Supervising Scientist research profiles
Background
Dr Andrew Harford is a Senior Research Scientist and the acting Team Leader of the Water and Sediment Quality (WASQ) team. The WASQ team uses an integrated creek monitoring program to predict and measure the potential impacts from mine-water discharges. This involves the use of field-based biomonitoring tools to assess the impacts of mine-water discharges from the Ranger mine and the derivation of water/sediment quality standards using laboratory toxicity tests and field-based observations. The WASQ team also develops new standardised biological toxicity tests and leading-edge tools for biomonitoring, such as genomics and videography. Andrew also co-manages the Ecological Risk Assessment program, which brings together all the knowledge acquired for the Ranger mine. This knowledge is used to assess the risks of individual stressors, their cumulative risks and identify Key Knowledge Needs. He has also provided his expertise to collaborative projects to help extend the capacity of ecotoxicology and ecological risk assessment for other mines and for tropical marine environments.
Areas of expertise and research interests
Aquatic ecotoxicology (including freshwater and marine), biomonitoring and field-based toxicity assessments, sediment ecotoxicology, ecogenomics, environmental statistics, ecological risk assessment, Weight of Evidence approaches using Multiple Lines of Evidence.
Key publications
Trenfield, MA, Harford, AJ, Mooney, T, Ellis, M, Humphrey, CL & van Dam, RA (2018), Integrating laboratory and field studies to assess impacts of discharge from a uranium mine and validate a water quality guideline value for Magnesium. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management. Accepted Author Manuscript. doi:10.1002/ieam.4098
Kleinhenz LS, Trenfield MA, Mooney TJ, Humphrey CL, van Dam RA, Nugegoda D & Harford AJ (2018). Acute Ammonia Toxicity to the Larvae (Glochidia) of the Tropical Australian Freshwater Mussel Velesunio spp. Using a Modified Toxicity Test Protocol. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 37(8), 2175-2187.
Mooney TJ, Pease C, Trenfield M, van Dam R & Harford AJ (2018). Modeling the pH–ammonia toxicity relationship for Hydra viridissima in soft waters with low ionic concentrations. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 37(4), 1189-1196.
Bartolo RE, Harford AJ, Humphrey CL, George AK & van Dam RA (2018). Defining the importance of ecological processes for monitoring aquatic habitats for conservation and rehabilitation objectives at the Ranger uranium mine, Kakadu Region, Australia. Marine and Freshwater Research 69(7), 1026-1046.
Bayliss P, Finlayson C, Innes J, Norman-López A, Bartolo R, Harford A, Pettit NE, Humphrey CL, van Dam R & Dutra L (2018). An integrated risk-assessment framework for multiple threats to floodplain values in the Kakadu Region, Australia, under a changing climate. Marine and Freshwater Research 69(7), 1159-1185.
van Dam RA, Hogan AC & Harford AJ (2017). Development and implementation of a site‐specific water quality limit for uranium in a high conservation value ecosystem. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management 13(4), 765-777.
Sutcliffe B, Chariton AA, Harford AJ, Hose GC, Greenfield P, Elbourne LDH, Oytam Y, Stephenson S, Midgley DJ & Paulsen IT (2017). Effects of uranium concentration on microbial community structure and functional potential. Environmental Microbiology 19 (8), 3323-3341.
Mooney TJ, Harford AJ, Trenfield MA, Pease CJ, Hogan AC & van Dam RA (2016). Increasing uranium exposure durations to the aquatic snail Amerianna cumingi does not result in lower toxicity estimates. Enivronmental Toxicology & Chemistry 35 (11), 2851-2858.
Harford AJ, Mooney TJ, Trenfield MA & van Dam RA (2015) Manganese toxicity to tropical freshwater species in low hardness water. Enivronmental Toxicology & Chemistry 34(12), 2856-2863.
Harford AJ, Hogan AC, Jones DR & van Dam RA (2015). Ecotoxicology of highly treated mine waters: Lessons from an Australian mine. Mine Water and the Environment 34(1), 75-86.
Prouse AE, Hogan AC, Harford AJ, van Dam RA & Nugegoda D (2015) Hydra viridissima (Green hydra) rapidly recover from multiple magnesium pulse exposures. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. 34(8), 1734-43.
Harford AJ, Jones DR & van Dam RA (2013). Highly treated mine waters may require major ion addition before environmental release. Science of The Total Environment 443(15), 143-151.
Hogan AC, Trenfield MA, Harford AJ & van Dam RA (2013). Toxicity of magnesium pulses to tropical freshwater species and the development of a duration‐based water quality guideline. Enivronmental Toxicology & Chemistry 32(9), 1969-1980.
Harford AJ, Hogan AC, Jones DR & van Dam RA (2011). Ecotoxicological assessment of a polyelectrolyte flocculant. Water research 45(19), 6393-6402.
van Dam RA, Hogan AC, McCullough CD, Houston MA, Humphrey CL & Harford AJ (2010). Aquatic toxicity of magnesium sulfate, and the influence of calcium, in very low ionic concentration water. Enivronmental Toxicology & Chemistry 29(2), 410-421.
All publications at https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0330-7505