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Anita Parbhakar-Fox

UTAS Home › Faculty of Science, Engineering & Technology › School of Earth Sciences (Geology, Geophysics & Geochemistry) › People ›   › Anita Parbhakar-Fox

Dr Anita Parbhakar-Fox

Research Fellow

Contact Details

Contact Campus Sandy Bay Campus
Building Geology/Geography
Room Reference 311
Telephone +61 3 6226 7636
Fax +61 3 6226 2547
Email anitap1@utas.edu.au

Career Summary

Anita is currently a CRC ORE Research Fellow at the School of Earth Sciences, working with Professor Bernd Lottermoser on the Environmental Indicators program.  This research work is also incorporated within CODES ARC Centre of Excellence Program 4 - Theme 1 (see research projects listed below).

Anita completed a PhD in Environmental Geochemistry at CODES. Significant research outcomes from Anita's thesis include the development of both the 'geochemistry-mineralogy-texture' (GMT) approach and the acid rock drainage index (ARDI) for texturally assessing acid forming potential. Anita was awarded an SEG Graduate Student Fellowship (2008), an SEG Research Grant (2009) and an Enviromine scholarship (2009) during her PhD candidature.

Previously, Anita obtained a 1st class MSc (Hons) degree from Imperial College, University of London in Environmental Geology (2005). Anita was awarded Imperial's Warington Smythe Medal and a nomination for the UK Young Scientist of the Year (2005) for her published MSc research. Professionally, Anita has worked as an environmental consultant (2005-06) and as a research assistant for the AMIRA P843 geometallurgy project (2006-07).  Anita regularly consults with mining companies and the government organisations regarding ARD prediction strategies.

Research Activity

Anita's current research focuses on development of computed tests for predicting mineral-water reactions, particularly those which lead to the formation of acid rock drainage (ARD). Anita continues to evaluate the influences of mineralogy and texture on acid formation, and is doing so using novel analytical tools and techniques. Anita is also undertaking projects at nominated case study sites whereby environmental geometallurgy techniques and the best practice GMT approach are being implemented, both of which were developed as part of Anita's PhD research.  

2012 PhD Supervision

Other

  • Invited reviewer of Elements Magazine (Vol. 7, December 2011: Mine Wastes)
  • Invited lecturer (2012):  Foundations of Geometallurgy

Publications

View other publications here

 Non-UTAS Refereed Publications

  • Parbhakar, A.K, Cuadros, J, Sephton, M.A, Dubbin, W, Coles, B.J, and Weiss, D, 2007.Adsorption of L-lysine on montmorillonite. Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, 307, pp.1 42-149.

