A O'Sullivan

Associate ProfessorAisling O'Sullivan

Civil & Natural Resources Engineering Rm E443
Internal Phone: 92045
Ecological Engineering/ Pūhanga rauropi solves problems for societies and for the environment by designing solutions based on these reciprocities.

Qualifications

Research Interests

Aisling O’Sullivan is an Associate Professor in Ecological Engineering. She leads CELTS (Centre for EcoLogical Technology Solutions, CELTS.org.nz) which she founded to meet the research gap in Ecological Engineering in Aotearoa New Zealand. CELTS is part of the Department of Civil & Natural Resources Engineering at UC.

Aisling's research interests involve monitoring, modelling and treating non-point source metal and nutrient contaminants that are difficult to remove. Applications have been applied to the urban, mining and rural environments. She currently leads a National Science Challenge cross-disciplinary team prototyping water treatment filters made from biowastes. Upon the end-of-their design life, these products are regenerated into safe (green) materials that become a new resource.

Complementary research Aisling has led included developing algal-bacterial biomass as a second generation biofuel. She also supervises research on green roof and green wall systems to treat wastewater. CELTS employ Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) modelling tools to measure the environmental impacts of different treatment technologies they develop.

Aisling's research has been widely published and independently validated as outstanding internationally with the award of an A score in the latest PBRF assessment. Her moto is it's 'Eco-Logical' to engineer in partnership with nature.

Recent Publications

  • O'Sullivan A., Cochrane T. and Charters F. (2018) A Device for Treating Roof Runoff.Patent No. 740976, New Zealand Patent Application 740976.
  • Gholami M., O'Sullivan A. and Mackey H. (2023) Nutrient treatment of greywater in green wall systems: A critical review of removal mechanisms, performance efficiencies and system design parameters.. Journal of Environmental Management 345(118917): 1-18. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118917.
  • Koviessen S., O'Sullivan AD., Gholami M., Vining M. and de Vries T. (2023) Physical and Chemical Parameters of Various Waste Materials for Living Roof Systems: A Critical Review. Ecological Engineering http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2023.107013.
  • Charters F., O'Sullivan AD. and Cochrane T. (2022) Influences of zinc loads in urban catchment runoff: roof type, land use type, climate and management strategies. Journal of Environmental Management http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.116076.
  • Charters FJ., Cochrane TA. and O'Sullivan AD. (2021) The influence of urban surface type and characteristics on runoff water quality. Science of The Total Environment 755: 142470-142478. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142470.