Professor Kevin Thomas
Professor

Kevin Thomas

Email: 
Phone: 
+61 7 344 32443

Background

Professor Kevin Thomas is an internationally recognised environmental health scientist and Director of the Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS) at The University of Queensland. He leads cutting-edge research aimed at understanding how environmental contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) affect both ecosystems and human health, with a strong focus on translating science into real-world protection and policy impact. He also leads the Minderoo Centre– Plastics and Human Health at UQ and serves as QLD Node Leader and Deputy Director of the ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Hyphenated Analytical Separation Technologies (HyTech), where he helps drive innovation in advanced chemical analysis and environmental monitoring. Kevin’s research sits at the intersection of environmental chemistry, analytical science, and environmental health. He is particularly known for his work on human exposure to plastic pollution, developing state-of-the-art mass spectrometric methods to detect and characterise plastics and other emerging contaminants. His work is also reshaping how population health is studied through wastewater-based epidemiology, providing a powerful lens into community-wide exposure and health trends. Beyond traditional sampling methods, Kevin is pioneering novel exposure monitoring approaches—including the use of explanted silicone prostheses and wearable wristbands—to better understand how contaminants interact with the human body in everyday life. Through this work, he is helping redefine how environmental exposure is measured and understood, bridging advanced analytical chemistry with urgent global health challenges.

Availability

Professor Kevin Thomas is:
Available for supervision
Media expert

Fields of research

Analytical chemistry Analytical chemistry not elsewhere classified Analytical spectrometry Biomedical and Clinical Sciences Chemical Sciences Environmental Sciences Health Sciences

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy, Plymouth University
  • Doctoral Diploma of Science (Advanced), Plymouth University

Search Professor Kevin Thomas’s works on UQ eSpace

438 works between 1995 and 2026
All (438) Journal Article (392) Other Outputs (5) Conference Publication (30) Book Chapter (11)

101 - 120 of 438 works

2023

Journal Article

Improving wastewater-based tobacco use estimates using anabasine

Zheng, Qiuda, Gerber, Cobus, Steadman, Kathryn J., Lin, Chun-Yin, Tscharke, Benjamin J., O’Brien, Jake William, Hobson, Peter, Toms, Leisa-Maree, Mueller, Jochen F., Thomas, Kevin V. and Thai, Phong K. (2023). Improving wastewater-based tobacco use estimates using anabasine. Environmental Science and Technology, 57 (21), 7958-7965. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.3c01510

Improving wastewater-based tobacco use estimates using anabasine

2023

Journal Article

Wastewater-based epidemiology for the assessment of population exposure to chemicals: the need for integration with human biomonitoring for global One Health actions

Kasprzyk-Hordern, Barbara, Béen, Frederic, Bijlsma, Lubertus, Brack, Werner, Castiglioni, Sara, Covaci, Adrian, Martincigh, Bice S., Mueller, Jochen F., van Nuijs, Alexander L. N., Oluseyi, Temilola and Thomas, Kevin V. (2023). Wastewater-based epidemiology for the assessment of population exposure to chemicals: the need for integration with human biomonitoring for global One Health actions. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 450 131009, 1-6. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.131009

Wastewater-based epidemiology for the assessment of population exposure to chemicals: the need for integration with human biomonitoring for global One Health actions

2023

Journal Article

A global aircraft-based wastewater genomic surveillance network for early warning of future pandemics

Li, Jiaying, Hosegood, Ian, Powell, David, Tscharke, Ben, Lawler, Jenny, Thomas, Kevin V. and Mueller, Jochen F. (2023). A global aircraft-based wastewater genomic surveillance network for early warning of future pandemics. The Lancet Global Health, 11 (5), e791-e795. doi: 10.1016/S2214-109X(23)00129-8

A global aircraft-based wastewater genomic surveillance network for early warning of future pandemics

2023

Journal Article

The use of asthma and allergy medicines is associated with exposure to smoking

Thai, Phong K., Zheng, Qiuda, Phung, Dung, Gartner, Coral, Hall, Wayne, Ren, Yuan, Mueller, Jochen F. and Thomas, Kevin V. (2023). The use of asthma and allergy medicines is associated with exposure to smoking. Nature Water, 1 (5) 16, 443-450. doi: 10.1038/s44221-023-00076-7

