Take only as directed: Ibuprofen metabolite persistence in waterways of Central and North Queensland

Ibuprofen is an often over the counter, non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory analgesic used to various conditions such as pain, fever and inflammation. Because of its wide therapeutic prowess for these treatments, it is now relied on by millions of persons worldwide making ibuprofen among the world's top three most consumable drugs. Unfortunately, once removed from the human body, ibuprofen finds its way into waterbodies because conventional water treatment cannot degrade or remove ibuprofen or its metabolites at the water treatment stage. This causes the buildup of these chemicals in natural waters where it poses severe risks for aquatic species like algae, corals, mollusks, crayfish, and fish. This is why it is important to be able to monitor the levels of ibuprofen in sensitive waterways like around the Great Barrier Reef because across the food chain, eventually the drug will end up back in humans.

This study aims to develop an analytical method which can be used to determine ibuprofen in selected waterways, discharge points from water treatment plants and within treatment plants, both before and after discharge. The knowledge will also help identify the point sources of the drug and enable intervention and the prevention of further discharge.

The study will be jointly supervised by Dr Shaneel Chandra and Dr Mani Naiker and based at the Central Queensland Innovation and Research Precinct at the Rockhampton North Campus. In some cases, it could be hosted at other campuses.