Professional summary

Alex is a Research Chemist working in the Analytical Chemistry group at UKCEH Lancaster, with a particular focus on organic environmental contaminants.

He is experienced in developing and applying targeted methods to measure the concentrations of a range of organic contaminants in the environment, such as plasticisers, brominated flame retardants, and pyrethroid pesticides. He is trained in the use and application of a variety of analytical instrumentation, including LC/GC-MS/MS, LC/GC-Q-TOF, and ยต-FTIR systems.

Recent work includes the development of a method to analyse pyrethroid pesticides in honey, and the ongoing development of non-targeted screening analyses of organic contaminants in environmental samples using high-resolution mass spectrometry. His past work has involved the investigation of the sources, occurrence and environmental fate of "old" (legacy) and "new" (emerging) plasticisers, with a particular focus on their levels in UK soils and sediments.

Selected publications

Billings Alex et al. , (2024), Emerging and legacy plasticisers in coastal and estuarine environments: a review. Science of The Total Environment, 908, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168462

Billings Alex et al. , (2023), Co-occurrence of macroplastics, microplastics, and legacy and emerging plasticisers in UK soils. Science of the Total Environment, 880, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163258

Billings Alex et al. , (2021), Plasticisers in the terrestrial environment: sources, occurrence and fate. Environmental Chemistry, 18, 111-130, http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/EN21033