Cassandra is a Research Fellow at QAEHS, joining the group in 2019. She completed her PhD at the University of Birmingham in 2014 where her research focussed on determining how humans are exposed to flame retardants from their indoor environments. Following her PhD she completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship at Environment and Climate Change Canada where she was the principal researcher for the Global Atmospheric Passive Sampling (GAPS) Network, researching chemicals of concern in the atmosphere. Following her Postdoctoral Fellowship she worked for the Oil Sands Monitoring Program in Canada, assisting with facilitating a multi-stakeholder funding program for assessing environmental impact of Oil Sands operations, before returning to Australia in 2019.
At QAEHS she is the project lead investigating human exposure to microplastics and developing new methods for detecting micro and nanoplastics in human matrices. Her other research interests include the impact of tyre road wear particles and the chemical additives they contain on urban water ways, and developing novel biomonitoring methods for assessing human exposure to chemicals of concern (e.g. silicone wristbands and breast implants).
Publications
Journal Articles
Okoffo, Elvis D., Rauert, Cassandra and Thomas, Kevin V. (2023). Mass quantification of microplastic at wastewater treatment plants by pyrolysis-gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Science of the Total Environment, 856 (Part 2) 159251, 1-8. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159251
Rauert, Cassandra, Vardy, Suzanne, Daniell, Benjamin, Charlton, Nathan and Thomas, Kevin V. (2022). Tyre additive chemicals, tyre road wear particles and high production polymers in surface water at 5 urban centres in Queensland, Australia. Science of the Total Environment, 852 158468, 1-9. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158468
Okoffo, Elvis D., Chan, Clement Matthew, Rauert, Cassandra, Kaserzon, Sarit and Thomas, Kevin V. (2022). Identification and Quantification of Micro-Bioplastics in Environmental Samples by Pyrolysis–Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry. Environmental Science & Technology, 56 (19), 13774-13785. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.2c04091
Rødland, Elisabeth S., Lind, Ole Christian, Reid, Malcolm J., Heier, Lene S., Okoffo, Elvis D., Rauert, Cassandra, Thomas, Kevin V. and Meland, Sondre (2022). Occurrence of tire and road wear particles in urban and peri-urban snowbanks, and their potential environmental implications. Science of The Total Environment, 824 153785, 1-11. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153785
Burrows, Stephen D., Ribeiro, Francisca, O'Brien, Stacey, Okoffo, Elvis, Toapanta, Tania, Charlton, Nathan, Kaserzon, Sarit, Lin, Chun-Yin, Tang, Cheng, Rauert, Cassandra, Wang, Xianyu, Shimko, Katja, O'Brien, Jake, Townsend, Piers A., Grayson, Matthew N., Galloway, Tamara and Thomas, Kevin V. (2022). The message on the bottle: rethinking plastic labelling to better encourage sustainable use. Environmental Science and Policy, 132, 109-118. doi: 10.1016/j.envsci.2022.02.015
Okoffo, Elvis D., O'Brien, Stacey, O'Brien, Jake W., Tscharke, Benjamin J., Rauert, Cassandra, Rødland, Elisabeth S., Ribeiro, Francisca, Burrows, Stephen D., Toapanta, Tania, Mueller, Jochen F. and Thomas, Kevin V. (2022). Does size matter? Quantification of plastics associated with size fractionated biosolids. Science of The Total Environment, 811 152382, 152382. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.152382
Rødland, Elisabeth S., Samanipour, Saer, Rauert, Cassandra, Okoffo, Elvis D., Reid, Malcom J., Heier, Lene S., Lind, Ole Christian, Thomas, Kevin V. and Meland, Sondre (2022). A novel method for the quantification of tire and polymer-modified bitumen particles in environmental samples by pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectroscopy. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 423 (Pt A) 127092, 127092. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.127092
Wang, Xianyu, Okoffo, Elvis D., Banks, Andrew P. W., Li, Yan, Thomas, Kevin V., Rauert, Cassandra, Aylward, Lesa L. and Mueller, Jochen F. (2022). Phthalate esters in face masks and associated inhalation exposure risk. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 423 (Pt A) 127001, 1-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.127001
