Massomeh Rose Mirshokraie

Area of study / field of expertise
Environmental Management, Environmental Science

Previous education
Bachelor of Agricultural Engineering. Master of Environmental Management, University of Queensland

Undertaking Master’s assessing bioavailability and impacts of Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in contaminated soil on invertebrates’ communities.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large group of anthropogenic fluorinated organic chemicals, known for their ubiquity and persistence in the environment. PFAS precursors can undergo biotransformation and produce recalcitrant products migrating long distance into environment and bioaccumulate in biota and human.

PFAS compounds, notably PFOS and PFOA, have been extensively studies for their adverse effects on soil invertebrates’ functions and health. However, newly developed PFAS and PFAS mixture have poorly characterized in chemical structure, environmental fate, and toxicological impacts. Because soil characteristics particularly soil organic matter and pH level are intrinsically related to the PFAS bioavailability in soil, this research aims to investigate the effects of PFAS mixture at the field concentrations on soil invertebrates’ diversity and community structures in different soil types, using eDNA metabarcoding technique. Among soil invertebrates, Earthworms are highly sensitive to contamination and can potentially accumulate and transfer PFAS to upper trophic levels. By exposing contaminated soils with varying contamination levels and characteristics, we seek to enhance our understanding of bioavailability and toxicity effects of PFAS mixture on earthworm’s health and functions, with a goal of providing valuable insight for environmental management and policy development.

This project is a collaboration with the university of Melbourne and Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA).

Contact