The use of asthma and allergy medicines is associated with exposure to smoking

2023

Journal Article

Visualization of the distribution of PFOS and PFHxS in concrete by DESI MSI

Vo, Phong H. N., Hamilton, Brett R., Wepf, Roger A., Key, Trent A., Nguyen, Thi Minh Hong, Thai, Phong K., Thomas, Kevin and Mueller, Jochen F. (2023). Visualization of the distribution of PFOS and PFHxS in concrete by DESI MSI. Environmental Science and Technology Letters, 10 (5), 446-451. doi: 10.1021/acs.estlett.3c00211

Visualization of the distribution of PFOS and PFHxS in concrete by DESI MSI

2023

Journal Article

Use of artificial sweeteners and caffeine in a population of Hanoi: an assessment by wastewater-based epidemiology

Li, Dandan, Zheng, Qiuda, Thomas, Kevin V., Dang, Anh Kim, Binh, Vu Ngan, Anh, Nguyen Thi Kieu and Thai, Phong K. (2023). Use of artificial sweeteners and caffeine in a population of Hanoi: an assessment by wastewater-based epidemiology. Science of The Total Environment, 868 161515, 1-7. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.161515

Use of artificial sweeteners and caffeine in a population of Hanoi: an assessment by wastewater-based epidemiology

2023

Journal Article

The measurement of food safety and security risks associated with micro- and nanoplastic pollution

Nelis, Joost L.D., Schacht, Veronika J., Dawson, Amanda L., Bose, Utpal, Tsagkaris, Aristeidis S., Dvorakova, Darina, Beale, David J., Can, Ali, Elliott, Christopher T., Thomas, Kevin V. and Broadbent, James A. (2023). The measurement of food safety and security risks associated with micro- and nanoplastic pollution. TrAC Trends in Analytical Chemistry, 161 116993, 1-21. doi: 10.1016/j.trac.2023.116993

The measurement of food safety and security risks associated with micro- and nanoplastic pollution

2023

Journal Article

Assessment of background plastics contamination from human respiratory tract sample collection vessels

Okoffo, Elvis D., Rauert, Cassandra, Boots, Robert, Fielding, David, Bashiradeh, Farzard, Singh, Mahendra and Thomas, Kevin V. (2023). Assessment of background plastics contamination from human respiratory tract sample collection vessels. Water Emerging Contaminants and Nanoplastics, 1 (1) 4, 1-9. doi: 10.20517/wecn.2022.22

Assessment of background plastics contamination from human respiratory tract sample collection vessels

2023

Journal Article

Wastewater surveillance can function as an early warning system for COVID-19 in low-incidence settings

Assoum, Mohamad, Lau, Colleen L., Thai, Phong K., Ahmed, Warish, Mueller, Jochen F., Thomas, Kevin V., Choi, Phil Min, Jackson, Greg and Selvey, Linda A. (2023). Wastewater surveillance can function as an early warning system for COVID-19 in low-incidence settings. Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease, 8 (4) 211, 1-10. doi: 10.3390/tropicalmed8040211

Wastewater surveillance can function as an early warning system for COVID-19 in low-incidence settings

2023

Journal Article

Increased nicotine consumption in Australia during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic

Thai, Phong K, Tscharke, Benjamin J, O’Brien, Jake, Gartner, Coral, Bade, Richard, Gerber, Cobus, White, Jason M, Zheng, Qiuda, Wang, Zhe, Thomas, Kevin V and Mueller, Jochen F (2023). Increased nicotine consumption in Australia during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nicotine and Tobacco Research, 25 (6), 1194-1197. doi: 10.1093/ntr/ntac275

Increased nicotine consumption in Australia during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic

2023

Journal Article

A wastewater‐based evaluation of the effectiveness of codeine control measures in Australia

