John Awad

Dr. John Awad is an Adjunct Research Fellow at the University of South Australia's UniSA STEM school, specializing in water quality management and environmental engineering. His research focuses on dissolved organic matter (DOM) dynamics, algal bloom control, and sustainable water treatment technologies.

• Affiliation: Sustainable Infrastructure and Resource Management (SIRM), UniSA STEM
• Collaborations: SA Water Corporation, Goyder Institute for Water Research, CSIRO

His work explores DOM behavior in catchments affected by wildfires and cyclones, utilizing fDOM sensors for real-time monitoring. He investigates zinc's role in controlling cyanobacteria in industrial wastewaters and modeling THM formation potential to reduce disinfection by-products in drinking water.

The 15 most recent publications highlight trends in nature-based solutions (e.g., constructed floating wetlands), DOM characterization (UV-Vis and fluorescence methods), and heavy metal applications (zinc for microbial decay and algal suppression). Key areas include climate event adaptation, PFAS remediation, and coagulation process optimization.

Dr. Awad's research has been supported by grants including:

• ARC LP160100217: DOM and alum dose modeling
• ARC LP110200208: THM formation potential prediction
• Kimberly-Clark Australia: Cyanobacteria bloom mitigation

He contributes to drinking water treatment innovation through field-scale pilot systems and sensor-integrated monitoring frameworks.