MACQUARIE University environmental science students played a key role in the Newcastle Herald’s investigation of lead contamination in Boolaroo.
Third-year students under the supervision of lead contamination expert Professor Mark Patrick Taylor collected samples from residential and public properties throughout the suburb and surrounds in August.
The samples, which were analysed at the federal government’s National Measurement Institute, revealed alarmingly high levels of lead and other heavy metals.
The results formed the basis of the students’ end of year project and accompanying report. The 39-page report highlights multiple failures of the Boolaroo Lead Abatement Strategy.
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It also calls for improved scientific rigour in determining where contaminated soils are present and where remediation boundaries are drawn.
‘‘Affected residents of the region have experienced years of conflict and uncertainty over the remediation of affected sites,’’ the report says. ‘‘The ineffectiveness of the [Lead Abatement Strategy] is likely to perpetuate this situation. Regulatory authorities and Ferrier Hodgson have failed to substantially address the significant risk that remains from the level of lead (and other metal contaminants) distributed throughout the area.’’
Student Samantha Grant-Vest said the project had provided the opportunity to research a subject that had specific implications for the health of present and future residents.
‘‘We learnt some very important lessons,’’ Ms Grant-Vest said. ‘‘Firstly the need for scientific rigor in determining the extent and magnitude of the contamination as well as the need for primary prevention of polluting industries and best practice remediation strategies to reduce the communities’ risk of exposure to heavy metal contaminants.’’
Professor Taylor, who has more than 200 publications and research reports in the field of environmental science, said the program involved training undergraduate students in the appropriate techniques for sampling in contaminated environments.
‘‘At each residential property five samples were collected from the front yard and composited into a single sample. The sampling procedure was also undertaken in the rear yards of the properties,’’ he said.
‘‘The purpose of the approach was to characterise soil metal concentrations across the yards as a whole and take into account the inherent hetrogeneity of soil metals.
‘‘Similar procedures have been applied in the peer-reviewed literature.’’
