Miss Maddison Carbery
Research student
Career Summary
Biography
Maddison completed her Bachelor's Degree in Environmental Science and Management at The University of Newcastle in 2013. She then went on to complete Honours in 2014, supported by NSW DPI Fisheries. Her honours research focused on the effectiveness of no-take sanctuary zones in shallow water habitats using baited remote underwater video (BRUVs) as a passive tool to assess fish and crustacean assemblages in the Port Stephens-Great Lakes Marine Park. This was the first study to assess biodiversity within the marine park since it was established in 2007.
In 2017, Maddison commenced her PhD with the Global Center for Environmental Remediation (GCER) at The University of Newcastle. During the earlier stages of her PhD, Maddison performed a number of aquatic based surveys to develop baseline information on the occurrence, distribution and characteristics of microplastics in Australia’s coastal environments, before developing an interest in the chemical fingerprint of environmental plastics. She is now working closely with citizen science organisations Tangaroa Blue and the Australian Microplastic Assessment project (AUSMAP), as well as the NSW DPI Fisheries Institute to understand the impacts of microplastics and contaminants on organisms belonging to valuable marine food webs and the potential implications on human health.
Since 2012, Maddison has also been active in a number of volunteer roles, including Vice President of NUSEC (Newcastle University Student Environment Club), Chair of Ocean and Coastal Care Initiatives (OCCI) and Community Representative on the Lake Macquarie Estuary Management Committee.
Keywords
- Analytical chemistry
- Emerging contaminants
- Environmental pollutants
- Environmental science
- Field sampling
- Marine ecology
- Microplastics
- Science communication
Languages
- English (Mother)
Fields of Research
Code | Description | Percentage |
---|---|---|
340199 | Analytical chemistry not elsewhere classified | 20 |
410404 | Environmental management | 50 |
310305 | Marine and estuarine ecology (incl. marine ichthyology) | 30 |
Professional Experience
Academic appointment
Dates | Title | Organisation / Department |
---|---|---|
2/2/2021 - 2/8/2021 | Research Assistant (Algae Bioremediation) | The University of Newcastle Australia |
Professional appointment
Dates | Title | Organisation / Department |
---|---|---|
1/7/2020 - | Casual Research Assistant | College of Engineering, Science and Environment, University of Newcastle Australia |
1/11/2019 - 1/3/2020 |
Environmental Scientist Researching the ecotoxicity and potential human and environmental health risks of phthalates in Victorian. |
Environment Protection Authority Victoria Applied Science Unit (Water) Australia |
4/2/2019 - 5/7/2019 |
Intern Maddison was employed to synthesise global information on the occurrence of microplastics in aquatic environments and the currently available sampling and analytical techniques. She developed an options paper evaluating potential management approaches to effectively reduce microplastics in Victorian wastewater in order to assist EPA Victoria in the regulation and control of microplastics discharged to aquatic environments via wastewater treatment plants. |
Environment Protection Authority Victoria Applied Science Unit (Environmental Solutions) Australia |
Teaching appointment
Dates | Title | Organisation / Department |
---|---|---|
1/1/2020 - | Casual Academic | College of Engineering, Science and Environment, University of Newcastle Australia |
1/1/2019 - 31/12/2020 | Casual ISSP Tutor | The Wollotuka Institute, University of Newcastle Australia |
Teaching
Code | Course | Role | Duration |
---|---|---|---|
ENVS3004 |
Ecotoxicology College of Engineering, Science and Environment, University of Newcastle |
Examiner | 1/1/2020 - 31/12/2021 |
ENVS1002 |
Physical and Chemical Environment School of Environmental and Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The university of Newcastle, Australia |
Laboratory Demonstrator | 1/7/2020 - 31/12/2021 |
Publications
For publications that are currently unpublished or in-press, details are shown in italics.
