Getting heavy with metal

An international collaborative research project that seeks to protect the environment from metal contaminants will be launched next week in Beijing, China.

The project will be launched at the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry Asia/Pacific Conference. It will bring together scientists from CSIRO, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), and is sponsored by Rio Tinto, the International Copper Association and the Nickel Producers Environmental Research Association.

Co-Director of the CSIRO Centre for Environmental Contaminants Research, Professor Mike McLaughlin, says the project aims to develop robust scientific guidelines for safe levels of copper and nickel in Chinese soils.

‘South-East Asia is booming. Amid rapid industrialisation and expansion of urban populations, we need to ensure the environment is protected,’ McLaughlin said.

‘Use of metals is increasing. Consider the manufacturing and industrial expansion currently underway in Asia, where the pace of development has outstripped the advancement of relevant policies and regulatory guidelines.