Overview
Background
Professor Kevin Thomas is Director of the Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS). Kevin is an environmental health scientist with a particular interest in understanding the environmental exposures associated with contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) with the goal of protecting environmental and human health. Kevin also leads the Minderoo Centre- Plastics and Human Health at UQ and is Deputy-Director of the Australian Research Council Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Hyphenated Analytical Separation Technologies (HyTech).
His current research is focused on understanding human exposure to plastics pollution and developing mass spectrometric analytical methods for characterizing plastics and other CECs, assessing community-wide health status through analysing wastewater (wastewater-based epidemiology) and establishing alternative approaches to exposure monitoring, for example explanted silicone prostheses and wristbands.
Author of over 300 peer-reviewed papers and Associate Editor for the journal Science of the Total Environment, Kevin is a strong collaborative researcher having founded the international SCORE network on sewer biomarker analysis for community health assessment (see www.score-network.eu) and together with colleagues has recently launched InSpectra- A platform for identifying emerging chemical threats.
Availability
- Professor Kevin Thomas is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy, Plymouth University
- Doctoral Diploma of Science (Advanced), Plymouth University
Works
Search Professor Kevin Thomas’s works on UQ eSpace
2024
Journal Article
Seven-years of alcohol consumption in Australia by wastewater analysis: exploring patterns by remoteness and socioeconomic factors
Tscharke, Ben, Livingston, Michael, O'Brien, Jake W., Bade, Richard, Thomas, Kevin V., Mueller, Jochen F., Hall, Wayne, Simpson, Bradley S., Jaunay, Emma, Gerber, Cobus, White, Jason M. and Thai, Phong K. (2024). Seven-years of alcohol consumption in Australia by wastewater analysis: exploring patterns by remoteness and socioeconomic factors. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 259 111317, 111317. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2024.111317
2024
Journal Article
Workflow to facilitate the detection of new psychoactive substances and drugs of abuse in influent urban wastewater
Bade, Richard, van Herwerden, Denice, Rousis, Nikolaos, Adhikari, Sangeet, Allen, Darren, Baduel, Christine, Bijlsma, Lubertus, Boogaerts, Tim, Burgard, Dan, Chappell, Andrew, Driver, Erin M., Sodre, Fernando Fabriz, Fatta-Kassinos, Despo, Gracia-Lor, Emma, Gracia-Marín, Elisa, Halden, Rolf U., Heath, Ester, Jaunay, Emma, Krotulski, Alex, Lai, Foon Yin, Löve, Arndís Sue Ching, O’Brien, Jake W., Oh, Jeong-Eun, Pasin, Daniel, Castro, Marco Pineda, Psichoudaki, Magda, Salgueiro-Gonzalez, Noelia, Gomes, Cezar Silvino, Subedi, Bikram ... Mueller, Jochen (2024). Workflow to facilitate the detection of new psychoactive substances and drugs of abuse in influent urban wastewater. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 469 133955, 1-11. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.133955
2024
Journal Article
Mass quantification of nanoplastics at wastewater treatment plants by pyrolysis–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry
Okoffo, Elvis D. and Thomas, Kevin V. (2024). Mass quantification of nanoplastics at wastewater treatment plants by pyrolysis–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Water Research, 254 121397, 1-11. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121397
2024
Journal Article
UV sources and plastic composition influence microplastic surface degradation: implications for plastic weathering studies
Burrows, Stephen, Colwell, John, Costanzo, Sarah, Kaserzon, Sarit, Okoffo, Elvis, Ribeiro, Francisca, O'Brien, Stacey, Toapanta, Tania, Rauert, Cassandra, Thomas, Kevin V. and Galloway, Tamara (2024). UV sources and plastic composition influence microplastic surface degradation: implications for plastic weathering studies. Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances, 14 100428, 100428. doi: 10.1016/j.hazadv.2024.100428
2024
Other Outputs
Hazard identification of Coal Seam Gas (CSG) additives with potential for community human health impacts
