Sirjana Adhikari

Sirjana Adhikari is an Associate Research Fellow in Mineral Processing at Deakin University's School of Engineering, Faculty of Science Engineering and Built Environment. She works with the CoE Minerals team toward circular and sustainable mining approaches. Her research focuses on biochar applications for building healthy soils and ecosystems, with additional interests in sustainable construction, carbon sequestration, and degraded land remediation.

• PhD, Environmental Engineering, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia (2025)
• Master of Engineering (Research), RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia (2019)
• Master of Science (Environmental Science), Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal
• Bachelor of Science (Environmental Science), Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal

Sirjana's research spans multiple interconnected domains in environmental engineering and sustainability. She specializes in biochar production and application, investigating how different biochar properties affect water holding capacity, nutrient availability, and carbon sequestration potential. Her work combines laboratory experiments with field studies to evaluate biochar's role in sustainable agriculture, waste management, and climate change mitigation. She also examines the use of water treatment sludge for phosphorus adsorption and PFAS removal, contributing to circular economy approaches in water treatment. Her research integrates life cycle assessment methodologies to evaluate the environmental impacts of biochar production and application pathways, with findings showing direct conversion of organic waste to biochar reduces global warming impact by more than half compared to traditional composting.

Sirjana has received notable recognition for her work, including:

• Biochar Researcher Award from Australia New Zealand Biochar Industry Group (2025)
• Biochar Student Prize from Australia New Zealand Biochar Industry Group (2022)

She actively supervises research students and has teaching experience with courses including SEJ202 Field Investigation, SEJ446 Engineering Project B, SEN700 Research Methodology, and SEV322 Hydrology and Hydraulics. Her current grants include infrastructure funding from Deakin University's School of Engineering, the MAAP: Mini ARC Analog Programme, and the PRESS 2025 initiative. Sirjana serves on committee working groups with the Australia New Zealand Biochar Industry Group (ANZBIG), focusing on supply chain development and standardization for the biochar industry. She is also a Student Member of the Australian Water Association and contributes to the Geelong Nepalese Association.