Water quality threats to human health are many and varied, ranging from geogenic contamination, to industrial and faecal pollution, to increasing salinity. Meeting even basic drinking water quality targets is limiting achievement for the Sustainable Development Goal for water. Dr Charles’ work focuses on how to improve drinking water quality, through interdisciplinary approaches to measure and define safety, and to mitigate risks from future climate, land use and demographic changes. Details of any DPhil project would be defined in discussion with the student, but are likely to entail a significant component of laboratory or fieldwork. Research approaches might involve: characterising the variability in water quality due to environmental and anthropogenic factors; testing novel molecular, culture-based and chemical detection methods; or modelling the risks to human health (such as through quantitative health risk assessment).
Experience & Qualifications
PhD UNSW Civil and Environmental Engineering
7 years as course director and senior research fellow in School of Geography and the Environment at Oxford. 2 years as lecturer at Centre for Environmental Strategy, University of Surrey. 5 years as post doctoral researcher at Robens Centre for Public and Environmental Health, University of Surrey.
Personal Research Keywords
water quality, pollution, pathogens, drinking water, fluoride, health