Rigby, Siobhan F., Mackie, Rachel, Van Niekerk, Sean, Li, Jiaying, Grant, Sharon and Thomas, Kevin V. (2024). Hazard identification of Coal Seam Gas (CSG) additives with potential for community human health impacts. Brisbane, Australia: The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/dc20cee
2024
Journal Article
Blueprint for the design, construction, and validation of a plastic and phthalate-minimised laboratory
Rauert, Cassandra, Wang, Xianyu, Charlton, Nathan, Lin, Chun-Yin, Tang, Cheng, Zammit, Ian, Jayarathne, Ayomi, Symeonides, Christos, White, Emily, Christensen, Michael, Ponomariova, Valentina, Mueller, Jochen F., Thomas, Kevin V. and Dunlop, Sarah (2024). Blueprint for the design, construction, and validation of a plastic and phthalate-minimised laboratory. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 468 133803, 1-10. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.133803
2024
Journal Article
Enhanced estimation of the prevalence of treated mental health disorders by wastewater-based epidemiology
Ahmed, Fahad, Boogaerts, Tim, Bowes, Devin A., van Nuijs, Alexander L. N., Covaci, Adrian, Hall, Wayne, Connor, Jason P. and Thomas, Kevin V. (2024). Enhanced estimation of the prevalence of treated mental health disorders by wastewater-based epidemiology. Nature Mental Health, 2 (4), 345-347. doi: 10.1038/s44220-024-00222-4
2024
Journal Article
Deep dive into the chronic toxicity of tyre particle mixtures and their leachates
Boisseaux, Paul, Rauert, Cassandra, Dewapriya, Pradeep, Delignette-Muller, Marie-Laure, Barrett, Robyn, Durndell, Lee, Pohl, Florian, Thompson, Richard, Thomas, Kevin V. and Galloway, Tamara (2024). Deep dive into the chronic toxicity of tyre particle mixtures and their leachates. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 466 133580, 133580. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.133580
2024
Journal Article
Tracing the origins of plastics in biosolids: the role of sewerage pipe materials and trade waste
Okoffo, Elvis D., Tscharke, Ben J., Li, Jiaying and Thomas, Kevin V. (2024). Tracing the origins of plastics in biosolids: the role of sewerage pipe materials and trade waste. Science of The Total Environment, 914 169737, 169737. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169737
2024
Journal Article
A review of wastewater-based epidemiology for antimicrobial resistance surveillance
Clarke, Leah M., O’Brien, Jake W., Murray, Aimee K., Gaze, William H. and Thomas, Kevin V. (2024). A review of wastewater-based epidemiology for antimicrobial resistance surveillance. Journal of Environmental Exposure Assessment, 3 (1) 7, 1-18. doi: 10.20517/jeea.2023.29
2024
Journal Article
Quantitative analysis of nanoplastics in environmental and potable waters by pyrolysis-gas chromatography–mass spectrometry
Okoffo, Elvis D. and Thomas, Kevin V. (2024). Quantitative analysis of nanoplastics in environmental and potable waters by pyrolysis-gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 464 133013, 1-11. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.133013
2024
Journal Article
In-sewer stability of 31 human health biomarkers and suitability for wastewater-based epidemiology
Li, Jiaying, Choi, Phil M., Gao, Jianfa, Ren, Jianan, O'Brien, Jake W., Thomas, Kevin V., Mueller, Jochen F., Thai, Phong K. and Jiang, Guangming (2024). In-sewer stability of 31 human health biomarkers and suitability for wastewater-based epidemiology. Water Research, 249 120978, 1-13. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.120978
2024
Journal Article
Influence of extraction windows for data-independent acquisition on feature annotation during suspect screening
Schulze, Bastian, Heffernan, Amy L., Gomez Ramos, Maria Jose, Thomas, Kevin V. and Kaserzon, Sarit L. (2024). Influence of extraction windows for data-independent acquisition on feature annotation during suspect screening. Chemosphere, 349 140697, 140697. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140697
2024
Journal Article
Analysis of wastewater from 2013 to 2021 detected a recent increase in nicotine use in Queensland, Australia
