Dr. Cassandra Rauert has recently joined QAEHS as a Research Fellow. She was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Birmingham in 2014, working with Professor Stuart Harrad. Her Ph.D. project was part of a European Union Initial Training Network on human exposure to flame retardants in the indoor environment (titled INFLAME). Her research focussed on determining migration pathways of flame retardants (polybrominated diphenyl ethers and hexabromocyclododecanes) from treated commercial products to indoor air and dust.
Following her Ph.D. she has completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship at Environment and Climate Change Canada (Toronto, Canada) with Dr. Tom Harner. In this position she was the principal researcher for the Global Atmospheric Passive Sampling (GAPS) Network. Her research involved developing new analysis methods for emerging chemicals of concern to expand the capabilities of the network, and determining spatial and temporal global atmospheric trends of a wide range persistent organic pollutants and emerging chemicals of concern (including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, organophosphate esters and novel flame retardants). She also developed a novel method for determining historic atmospheric trends and concentrations of polycyclic aromatic compounds from tree cores.
Her key research interests at QAEHS include investigating human and environmental exposure to priority pollutants through novel passive sampling methods (e.g. silicone implants and wristbands) and non-target screening methods for emerging organic environmental pollutants.
PEER REVIEWED PUBLICATONS
Saini, A., Clarke, J., Jariyasopit, N., Rauert, C., Schuster, J.K., Halappanavar, S., Evans, G.J., Su, Y., Harner, T. (2019) Flame retardants in urban air: A case study in Toronto targeting distinct source sectors. Environmental Pollution, 247, 89-97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2019.01.027
Lai, F.Y., Rauert, C., Gobelius, L., Ahrens, L. (2019) A critical review on passive sampling in air and water for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs). Trends in Analytical Chemistry, In Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trac.2018.11.009
Rauert, C., Harner, T., Schuster, J.K., Eng, A., Fillmann, G., Castillo, L.E., Fentanes, O., Ibarra, M.V., Miglioranza, K.S.B., Rivadeneira, I.M., Pozo, K., Zuluaga, B.H.A. (2018) Air monitoring of new and legacy POPs in the Group of Latin America and Caribbean (GRULAC) region. Environmental Pollution, 243 Part B, 1252-1262. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2018.09.048
Harner, T., Rauert, C., Muir, D., Schuster, J., Hsu, Y-M., Zhang, L., Marson, G., Watson, J.G., Ahad, J., Cho, S., Jariyasopit, N., Kirk, J., Korosi, J., Landis, M., Martin, J., Zhang, Y., Fernie, K., Wentworth, G.G., Wnorowski, A., Dabek, E., Charland, J-P., Pauli, B., Wania, F., Galarneau, E., Cheng, I., Makar, P., Whaley, C., Chow, J.C., Wang, X. (2018) Air synthesis review: Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds in the Oil Sands Region. Environmental Reviews, 26, 430-468. https://doi.org/10.1139/er-2018-0039
Rauert, C., Harner, T., Schuster, J.K., Eng, A., Fillman, G., Castillo, L.E., Fentanes, O., Ibarra, M.V., Miglioranza, K.S.B., Rivadeneira, I.M., Pozo, K., Zuluaga, B.H.A. (2018) Atmospheric concentrations of new POPs and emerging chemicals of concern in the Group of Latin America and Caribbean (GRULAC) region. Environmental Science and Technology, 52, 7240-7249. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.8b00995
Rauert, C., Shoeib, M., Schuster, J.K., Eng, A., Harner, T. (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. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2018.03.017
Rauert, C., Schuster, J.K., Eng, A., Harner, T. (2018) Global atmospheric concentrations of brominated, chlorinated flame retardants and organophosphate esters. Environmental Science and Technology, 52, 2777-2789. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.7b06239
Bramwell, L., Harrad, S., Abdallah, M.A-E., Rauert, C., Rose, M., Fernandes, A., Pless-Mulloli. T. (2017) Predictors of human PBDE body burdens for a UK cohort. Chemosphere, 189, 186-197. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.08.062
Rauert, C., Kananathalingam, A., Harner, T. (2017) Characterization and modeling of Polycyclic Aromatic Compound uptake into spruce tree wood. Environmental Science and Technology, 51, 5287-5295. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.7b01297
García-Alcega, S., Rauert, C., Harrad, S., Collins, C.D. (2016). Does the source migration pathway of HBCDs to household dust influence their bio-accessibility? Science of the Total Environment, 569–570, 244–251. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.04.178
Saini, A., Rauert, C., Simpson, M. J., Harrad, S., Diamond, M.L. (2016). Characterizing the sorption of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) to cotton and polyester fabrics under controlled conditions. Science of the Total Environment, 563–564, 99–107. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.04.099
Rauert, C., Harner, T., Schuster, J.K., Quinto, K., Fillmann, G., Castillo, L.E., Fentanes, O., Villa Ibarra, M., Miglioranza, K., Moreno Rivadeneira, I., Pozo, K., Padilla Puerta, A., Aristizabal Zuluaga, B.H. (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. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.06.229
Shoeib, M., Schuster, J., Rauert, C., Su, K., Smith, S-A., Harner, T. (2016). Emission of poly and perfluoroalkyl substances, UV-filters and siloxanes to air from wastewater treatment plants. Environmental Pollution, 218, 595-604. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2016.07.043
Rauert, C., Harner, T. (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. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2016.06.024
Rauert, C., Kuribara, I., Kataoka, T., Wada, T., Kajiwara, N., Suzuki, G., Takigami, H., Harrad, S. (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. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.12.054
Shoeib, T., Hassan, Y., Rauert, C., Harner T. (2016). Poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in indoor dust and food packaging materials in Egypt: Trends in developed and developing countries. Chemosphere, 144, 1573-1575. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2015.08.066
Rauert, C., 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. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.07.050
Rauert, C., Harrad, S., Suzuki, G., Takigami, H., Uchida, N., 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. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.06.029
Rauert, C., Harrad, S., Stranger, M., Lazarov, B. (2014). Test chamber investigation of the volatilisation from source materials of brominated flame retardants and their subsequent deposition to indoor dust. Indoor Air, 25, 393-404. https://doi.org/10.1111/ina.12151
Rauert, C., Lazarov, B., Harrad, S., Covaci, A., Stranger, M. (2014). A review of chamber experiments for determining specific emission rates and investigating migration pathways of flame retardants. Atmospheric Environment, 82, 44–55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2013.10.003
Allen, J.G., Stapelton, H.M., Vallarino, J., Mcneely, E., Mcclean, M., Harrad, S., Rauert, C., Spenger J.D. (2013). Exposure to flame retardant chemicals on commercial airplanes. Environmental Health, 12:17. https://doi.org/10.1186/1476-069X-12-17