Overview
Background
Cassandra is a Senior Research Fellow at the Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), joining the group in 2019. She is the microplastics project lead in the Minderoo Centre-Plastics and Human Health, investigating human exposure to microplastics and developing new methods for detecting micro and nanoplastics in human matrices. Her other research interests include the impact of tyre road wear particles and their chemical additives on the environment and developing novel biomonitoring methods for assessing human exposure to chemicals of concern.
Availability
- Dr Cassandra Rauert is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Bachelor (Honours) of Science (Advanced), University of Sydney
- Doctor of Philosophy, University of Birmingham
Research interests
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Environmental occurrence of microplastics
Microplastics are one of the biggest pollution challenges the world is currently facing. Yet there is still limited understanding on sources and fate in the environment. Our research group at QAEHS is investigating how micro and nanosized plastics enter the environment, how they are transported through environmental compartments and their long term fate once in the environment. By understanding sources and fate we can implement measure to reduce and remove these pollutants.
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Non-invasive samplers for human biomonitoring
We are constantly exposed to a myriad of different chemicals in our everyday lives (the chemical exposome). There is still a lack on understanding on the extent of this exposure and the bioaccumulation of these chemicals within the human body. We are developing non-invasive samplers, coupled with non-target analysis techniques, to determine the human body burden of our chemical exposures. These methods include silicone wristbands and reclaiming medical waste (silicone breast implants) for analysis of exposure and accumulation.
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Impact of tyre wear and tyre additive chemicals on the environment
Tyre road wear particles (TRWPs) are formed through every day abrasion of tyres on road surfaces and are now recognised as one of the largest sources of microplastics to the urban environment. Whilst being a significant source of microplastics they also contain a wide range of harmful additive chemicals. Our group is studying the occurrence, fate and impact of TRWPs and the chemicals they contain on the Australian environment with the aim of reducing their concentrations and impact.
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Human exposure to plastics
Humans are exposed to microsize and nanosize plastics everyday but there is still little understanding on this exposure, particularly their fate after we are exposed. In collaboration with the Minderoo foundation we are developing robust analytical methods to confidently quantify plastics in human matrices and assess if there is a risk from this exposure.
Works
Search Professor Cassandra Rauert’s works on UQ eSpace
2014
Journal Article
A review of chamber experiments for determining specific emission rates and investigating migration pathways of flame retardants
Rauert, Cassandra, Lazarov, Borislav, Harrad, Stuart, Covaci, Adrian and Stranger, Marianne (2014). A review of chamber experiments for determining specific emission rates and investigating migration pathways of flame retardants. Atmospheric Environment, 82, 44-55. doi: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2013.10.003
2013
Journal Article
Exposure to flame retardant chemicals on commercial airplanes
Allen, Joseph G., Stapleton, Heather M., Vallarino, Jose, McNeely, Eileen, McClean, Michael D., Harrad, Stuart J., Rauert, Cassandra B. and Spengler, John D. (2013). Exposure to flame retardant chemicals on commercial airplanes. Environmental Health, 12 (1) 17. doi: 10.1186/1476-069x-12-17
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Cassandra Rauert is:
- Available for supervision
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Available projects
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High-Resolution Mass Spectrometric Characterisation of Ubiquitous Environmental Contaminants of Emerging Concern
A clear challenge for environmental regulatory agencies globally is the identification of emerging chemical hazards. Evolving capabilities in high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS – AB Sciex) now allow for the retrospective suspect screening of archived data. A proposed approach for the effective identification of emerging chemical risks is the sharing of HRMS data to investigate the environmental occurrence of newly identified contaminants without the need to collect and analyse new samples. This ICHDR project will develop the data processing workflows (algorithm and platform selection) that will allow for the effective identification of new chemical hazards within the context of understanding risk associated with exposure. The outcome of this project will be validated advanced techniques and data processing workflows to identify ubiquitous chemical hazards that are historic, new or emerging.
Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
Characterisation and Quantification of Nanoplastics in the Environment Using Pyrolysis Gas Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Jake O'Brien, Professor Kevin Thomas, Dr Elvis Okoffo
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Doctor Philosophy
Human exposure and accumulation of plastics
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Kevin Thomas
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Doctor Philosophy
DETERMINATION OF MICRO AND NANOPLASTICS IN BREAST MILK, BLOOD AND MECONIUM SAMPLES FROM MOTHERS-INFANTS IN AUSTRALIA
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Kevin Thomas
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Doctor Philosophy
Human exposure and fate of micro/nanoplastics
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Kevin Thomas, Dr Taskeen Janjua Khan
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Doctor Philosophy
Development of Specialised Hyphenated Methodologies for Quantifying New Halogenated Plastic Materials
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Jake O'Brien, Professor Kevin Thomas, Dr Elvis Okoffo
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Doctor Philosophy
Road to Contamination: Understanding the Environmental Distribution of Tyre Wear Particles and Tyre Associated Chemicals in Australian Urban Environments
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Kevin Thomas
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Doctor Philosophy
PM2.5 and plastics pollution in Delhi: Sources, characterization and atmospheric transport modeling
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Kevin Thomas
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Doctor Philosophy
Non-Targeted High-Resolution Mass Spectrometric Characterisation of Highly Mobile and Highly Persistent Chemicals
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Kevin Thomas, Dr Elvis Okoffo, Dr Jake O'Brien
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Doctor Philosophy
Assessing dietary exposure to nanoplastics and microplastics
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Kevin Thomas
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Doctor Philosophy
Assessing microplastic inputs from ships
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Elvis Okoffo, Professor Kevin Thomas
Completed supervision
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2025
Doctor Philosophy
Microplastics in the air: Working towards understanding micro plastics in the atmospheric environment, the plastic exposome and human respiratory exposure
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Jake O'Brien, Dr Fisher Wang, Professor Kevin Thomas
Media
Enquiries
Contact Dr Cassandra Rauert directly for media enquiries about:
- Environmental exposure
- Human exposure
- Microplastics
- Plastic additives
- Tyre wear
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