Selenium: a significant environmental toxin
Pattanan Tarin
GeoQuest Research Centre
Seeing the world facing many
environmental problems, Pattanan Tarin developed a passion for environmental
studies after her undergraduate years. With a background in science and
specifically in analytical chemistry, she chose to do a PhD in environmental
chemistry, receiving financial support from the Thai Government. She has nearly
completed her PhD which spanned Chemistry and Environmental Science.
The project investigates selenium contamination in Port Kembla Harbour, NSW. A metalloid, selenium received little attention from research scientists in the past due to a lack of its significant environmental awareness and a lack of suitable analytical techniques. In Australia, while many areas are facing selenium deficiency due to low selenium concentrations in the soil, toxically high selenium concentrations are found in some industrial polluted marinas including Port Kembla Harbour that could pose harm to aquatic organisms as well as to humans if it enters the food chain. Presently, there is still much to understand about its paradoxically complex behaviours in the environment.
Pattanan’s current work looks at the speciation, binding phases, bioavailability and diagenetic behaviours of selenium in the sediments. She is also developing methods for selenium speciation in these marine sediments using HPLC and HG-AAS/ICP-MS.
Pattanan shares something of her journey: “My PhD journey so far has been an interesting but not a painless one. Initially aspired to focus and work hard on the project, I soon found myself going off tracks and get distracted too often, especially at the times of facing difficulties, mistakes and failure in my research work to a point of disbelief in the significance of science research. With the support of my supervisors, colleagues and friends through the years I have managed to recover my faith and passion in science which I am now keeping ahead of my curiosities in behavioural sciences, business, language and philosophy. Personally it has been a worthwhile detour! After completing the last chapter of my PhD thesis, the next chapter of my career will be working for the Thai government (Pollution Control Department) in Bangkok where I hope to focus on practical applications of science research and expand my horizon into environmental education and community awareness as well as pursue other passions in social and humanity related issues as my hobbies.”
