Overview of thesis
The Montebello Islands of Western Australia was the site of three nuclear weapon tests conducted by the UK government in 1952 and 1956. The tests introduced radioactive contamination into the aquatic systems of the islands which was investigated minimally in the decades that followed. My PhD project aims to establish the first spatial delineation of man-made radionuclides ( 90Sr, 137Cs, 238,239,240Pu and 241Am) present in the marine sediments of the region and to investigate the migration and transport of these radionuclides throughout the marine ecosystem. This will be accomplished with the use of alpha spectrometry, gamma spectrometry, accelerator mass spectrometry and grain size and composition analysis among other techniques.
This project is a collaboration between ECU, the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) and the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA)
Project link: https://www.ecu.edu.au/schools/science/research/centre-for-marine-ecosystems-research/research-themes/marine-radioactivity-and-tracers2/related-content/lists/reconstruction-of-environmental-change-using-natural-archives
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Advanced Science with Honours (majoring in Chemistry), University of Queensland (2013-2017)
- First Aid (2021-present)
- DAN Oxygen Provider (2021-present)
Research
Research Interests
- Environmental radiochemistry
- Analytical chemistry
- Alpha and gamma spectrometry systems
- Radiation safety
Other work
- 2020-present. Technician, Environmental Radiochemistry Laboratory, Edith Cowan University
- 2018-2019. Graduate Environmental Consultant, Environmental Earth Sciences Brisbane
Past Teaching
- 2020-Present. Demonstrating in SCC1123 ‘Chemistry for the Life Sciences’ and SCC1126 ‘Introduction to Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry’, Edith Cowan University
Scholarships and Awards
- 2021 – ECU School of Science Postgraduate Symposium Best PhD Presentation award
- 2021 – Royal Society of Western Australia 2021 Symposium Poster award
- 2019 – Australian Government RTP Scholarship
- 2018 – South Pacific Environmental Radioactivity Association (SPERA) Best Student presentation award
Supervisors
Professor Paul Lavery (ECU)
Adjunct Professor Pere Masque (ECU)
Dr Mathew Johansen (ANSTO)
Contact
Madison Hoffman
PhD Student
Centre for Marine Ecosystem Research
School of Science