Below the Surface
Casual chats between an Austrian and Australian on environmental topics that usually don't get talked about openly.
Hosts Gunnar Haid and James Hammond set out to provide a light-hearted and thought-provoking look into Contaminated Land, Resource Recovery, Ecology and general environmental issues in Australia, in particular NSW. They use their experience and industry connections to talk about subjects that, at least in their opinion, don't get talked about enough or not in the right context. Join them for a chuckle and some unique perspectives.
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Contact: bts@4pillars.com.au
https://www.linkedin.com/company/below-the-surface-podcast
The necessary disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this Podcast are the speakers’ own. They do not necessarily represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of 4Pillars Environmental Consulting Pty Ltd or any Client, Supplier or other party related to 4Pillars or the speakers.
(c) Gunnar Haid and James Hammond
Below the Surface
#16 The Sparrow in the Lead Mine
Measure lead levels in blood of house sparrows and accurately predict lead blood levels in children in that town. No way? Absolutely YES WAY!
That is exactly what Prof Simon Griffith with his PhD candidate Max Gillings have achieved in one of their recent papers.
From the outside it is all so easy. Go to an area with known high lead impact (towns like Broken Hill or Mt Isa come to mind), catch a few hundred sparrows, take a blood sample from each sparrow (non-destructively by the way), analyse the blood for lead (and all sort of other markers) and overlay the data to blood lead levels in children living in those areas that the sparrows frequent.
Establish that there is a correlation and explain why there is one as well. Then use that data to predict children's blood lead levels in areas where there is no good heath monitoring available. Publish the research and take a bow!
It is fascinating research, presented by equally fascinating scientists in a beautiful paper. Gunnar and James were both glued to Prof Griffith's lips and we are sure, so will you.
Link to the paper: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.4c00946
Simon Griffith links:
https://griffithecology.com/
https://researchers.mq.edu.au/en/persons/simon-griffith
https://au.linkedin.com/in/simon-griffith-07830719
Max Gillings
https://scholar.google.com.au/citations?user=yIHdN_0AAAAJ&hl=en
https://researchers.mq.edu.au/en/persons/max-mclennan-gillings
This episode was recorded on 26 July 2024
Listen to Below the Surface and collect CPD points. We have confirmation that you get 0.5 points for every hour you spend with us under the Self Education Category
Contact: bts@4pillars.com.au
https://www.linkedin.com/company/below-the-surface-podcast
The necessary disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this Podcast are the speakers’ own. They do not necessarily represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of 4Pillars Environmental Consulting Pty Ltd or any Client, Supplier or other party related to 4Pillars or the speakers.
(c) Gunnar Haid and James Hammond