Farzana Kastury

Farzana is working to reduce childhood lead exposure – an issue that disproportionately affects low-socioeconomic areas and regional Australians. Lead exposure harms intellectual development in children by causing neurological problems, including Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. The leading approach to this problem involves treating contaminated soil with phosphate to immobilise lead rather than moving the soil elsewhere. While such immobilisation techniques can reduce lead exposure by 70%, Farzana's research identified a new approach – Plumbojarosite Formation Technique. Using this technique, soil can be treated with iron sulphate to reduce lead exposure by over 90%. After conducting a long-term field trial using contaminated soils with varying sources of contamination, Farzana aims to make the technology ready for industrial uptake.