Researcher biography

Dr Ben Tscharke is an early career researcher and analytical chemist with a keen interest in quantifying analytes in environmental samples. Ben is currently a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Queensland research institute, Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), joining in February 2017 after graduating his PhD from the University of South Australia the previous year. His key focus at QAEHS involves the wastewater based epidemiological approach to determine community consumption and exposure to a range of illicit drugs, pharmaceuticals and personal care products. He has significant involvement in the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission's National Wastewater Drug Monitoring program, for which UQ collaborates with the University of South Australia (https://www.acic.gov.au/publications/intelligence-products/national-wastewater-drug-monitoring-program-report).

Featured projects Duration
Improving Estimation of Tobacco Use by Wastewater-based Epidemiology
Australian Research Council
Innovative Sampling Strategies for Improved Wastewater-based Epidemiology
Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission
Wastewater Analysis for Drug Monitoring in Correctional Facilities
Queensland Corrective Services
National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program
Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission
Understanding Australia by Analysing Wastewater During the Census 2021
ARC Linkage Project
Estimating the Use of Tobacco and Nicotine Products Through Wastewater Analysis
ARC Linkage Project
20192024
Using Multiple Data Sources to Understand the Opioid Crisis in Australia
ARC Linkage Project
Wastewater analysis for legal and illicit tobacco use estimation in Australia
Using multiple data sources to understand the opioid crisis in Australia (PhD Project)
QAEHS HDR Student Project
Estimating use of nicotine containing products and evaluating tobacco-related health risks through wastewater analysis
QAEHS HDR Student Project
Assessing the Toxicity and Metabolism of New Psychoactive Substances and their Presence in Wastewater
Australia-Germany Joint Research Co-operation Scheme
Phthalates and Bisphenols in Australian Wastewater: Estimating Contributions from Point and Diffuse Sources
QAEHS HDR Student Project
Temporal Trend Analysis and Optimisation of Exposure Monitoring Designs
QAEHS HDR Student Project
Wastewater Analysis for the Detection of World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited Substances
QAEHS HDR Student Project
20192022