Tscharke, Benjamin J., O’Brien, Jake W., Ahmed, Fahad, Ngyuen, Lynn, Ghetia, Maulik, Chan, Gary, Thai, Phong, Gerber, Cobus, Bade, Richard, Mueller, Jochen, Thomas, Kevin V., White, Jason and Hall, Wayne (2023). A wastewater‐based evaluation of the effectiveness of codeine control measures in Australia. Addiction, 118 (3), 480-488. doi: 10.1111/add.16083

A wastewater‐based evaluation of the effectiveness of codeine control measures in Australia

2023

Journal Article

Impact of sewer biofilms on fate of SARS-CoV-2 RNA and wastewater surveillance

Li, Jiaying, Ahmed, Warish, Metcalfe, Suzanne, Smith, Wendy J. M., Choi, Phil M., Jackson, Greg, Cen, Xiaotong, Zheng, Min, Simpson, Stuart L., Thomas, Kevin V., Mueller, Jochen F. and Thai, Phong K. (2023). Impact of sewer biofilms on fate of SARS-CoV-2 RNA and wastewater surveillance. Nature Water, 1 (3), 272-280. doi: 10.1038/s44221-023-00033-4

Impact of sewer biofilms on fate of SARS-CoV-2 RNA and wastewater surveillance

2023

Journal Article

There's something in the air: a review of sources, prevalence and behaviour of microplastics in the atmosphere

O'Brien, Stacey, Rauert, Cassandra, Ribeiro, Francisca, Okoffo, Elvis D., Burrows, Stephen D., O'Brien, Jake W., Wang, Xianyu, Wright, Stephanie L. and Thomas, Kevin V. (2023). There's something in the air: a review of sources, prevalence and behaviour of microplastics in the atmosphere. Science of the Total Environment, 874 162193, 1-33. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162193

There's something in the air: a review of sources, prevalence and behaviour of microplastics in the atmosphere

2023

Journal Article

In-sample stability of 52 performance- and image-enhancing drug biomarkers in wastewater

Shimko, Katja M., O’Brien, Jake W., Lin, Xialu, Tscharke, Benjamin J. and Thomas, Kevin V. (2023). In-sample stability of 52 performance- and image-enhancing drug biomarkers in wastewater. ACS ES and T Water, 3 (3), 669-678. doi: 10.1021/acsestwater.2c00393

In-sample stability of 52 performance- and image-enhancing drug biomarkers in wastewater

2023

Journal Article

Microplastics and nanoplastics in urban waters

Ni, Bing-Jie, Thomas, Kevin V. and Kim, Eun-Ju (2023). Microplastics and nanoplastics in urban waters. Water Research, 229 119473, 119473. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.119473

Microplastics and nanoplastics in urban waters

2023

Journal Article

Mass quantification of microplastic at wastewater treatment plants by pyrolysis-gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

Okoffo, Elvis D., Rauert, Cassandra and Thomas, Kevin V. (2023). Mass quantification of microplastic at wastewater treatment plants by pyrolysis-gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Science of the Total Environment, 856 (Part 2) 159251, 1-8. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159251

Mass quantification of microplastic at wastewater treatment plants by pyrolysis-gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

2023

Journal Article

National wastewater reconnaissance of analgesic consumption in Australia

Ahmed, Fahad, Tscharke, Benjamin, O’Brien, Jake W., Hall, Wayne D., Cabot, Peter J., Sowa, P. Marcin, Samanipour, Saer and Thomas, Kevin V. (2023). National wastewater reconnaissance of analgesic consumption in Australia. Environmental Science and Technology, 57 (4), 1712-1720. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.2c06691

National wastewater reconnaissance of analgesic consumption in Australia

2022

Journal Article

Tyre additive chemicals, tyre road wear particles and high production polymers in surface water at 5 urban centres in Queensland, Australia

Rauert, Cassandra, Vardy, Suzanne, Daniell, Benjamin, Charlton, Nathan and Thomas, Kevin V. (2022). Tyre additive chemicals, tyre road wear particles and high production polymers in surface water at 5 urban centres in Queensland, Australia. Science of the Total Environment, 852 158468, 1-9. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158468

