Brisbane Branch Event - Mini PFAS Symposium

Did you miss the PFAS Symposium in Sydney? Are you wishing you’d memorised those key few words from your favourite presenter while you were there? Perhaps you just wish to live it all again? Either way, come join us in Brisbane for a re-cap with some of the excellent presenters from the Sydney event at the Mini-PFAS Symposium.

Your ticket includes one complimentary drink and a selection of appetizers. Please note that this is not a formal dinner event.

BYO! To minimise our use of plastic, we encourage delegates to bring their own reusable water bottles.

Meet the Presenters:

Dr. Bob Symons,

Regional Technical Manager

Eurofins

Bob Symons serves as the Regional Technical Manager for Eurofins Environment Testing Australia & Aotearoa New Zealand, where he oversees contaminants of emerging concern and contributes to the PFAS global peer group. Holding a Ph.D. in Environmental Analytical Chemistry from La Trobe University and an undergraduate degree from Victoria University in Melbourne, Bob brings a wealth of academic expertise to his role. He has previously served as a member of the NATA (National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia) Life Sciences Accreditation Advisory Committee and currently acts as a Technical Assessor for ISO/IEC 17025.

Bob's research pursuits have primarily focused on the analysis of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), encompassing dioxins, dioxin-like PCBs, PBDEs, PPCPs, and PFAS, employing advanced mass spectrometric techniques. Notably, he has played a pivotal role in pioneering commercial microplastics analytical methodologies within Australia, underscoring his commitment to advancing environmental testing capabilities.

Matthew Askeland,

ADE Consulting Group

Matthew Askeland is an environmental professional engaged in the resource recovery and circular economy sector specializing in the management of emerging contaminants. Matthew presently leads ADE Consulting Group's Victorian Environment Practice which includes the Victorian Environmental Services Business Unit, as well as a specialist National Business Unit, Emerging Contaminants, Treatment Remediation and Research (ECTRR).

Historically Matthew has been focused on tackling multiple elements within the PFAS risk management practice. These include site characterisation, risk mitigation, and the development of new PFAS management tools (treatment technologies and analytical tools) for deployment in effective PFAS management strategies.

Pradeep Dewapriya,

Research Fellow

Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences, The University of Queensland

Pradeep Dewapriya is a Research Fellow at the Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), the University of Queensland. With expertise in cutting-edge mass spectrometry-based analytical techniques, he specializes in detecting and identifying small organic molecules in intricate matrices. Pradeep employs innovative non-targeted metabolomic approaches to pioneer methods that advance the monitoring of human exposure to emerging environmental contaminants. Currently, Pradeep's research is focused on a comprehensive characterization of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in human, biota, and environmental samples. He is actively involved in identifying major sources contributing to PFAS environmental contamination. Notably, Pradeep has made significant contributions by discovering several new PFAS compounds not previously reported in Australian environmental samples. He aims addressing critical challenges in understanding and mitigating the impact of emerging contaminants on human and environmental well-being.

Jochen Mueller
University of Queensland

Jochen’s research focuses on monitoring of trace organic pollutants, including pioneering work on sources, fate, monitoring techniques (including development of passive sampling techniques) and trends in human exposure to trace contaminants. More recently his group has been leading research in the field of wastewater epidemiology. Jochen joined QAEHS in 1997 and was awarded an ARC Future Fellowship in 2012 to understand changes in chemical exposure through integrative sampling and systematic archiving. As part of his research program at QAEHS he has lead numerous national and international studies, such as Australia's National Dioxin Program, the Brominated Flame Retardant Program and a major study to investigate bush-fire emissions (the results of which are included in the UNEP Toolkit). He works closely with governments (state, federal and international including UNEP) on the development of systematic monitoring strategies, including for protection of the Great Barrier Reef. As part of his Future Fellowship, he has established an extensive sample archive, the Australian Environmental Specimen Bank (ESB), to allow retrospective analysis of changes in pollutant exposure in Australia. Jochen’s work on passive samplers, bioanalytical techniques for emerging chemicals and wastewater epidemiology has received support from ARC and numerous industry partners.