Research theme: Environment
Research program: Earth, Water and Climate Systems
Areas of expertise

• developing and applying modern analytical techniques for characterising and monitoring pollutants in the environment.
• applying multivariate data analysis techniques.
• characterising emissions from vehicle and outboard motors.
• synthesising, characterising and applying organometallic and inorganic complexes.
• receptor modelling.

Research areas
Development and application of modern analytical procedures for characterising and monitoring pollutants in the environment
These projects use modern analytical techniques to resolve environmental problems.
SMPS, ICPMS, GCMS, Particle Size Analyzer, TOC Analyzer, and chemometrics techniques have been used in recent studies on:

• emissions of ultrafine and nanoparticles
• elements and organic compounds from motor vehicles
• analysis of priority pollutants in soil, house dust, stormwater and ambient/indoor air.

Application of multivariate data analysis techniques to chemical data
These projects apply multivariate data projection techniques and multi-criteria decision-making procedures to data obtained from the following types of studies:

• environmental
• clinical
• drug screening
• chromatographic
• spectroscopic.

These techniques:

• recognise patterns in the data
• predict outcomes
• facilitate decision-making.

We are exploring the use of more complex factor analysis techniques.
Receptor modelling and source apportionment of pollutants in air, water and soil/dust samples
The projects use receptor models and meteorological data to:

• unveil hidden structures in chemical data
• identify plausible pollution sources
• estimate their compositions
• identify their possible locations
• quantify their contributions to pollution at different receptor sites.

This should assist the development, planning and prioritisation of pollution control strategies.
Synthesis, characterisation and application of organometallic and inorganic compounds
These projects involve the synthesis, characterisation, reactivity and application of organometallic/inorganic compounds that may be used for specific purposes, e.g. removal of environmental pollutants, use as anti-fungi and anti-tumour agents etc.
Current grants

• Time of Flight Aerosol Mass Spectrometer for Research on airborne particles and their impact on Health and the Environment – 2006 Australian Research Council LIEF Grant (with L. Morawska, Z.D. Ristovski, N. S. Holmes, M. R. Moore, B.N. Noller, J.C.Ng, D.L.Gilbert).
• Physico-Chemical characterisation, source identification and source apportionment of airborne nanoparticles, QUT Incentive Scheme Funding for Australian Research Council Discovery (with R.Jayaratne and G.R.Johnson).
• Emissions measurements from Scania Compressed Natural Gas Buses and New Generation diesel buses, 2006 Department of Transport (with L. Morawska, Z. Ristovski,R.Jayaratne and N. Meyer).
• Assessment of emissions from Compressed Natural Gas and New Generation diesel buses, 2006 Department of Transport (with L. Morawska, Z. Ristovski, R. Jayaratne and N. Meyer).

Selected research projects

• Development and application of modern analytical techniques for characterising and monitoring pollutants in the environment.
• Characterisation of emissions from vehicle and outboard motors.
• Receptor modelling and application of multivariate data analysis techniques to environmental pollution data.
• Characterisation and source apportionment of pollutants in air, water and soil/dust samples.
• Synthesis, characterisation and application of organometallic and inorganic compounds.