Rauert, Cassandra, Charlton, Nathan, Okoffo, Elvis D., Stanton, Ryan S., Agua, Alon R., Pirrung, Michael C. and Thomas, Kevin V. (2022). Concentrations of tire additive chemicals and tire road wear particles in an Australian urban tributary. Environmental Science and Technology, 56 (4), 2421-2431. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.1c07451
Rauert, Cassandra, Pan, Yufei, Okoffo, Elvis D., O’Brien, Jake W. and Thomas, Kevin V. (2022). Extraction and pyrolysis-GC-MS analysis of polyethylene in samples with medium to high lipid content. Journal of Environmental Exposure Assessment, 1 (2), 13. doi: 10.20517/jeea.2022.04
O’Brien, Stacey, Okoffo, Elvis Dartey, Rauert, Cassandra, O’Brien, Jake W., Ribeiro, Francisca, Burrows, Stephen D., Toapanta, Tania, Wang, Xianyu and Thomas, Kevin V. (2021). Quantification of selected microplastics in Australian urban road dust. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 416 125811, 125811. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.125811
Dessì, Claudia, Okoffo, Elvis D., O’Brien, Jake W., Gallen, Michael, Samanipour, Saer, Kaserzon, Sarit, Rauert, Cassandra, Wang, Xianyu and Thomas, Kevin V. (2021). Plastics contamination of store-bought rice. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 416 125778, 1-10. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.125778
Okoffo, Elvis D., Donner, Erica, McGrath, Steve P., Tscharke, Benjamin J., O'Brien, Jake W., O'Brien, Stacey, Ribeiro, Francisca, Burrows, Stephen D., Toapanta, Tania, Rauert, Cassandra, Samanipour, Saer, Mueller, Jochen F. and Thomas, Kevin V. (2021). Plastics contamination in archived biosolids from 1950 to 2016. Water Research, 201 117367, 1-7. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2021.117367
Harrad, Stuart, Tsang, Daniel C. W., Boontanon, Suwanna Kitpati, Luo, Xiao-Jun, Abafe, Ovokeroye A., Bagheri, Habib, Eljarrat, Ethel, Wang, Thanh, Martincigh, Bice, Al-Mamun, Habibullah, Mao, Hong-Jun, Mahmood, Adeel, Poma, Giulia, Rauert, Cassandra and Melymuk, Lisa (2021). Welcome to the Journal of Environmental Exposure Assessment. Journal of Environmental Exposure Assessment. doi: 10.20517/jeea.2021.01
Schuster, Jasmin K., Harner, Tom, Eng, Anita, Rauert, Cassandra, Su, Ky, Hornbuckle, Keri C. and Johnson, Connor W. (2021). Tracking POPs in global air from the first 10 years of the GAPS Network (2005 to 2014). Environmental Science and Technology, 55 (14) acs.est.1c01705, 9479-9488. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.1c01705
Rauert, Cassandra, Rødland, Elisabeth S., Okoffo, Elvis D., Reid, Malcolm J., Meland, Sondre and Thomas, Kevin V. (2021). Challenges with quantifying tire road wear particles: recognizing the need for further refinement of the ISO technical specification. Environmental Science and Technology Letters, 8 (3) acs.estlett.0c00949, 231-236. doi: 10.1021/acs.estlett.0c00949
Okoffo, Elvis D., O'Brien, Stacey, Ribeiro, Francisca, Burrows, Stephen D., Toapanta, Tania, Rauert, Cassandra, O'Brien, Jake W., Tscharke, Benjamin J., Wang, Xianyu and Thomas, Kevin V. (2021). Plastic particles in soil: state of the knowledge on sources, occurrence and distribution, analytical methods and ecological impacts. Environmental Science: Processes and Impacts, 23 (2), 240-274. doi: 10.1039/d0em00312c
O'Brien, Stacey, Okoffo, Elvis D., O'Brien, Jake W., Ribeiro, Francisca, Wang, Xianyu, Wright, Stephanie L., Samanipour, Saer, Rauert, Cassandra, Toapanta, Tania Yessenia Alajo, Albarracin, Rizsa and Thomas, Kevin V. (2020). Airborne emissions of microplastic fibres from domestic laundry dryers. Science of the Total Environment, 747 141175, 1-6. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141175
Rauert, Cassandra, Kaserzon, Sarit L., Veal, Cameron, Yeh, Ruby Y., Mueller, Jochen F. and Thomas, Kevin V. (2020). The first environmental assessment of hexa(methoxymethyl)melamine and co-occurring cyclic amines in Australian waterways. Science of the Total Environment, 743 140834, 140834. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140834
Ahad, Jason M. E., Macdonald, Robie W., Parrott, Joanne L., Yang, Zeyu, Zhang, Yifeng, Siddique, Tariq, Kuznetsova, Alsu, Rauert, Cassandra, Galarneau, Elisabeth, Studabaker, William B., Evans, Marlene, McMaster, Mark E. and Shang, Dayue (2020). Polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) in the Canadian environment: A review of sampling techniques, strategies and instrumentation. Environmental Pollution, 266 114988, 114988. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.114988
