#16 The Sparrow in the Lead Mine

09/13/24 • 46 min

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 can claim 0.5 points for every hour you spend with us under the Self Education Category

Contact: [email protected]

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

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

https://www.linkedin.com/company/below-the-surface-podcast

Previous Episode

#15 The STEMinist

How can young (female) professionals tackle the flood of knowledge they must acquire in a fast-paced consulting environment while at the same time having to deal with sometimes perceived but too often real disapproval by established good old boys in meetings or on construction sites? How can you tackle the ever niggling self-doubt? How can you become more like the you you want yourself to be?
Hailey Spry from Easterly Point Environmental, a DESI (that’s Queensland’s EPA) Accredited Contaminated Site Auditor and well established and respected expert in the environmental consulting scene, was generous enough to give us some of her rather expensive time and chat about women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics). Gunnar and James are handing over hosting duties to two young and upcoming environmental stars for this episode.

Sophia Bourke is a Senior Environmental Consultant and despite her young age (don't let the ‘senior’ title fool you) forms the corner stone of the Environmental Impact Assessment Team at 4Pillars Environmental Consulting. Co-host is Laura Kent, an Environmental Consultant working with Sophia, specialising in Environmental Compliance and Management.

The three of them have an interesting chat about what it is like to be a young professional in a technical field and in an industry that is traditionally rather male dominated.

James took a break during this episode and refreshingly, Gunnar talks very little. Now, that alone should make it worth listening in!
This episode was recorded on 9 August 2024.

https://www.linkedin.com/company/below-the-surface-podcast

Next Episode

#17 The Blueprint

Australia's landscapes are in serious need of an injection of TLC (Tender Loving Care, not some dyslexic chlorinated hydrocarbon). TLC and a bit of money. $7.3 Billion per year over 10 years to be more precise, according to a recent report published by The Wentworth Group.

Our Guest is The Wentworth Group's Prof Mike Grundy, a former Research Director, Soil and Landscapes with CSIRO, and an Adjunct Professor with the University of Sydney. We discuss what is currently going wrong with Australia's landscapes, what is needed and how can this all be financed.
This podcast is all James' baby, he has read the entire report and the article in The Conversation. James and Mike are all over the subject, Gunnar is unusually quiet but does manage to inject a few pessimistic (he calls them "realistic") points from the sidelines towards the end.
The episode starts with the usual banter between out two hosts. One highlight is that Gunnar shows what he and Donald Trump have in common. Is it a bad hairstyle, a fake tan or maybe even narcissism? Listen in and you will find out.

https://www.linkedin.com/company/below-the-surface-podcast