Wang, Zhe, Zheng, Qiuda, O'Brien, Jake W., Tscharke, Benjamin J., Chan, Gary, Thomas, Kevin V., Mueller, Jochen F. and Thai, Phong K. (2024). Analysis of wastewater from 2013 to 2021 detected a recent increase in nicotine use in Queensland, Australia. Water Research, 250 121040, 121040. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.121040
2024
Journal Article
Plastic pollution in Moreton Bay sediments, Southeast Queensland, Australia
Okoffo, Elvis D., Tan, Emmeline, Grinham, Alistair, Gaddam, Sai Meghna Reddy, Yip, Josie Yee Hang, Twomey, Alice J., Thomas, Kevin V. and Bostock, Helen (2024). Plastic pollution in Moreton Bay sediments, Southeast Queensland, Australia. Science of The Total Environment, 920 170987, 170987. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170987
2024
Journal Article
New PFASs identified in AFFF impacted groundwater by passive sampling and nontarget analysis
Ghorbani Gorji, Sara, Gómez Ramos, María José, Dewapriya, Pradeep, Schulze, Bastian, Mackie, Rachel, Nguyen, Thi Minh Hong, Higgins, Christopher P., Bowles, Karl, Mueller, Jochen F., Thomas, Kevin V. and Kaserzon, Sarit L. (2024). New PFASs identified in AFFF impacted groundwater by passive sampling and nontarget analysis. Environmental Science and Technology, 58 (3), 1690-1699. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.3c06591
2023
Journal Article
Exploring drug consumption patterns across varying levels of remoteness in Australia
Verhagen, Rory, Kaserzon, Sarit L., Thomas, Kevin V., Mueller, Jochen F. and Tscharke, Benjamin J. (2023). Exploring drug consumption patterns across varying levels of remoteness in Australia. Science of the Total Environment, 903 166163, 166163. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166163
2023
Journal Article
Is nontarget analysis ready for regulatory application? Influence of peak-picking algorithms on data analysis
Schulze, Bastian, Heffernan, Amy L., Samanipour, Saer, Gomez Ramos, Maria Jose, Veal, Cameron, Thomas, Kevin V. and Kaserzon, Sarit L. (2023). Is nontarget analysis ready for regulatory application? Influence of peak-picking algorithms on data analysis. Analytical Chemistry, 95 (50), 18361-18369. doi: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c03003
2023
Journal Article
Direct injection liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry as a sensitive and high-throughput method for the quantitative surveillance of antimicrobials in wastewater
Li, Jinglong, Shimko, Katja M., He, Chang, Patterson, Brad, Bade, Richard, Shiels, Ryan, Mueller, Jochen F., Thomas, Kevin V. and O'Brien, Jake W. (2023). Direct injection liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry as a sensitive and high-throughput method for the quantitative surveillance of antimicrobials in wastewater. Science of The Total Environment, 900 165825, 1-17. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165825
2023
Journal Article
Emergence and occurrence of performance-enhancing substance use in Australia determined by wastewater analysis
Shimko, Katja M., O’Brien, Jake W., Tscharke, Benjamin J., Brooker, Lance, Goebel, Catrin, Shiels, Ryan, Speers, Naomi, Mueller, Jochen F. and Thomas, Kevin V. (2023). Emergence and occurrence of performance-enhancing substance use in Australia determined by wastewater analysis. Nature Water, 1 (10), 1-8. doi: 10.1038/s44221-023-00136-y
Funding
Current funding
Supervision
Availability
- Professor Kevin Thomas is:
- Available for supervision
Before you email them, read our advice on how to contact a supervisor.
Available projects
-
Available projects for prospective PhD students
Projects are available arounf four broad themes.
- Assessing the environmental plastics cycle with a focus on human exposure.
- Assessing community-wide health status through wastewater-based epidemiology.
- Alternative matrices for exposure monitoring. For example explanted silicone prostheses and wristbands.
- Analytical methods for the characterization of contaminants of emerging concern (target/suspect-screening/non-target analysis).
Project specific opportunities are advertised on our centre website
-
Available projects for prospective PhD students
Projects are available around four broad themes.
- Assessing the environmental plastics cycle with a focus on human exposure.
- Assessing community-wide health status through wastewater-based epidemiology.
- Alternative matrices for exposure monitoring. For example explanted silicone prostheses and wristbands.
