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Anita Parbhakar-Fox

Principal Research Fellow/ Group Leader- MIWATCH, The University of Queensland

I completed my PhD in Environmental Geochemistry at CODES (my first degree was MSc. Environmental Geology at Imperial College, London). Currently, I am a Principal Research Fellow in Geometallurgy and Applied Geochemistry at the W.H Bryan Mining and Geology Research Centre within the Sustainable Minerals Institute. My research is focused on mine waste characterisation to improve mine planning and waste management practices where I have worked with mining industry, METS sector and government stakeholders. I have developed new tests and protocols for improving waste characterisation and is also involved in identifying remediation options for abandoned/ historical mine sites. Most recently, I have led industry and government funded projects characterising a range of mine waste materials to evaluate their economic potential. Currently I lead the Mine Waste Transformation through Characterisation (MIWATCH) group.

Experience

  • 2019–present
    Senior research fellow, University of Queensland
  • 2015–2019
    Research fellow/lecturer, University of Tasmania
  • 2012–2015
    Postdoctoral fellow, CRC ORE/University of Tasmania

Education

  • 2012 
    University of Tasmania, Ph.D
  • 2005 
    Imperial College, London, MSci

Publications

  • 2016
    Jackson LM, Parbhakar-Fox A, 'Mineralogical and geochemical characterization of the Old Tailings Dam, Australia: evaluating the effectiveness of a water cover for long-term AMD control', Applied Geochemistry pp. 1-10. ISSN 0883-2927
  • 2016
    van Veen EM, Lottermoser BG, Parbhakar-Fox A, Fox N, Hunt J, 'A new test for plant bioaccessibility in sulphidic wastes and soils: a case study for the Wheal Maid historic tailings repository in Cornwall, UK', Science of The Total Environment, ISSN 0048-9697
  • 2016
    Hunt J, Lottermoser BG, Parbhakar-Fox A, Van Veen E, Goemann K, 'Precious metals in gossanous waste rocks from the Iberian Pyrite Belt' , Minerals Engineering, 87 pp. 45-53. ISSN 0892-6875
  • 2015
    Parbhakar-Fox A, Lottermoser BG, 'A critical review of acid rock drainage prediction methods and practices' , Minerals Engineering, 82 pp. 107-124. ISSN 0892-6875
  • 2015
    Noble TL, Lottermoser BG, Parbhakar-Fox A, 'Evaluation of pH testing methods for sulfidic mine waste', Mine Water and the Environment pp. 1-14. ISSN 1025-9112
  • 2015
    Jackson L, Parbhakar-Fox A, Gregory D, Hughes A, Agius J, et al., 'Evaluating the benefits of water covers as a rehabilitation strategy in temperate climates: a Tasmanian perspective' , Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Acid Rock Drainage and IMWA Annual Conference, 21-24 April 2015, Santiago, Chile, pp. 1-11. ISBN 978-956-9393-28-0
  • 2015
    Berry R, Hunt J, Parbhakar-Fox A, Lottermoser B, 'Prediction of Acid Rock Drainage (ARD) from calculated mineralogy', Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Acid Rock Drainage and IMWA Annual Conference, 21-24 April 2015, Santiago, Chile, pp. 1-10. ISBN 978-956-9393-28-0
  • 2015
    Parbhakar-Fox A, Aalders J, Lottermoser B, 'Effective field-based testing tools for rapid ARD prediction' , Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Acid Rock Drainage and IMWA Annual Conference, 21-24 April 2015, Santiago, Chile, pp. 1-16. ISBN 978-956-9393-28-0
  • 2014
    Parbhakar-Fox A, Lottermoser B, 'Domaining acid rock drainage risks using geometallurgical data' , Proceedings of 8th Australian Workshop on Acid and Metalliferous Drainage, 28 April - 2 May 2014, Adelaide, Australia, pp. 483-494. ISBN 978-0-9924856-0-3
  • 2014
    Parbhakar-Fox AK, Edraki M, Hardie K, Kadletz O, Hall T, 'Identification of acid rock drainage sources through mesotextural classification at abandoned mines of Croydon, Australia: implications for the rehabilitation of waste rock repositories' , Journal of Geochemical Exploration, 137 pp. 11-28. ISSN 0375-6742
  • 2013
    Parbhakar-Fox A, Lottermoser B, Bradshaw D, 'Evaluating waste rock mineralogy and microtexture during kinetic testing for improved acid rock drainage prediction', Minerals Engineering, 52 pp. 111-124. ISSN 0892-6875
  • 2013
    Brough CP, Warrender R, Bowell RJ, Barnes A, Parbhakar-Fox A, 'The process mineralogy of mine wastes' , Minerals Engineering, 52 pp. 125-135. ISSN 0892-6875
  • 2013
    Parbhakar-Fox A, Lottermoser B, Bradshaw DJ, 'Cost-effective means for identifying acid rock drainage risks: Integration of the geochemistry-mineralogy-texture approach and geometallurgical techniques',, Proceedings of The Second AusIMM International Geometallurgy Conference (GeoMet) 2013, 30 September-2 October 2013, Brisbane, Australia, pp. 143-154. ISBN 9781921522970
  • 2011
    Parbhakar-Fox A, Edraki M, Walters S, Bradshaw D, 'Development of a textural index for the prediction of acid rock drainage' , Minerals Engineering: An International Journal Devoted to Innovation and Developments in Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy, 24, (12) pp. 1277-1287. ISSN 0892-6875
  • 2008
    Napier-Munn T, Parbhakar AK, Edraki M, Bradshaw D, 'Managing ARD potential through mine planning and mineral processing practice', Proceedings of the Sixth Australian Workshop on Acid and Metalliferous Drainage, 15-18 April, Burnie, Tasmania, pp. 351-374. ISBN 978-0-9750304-6-2
  • 2007
    Parbhakar A, Cuadros J, Sephton MA, Dubbin W, Coles BJ, et al., 'Adsorption of L-lysine on montmorillonite' , Colloids and Surfaces A, 307 pp. 142-149. ISSN 0927-7757

Professional Memberships

  • Society of Economic Geologists
  • Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy

Research Areas

  • Geochemistry Not Elsewhere Classified (040299)
  • Resources Engineering And Extractive Metallurgy Not Elsewhere Classified (091499)
  • Earth Sciences Not Elsewhere Classified (049999)
  • Environmental Management (050205)
  • Environmental Engineering Not Elsewhere Classified (090799)
  • Inorganic Geochemistry (040202)