Latest news with #contamination
News.com.au
11 hours ago
- Health
- News.com.au
Queensland's forensic boss has been suspended over allegations DNA testing was contaminated
Queensland's top forensic scientist Linzi Wilson-Wilde has been immediately suspended over fears DNA tests have been contaminated. Attorney-General Deb Frecklington issued a statement late on Friday following advice she received that Forensic Science Queensland had paused testing after contamination issues were identified. 'I moved to immediately suspend, pending a show cause notice for removal, the Director of Forensic Science Queensland,' Ms Frecklington said in a statement. The organisation supports criminal and coronial investigations with forensic biology and chemistry services. Ms Frecklington said the forensic lab would pause operations for seven days, then carry out a review to determine the next steps. She said the government has been advised Forensic Science Queensland would still process urgent matters using appropriate controls.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
More trouble for state's forensic service
Queensland's top forensic scientist Linzi Wilson-Wilde has been immediately suspended over fears DNA tests have been contaminated. Attorney-General Deb Frecklington issued a statement late on Friday following advice she received that Forensic Science Queensland had paused testing after contamination issues were identified. 'I moved to immediately suspend, pending a show cause notice for removal, the Director of Forensic Science Queensland,' Ms Frecklington said in a statement. The organisation supports criminal and coronial investigations with forensic biology and chemistry services. Ms Frecklington said the forensic lab would pause operations for seven days, then carry out a review to determine the next steps. She said the government has been advised Forensic Science Queensland would still process urgent matters using appropriate controls. More to come.
ABC News
12 hours ago
- Health
- ABC News
Forensic Science Queensland director Linzi Wilson-Wilde suspended after 'contamination issues' identified
The director of Forensic Science Queensland (FSQ) has been immediately suspended by the state's attorney-general after "contamination issues" were identified. Attorney-General Deb Frecklington said she moved to immediately suspend the director, Linzi Wilson-Wilde, who was appointed in September 2024, pending a show cause notice for removal. "This action was taken following advice I received today that FSQ was placing a general pause on routine DNA testing after contamination issues were identified," Ms Frecklington said in a statement. Ms Frecklington's office could not provide any further details on the contamination issues. It is not known how long Dr Wilson-Wilde has to respond to the notice. FSQ is an independent statutory authority and forensic service provider, which supports the criminal justice and coronial systems with specialised services in forensic biology and forensic chemistry. Two commissions of inquiry, in 2022 and 2023, found serious failings over many years at the FSQ lab, including a "fatally flawed" automated testing method that might have seen offenders escaping conviction. More than 120 recommendations were made during the commissions of inquiry to address "disturbing and troubling" issues which have meant tens of thousands of samples may need retesting. Dr Wilson-Wilde became director in September 2024 after joining FSQ as interim chief executive in January 2023. Ms Frecklington said FSQ's pause in operations would be for a preliminary period of seven days followed by a review to determine the next steps. "The government has been advised FSQ will continue to progress urgent matters in a limited capacity during this time and that this can be done with appropriate controls," she said. Ms Frecklington said the government was "firmly committed to fixing the long-standing issues at Forensic Science Queensland". When contacted by the ABC Dr Wilson-Wilde declined to comment.
ABC News
4 days ago
- General
- ABC News
Burst pipe repaired but Bruce Lee Reserve to stay shut for months due to Perth sewage spill
Parkland contaminated by human waste could be closed for months, as remediation works continue following sewage spills in Perth's southern suburbs. The problems began when a sewer pipe burst in Spearwood on June 6, with wastewater entering two homes, and the front yards of another four. The following day, Bruce Lee Reserve in Beaconsfield was flooded with sewage due to a pressure build-up when wastewater was diverted from the Spearwood site. Overflow incidents affected the Swan River in Applecross and Alfred Cove, with parts of South Fremantle and the Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour also impacted. A permanent fix to damaged infrastructure at Spearwood has been completed, with crews to remain onsite to ensure the repair holds. Attention will now turn to restoring affected green spaces such as Bruce Lee Reserve, a process which the Water Corporation's Dean Stacey said could take much longer. "We know that we're going to have to replace the turf and that's not a quick process. That will probably be into the months," he said. Mr Stacey said odours could intensify this week due to rainfall. "On one hand, the rain is a good thing because it will help dilute and wash away any of that residual wastewater that might still be present in the area, but it also may have the effect of stirring up some of those odours," he said. "Our advice remains that if any odours are still present in the area, just please keep your doors and windows shut." Three residents affected by noise and roadworks have been provided with temporary accommodation. Remo's Meat Supply's Jeremy Sanderson-Brown said the road closures had been more disruptive than the odour. "It's affected us slightly due to the fact that half the road is closed and the general public just can't quite come freely into the area, but they are still supporting us," he said. It was initially hoped repairs at the Spearwood site would be completed last week, but the identification of an alternative, more robust fix has pushed that back. Mr Sanderson-Brown said the Water Corporation had been understanding of local concerns. "They're obviously doing the best they can do. It's one of those things that just happens," he said. "They're trying to get it rectified as quickly as possible." Spearwood resident Val Newman said many locals have rallied around businesses during the incident, but others remained more cautious. "I've been back up to the bakery every day since [the incident] just to give them the business," she said. Ms Newman said the incident had highlighted the need for regular maintenance of water infrastructure. "I think that a lot of the drainage systems need replacing and particularly around Fremantle area, it's been there a long time," she said.
RNZ News
4 days ago
- Health
- RNZ News
Tests show 'forever chemicals' in CNMI, Guam
Photo: Supplied Tests on drinking water in Saipan, in the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), and Guam have revealed high levels of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS, commonly referred to as 'forever chemicals'). The information, shared in a conference in Saipan, said that wells on the CNMI island are among the most contaminated in the US. Travis Spaeth, chief engineer and safe drinking water program manager at the CNMI Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality, said Saipan has four drinking water entry points ranked among the 15 most PFAS-contaminated systems in the entire United States. One well near the Francisco C. Ada/Saipan International Airport, previously used for firefighting training, had concentrations exceeding more than 1,700 times above the new federal maximum contaminant level . The CNMI has its own maximum level - which is higher - but authorities are racing to comply with the stricter US standard, which requires full compliance by 2031. To meet that, the Commonwealth Utlities Corporation has installed granular activated carbon filters at multiple sites, bringing PFAS levels down to undetectable levels in some areas. However, Spaeth warned that maintaining the filters and managing the spent material off-island is expensive and logistically difficult. Spaeth said long-term options such as aquifer remediation, expanded rainwater catchment systems, and even energy-intensive desalination must be considered. The CNMI is also exploring partnerships with the US military and the Federal Aviation Administration - both historically linked to PFAS use - for support in cleanup funding and possible future blood testing for exposed residents and first responders. In Guam, PFAS hotspots include landfills, firefighting training sites, airport crash zones, and military bases. Two staff from Guam's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Sierra Armstrong-Bettis and Nicole Ha'ane Diras, also presented at the symposium. Using data from EPA region nine and Guam Waterworks Authority, their analysis found PFAS contamination across all parts of the island, with particularly high levels in Hagåtña, Sinajana, Agana Heights, and Mongmong-Toto-Maite. The Guam EPA team overlaid contaminant data with population risk factors such as daycare centres, schools, low-income housing, and clinics. They found the most at-risk groups often live in areas with limited access to alternative water sources like water refill stations. Granular activated carbon remains the main treatment tool in Guam, but like in Saipan, disposal and replacement of spent filters is a growing challenge. Diras and Armstrong-Bettis called for greater US government investment.