Conference Abstracts, Papers and Presentations

  • Parbhakar-Fox, A.K, 2012. Mineralogical and textural controls on acid rock drainage (ARD) formation: a case study from Northern Queensland, 34th International Geological Congress, Brisbane, Australia
  • Noble, T.L, Lottermoser, B.G, Parbhakar-Fox, A.K. 2012. Acidity testing in acid rock drainage predication is only applicable to weathered sulphidic rock, 34th International Geological Congress, Brisbane, Australia.
  • Noble, T.L, Lottermoser, B.G, Parbhakar-Fox, A.K, 2012. Limitations of acidity testing in acid mine drainage prediction, 9th International Symposium on Environmental Geochemistry, Averio, Portugal.
  • Noble, T.L, Lottermoser, B.G, Parbhakar-Fox, A.K, 2012. Re-evaluating pH tests in mine water prediction, Water in Mining, Santiago, Chile.
  • Parbhakar-Fox, A.K, Edraki, M, Walters, S, and Bradshaw, D, 2012.  Development of a textural acid rock drainage index (ARDI) for classifying acid formation Proceedings of the 10th International Congress for Applied Mineralogy (ICAM).pp.513-523. ISBN 978-3-642-27682-8.
  • Parbhakar-Fox, A, Bradshaw, D, and Lottermoser, B, 2012. Evolution of acid rock drainage: insights from integrated mineralogical and microtextural evaluations during kinetic testing of waste rock. Process Mineralogy Conference 2012, Cape Town, South Africa
  • Parbhakar-Fox, A, Edraki, M, Bradshaw, D, and Walters, S, 2011. A new approach to integration of mineralogy, geochemistry and texture for improving prediction of acid metalliferous drainage from abandoned mines. The 7th Australian ARD Workshop on Acid and Metalliferous Mine Drainage, ACMER. Darwin, NT, Australia.
  • Parbhakar-Fox, A, and Lottermoser, B. 2011. Predictive Environmental Indicators in Mining: Review of the literature and current best practices. CRC ORE Technical Report, CRC for Optimising Resource Extraction. Brisbane, Australia. ISBN: 978-1-922029-00-3.
  • Parbhakar-Fox, A, Edraki, M, Bradshaw, D, and Walters, S, 2010. Development of a Textural ARD Index for Predicting Acid and Metalliferous Drainage. Water in Mining, II International Congress on Water Management in the Mining Industry, June 2010, Santiago, Chile.
  • Parbhakar-Fox, A.K, Edraki, M, Walters, S, and Bradshaw, D. 2010. Development of a textural index for the prediction of acid rock drainage, Process Mineralogy Conference 2010, Cape Town, South Africa.
  • Cuadros,J, Aldega, A,  Parbhakar, A, Vetterlein, J, Dubbin, W, Weiss, D, Drickamer, K, Sephton, M, and Coles, B, 2009. Adsorption of lysine on montmorillonite and reactions at 80 ºC. 14th International Clay Conference. Castellaneta Marina, Italy.
  • Parbhakar-Fox, A, Edraki, M, and Walters, S, 2009. Developments in Acid Rock Drainage Prediction: A Case Study on the Abandoned Croydon Au-mines, QLD, Australia. Proceedings of the 10th Biennial SGA meeting of the Society for Geology Applied to Mineral Deposits, Townsville Australia. pp. 774-778. ISBN: 9780980558685.
  • Parbhakar, A, Edraki, M, Bradshaw, D, and Walters, S, 2009. Development of mineralogical characterisation techniques for predicting Acid Rock Drainage: a case study from an abandoned Au-mine, North Australia. In: SveMin/INAP, International Conference on Acid Rock Drainage. Securing the Future and 8th International Conference on Acid-Rock-Drainage (ICARD), June 23-26, 2009, Skellefteå, Sweden.
  • Parbhakar, A, Edraki, M, Bradshaw, D, and Walters, S, 2009. Mineralogical characterisation techniques for predicting acid rock drainage. 1st International Seminar on Environmental Issues in the Mining Industry, October, 2009. Santiago, Chile.
  • Edraki, M, Parbhakar, A, Hardie, K, Hall, T, and Kadletz O, 2009. Characterisation of Acid Mine Drainage and Baseline Geochemistry of the Croydon Mine Environment, North Queensland, Australia. In: SveMin/INAP, International Conference on Acid Rock Drainage. Securing the Future and 8th International Conference on Acid Rock, Skelleftea, Sweden.
  • Napier-Munn, T.J, Parbhakar, A.K, Edraki, M, and Bradshaw, D, 2008. Managing ARD potential through mine planning and mineral processing practice. 6th Australian ARD Workshop on Acid and Metalliferous Mine Drainage, ACMER. Burnie, TAS, Australia. 15th-18th April 2008. CDROM, ISBN 978-0-9750304-6-2.
  • Parbhakar, A.K, Cuadros, J, Dubbin, W, and Weiss, D, 2004. Lysine adsorption mode in studies of stereospecific adsorption and conversion of L- and D- isomers at clay surfaces. Clay Minerals Group Annual Meeting, London, United Kingdom