- Analytical methods for the characterization of contaminants of emerging concern (target/suspect-screening/non-target analysis).
Project specific opportunities are advertised on our centre website
-
Innovative Analytical Techniques for Detecting and Quantifying Oligomers in Environmental Matrices
Project summary: Develop and validate advanced analytical methods for the detection, identification, and quantification of oligomers in various environmental matrices.
-
Available projects for prospective PhD students
Projects are available around four broad themes.
- Assessing the environmental plastics cycle with a focus on human exposure.
- Assessing community-wide health status through wastewater-based epidemiology.
- Alternative matrices for exposure monitoring. For example explanted silicone prostheses and wristbands.
- Analytical methods for the characterization of contaminants of emerging concern (target/suspect-screening/non-target analysis).
Project specific opportunities are advertised on our centre website
Supervision history
Current supervision
-
Doctor Philosophy
development of accurate quantitative methods for microplastics in the terrestrial and marine environments
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Andrew Whittaker, Associate Professor Sarit Kaserzon, Dr Elvis Okoffo
-
Doctor Philosophy
Advancing the non-target identification of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in environmental samples
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Ian Wood, Dr Jake O'Brien, Associate Professor Sarit Kaserzon, Dr Pradeep Dewapriya
-
Doctor Philosophy
Assessing dietary exposure to plastics and associated chemicals
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Cassie Rauert
-
Doctor Philosophy
Antibiotics and other chemicals that select for antimicrobial resistance in Australian wastewater
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Jake O'Brien
-
Doctor Philosophy
Microplastics in water system: Issues and treatment
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Elvis Okoffo
-
Doctor Philosophy
development of accurate quantitative methods for microplastics in the terrestrial and marine environments
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Andrew Whittaker, Associate Professor Sarit Kaserzon, Dr Elvis Okoffo
-
Doctor Philosophy
Microplastic exposure
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Jake O'Brien, Dr Fisher Wang, Dr Cassie Rauert
-
Doctor Philosophy
Understanding emerging contaminants and metabolomic responses in Australian seabird species
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Sarit Kaserzon, Dr Fisher Wang
-
Doctor Philosophy
Antibiotics and other chemicals that select for resistance in the environment
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Jake O'Brien
-
Doctor Philosophy
Characterisation of novel substances in wastewater that select for antimicrobial resistance
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Jake O'Brien, Professor Jianhua Guo
-
Doctor Philosophy
Understanding emerging contaminants and metabolomic responses in Australian seabird species
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Sarit Kaserzon, Dr Fisher Wang
-
Doctor Philosophy
Assessing microplastic inputs from ships
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Elvis Okoffo, Dr Cassie Rauert
-
Doctor Philosophy
Comprehensive characterisation of the human PFAS exposome
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Ian Wood, Dr Jake O'Brien, Associate Professor Sarit Kaserzon, Dr Pradeep Dewapriya
-
Doctor Philosophy
Microplastics pollution in water systems: Issues and Treatment
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Elvis Okoffo
-
Doctor Philosophy
Developing strategies to tackle pollution from per- and poly-fluorinated chemicals (PFAS) in the environment
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Sara Ghorbani Gorji, Associate Professor Sarit Kaserzon
-
Doctor Philosophy
Development of Specialised Hyphenated Methodologies for Quantifying New Halogenated Plastic Materials
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Jake O'Brien, Dr Elvis Okoffo, Dr Cassie Rauert
-
Doctor Philosophy
Human exposure and accumulation of plastics
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Cassie Rauert
-
Doctor Philosophy
Development of passive sampling methodologies for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Jochen Mueller, Dr Sara Ghorbani Gorji, Associate Professor Sarit Kaserzon
-
Doctor Philosophy
Developing the framework for a national wastewater antimicrobial resistance and antimicrobial use surveillance method
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Jake O'Brien
-
Doctor Philosophy
The suitability of wastewater-based epidemiology for AMR surveillance
