. Before joining to the UON, I studied at University of South Australia (UniSA), Adelaide. I was fortunate to receive the prestigious International Presidential Scholarship (IPS) to conduct my Ph.D studies at the Center for Environmental Risk Assessment and Remediation, UniSA. I obtained B.Sc (Special) degree in Environmental Science and Natural Resources Management from University of Sabaragamuwa and M.Phil degree in Environmental Science from University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. I was a Research Assistant to the Chemical and Environmental Systems Modelling Laboratory, Institute of Fundamental Studies, Kandy. My hobby is disseminating science to Sri Lankan students in my native language.​

​ Poster Presenters
  • Robert Scanlon​
  • Angus Carnegie
  • Hannah Alcantara
  • Andrew Keith
  • Yilu Xu
  • Hasintha Wijesekara
  • Shannon Diener
  • John Ritchie
  • ​Charles Lee​
  • Bikram Banerjee
  • Sonia Shilpi
​Abstract
​

Microbeads In Biowastes.

Microbeads are plastic particles in the environment that are generally smaller than 1 mm down to the micrometer range. They are derived from a variety of sources, including cosmetics, clothing, and industrial processes. There are two sources of Microbeads: (i) primary microbeads are manufactured and are a direct result of anthropogenic use of plastic-based materials; and (ii) secondary microbeads are plastic fragments derived from the breakdown of larger plastic debris. Both types persist in terrestrial (i.e., soil) and aquatic (i.e., marine) ecosystems. Because plastics do not break down readily, they can be ingested and incorporated into and accumulated in the bodies and tissues of many terrestrial and aquatic organisms. UNEP (2016) identified that large quantities of microbeads ending up in the marine environment have originated from land-based sources. However, the majority of scientific research into microbeads has focused on their effects in aquatic environments. The results indicate that microbeads impact aquatic environments through long range transport of pollutants as a result of adsorption-desorption processes, as affected by the respective pollutant concentrations in a given area.

Terrestrial ecosystem is a major source of microbeads reaching aquatic ecosystem through sediment transfer during soil erosion. Microbeads reach terrestrial ecosystem through their indiscriminate disposal in landfills and also through biowastes application including biosolids and composts. There have been renewed interest in the large scale application of these biowastes especially to mine soils mainly to increase soil health and also to enhance revegetation of these disturbed soils. Although microbeads reach terrestrial environments, the degradation of many synthetic polymers is very slow and are likely to persist in soil over a long period of time. Along with physical breakdown, biologically initiated degradation also strongly influences chemical degradation. Adsorption and desorption processes of pollutants in microbeads in the soil environment are influenced by microbial activity. While the high surface area of microbeads not only aids adsorption/absorption of contaminants, but also supports chemical transport of the pollutants through leaching. In this presentation, the sources, fate, and environmental impact of biowaste-derived microbeads in terrestrial ecosystem will be examined. The paper will also aim to link the transport of microbeads from terrestrial ecosystem to aquatic ecosystem.  

Co-authors: Hasintha Wijesekara 1, Lauren Bradney 1, Balaji Seshadri 1, Ramesh Thangavel 1, 2, Nanthi Bolan 1

1. Global Centre for Environmental Remediation (GCER), Advanced Technology Centre, Faculty of Science, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia  
2. Division of Natural Resource Management, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Research Complex for North Eastern Hill Region, Umiam, Meghalaya, 793103, India
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T: +61 2 4921 7037
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