Alex Pulkownik

Dr Alex Pulkownik


Current Appointment: Head of Department Contact: Department of Environmental Sciences University of Technology, Sydney PO Box 123 BROADWAY NSW 2007 Australia Office: Building 4, Room 5.49B Phone: +61 2 9514 4035 Fax: +61 2 9514 4079 E-mail: Alex.Pulkownik@uts.edu.au PROFILE Alex has a BSc with chemistry and biochemistry majors, MSc in microbial enzymology and a PhD in the ecotoxicology of metals in estuarine plants. She is currently an affiliate member of the Institute for Water and Environmental Resource Management (IWERM) and a foundation member of the Centre for Ecotoxicology. Over the past 15 years she has been involved in a range of research projects and research consultancies and has supervised and co-supervised numerous senior undergraduate and postgraduate research projects, several Honours, Masters by research and PhD students. Alex is currently the Head of Department and the Course Director for BSc (Environmental Forensics). At various times she has been Associate Head of Department, Course Director of both undergraduate and postgraduate courses, and First-Year Coordinator. She has taught widely in the environmental science area at UTS, both in undergraduate and postgraduate coursework RESEARCH Current research interests and group projects Ecotoxicology Responses of estuarine plants to metal contamination Ecology and management of estuarine plant communities Development of phytotoxicity assessment methodology based on OECD Terrestrial Plants Growth Test, Guideline 208. Phytoremediation potential of Australian native plants in contaminated sites Over the past 10 years we have developed strong collaborative links with the following agencies: CSIRO Centre for Environmental Contaminants Research (CERC) Department of Environment and Conservation Hunters Hill Council NSW Department of Agriculture NSW Department of Mineral Resources Royal Botanical Gardens Ryde City Council Sydney Olympic Park Authority Sydney Water POST-GRADUATE SUPERVISION *Current & recently completed projects* Conservation of Wilsonia backhousei and Lampranthus tegens. Mangrove algae as indicators of estuarine pollution. Factors influencing saltmarsh distribution at Haslam’s Creek, Homebush Bay. Development of methodologies for phytotoxicity assessment. Potential for phytoremediation of a metalliferous mines sites at Mt Costigan, NSW. Ecotoxicology of soils at Peelwood, NSW Heavy metal contamination in tropical freshwater lake, Vietnam. Assessment of the macroinvertebrate communities within Botany Wetlands – An Investigation of Impacts from a Disused Tip-site. CURRENT UNDERGRADUATE TEACHING Contemporary Environmental Issues (co-ordinator)* Biology and Ecology Biological Hazards and Toxicology Ecosystem Protection (co-ordinator)* Environmental Forensics (co-ordinator)* OTHER ACTIVITIES Associate Editor, Australasian Journal of Ecotoxicology Member of: Australasian Society for Ecotoxicology, Council member The Association for Environmental Health and Sciences Australian Water Association Society of Wetland Scientists QUALIFICATIONS BSc (University of Sydney) MSc (University of Sydney) PhD (UTS) SELECTED REFEREED PUBLICATIONS AND TECHNICAL REPORTS Melville F & Pulkownik A. 2006 Investigation of mangrove macroalgae as bioindicators of estuarine contamination. Marine Pollution Bulletin 52, 1260-1269. Sommerville K, Rossetto M & Pulkownik A. 2006. Isolation and characterisation of polymorphic microsatellite loci from Wilsonia backhousei (Convolvulaceae). Molecular Ecology Notes 6, 419-421. Chapman J, Hyne RV, Kumar A, McLaughlin M, Markich S, Mortimer M, Pulkownik A, Stauber J, Wilson SP & Thompson G. 2005. Chapter 111 Ecotoxicology In Expert Evidence I Freckelton & H Selby (eds) Thomson Lawbook Co Ltd, Sydney Melville F, Pulkownik A & Burchett MD. 2005. Zonal and seasonal variation in the distribution and abundance of mangrove macroalgae in the Parramatta River, Australia. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 64, 267-276. Melville F, Burchett MD & Pulkownik A. 2004. Genetic variation among age-classes of the mangrove Avicennia marina in clean and contaminated sediments. Marine Pollution Bulletin 49, 695-703. Pulkownik A & Burchett MD. 2004. Post-remediation Ecological Assessment of Buffalo Creek, Field of Mars Wildlife Refuge. Report to Ryde City Council, May 2004 MacFarlane G, Pulkownik A & Burchett MD. 2003. Accumulation and distribution of heavy metals in the grey mangrove, Avicennia marina (Forsk.) Vierh.: biological indication potential. Envir. Poll. 123, 139-151. Melville F, Burchett MD & Pulkownik A. 2002. Genetic variation in Avicennia marina in three estuaries of Sydney (Australia) and implications for rehabilitation and management. Marine Pollution Bulletin 44, 469-479. Pulkownik A, Burchett MD & Melville F. 2003. Plant Phytotoxicity Testing of Soils. Report to Coffey Geosciences Pty Ltd, AccessUTS, 15 pp. Burchett MD, Pulkownik A & Eamus D. 2003. Review of Health and Environmental Risk Assessments Homebush Bay Redevelopment Area - Sydney Olympic Park and Considerations for Future Management. Report to Sydney Olympic Park Authority, IWERM, Sydney, 150 pp. Pulkownik A. 2000. Ecotoxicology of Metals in Estuarine Plants. PhD Thesis, University of Technology, Sydney. Burchett MD, Pulkownik A & Seychell O. 2000. Homebush Bay Wetlands Ecology Project – Project Report for 1999 – 2000. Final report to OCA, 50 pp. Burchett MD, Pulkownik A, Melville F & MacFarlane G. 2000. Status of Mangrove Community Tarban Creek Final report to Hunters Hill Council, 20pp.