Journal article (10 outputs)
Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link | ||||||||
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2023 |
Kuttykattil A, Raju S, Vanka KS, Bhagwat G, Carbery M, Vincent SGT, et al., 'Consuming microplastics? Investigation of commercial salts as a source of microplastics (MPs) in diet.', Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 30 930-942 (2023) [C1]
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2022 |
Carbery M, Herb F, Reynes J, Pham CK, Fong WK, Lehner R, 'How small is the big problem? Small microplastics <300 µm abundant in marine surface waters of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park', Marine Pollution Bulletin, 184 (2022) [C1] Particle size plays an important role in determining the behaviour, fate and effects of microplastics (MPs), yet little is known about MPs <300 µm in aquatic environments. Ther... [more] Particle size plays an important role in determining the behaviour, fate and effects of microplastics (MPs), yet little is known about MPs <300 µm in aquatic environments. Therefore, we performed the first assessment of MPs in marine surface waters around the Whitsunday Islands region of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, Australia, to test for the presence of small MPs (50¿300 µm) in-situ. Using a modified manta net, we demonstrate that MPs were present in all marine surface water samples, with a mean sea surface concentration of 0.23 ± 0.03 particles m-3. Microplastics were mainly blue, clear and black fibres and fragments, consisting of polyethylene terephthalate, high-density polyethylene and polypropylene plastic polymers. Tourism and marine recreation were considered the major contributing sources of MPs to surface waters around the Whitsunday Islands. Between 10 and 124 times the number of MPs exist in the 50 µm¿300 µm size class, compared with the 1 mm¿5 mm size range. This finding indicates that the global abundance of small MPs in marine surface waters is grossly underestimated and warrants further investigation. Research into the occurrence, characteristics and environmental fate of MPs <300 µm is needed to improve our understanding of the cumulative threats facing valuable ecosystems due to this smaller, potentially more hazardous size class.
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2021 |
Bhagwat G, Carbery M, Anh Tran TK, Grainge I, O'Connor W, Palanisami T, 'Fingerprinting Plastic-Associated Inorganic and Organic Matter on Plastic Aged in the Marine Environment for a Decade', Environmental Science and Technology, 55 7407-7417 (2021) [C1] The long-term aging of plastic leads to weathering and biofouling that can influence the behavior and fate of plastic in the marine environment. This is the first study to fingerp... [more] The long-term aging of plastic leads to weathering and biofouling that can influence the behavior and fate of plastic in the marine environment. This is the first study to fingerprint the contaminant profiles and bacterial communities present in plastic-associated inorganic and organic matter (PIOM) isolated from 10 year-aged plastic. Plastic sleeves were sampled from an oyster aquaculture farm and the PIOM was isolated from the intertidal, subtidal, and sediment-buried segments to investigate the levels of metal(loid)s, polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), per-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and explore the microbial community composition. Results indicated that the PIOM present on long-term aged high-density polyethylene plastic harbored high concentrations of metal(loid)s, PAHs, and PFAS. Metagenomic analysis revealed that the bacterial composition in the PIOM differed by habitat type, which consisted of potentially pathogenic taxa including Vibrio, Shewanella, and Psychrobacter. This study provides new insights into PIOM as a potential sink for hazardous environmental contaminants and its role in enhancing the vector potential of plastic. Therefore, we recommend the inclusion of PIOM analysis in current biomonitoring regimes and that plastics be used with caution in aquaculture settings to safeguard valuable food resources, particularly in areas of point-source contamination.
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2021 |
Senathirajah K, Attwood S, Bhagwat G, Carbery M, Wilson S, Palanisami T, 'Estimation of the mass of microplastics ingested A pivotal first step towards human health risk assessment', Journal of Hazardous Materials, 404 (2021) [C1] The ubiquitous presence of microplastics in the food web has been established. However, the mass of microplastics exposure to humans is not defined, impeding the human health risk... [more] The ubiquitous presence of microplastics in the food web has been established. However, the mass of microplastics exposure to humans is not defined, impeding the human health risk assessment. Our objectives were to extract the data from the available evidence on the number and mass of microplastics from various sources, to determine the uncertainties in the existing data, to set future research directions, and derive a global average rate of microplastic ingestion to assist in the development of human health risk assessments and effective management and policy options. To enable the comparison of microplastics exposure across a range of sources, data extraction and standardization was coupled with the adoption of conservative assumptions. Following the analysis of data from fifty-nine publications, an average mass for individual microplastics in the 0¿1 mm size range was calculated. Subsequently, we estimated that globally on average, humans may ingest 0.1¿5 g of microplastics weekly through various exposure pathways. This was the first attempt to transform microplastic counts into a mass value relevant to human toxicology. The determination of an ingestion rate is fundamental to assess the human health risks of microplastic ingestion. These findings will contribute to future human health risk assessment frameworks.
