Dr Melanie Trenfield
Melanie has been involved in freshwater and marine research for 11 years. Her PhD research, conducted in Darwin, investigated the influence of dissolved organic carbon on the speciation and toxicity of uranium and aluminium to tropical freshwater organisms. Melanie is now extending her toxicological experience to include marine species and has joined NAMRA to carry out this 3 year research project. Melanie along with Joost van Dam (AIMS) is conducting the research at the AIMS aquaria facility in Darwin. The project is also funded by Rio Tinto Alumina (RTA) and NT Research Innovation Board and is lead by the research team of Professor David Parry (RTTI), Dr Rick van Dam (eriss), Dr Andrew Harford (eriss), Professor Karen Gibb (CDU) and Dr Ed Butler (AIMS).
Selected publications
1) Trenfield, M.A; McDonald, S.; Kovacs, K.; Lesher, E.; Pringle, J.M.; Markich, S.J.; Ng, J.C.; Noller, B.; van Dam, R.A. Dissolved organic carbon reduces uranium bioavailability and toxicity. 1. Characterisation of aquatic fulvic acid and its complexation with uranium[VI]. Environ. Sci. Technol. 45, 3075-3081. DOI: 10.1021/es103330w
2) Trenfield, M.A.; Ng, J.C.; Noller, B.N.; Markich, S.J.; van Dam, R.A. Dissolved organic carbon reduces uranium bioavailability and toxicity. 2. Uranium[VI] speciation and toxicity to three tropical freshwater organisms. Environ. Sci. Technol. 45, 3082-3089. DOI: 10.1021/es103349a
3) Trenfield, M.A.; Ng, J.C.; Noller, B.N.; Markich, S.J.; van Dam, R.A. (2012). Dissolved organic carbon reduces aluminium toxicity to three tropical freshwater organisms. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 31(2):427-36. DOI: 10.1002/etc.1704.
4) Trenfield, M.A.; Ng, J.C.; Noller, B.N.; Markich, S.J.; van Dam, R.A. (2012). Dissolved organic carbon reduces uranium toxicity to the unicellular eukaryote Euglena gracilis. Ecotoxicology 21(4):1013-23. DOI: 10.1007/s10646-012-0855-x.
Current projects
