Jun 15 2009
An increase in organic waste in Queensland's cities and regional areas could have a devastating impact on safety and the environment, and lessen the effectiveness of stormwater drains.
A new QUT study, carried out in conjunction with CM Concrete, looked at the type and volume of litter found in residential and commercial areas, and the effect this had on stormwater drains.
Researcher Jehangir Madhani, from the Faculty of Engineering's School of Engineering Systems, has investigated the different kinds of litter, and has measured how prevalent different kinds of litter are in streets and stormwater drains.
"One of the major findings was the large increase in natural or organic litter," he said.
"People being more environmentally aware means that they are building homes with 'green' walls and roofs, and in view of the large amount of organic waste found in stormwater drains, this could further exacerbate the existing problem of managing street waste.
"Often because something is organic, people might not realise that there is still a lot of harm it can do when it comes to blocking stormwater drains and having damaging effects on the environment.
"In residential spaces, up to 90 per cent of litter is organic - such as leave or grass cuttings.
"An increase in organic waste creates a fire risk, as well as adding to the nutrient load in our waterways, and providing ideal breeding conditions for biting and disease carrying insects like mosquitoes."
Organic waste could also block up the filtering screens in stormwater drains and cause environmental hazards as well as increase the risk of flooding, according to Mr Madhani.
Other findings were that cultivated 'green' spaces such as those around offices, cafes and parks, were dumping grounds for litter, and although people often disposed of human derived litter - like bottles and cans - appropriately, organic litter was an increasing problem.
Mr Madhani said research showed that it is likely people would be more conscious of disposing with litter if they were aware of the ecological consequences of their actions.
"People are generally aware of the importance of disposing of their papers, bottles, and things because of educational campaigns, but these campaigns do not consider organic waste," he said.
"For example, street maintenance undertaken by local councils and householders which include grass cuttings can clog up stormwater drains - so maybe people should be aware that street maintenance needs to be carried out in a more environmentally-friendly manner."
He said his research had found that between 60 and 80 per cent of land-based, human derived litter is transported into the sea, resulting in an accumulation of floating mass litter over the years.