SUPPORT PROGRAMS

Postgraduate Student Profile

Courtney Henderson: The role and effectiveness of plants in filtration systems for stormwater

Back to main Postgraduates Page

Supervisors

• Associate Professor Margaret Greenway Griffith University

CRCCH project links

• Project 4.2 - Stormwater Best Management Practices

Personal background

• BscApp (Environmental Science) (Hons) University of Queensland, 1995
• Environmental Scientist with Qld Dept. of Natural Resources and Mines (State of the Rivers Program)
• Research Assistant with Marine Botany, University of Qld, (Ecosystem Health and Monitoring Program)
• CRCCH PhD, Griffith University, Brisbane, Qld

Anticipated research outcomes/products

• Assessment of the effectiveness of plants in biofiltration systems for stormwater \
• A list of native plant species most suited to biofiltration applications
• Quantification of the effects of plant growth on biofilm development

“Stormwater (urban runoff) is a significant source of non-point source pollution in cities around the world. Stormwater quality improvement devices (SQIDs) are sometimes used to reduce the levels of pollutants in urban runoff, before it enters our rivers and bays (examples include gross pollutant traps, sedimentation ponds, porous pavement and constructed wetlands). Many scientists suggest that incorporating plants into certain SQIDs can further improve the quality of stormwater treatment. I will examine the effects of plants on the treatment of water in stormwater filtration systems, and on the microbial biofilms that grow on the substrate of these systems. This information should help to refine and improve the design of biofiltration systems for urban runoff treatment."

Contact