Rauert, Cassandra, Harner, Tom, Ahad, Jason M.E. and Percy, Kevin E. (2020). Using tree cores to evaluate historic atmospheric concentrations and trends of polycyclic aromatic compounds in the Oil Sands region of Alberta, Canada. Science of the Total Environment, 739 139996, 139996. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139996
Rødland, Elisabeth S., Okoffo, Elvis D., Rauert, Cassandra, Heier, Lene S., Lind, Ole Christian, Reid, Malcolm, Thomas, Kevin V. and Meland, Sondre (2020). Road de-icing salt: Assessment of a potential new source and pathway of microplastics particles from roads. Science of the Total Environment, 738 139352, 139352. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139352
Saini, Amandeep, Clarke, Jenna, Jariyasopit, Narumol, Rauert, Cassandra, Schuster, Jasmin K., Halappanavar, Sabina, Evans, Greg J., Su, Yushan and Harner, Tom (2019). Flame retardants in urban air: a case study in Toronto targeting distinct source sectors. Environmental Pollution, 247, 89-97. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.01.027
Muir, D., Bossi, Rossana, Carlsson, Pernilla, Evans, Marlene, De Silva, A., Halsall, Crispin, Rauert, Cassandra, Herzke, D., Hung, Hayley, Letcher, Robert, Rigét, F. and Roos, Anna (2019). Levels and trends of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances in the Arctic environment – an update. Emerging Contaminants, 5, 240-271. doi: 10.1016/j.emcon.2019.06.002
Rauert, Cassandra, Harner, Tom, Schuster, Jasmin K., Eng, Anita, Fillmann, Gilberto, Eugenia Castillo, Luisa, Fentanes, Oscar, Villa Ibarra, Martin, Miglioranza, Karina S. B., Moreno Rivadeneira, Isabel, Pozo, Karla and Aristizabal Zuluaga, Beatriz Helena (2018). Air monitoring of new and legacy POPs in the Group of Latin America and Caribbean (GRULAC) region. Environmental Pollution, 243, 1252-1262. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.09.048
Harner, Tom, Rauert, Cassandra, Muir, Derek, Schuster, Jasmin K., Hsu, Yu-Mei, Zhang, Leiming, Marson, George, Watson, John G., Ahad, Jason, Cho, Sunny, Jariyasopit, Narumol, Kirk, Jane, Korosi, Jennifer, Landis, Matthew S., Martin, Jonathan W., Zhang, Yifeng, Fernie, Kim, Wentworth, Gregory R., Wnorowski, Andrzej, Dabek, Ewa, Charland, Jean-Pierre, Pauli, Bruce, Wania, Frank, Galarneau, Elisabeth, Cheng, Irene, Makar, Paul, Whaley, Cynthia, Chow, Judith C. and Wang, Xiaoliang (2018). Air synthesis review: polycyclic aromatic compounds in the oil sands region. Environmental Reviews, 26 (4), 430-468. doi: 10.1139/er-2018-0039
Rauert, Cassandra, Harner, Tom, Schuster, Jasmin K., Eng, Anita, Fillmann, Gilberto, Castillo, Luisa Eugenia, Fentanes, Oscar, Villa Ibarra, Martín, Miglioranza, Karina S. B., Moreno Rivadeneira, Isabel, Pozo, Karla and Aristizábal Zuluaga, Beatriz Helena (2018). Atmospheric Concentrations of New Persistent Organic Pollutants and Emerging Chemicals of Concern in the Group of Latin America and Caribbean (GRULAC) Region. Environmental Science and Technology, 52 (13), 7240-7249. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.8b00995
Rauert, Cassandra, Shoieb, Mahiba, Schuster, Jasmin K., Eng, Anita and Harner, Tom (2018). Atmospheric concentrations and trends of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and volatile methyl siloxanes (VMS) over 7 years of sampling in the Global Atmospheric Passive Sampling (GAPS) network. Environmental Pollution, 238, 94-102. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.03.017
Rauert, Cassandra, Schuster, Jasmin K., Eng, Anita and Harner, Tom (2018). Global atmospheric concentrations of brominated and chlorinated flame retardants and organophosphate esters. Environmental Science & Technology, 52 (5), 2777-2789. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.7b06239
Lai, Foon Yin, Rauert, Cassandra, Gobelius, Laura and Ahrens, Lutz (2018). A critical review on passive sampling in air and water for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs). TrAC - Trends in Analytical Chemistry, 121 115311, 115311. doi: 10.1016/j.trac.2018.11.009
Bramwell, L., Harrad, S., Abdallah, M. Abou-Elwafa, Rauert, C., Rose, M., Fernandes, A. and Pless-Mulloli, T. (2017). Predictors of human PBDE body burdens for a UK cohort. Chemosphere, 189, 186-197. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.08.062