Tyre additive chemicals, tyre road wear particles and high production polymers in surface water at 5 urban centres in Queensland, Australia

2022

Journal Article

From molecular descriptors to intrinsic fish toxicity of chemicals: An alternative approach to chemical prioritization

Samanipour, Saer, O’Brien, Jake W., Reid, Malcolm J., Thomas, Kevin V. and Praetorius, Antonia (2022). From molecular descriptors to intrinsic fish toxicity of chemicals: An alternative approach to chemical prioritization. Environmental Science and Technology, 57 (46), 17950-17958. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.2c07353

From molecular descriptors to intrinsic fish toxicity of chemicals: An alternative approach to chemical prioritization

Featured

2022

Journal Article

Efficient removal of perfluorinated chemicals from contaminated water sources using magnetic fluorinated polymer sorbents

Tan, Xiao, Dewapriya, Pradeep, Prasad, Pritesh, Chang, Yixin, Huang, Xumin, Wang, Yiqing, Gong, Xiaokai, Hopkins, Timothy E., Fu, Changkui, Thomas, Kevin V., Peng, Hui, Whittaker, Andrew Keith and Zhang, Cheng (2022). Efficient removal of perfluorinated chemicals from contaminated water sources using magnetic fluorinated polymer sorbents. Angewandte Chemie (International Edition), 61 (49) e202213071, e202213071. doi: 10.1002/anie.202213071

Efficient removal of perfluorinated chemicals from contaminated water sources using magnetic fluorinated polymer sorbents

Current funding

  • 2026 - 2030
    Characterising Environmental Chemicals Driving Antimicrobial Resistance
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2023 - 2027
    National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program
    Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission
    Open grant
  • 2023 - 2028
    ARC Training Centre for Hyphenated Analytical Separation Technologies (ARC ITRP administered by the University of Tasmania)
    University of Tasmania
    Open grant
  • 2023 - 2028
    Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences
    Queensland Health
    Open grant
  • 2022 - 2027
    Identification of chemical and biological determinants, their sources, and strategies to promote healthier homes in Europe (INQUIRE)
    NHMRC European Union Collaborative Research Grants
    Open grant
  • 2022 - 2027
    Improving indoor air quality and health: Identification of chemical and biological determinants, their sources, and strategies to promote healthier homes in Europe - INQUIRE (EU RIA led by NILU)
    Norwegian Institute for Air Research
    Open grant
  • 2021 - 2028
    Developing protocols to measure plastic chemicals in human brain, blood and urine
    The Minderoo Foundation Pty Ltd
    Open grant
  • 2020 - 2030
    Centre to develop novel mass spectrometry protocols to measure plastic chemicals in human tissue
    The Minderoo Foundation Pty Ltd
    Open grant

