Dane Lamb (PhD Student)
University of South Australia

Project Title
Heavy Metal phytotoxicity in long-term contaminated soils: implications for the development of Australian regulatory guidelines

Biography
Dane Lamb is a PhD student with the University of South Australia and CRC CARE. Dane’s current research interests include metal (oid) speciation in the solid and solution phases of soils, response of Australian native plants to metal exposure from soils, rhizosphere chemistry and risk assessment of contaminated sites.

Start Date
October 2005

Project Details
Significant heavy metal contamination of soils in Australia has occurred since European settlement. To properly assess the risks posed to human health and ecosystems the behaviour of these contaminants in soil need to be better understood. However, to date contaminated site assessment in Australia has relied on trigger guideline values that do not reflect the critical role played by soil colloids and soil factors. The aim of the project is to relate the processes and key factors controlling metal behaviour in a diverse range of soils to metal toxicity in plants. This research involves investigating the chemical bonding mechanisms controlling movement of contaminants in the environment, establishing critical concentrations causing toxicity to plants and the vital role played by soil factors and the time since contamination.