Reports to Industry

  • Parbhakar-Fox, A, Lottermoser, B.G, and Noble, T, 2012. Achieving Best Practice in the mining industry: Development and Applications of improved Environmental Indicators, (oral presentation and report contribution), CRC ORE Annual Assembly 2012, Brisbane, Australia.
  • Parbhakar-Fox, A, Lottermoser, B.G, and Berry, R, 2012. A review of carbonate mineral identification techniques and their use in computed acid rock drainage prediction (poster presentation and report contribution), CRC ORE Annual Assembly 2012, Brisbane, Australia.
  • Parbhakar-Fox, A, and Lottermoser, B.G, 2012. Cost-effective means for identifying ARD risks: Integration of the Geochemistry-Mineralogy-Texture (GMT) approach and geometallurgical techniques (poster presentation and report contribution), CRC ORE Annual Assembly 2012, Brisbane, Australia.
  • Parbhakar-Fox, A, 2012. ARD risk assessment: The GMT approach, (oral presentation and report contribution), GeM P843A, September 2011. Brisbane, Australia.
  • Berry, R, Bonnici, N, Danyushevsky, L, Goemann, K, Hutchinson, D, Parbhakar-Fox, A, Rodemann, T, 2012. Review of micro-analytical technologies for mineral mapping and trace element deportment. CRC ORE Technical Report 14, CRC for Optimising Resource Extraction. Brisbane, Australia. pp.1-53. ISBN: 978-1-922029-05-8.
  • Parbhakar-Fox, A, and Lottermoser, B, 2011. Predictive environmental indices in the mining industry, (oral presentation and report contribution), GeM P843A, September 2011. Brisbane, Australia.  
  • Parbhakar-Fox, A, 2011. Development of a geochemistry-mineralogy-texture approach to ARD prediction, (poster presentation and report contribution), CRC ORE Annual Assembly 2011, Brisbane, Australia.
  • Parbhakar-Fox, A, 2011. Predicting Mineral-Water Reactions: Applications and Future Development, (oral presentation and report contribution), GeM P843A, September 2011. Brisbane, Australia.
  • Parbhakar-Fox, A, and Lottermoser, B, 2011. Predictive Environmental Indicators in Mining: Review of the literature and current best practices. CRC ORE Technical Report 2, CRC for Optimising Resource Extraction. Brisbane, Australia. pp. 1-142. ISBN: 978-1-922029-00-3.
  • Parbhakar-Fox, A, 2010. Early Environmental Indices, GeM P843A, November 2010. pp. 1-13. Hobart, Australia.
  • Parbhakar-Fox, A, 2010.Texture-based approaches to predictive geo-environmental modelling- an update, (oral presentation and report contribution), GeM P843A, June 2010. Brisbane, Australia.
  • Parbhakar-Fox, A, 2010. Linking geochemistry, mineralogy and texture: the confidence building 'GMT' approach to classifying acid generating potential, (poster presentation and report contribution), GeM P843A, June 2010. Brisbane, Australia.
  • Parbhakar-Fox, A, 2010. Identification of deleterious element sources in waste rock piles at the abandoned Croydon Au-mines, Australia: a microscale study, (poster presentation and report contribution), GeM P843A, June 2010. Brisbane, Australia.
  • Parbhakar-Fox, A, 2010. Geochemical and mineralogical characterisation of heap leach material from the abandoned Croydon Au-mines, QLD, Australia, (poster presentation and report contribution), GeM P843A, June 2010. Brisbane, Australia.
  • Parbhakar-Fox, A, 2009. Net acid production, acid neutralisation capacity, and associated mineralogical and geochemical characteristics of waste rock from the abandoned Croydon gold mines, North Queensland, Australia. pp. 1-84.
  • Parbhakar, A, 2009.The Tiered Approach to ARD Prediction, (poster presentation and report contribution), GeM P843, June 2009. Brisbane, Australia.
  • Parbhakar, A, 2009.Development of a mineralogical ARD Index, (poster presentation and report contribution), GeM P843, June 2009. Brisbane, Australia.

Research Project/s