Dr Brent Newman is presently employed as a Principal Researcher in the Coastal Systems research group at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). The position involves Consulting and Research, primarily in the fields of estuarine and marine pollution.
He has been the Project Manager on numerous large, complex consulting projects and the Lead Scientist in numerous internally and externally (including internationally) funded research projects. Dr Newman is responsible for Managing the day to day operations of numerous scientists, Securing contract work, and for Preparing research proposals. He is responsible for Managing projects from both technical and financial perspectives. His day to day activities also includes the Mentoring of junior scientists and Supervising the studies of post-graduate students (at MSc and PhD level).
Dr Newman received his formal training in Zoology at the University of Port Elizabeth (now the Nelson Mandela University) in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The focus of his entire post-graduate career was on the ecology, biology and physiology of estuarine crustaceans. His Bachelor of Science Honours study focussed on the distribution of two crabs within salt marsh habitat, his Master of Science on the ecology and biology of the scavenging isopod Cirolana fluviatilis, and his Doctoral study on the ecology and physiology of the larval stages of the estuarine mudprawn Upogebia africana. Dr Newman's interest in crustaceans continues and he has supervised several post-graduate studies on the osmoregulatory strategies and capacities of estuarine crabs and prawns.
Most of his current research and consulting focuses on environmental chemistry and toxicology. This includes a focus on water and sediment quality, toxicity testing of wastewater, water and sediment, and human health risk as a result of exposure to chemicals and contaminants through a fish and shellfish consumption pathway. Dr Newman has a particularly strong interest in trace metal, organotin, and organic chemical contamination (hydrocarbons, pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls) of sediment and biological tissue and attendant ecological and human health risks.
Through his research, he has developed models that aid in determining if sediment in South African coastal waters is contaminated by various metals, and for determining the magnitude of the contamination. The models are routinely used by the CSIR for this purpose. Dr Newman Assisted the Department of Environmental Affairs in defining sediment quality guidelines for use in determining if sediment identified for dredging in South African ports is suitable for open-water disposal. He has Performed numerous human health risk assessments based on exposure to chemicals/contaminants in marine and estuarine fish and shellfish for South African government organisations. A large amount of this research has focussed on the risks posed by mercury in South African fish.
