Professor Ron McLaren form Lincoln
University in Christchurch, New Zealand, was a visitor to
Adelaide in May, and was kind enough to accept an invitation from
CRC CARE to present a seminar on the topic of: “Too little or
too much?: the trace element conundrum”.
Professor McLaren is
Professor of Environmental Soil Science, Deputy Director
Agriculture and Life Sciences Division at Lincoln
University. He is a Member of the British;
American; and New Zealand Societies of Soil Science and is
involved with collaborative research projects in China and
Thailand. He has undertaken consultancy
work in the area of soil contamination with heavy metals and
his current research and publications involves soil chemistry
and plant availability of trace elements and heavy metals. In
particular, Professor McLarens research investigates soils
contaminated with heavy metals, such as cadmium contamination
from phosphate fertilisers; lead contamination at clay target
shooting sites; and copper/chromium/arsenic contamination at
timber-treatment sites. Professor McLaren
is also looking at the land application of sewage sludge
(biosolids), particularly in relation to the long-term fate
and effects of heavy metals in the sludge and leaching of
major nutrients, metals and metalloid elements from the
soil.
