CHEMICALS from medicines, sunscreen and other everyday products could be adding to the pollution threatening Fiji’s coral reefs, with a water-quality scientist warning that the risks remain poorly monitored across the Pacific.
Dr Shaneel Chandra, a senior lecturer in chemistry at Central Queensland University in Australia, says affordable water-monitoring technology is needed to help Pacific countries identify emerging pollutants and better protect their marine ecosystems.
Dr Chandra, a former chief scientific officer with the Queensland Government’s office of the Great Barrier Reef, will discuss the issue at a free public seminar hosted by the University of the South Pacific today.
His presentation, titled ‘What’s in our waters? Hidden pollutants, smarter sensors and the future of coral reefs’, will examine how pharmaceuticals, sunscreen chemicals and microplastics enter coastal waters and their potential effects on marine life.
He said a single nitrogen test could cost about $A40 ($F62) and take up to two weeks for laboratory results, making comprehensive monitoring difficult for small island communities.
Dr Chandra will also discuss low-cost, solar-powered sensors that can transmit water-quality data in real time, helping authorities detect pollutants such as nitrates and trace metals.
However, he said reliable, field-ready methods for measuring microplastics and nano plastics in water were not yet available.
The seminar will be held at 2pm in the SAGEONS Smart classroom at USP in Suva.
