Student Spotlight - Pulasthi Serasinghe

Category: Our People

  07 Jul 2024

Name: Pulasthi Serasinghe

Degree: PhD (Applied Biology and Biotechnology)

Topic: Advancing Detection Strategies for Emerging Pesticides in Surface Waters

Institution: Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University, Australia

Supervisors: Vincent Pettigrove, Dayanthi Nugegoda, Saman Buddhadhasa, Hao Nguyen

Completion Date: March 2024

Email: pulasthi.serasinghe@rmit.edu.au, pulasthiwow123@gmail.com

About myself

I earned a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Food Science and Technology from the University of New South Wales, Sydney, in 2019. Throughout my four years there, I immersed myself in various fields of biosciences related to food and agriculture. My hands-on experience through multiple internships allowed me to delve into the regulation and examination of biological and chemical residues in diverse matrices, including food and the environment.

This exposure ignited a deep passion for integrating agriculture and environmental sciences, leading me to pursue a PhD. In 2020, I joined the Aquatic Environmental Stress Research Group (AQUEST) and the Aquatic Pollution Prevention Partnership (A3P) under the mentorship of Professors Vincent Pettigrove and Dayanthi Nugegoda. My doctoral research focuses on identifying and detecting emerging pesticides in non-target aquatic systems. Collaborating with the National Measurement Institute (NMI) Australia, I aimed to develop and apply novel sampling and analytical techniques to enhance detection capabilities, thereby protecting aquatic ecosystems from harmful pesticide impacts.

My primary research interests include environmental science, analytical chemistry, and applied biotechnology, with a keen focus on safeguarding our natural water systems from micropollutant contamination.

Research Summary

Pesticide monitoring programs play a vital role in assessing environmental pesticide contamination and aligning it with water quality standards. They assist in pinpointing contamination sources in catchment regions, offering crucial insights for management decisions. However, challenges arise in selecting which pesticides to monitor, given the constant influx of new ones in the market. The diversity of pesticides for various land uses and their varied application times complicates the design of effective monitoring strategies. Moreover, differing agency criteria and insufficient database capacity contribute to the risk of unchecked pesticide exposure in aquatic ecosystems. Currently, there is limited research on emerging pesticides in Australian regional areas due to the absence of a robust regional pesticide assessment framework. This hampers the monitoring of emerging pesticides in non-target aquatic systems, with existing studies in Victoria focusing on a narrow range of pesticide groups, representing only a fraction of potentially used pesticides in the region. My PhD research is centered around the identification and detection of emerging pesticides in local surface water systems, with a particular focus on the Greater Melbourne area. I have developed a prioritization approach for assessing pesticides in local catchments, which was tested in this region. This approach combines broad-scale passive sampling with high-resolution mass spectrometry-based suspect screening to identify multiple pesticides that may be of concern. In the later stages of my research, I investigated the seasonal occurrence of these pesticides and worked on developing a robust and sensitive multi-residue method to accurately quantify their presence in surface water systems. The overall goal of my PhD project is to provide valuable insights that will assist in the advancement of regional monitoring programs in effectively and accurately tracking these newly identified pesticides in water systems. This monitoring is essential for regulating these pesticides and ultimately protecting non-target aquatic organisms and their ecosystems.

Where to from here?

I am excited to share that I have recently passed my PhD examination at RMIT University. The past four years have been a tremendous experience, allowing me to work closely with some amazing individuals in our field.

Currently, I am working as a research officer within AQUEST at RMIT University, focusing on several projects related to water quality and micropollutant analysis in surface water systems. My primary responsibilities involve developing innovative analytical methods and updating screening approaches to accurately detect and measure novel pollutants that may contaminate water systems and adversely affect non-target aquatic ecosystems.

Looking ahead, my long-term career goals include continuing research in environmental water management and protection. I am particularly interested in collaborating with industry partners and Australian government institutions. By working closely on policy and regulation, I aim to contribute to the management of novel chemicals, especially pesticides, to minimize non-target environmental exposure at its source.