THESIS TITLE

Assessing the risk to human health and the environment from mixed contamination

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Contamination in manufacturing gas-plant sites is complicated, with the existence of both heavy metal(loid)s and PAH. From a risk-based point of view, contaminants are only a risk if they are or may become bioavailable. This work will focus on the bioavailability of metal and metalloid and characterise the interaction between mixed contaminants. Combined with toxicity evaluation of mixed compounds,  the outcome may assist regulators to make wise decisions on remediating polluted soil sites.

STUDENT PROFILE

Qing received her bachelor degree as outstanding undergraduate in 2012 majoring in environmental engineering in Shandong University, China. She started her PhD in October, 2012 at the University of Queensland’s National Research Centre for Environmental Toxicity, EnTox, studying bioavailability of metal and metalloid.

PUBLICATIONS

Peng, C, Arthur, DM, Sichani, HT, Xia, Q & Ng, JC 2013, ‘Assessing benzene-induced toxicity on wild type Euglena gracilis Z and its mutant strain SMZ,’ Chemosphere, vol. 93, iss. 10, pp. 2381–2389.

Peng, C, Arthur, D, Liu, F, Lee, J, Xia, Q, Lavin, MF & Ng, JC 2013, ‘Genotoxicity of hydroquinone in A549 cells,’ Cell Biology and Toxicology, vol. 29, iss. 4, pp. 213–227.

Sun, H, Xia, Q & Liu, R 2014, ‘Comparison of the binding of the dyes Sudan II and Sudan IV to bovine hemoglobin,’ Journal of Luminescence, vol. 148, pp. 143–150.