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Jake O'Brien
-
Doctor Philosophy
Human exposure and fate of micro/nanoplastics
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Cassie Rauert, Dr Taskeen Janjua Khan
-
Doctor Philosophy
Developing strategies to tackle pollution from per- and poly-fluorinated chemicals (PFAS) in the environment
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Sara Ghorbani Gorji, Associate Professor Sarit Kaserzon
-
Doctor Philosophy
Developing the framework for a national wastewater antimicrobial resistance and antimicrobial use surveillance method
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Jake O'Brien
-
Doctor Philosophy
Non-Targeted High-Resolution Mass Spectrometric Characterisation of Highly Mobile and Highly Persistent Chemicals
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Elvis Okoffo, Dr Cassie Rauert, Dr Jake O'Brien
-
Doctor Philosophy
DETERMINATION OF MICRO AND NANOPLASTICS IN BREAST MILK, BLOOD AND MECONIUM SAMPLES FROM MOTHERS-INFANTS IN AUSTRALIA
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Cassie Rauert
-
Doctor Philosophy
Emerging contaminants in Food Organics and Garden Organic (FOGO) materials
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Sara Ghorbani Gorji, Associate Professor Sarit Kaserzon
-
Doctor Philosophy
Characterisation and Quantification of Nanoplastics in the Environment Using Pyrolysis Gas Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Jake O'Brien, Dr Elvis Okoffo, Dr Cassie Rauert
-
Doctor Philosophy
Investigation of the inflammatory response of human cells to silica dust exposure
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Jianhua Guo, Dr Jake O'Brien
-
-
Doctor Philosophy
Estimating use of tobacco and nicotine products through wastewater analysis
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Jochen Mueller, Dr Jake O'Brien, Dr Ben Tscharke, Associate Professor Phong Thai
-
Doctor Philosophy
The suitability of wastewater-based epidemiology for AMR surveillance
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Jake O'Brien
-
Doctor Philosophy
Reducing glyphosate exposure from high use practices
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Fisher Wang, Dr Sara Ghorbani Gorji, Professor Bhagirath Chauhan, Associate Professor Sarit Kaserzon
Completed supervision
-
2022
Doctor Philosophy
Evaluating the suitability of wastewater analysis for the detection and monitoring of performance- and image-enhancing drug use
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Jochen Mueller, Dr Jake O'Brien, Dr Ben Tscharke
-
2022
Doctor Philosophy
Assessment of plastic contamination in marine organisms
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Jochen Mueller, Dr Jake O'Brien, Associate Professor Sarit Kaserzon
-
2022
Doctor Philosophy
Assessment of analgesic consumption and the burden of treated pain in Australia using wastewater-based epidemiology
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Jochen Mueller, Dr Jake O'Brien, Dr Ben Tscharke
-
2021
Doctor Philosophy
An assessment of plastic residues in Australian biosolids
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Jochen Mueller, Dr Jake O'Brien, Dr Ben Tscharke
-
2024
Doctor Philosophy
Improved monitoring of hydrophilic aquatic contaminants.
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Sarit Kaserzon
-
2023
Doctor Philosophy
Evaluation and Implementation of Methods to increase Comprehensiveness of Non-Target Analysis
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Jochen Mueller, Associate Professor Sarit Kaserzon
-
2022
Doctor Philosophy
An assessment of alcohol and tobacco consumption by wastewater-based epidemiology
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Jochen Mueller, Dr Jake O'Brien, Dr Ben Tscharke, Associate Professor Phong Thai
-
2022
Doctor Philosophy
Innovative sampling strategies for improved wastewater-based epidemiology
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Jochen Mueller, Associate Professor Sarit Kaserzon, Dr Ben Tscharke
-
2021
Doctor Philosophy
Firefighters' exposure to potentially toxic combustion products.
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Fisher Wang, Professor Jochen Mueller
-
2020
Doctor Philosophy
Population diet and stress estimates using wastewater based epidemiology
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Jake O'Brien, Professor Jochen Mueller
-
Doctor Philosophy
Microplastic pollution: From nanoscale surface interactions to public perceptions
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Sarit Kaserzon
Media
Enquiries
Contact Professor Kevin Thomas directly for media enquiries about:
- Aquatic pollution
- chemical pollution
- Illicit drug monitoring in wastewater
- Microplastics
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