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2020 |
Carbery M, MacFarlane GR, O'Connor W, Afrose S, Taylor H, Palanisami T, 'Baseline analysis of metal(loid)s on microplastics collected from the Australian shoreline using citizen science', Marine Pollution Bulletin, 152 (2020) [C1]
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2020 |
Raju S, Carbery M, Kuttykattil A, Senthirajah K, Lundmark A, Rogers Z, et al., 'Improved methodology to determine the fate and transport of microplastics in a secondary wastewater treatment plant', WATER RESEARCH, 173 (2020) [C1]
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2020 |
Idowu O, Carbery M, O'Connor W, Thavamani P, 'Speciation and source apportionment of polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) in sediments of the largest salt water lake of Australia', Chemosphere, 246 (2020) [C1]
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2018 |
Lam CS, Ramanathan S, Carbery M, Gray K, Vanka KS, Maurin C, et al., 'A Comprehensive Analysis of Plastics and Microplastic Legislation Worldwide', Water, Air, and Soil Pollution, 229 (2018) [C1]
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2018 |
Raju S, Carbery M, Kuttykattil A, Senathirajah K, Subashchandrabose SR, Evans G, Thavamani P, 'Transport and fate of microplastics in wastewater treatment plants: implications to environmental health', Reviews in Environmental Science and Biotechnology, 17 637-653 (2018) [C1]
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2018 |
Carbery M, O'Connor W, Thavamani P, 'Trophic transfer of microplastics and mixed contaminants in the marine food web and implications for human health', ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL, 115 400-409 (2018) [C1]
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Nova | |||||||||
Show 7 more journal articles |
Grants and Funding
Summary
Number of grants | 5 |
---|---|
Total funding | $257,700 |
Click on a grant title below to expand the full details for that specific grant.
20201 grants / $178,200
Microplastic pollution in the Pacific: quantification, assessment and reduction through education$178,200
Funding body: New Colombo Plan Student Mobility Project, Australian Government
Funding body | New Colombo Plan Student Mobility Project, Australian Government |
---|---|
Project Team | Dr. Khay Fong, Maddison Carbery, Dr. Roman Lehner |
Scheme | New Colombo Plan Student Mobility Project, Australian Government |
Role | Investigator |
Funding Start | 2020 |
Funding Finish | 2022 |
GNo | |
Type Of Funding | Aust Competitive - Commonwealth |
Category | 1CS |
UON | N |
20192 grants / $28,000
Microplastics in aquatic environments$20,500
Funding body: University of Melbourne
Funding body | University of Melbourne |
---|---|
Project Team | Maddison Carbery, Dr. Thava Palanisami and Alison Kemp |
Scheme | Australian Postgraduate Research Internships |
Role | Investigator |
Funding Start | 2019 |
Funding Finish | 2019 |
GNo | |
Type Of Funding | C2220 - Aust StateTerritoryLocal - Other |
Category | 2220 |
UON | N |
Fingerprinting chemical contaminants in microplastics - Australian Microplastic Assessment Project (AUSMAP)$7,500
Funding body: Total Environment Centre
Funding body | Total Environment Centre |
---|---|
Project Team | Dr. Scott Wilson, Dr. Thava Palanisami and Maddison Carbery |
Scheme | Research Grant |
Role | Investigator |
Funding Start | 2019 |
Funding Finish | 2019 |
GNo | |
Type Of Funding | C3112 - Aust Not for profit |
Category | 3112 |
UON | N |
20171 grants / $45,000
Occurrence, fate and behavior of microplastics in aquatic environments: Implications to ecological and human health$45,000
Funding body: Newcastle City Council
Funding body | Newcastle City Council |
---|---|
Project Team | Dr. Thava Palanisami and Maddison Carbery |
Scheme | 50/50 Scholarship |
Role | Investigator |
Funding Start | 2017 |
Funding Finish | 2020 |
GNo | |
Type Of Funding | C2220 - Aust StateTerritoryLocal - Other |
Category | 2220 |
UON | N |
20151 grants / $6,500
Microplastics in Lake Macquarie: Occurrence, distribution and chemical characteristics $6,500
Funding body: Lake Macquarie City Council
Funding body | Lake Macquarie City Council |
---|---|
Project Team | Dr. Thava Palanisami, Maddison Carbery |
Scheme | Environmental Research Grant |
Role | Investigator |
Funding Start | 2015 |
Funding Finish | 2018 |
GNo | |
Type Of Funding | C2220 - Aust StateTerritoryLocal - Other |
Category | 2220 |
UON | N |