Research interests

• Biochar for soil management
• Soil health and its determination
• Greenhouse gas production from soil
• Endocrine disrupters in the environment and their analysis using CALUX®
• Bioavailability and ecotoxicology of organic contaminants
• Development of remediation technologies

Background

Lukas Van Zwieten is a Senior Research Scientist with NSW Department of Primary Industries, located at Wollongbar Agricultural Institute since 1995. Recent work on biochar is Internationally Acclaimed and won the 2007 World Environment Day Award “Meeting the Greenhouse Challenge.” Work has been shown on ABCs Catalyst program and on CNN. Biochar research also received a Commendation from the NSW Premier’s Public Sector Awards. The research directly supports production of renewable energy and climate change mitigation through C sequestration in soil, increased crop production and reduced emissions of soil greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

Lukas also works on risk assessment of chemicals in the environment. With an industry partner, he is currently commercialising a cost-effective method for the remediation of organochlorines in soil and sediment. Lukas also developed a remediation technology based on bioremediation that has been applied for the clean-up of over 5 million litres of highly contaminated dipping fluid in northern NSW. This has resulted in reduced environmental and human health risk of residual pesticides in the region. Lukas won a 2001 Churchill Fellowship which enabled him to work with Distinguished Professor Suresh Rao at Purdue University assessing risks of endocrine disrupting chemicals in the environment.

Lukas has licensed the CALUX® technology for assessing endocrine disrupting chemicals. Projects have investigated ecological risks to the Sydney Rock Oyster, assessment of EDCs in inland rivers and studies of degradation of estrogens in soils.

Qualifications

• BScAgr (Hons), The University of Sydney, 1990
• PhD, The University of Sydney, 1995

Current projects

• Biochar: Renewable energy, climate change mitigation and improved crop productivity
• Soil C assessment on NSW north coast
• Bioavailability of endocrine disrupting chemicals using semi-permeable membrane technology
• Testing of endocrine disrupting chemicals and dioxins using CALUX technology
• Commercialisation of technology for remediation of agricultural and industrial chemicals.

Recent Publications

Journal publications

Van Zwieten L, Kimber S, Morris S, Chan YK, Downie A, Rust J, Joseph S, and Cowie A (2009) Effects of biochar from slow pyrolysis of papermill waste on agronomic performance and soil fertility. Plant and Soil (online DOI: 10.1007/s11104-009-0050-x)
 
Chan YK, Van Zwieten L, Meszaros I, Downie A, Joseph S (2008) Using poultry litter biochars as soil amendments. Australian Journal of Soil Research, 46, 437–444.

Van Zwieten L, Meszaros I, Downie A, Chan YK and Joseph S (2008) Soil Health: Can the cane industry use a bit of 'Black Magic'? Australian Canegrower, 17, 10-11.

Andrew M, Dunstan H, O’Connor W, Van Zwieten L, Nixon B and MacFarlane G (2008) Effects of nonylphenol and ethynylestradiol exposure in the Sydney rock oyster, Saccostrea glomerata: Vitellogenin induction and gonadal development Aquatic Toxicology, Volume 88, Issue 1, 2 June 2008, Pages 39-47

Li C, Tyler T, Van Zwieten L, Lee NA and Kennedy IR (2007) Optimisation of analytical method for estrogen in surface water and primary risk assessment in South Creek. Int. J. Water, Vol. 3, No. 4, 334-346.

Chan YK, Van Zwieten L, Meszaros I, Downie A, Joseph S (2007) Agronomic values of greenwaste biochar as a soil amendment. Australian Journal of Soil Research, 2007, 45, 629–634.

Menchai P, Van Zwieten L, Kimber S, Ahmad N, Rao PSC and Hose G (2008) Bioavailable DDT residues in sediments: Laboratory assessment of ageing effects using semi-permeable membrane devices. Environmental Pollution Volume 153, Issue 1, May 2008, Pages 110-118

Chopra BK, Bhat S, Mikheenko IP, Xu Z Yang Y, Luo X, Chen H, Van Zwieten L, McC R, Lilley R and Zhang R (2007) The characteristics of rhizosphere microbes associated with plants in arsenic-contaminated soils from cattle dip sites. The Science of the Total Environment, 378, 331-342.

Bunemann EK, Schwenke GD and Van Zwieten L (2006) Impact of agricultural inputs on soil organisms—a review. Australian Journal of Soil Research, 44, 379–406.

Bell M, Seymour N, Stirling GR, Stirling AM, Van Zwieten L, Vancov T, Sutton G and Moody P (2006) Impacts of management on soil biota in Vertosols supporting the broadacre grains industry in northern Australia. Australian Journal of Soil Research, 44, 433–451.

