Ben Tscharke

Dr. Ben Tscharke is a Senior Research Fellow at the Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), part of the University of Queensland's Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences. He joined QAEHS in February 2017 after completing his PhD at the University of South Australia. His primary research focus involves wastewater-based epidemiology to monitor community consumption and exposure to illicit drugs, pharmaceuticals, and personal care products across Australia.

Dr. Tscharke leads the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission's National Wastewater Drug Monitoring program at UQ, collaborating with the University of South Australia. His work has established Australia as a leader in wastewater-based epidemiology, providing critical data for public health and policy decisions.

• PhD in Analytical Chemistry, University of South Australia

Dr. Tscharke's research centers on wastewater-based epidemiology, where he analyzes wastewater to estimate population-level consumption of licit and illicit substances. His work extends the utility of wastewater data by combining it with other data sources to improve understanding of drug use patterns and chemical exposure in communities. He has particular expertise in developing correction factors for pharmaceuticals, analyzing temporal and spatial trends in drug consumption, and evaluating the impact of policy changes on substance use.

His recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on expanding wastewater-based epidemiology to monitor antidepressants, tobacco products, alcohol, and novel psychoactive substances. His work increasingly incorporates socioeconomic factors and geographical analysis to understand how remoteness and community characteristics influence substance use patterns. Dr. Tscharke has also been expanding into microplastic research, examining plastic deposition in sediments and the release of micro- and nanoparticles from everyday products.

Dr. Tscharke actively supervises PhD students on projects related to wastewater-based epidemiology, contaminants of emerging concern, and substance use monitoring. His current research grants include projects funded by the Australian Research Council, Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, and University of the South Pacific, focusing on identifying contaminant sources, analytical testing, and understanding substance use through multiple data sources.

As part of QAEHS, Dr. Tscharke collaborates with a multidisciplinary team including Professor Jochen Mueller, Associate Professor Phong Thai, Dr. Jake O'Brien, and Professor Kevin Thomas. His work contributes significantly to the Minderoo Centre for Environmental Health at UQ, particularly through the National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program.