Rauert, Cassandra, Kananathalingam, Ajitha and Harner, Tom (2017). Characterization and modeling of polycyclic aromatic compound uptake into spruce tree wood. Environmental Science & Technology, 51 (9), 5287-5295. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.7b01297
Rauert, Cassandra, Harner, Tom, Schuster, Jasmin K., Quinto, Karen, Fillmann, Gilberto, Castillo, Luisa Eugenia, Fentanes, Oscar, Ibarra, Martin Villa, Miglioranza, Karina S. B., Rivadeneira, Isabel Moreno, Pozo, Karla, Puerta, Andrea Padilla and Zuluagaj, Beatriz Helena Aristizabal (2016). Towards a regional passive air sampling network and strategy for new POPs in the GRULAC region: Perspectives from the GAPS Network and first results for organophosphorus flame retardants. Science of the Total Environment, 573, 1294-1302. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.06.229
Garcia-Alcega, Sonia, Rauert, Cassie, Harrad, Stuart and Collins, Chris D. (2016). Does the source migration pathway of HBCDs to household dust influence their bio-accessibility?. Science of the Total Environment, 569, 244-251. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.04.178
Shoeib, Mahiba, Schuster, Jasmin, Rauert, Cassandra, Su, Ky, Smyth, Shirley-Anne and Harner, Tom (2016). Emission of poly and perfluoroalkyl substances, UV-filters and siloxanes to air from wastewater treatment plants. Environmental Pollution, 218, 595-604. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2016.07.043
Rauert, Cassandra and Harner, Tom (2016). A preliminary investigation into the use of Red Pine (Pinus Resinosa) tree cores as historic passive samplers of POPs in outdoor air. Atmospheric Environment, 140, 514-518. doi: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2016.06.024
Saini, Amandeep, Rauert, Cassandra, Simpson, Myrna J., Harrad, Stuart and Diamond, Miriam L. (2016). Characterizing the sorption of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) to cotton and polyester fabrics under controlled conditions. Science of the Total Environment, 563, 99-107. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.04.099
Rauert, Cassandra, Kuribara, Isamu, Kataoka, Toshiyuki, Wada, Takeharu, Kajiwara, Natsuko, Suzuki, Go, Takigami, Hidetaka and Harrad, Stuart (2016). Direct contact between dust and HBCD-treated fabrics is an important pathway of source-to-dust transfer. Science of the Total Environment, 545, 77-83. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.12.054
Shoeib, Tamer, Hassan, Yasmeen, Rauert, Cassandra and Harner, Tom (2016). Poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in indoor dust and food packaging materials in Egypt: Trends in developed and developing countries. Chemosphere, 144, 1573-1581. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2015.08.066
Rauert, C. and Harrad, S. (2015). Mass transfer of PBDEs from plastic TV casing to indoor dust via three migration pathways - a test chamber investigation. Science of the Total Environment, 536, 568-574. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.07.050
Rauert, C., Harrad, S., Stranger, M. and Lazarov, B. (2015). Test chamber investigation of the volatilization from source materials of brominated flame retardants and their subsequent deposition to indoor dust. Indoor Air, 25 (4), 393-404. doi: 10.1111/ina.12151
Rauert, C., Harrad, S., Suzuki, G., Takigami, H., Uchida, N. and Takata, K. (2014). Test chamber and forensic microscopy investigation of the transfer of brominated flame retardants into indoor dust via abrasion of source materials. Science of the Total Environment, 493, 639-648. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.06.029
Rauert, Cassandra, Lazarov, Borislav, Harrad, Stuart, Covaci, Adrian and Stranger, Marianne (2014). A review of chamber experiments for determining specific emission rates and investigating migration pathways of flame retardants. Atmospheric Environment, 82, 44-55. doi: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2013.10.003
Allen, Joseph G., Stapleton, Heather M., Vallarino, Jose, McNeely, Eileen, McClean, Michael D., Harrad, Stuart J., Rauert, Cassandra B. and Spengler, John D. (2013). Exposure to flame retardant chemicals on commercial airplanes. Environmental Health, 12 (1) 17. doi: 10.1186/1476-069x-12-17