Vancov T, Jury K, Rice N, Van Zwieten L and Morris S (2007) Enhancing cell survival of atrazine degrading Rhodococcus erythropolis NI86/21 cells encapsulated in alginate beads Journal of Applied Microbiology 102 (1), 212–220.

Vancov T, Jury K and Van Zwieten L (2005) Atrazine degradation by encapsulated Rhodococcus. Journal of Applied Microbiology 99(4), 767-775.

Cobon JA, Pattison AB, Stephenson R, Cox J and Van Zwieten L (2005) Soil Nematodes Indicate Soil Health In Macadamia Orchards. Acta Hort. (ISHS) 694:207-211.

Van Zwieten L, Rust J, Kingston T, Merrington G and Morris S (2004) Influence of copper fungicide residues on occurrence of earthworms in avocado orchard soils. The Science of The Total Environment 329, 29-41.

Van Zwieten L, Ayres M and Morris S (2003) Influence of arsenic co-contamination on DDT breakdown and microbial activity. Environmental Pollution 124, 331-339.

Van Zwieten L, Kingston T, Cox J, Ayres M, Walker B, Hotson I and Morris S (2003) Healthy soils in Macadamia orchards. Australian Nutgrower 17(2) 18-24.

Merrington G, Rogers SL and Van Zwieten L (2002) The potential impact of long-term copper fungicide usage on soil microbial biomass and microbial activity in an avocado orchard. Australian Journal of Soil Research 40(5) 749-759.

Cox J, Van Zwieten L and Ayres M (2002) Composted macadamia husks make a highly beneficial soil improver. Australian Macadamia Society news Bulletin, May 50-51.

Cox J, Van Zwieten L and Ayres M (2002) Turning macadamia husks into compost. Australian Nutgrower 16(1) 38-39.

Van Zwieten L, Ahmad N, Marolt R, Ayres M and Morris S (2001) Determination of DDT and its metabolites in cattle dip soil available in aqueous phase after remediation. Journal of Environmental Science and Health, B36 (5) 501-516.

Van Zwieten L, Andersen L, Karkkainen M and Tyler A (1998) Remediation of acaricide solutions in cattle tick dips to minimise soil and environmental contamination: Filtration. Land Contamination and Reclamation, 6/3, 143-148.

Van Zwieten L, Tyler AL, Andersen L and Grieve AM (1997) Remediation of acaricide solutions in cattle tick dips to minimise soil and environmental contamination: Bioremediation, Land Contamination and Reclamation, 5/4, 343-348.

Van Zwieten L and Tyler AL (1997) Thermophilic composting to biodegrade active cattle dip tickicides: An in-situ demonstration, In Situ and On-Site Bioremediation: Volume 2, Battelle press, 257-262.

Van Zwieten L and Grieve AM (1995) Remediation options for contaminated dipsites. Agricultural Science, 8/6: 40-42.

Van Zwieten L and Kennedy IR (1995) Rapid degradation of atrazine by Rhodococcus sp. NI86/21 and by an atrazine perfused soil. J. Agric. Food Chem., 43: 1377-1382.

Van Zwieten L, Feng L and Kennedy IR (1995) Colonisation of seedling roots by 2,4-D degrading bacteria: A plant-microbial model. Acta Biotechnologica, 15: 27-39.

Feng L, Rolfe BG, Gartner E, Van Zwieten L and Kennedy IR (1994) Expression of the 2,4-D degrading plasmid pJP4 of Alcaligenes eutrophus in Rhizobium trifolii. Acta Biotechnologica, 14: 119-129.

Book Chapters

Lukas Van Zwieten, Bhupinderpal-Singh, Stephen Joseph, Stephen Kimber, Annette Cowie, Yin Chan “Biochar reduces emissions of non-CO2 GHG from soil.” Chapter 13, pp 227-249 in “Biochar for Environmental Management: Science and Technology” eds Lehmann J and Joseph S. Earthscan

Conference proceeding

Van Zwieten L, Ayres M, and Curran P (1998) Remediation of contaminated soil and fluid at cattle dip sites in Australia, ACIAR Proceedings, No. 85, 349-357.

Professional associations and activities

Member Australasian Society of Ecotoxicology 

Fields of Research

• 050301 Carbon Sequestration Science
• 050303 Soil Biology
• 040104 Climate Change Processes
• 050209 Natural Resource Management

Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC)

Keyword/phrase list of research interests

• Biochar
• Agrichar
• Endocrine disrupting chemicals
• CALUX 
• Climate Change Mitigation
• Soil carbon sequestration
• Renewable energy and slow pyrolysis
• Remediation of organochlorine chemicals
• Environmental risk assessment

Contact details