Contaminant Science
Isotopic and nuclear techniques provide unique insights into the behaviour of contaminants and the remediation of affected sites.
Contaminant science fieldwork
As part of the Nuclear Methods in Earth Systems project, the Contaminant Science task looks into the behaviour of contaminants, wasteforms and engineered barriers in the vicinity of waste repositories and contaminated sites.
Australia has thousands of affected sites and the contamination of soil, water and food can cause major health and environmental problems. Many aspects of these problems are highly suitable for the application of ANSTO’s unique isotopic and nuclear techniques.
The research enables the mechanisms of environmental contamination to be understood, and assists in effective remediation of contaminated sites. Even more importantly, it will enable the selection of appropriate sites for future facilities, and improved design of these facilities.
Research locations
Task leader, Dr Tim Payne, in the laboratory.
This research is undertaken in ANSTO’s research laboratories in southern Sydney, as well as major science facilities throughout the world, including the Australian Synchrotron in Melbourne, the Photon Factory synchrotron in Japan and the SAFARI-1 research reactor in South Africa.
Field sites include a legacy contaminated site near ANSTO, and contaminated sediments in Sydney Harbour. Within this task, the researchers are also studying a range of contamination issues related to agricultural soils, mining and waste disposal sites which are applicable to a variety of locations.
Contaminant Science is an interdisciplinary research field involving various branches of science including radioecology, radiochemistry, analytical chemistry and geochemistry.
The analyses involve nuclear methods (synchrotron EXAFS and μXRF, neutron tomography, X-ray tomography, SANS and AMS) and data are interpreted through geochemical modelling, radiological dose assessment modelling and illustrated through experimental studies of environmental processes under controlled conditions.
Other research areas
Syncrotron uXRF maps of cadmium and calcium
in a fertiliser sample. The cadmium is a trace
contaminant and its presence can result in elevated
cadmium concentrations in agricultural crops.
Contaminant research is diverse and multidisciplinary due to the complex nature of the systems being studied, therefore group members have a range of experimental facilities at Lucas Heights Research Laboratories.
They are designed to carefully measure the processes that occur at the surface of soil particles and the performance of barriers designed to prevent movement of waste from storage sites. The researchers are also looking at how contaminants impact on biota through artificial wetlands and glasshouse experiments.
Partners and collaborators
ANSTO’s university partners include the University of New South Wales, Southern Cross University, Latrobe University, University of Western Sydney, and National Tsing Hua University of Taiwan.
International partnerships include: the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Nuclear Energy Agency (a specialised agency within the OECD), Nuclear Energy Corporation of South Africa (NECSA) and Forschungszentrum Dresden (Germany).
Group member, Jennifer Harrison, working
in the radiochemistry laboratory.
Key contacts:
Dr Tim PayneTask Leader, Contaminant Science
ANSTO Institute for Environmental Research
PMB 1, Menai NSW 2234, Australia
Phone: +61 2 9717 3118
Email: Tim.payne@ansto.gov.au
Team members
Dan Brew, Dioni I. Cendon, Josick Comarmond, Stuart Hankin, Jennifer Harrison, Cath Hughes, Mat Johansen, Kylie Olufson, Peter McGlinn, Mark Peterson, John Twining
Publications
A list of current publications can be found here: