Profile
Biography
Alistair Boxall is Professor in Environmental Science. Alistair’s research focuses on understanding emerging and future ecological and health risks posed by chemical contaminants in the natural environment. Alistair is a member of the Defra Advisory Hazardous Substances Advisory Committee and is Chair of the Pharmaceutical Advisory Group of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. He regularly advises national and international organisations on issues relating to chemical impacts on the environment and has published extensively on the topic of emerging contaminants (pharmaceuticals, nanomaterials and veterinary medicines) in the environment. Alistair is co-ordinator of the 3.5 M Euro project 'CAPACITIE' which is exploring methods for monitoring pollution in cities.
Career
| Senior Lecturer |
Department of Environment and Geography, University of York |
| PhD |
University of Sheffield |
| BSc |
Leicester Polytechnic |
Research
Overview
Alistair Boxall's research has been funded by a variety of organisations that include the UK government (DEFRA, HSE, The Environment Agency, English Nature, BBSRC, the Highways Agency), the EC, American Water Works Association Research Foundation and industry. His research work focuses on understanding the fate, transport and environmental and human health effects of emerging environmental contaminants (including human and veterinary medicines, degradates and nanomaterials).
Research group(s)
Grants
| 2008-2010 |
Cefic |
175K EURO |
Establishing relationships of biotransformation across organisms. In collaboration with Mr Chris Sinclair (CSL) |
| 2008-2010 |
Defra |
£136K |
Targeted monitoring for human pharmaceuticals in sources and final waters. In collaboration with Dr Phillipe Bersuder (Cefas), Mr Richard Williams (CEH) and Professor Richard Greenwood (University of Portsmouth) |
| 2008-2009 |
EFSA |
48K EURO |
Pre-assessment of environmental input of zinc and copper uded in animal nutrition. In collaboration with Professor Ed Tipping (CEH) |
| 2008-2010 |
Defra |
£45K |
Veterinary medicines in drinking waters. In collaboration with Professor Len Levy (Cranfield University) |
| 2007-2008 |
Defra |
£97K |
Management of the risks of cypermethrin in sheep dips, in collaboration with Dr C Ramwell (CSL) |
| 2007-2008 |
NERC |
£50K |
Impacts of climate change on the risks of chemical and biological environmental contaminants on human health, in collaboration with Professor Tony Hardy (CSL) |
| 2006-2007 |
Defra |
£46K |
Environmental exposure assessment of nanomaterials |
| 2007 |
FSA |
£11K |
Horizon scanning for emerging contaminants in food |
| 2007-2008 |
European Commission |
96K Euro |
Knowledge assessment of pharmaceuticals in the environment. In collaboration with Prof James Clark (Chemistry Dept) |
| 2006-2009 |
Defra |
£54K |
Trophic transfer of pharmaceuticals in the environment. In collaboration with Prof Dave Raffaelli and Dr Ainsley Jones (CSL) |
| 2006-2007 |
CEFIC |
98K Euro |
Identifying trans-generic degradation potential of chemicals in aquatic organisms. In collaboration with Chris Sinclair (CSL) |
| 2006-2007 |
Defra |
£141K |
Impacts of climate change on the environmental risks of contaminants and pathogens from agriculture. In collaboration with Dr Pete Falloon (Met Office), Dr Amie Adkin (VLA) and Dr Tony Millais (CEFAS) |
| 2005-2006 |
Environment Agency |
£18K |
Higher tier assessment of contaminated land |
| 2005-2006 |
Defra/Environment Agency |
£70K |
Environmental risk of cypermethin from sheep dips. In collaboration with Dr Carmel Ramwell (CSL) and Chris Sinclair (CSL) |
| 2005-2008 |
Unilever |
|
Environmental fate of nanomaterials. In collaboration with Dr Steve Tear (Physics Department) |
| 2005-2006 |
UBA, Germany |
|
Risk of veterinary medicines. In collaboration with Dr Thomas Knacker (ECT, Germany) |
| 2004-2007 |
European Commission |
£178K |
Environmental risk assessment of pharmaceuticals |
| 2004-2007 |
Defra |
£170K |
Fate of veterinary medicines in the farmyard |
| 2003-2006 |
Defra |
|
Indirect consumer exposure to veterinary medicines |
| 2003-2004 |
Environment Agency |
|
Monitoring of veterinary medicines in the UK Environment |
| 2003–2004 |
Defra |
£45K |
Assessing the fate of pesticide transformation products |
| 2002-2006 |
Defra |
£128K |
Effects of pesticide pulsed exposure on aquatic organisms |
Supervision
| 2006- |
Melanie Netherton (Defra, ongoing) |
Trophic transfer of human pharmaceuticals |
| 2005- |
Karen Tiede (Unilever, ongoing) |
Detection and fate of nanomaterials in the environment |
| 2004- |
Louise Pope (EU, ongoing) |
Fate and effects of veterinary medicines in pasture systems |
| 2004- |
Sara Monteiro (EU, ongoing) |
Fate of human medicines in soils |
| 2004- |
Iain Davies (AZ, ongoing) |
Interactions of pharmaceuticals with environmental microbes |
| 2002- |
Chris Sinclair (Part time, ongoing) |
Fate and effects of pesticide transformation products |
| 2002-2005 |
Helen Noble (AstraZeneca, passed 2007) |
Fate of antifungal pharmaceuticals in the environment |
| 2000-2003 |
Paul Blackwell (EU, passed 2004) |
Fate of veterinary medicines in homogenous soils |
| 2000-2003 |
Paul Kay (EU, passed 2004) |
Fate of veterinary medicines in macroporous soils |
| 1999-2004 |
Paul Fogg (DETR, passed 2004) |
Fate of pesticides in biobeds |
| 1999-2001 |
Antony Shepherd (EPSRC, passed 2001) |
Impacts of herbicides applied to hard surfaces |
| 1997-1999 |
Anne Conrad (DETR, passed 2000) |
Uptake of sediment-associated contaminants |
| 1996–1999 |
Jane Patrick (EPSRC funded, passed 2000) |
Predicting chemical oxidation of organic contaminants in treatment processed |