Past funding

  • 2024 - 2025
    Chemical Analyses of National Passive Air Samples
    DCCEEW - Approach to Market
    Open grant
  • 2024 - 2025
    Analysing Clothing Textiles on the Australian Market for Chemicals of Concern
    DCCEEW - Approach to Market
    Open grant
  • 2024
    Microplastics in drinking water
    Minderoo Foundation Limited
    Open grant
  • 2023
    Performance and Image Enhancing Substances in Wastewater
    Sport Integrity Australia
    Open grant
  • 2021 - 2023
    Australian Environmental Specimen Bank: advancing specimen bank capability
    ARC Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities
    Open grant
  • 2021 - 2022
    Preliminary investigations relating to the role of cyanobacterial blooms in the amplification and dispersal of antimicrobial resistance
    Melbourne Water Corporation
    Open grant
  • 2021
    Quarantined ion chromatography mass spectrometry (IC-MS) facility (ARC LIEF administered by University of Tasmania)
    University of Tasmania
    Open grant
  • 2020 - 2025
    Exposure to Trihalomethanes in pregnancy and birth outcomes in Queensland: integrated data analysis and case studies for better policy and health outcomes
    NHMRC Partnership Projects
    Open grant
  • 2020 - 2023
    Improved monitoring of aquatic pollutants in national water resources
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant
  • 2020 - 2024
    Comprehensive characterisation of the PFAS exposome
    NHMRC Targeted Research
    Open grant
  • 2019 - 2023
    Estimating use of tobacco and nicotine products through wastewater analysis
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant
  • 2019 - 2023
    National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program
    Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission
    Open grant
  • 2019 - 2024
    Microplastics: Long-term Effects of plastics and Additive Chemicals on marine organisms (MicroLEACH)
    Norwegian Institute for Water Research
    Open grant
  • 2019 - 2023
    A global platform for identifying emerging chemical threats
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2019
    A Gas Chromatography-High Resolution Accurate Mass Spectrometry Facility
    ARC Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities
    Open grant
  • 2019 - 2023
    Novel Testing Strategies for Endocrine Disruptors in the Context of Developmental Neuro Toxicity (ENDpoiNTs) (Horizon 2020 Grant administered by Karolinska Institute)
    Uppsala University
    Open grant
  • 2019
    UHPLC-QTOF-MS for research on emerging chemical pollutants including PFAS
    UQ Major Equipment and Infrastructure
    Open grant
  • 2018 - 2020
    Identification and screening for potential human health effects of coal seam gas (CSG) activity in the southern Surat Basin, Queensland
    CSIRO
    Open grant
  • 2018 - 2023
    Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences
    Queensland Health
    Open grant
  • 2018 - 2022
    Exposure mapping - combining wastewater analysis with human biomonitoring
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2015 - 2018
    Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences
    Queensland Health
    Open grant

Availability

Professor Kevin Thomas is:
Available for supervision

Looking for a supervisor? Read our advice on how to choose a supervisor.

Available projects

  • Deciphering known and unknown chemical drivers of antimicrobial resistance in environmental mixtures

    Quantify known AMR-selective chemicals in complex samples, use iceberg modelling to estimate unknown drivers, and isolate unknown AMR-selective compounds via bioassay-directed fractionation for structural characterisation by high resolution mass spectrometry.

  • Available projects for prospective PhD students

    Projects are available around four broad themes.

    • Identifying chemicals that select for antimicrobial resistance.
    • 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

    Cross regional comparison of emerging contaminants in urban catchments

    Principal Advisor

  • 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

    PM2.5 and plastics pollution in Delhi: Sources, characterization and atmospheric transport modeling

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Cassandra Rauert

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Assessing microplastic inputs from ships

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Elvis Okoffo, Dr Cassandra Rauert

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Investigating dietary exposure to nanoplastics and microplastics

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Cassandra Rauert

  • Doctor Philosophy

    AMR in food producing environments (Ref: 5529)

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: 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 Cassandra 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

    Development of Specialised Hyphenated Methodologies for Quantifying New Halogenated Plastic Materials

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Jake O'Brien, Dr Elvis Okoffo, Dr Cassandra Rauert

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Non-Targeted High-Resolution Mass Spectrometric Characterisation of Highly Mobile and Highly Persistent Chemicals

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Elvis Okoffo, Dr Cassandra Rauert, 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

    High-Resolution Mass Spectrometric Characterisation of Ubiquitous Environmental Contaminants of Emerging Concern

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Jake O'Brien

  • 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 Cassandra Rauert

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Human exposure and accumulation of plastics

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Cassandra Rauert

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Human exposure to glyphosate-based herbicides and methods to reduce exposure

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Fisher Wang, Professor Bhagirath Chauhan, Associate Professor Sarit Kaserzon

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Emerging contaminants in Food Contact Materials, analysis policy and regulation

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Fisher Wang, Associate Professor Sarit Kaserzon

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Road to Contamination: Understanding the Environmental Distribution of Tyre Wear Particles and Tyre Associated Chemicals in Australian Urban Environments

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Cassandra Rauert

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Human exposure and fate of micro/nanoplastics

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Taskeen Janjua Khan, Dr Cassandra Rauert

Completed supervision

Enquiries

Contact Professor Kevin Thomas directly for media enquiries about:

  • Aquatic pollution
  • chemical pollution
  • Illicit drug monitoring in wastewater
  • Microplastics

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