Dr Rai Kookana: researching environmental fate and effects of organic contaminants

Dr Rai Kookana's research is leading the science to minimise and manage the risks associated with wastes and contaminants in the environment.

• 17 June 2011 | Updated 14 October 2011

• Current activities
• Background
• Academic qualifications
• Achievements
• Professional activities

Current activities

Dr Kookana leads a research team working on chemistry and ecotoxicology of organic contaminants in the environment with a view to minimise their adverse impact on aquatic and terrestrial environments.

Research topics of interest have included:

• development of pesticide risk indicators for minimising off-site impact of pesticides on water quality
• management practices for minimising off-site impact of pesticides
• environmental fate and behaviour of organic micro-pollutants in reclaimed water and biosolids
• environmental fate and effects of pharmaceuticals and personal care products
• the role of biochar (black carbon) on sequestration and bioavailability of organic contaminants
• tools and approaches for ecological risk assessment.

Background

Dr Kookana has over 20 years research experience as an environmental chemist focusing on the fate of organic contaminants, including pesticides, endocrine disrupting chemicals, pharmaceuticals and personal care products in environment.

Dr Kookana's recent professional experience includes:

• occurrence, environmental fate and effects of triclosan and other antimicrobial agents on terrestrial ecosystems
• fate of micropollutants during aquifer storage and recovery of reclaimed water
• linking pharmacokinetics to environmental fate of pharmaceutical drugs
• characterising risks of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in aquatic ecosystems
• the role of chemistry of soil organic matter on pesticide sorption, mobility and bioavailability
• risk based approaches for minimising off-site impacts of pesticides.

Academic qualifications

Dr Kookana was awarded a:

• Bachelor of Science with Honours in Agriculture (1978) and a Master of Science in Soil Science (1980) from Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, India
• Doctor of Philosophy in Soil Science from The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia in 1989.

His doctoral dissertation was titled Equilibrium and kinetic aspects of sorption, desorption and mobility of pesticides in soil.

Achievements

Dr Kookana is the author of 145 journal articles, 15 book chapters, 26 conference papers and several reports. His publications have been cited over 2500 times.

Dr Kookana’s research on minimising off-site impacts of pesticides has made significant contributions to the Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture. His risk indicator (Pesticide Impact Rating Index- PIRI) is used worldwide for minimising pesticide impact on environment.

Professional activities

Dr Kookana is a member of:

• science Fellow of the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA)
• board member of the Society for Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) - Asia Pacific chapter and;
• member of the editorial boards of three international journals (Journal of Environmental Quality, Soil Research and Biodegradation)

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