Associate Professor Phong Thai

Senior Principal Research Fellow

Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences
Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences

Overview

Dr Phong Thai has a keen interest in environmental health and monitoring. Phong joined Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS) in 2018 after his Vice Chancellor Senior Research Fellowship at the International Laboratory of Air Quality and Health at Queensland University of Technology. His research focus at QAEHS involves the expansion of wastewater-based epidemiological approach to determine community consumption and exposure to a range of illicit and licit substances including alcohol and tobacco, pharmaceuticals and personal care products and lately on community level of infection to Covid-19 during the last pandemic. Additionally, Phong is working on projects monitoring emerging environmental pollutants in different matrices. Phong has been awarded several competitive fellowships for his research and involved in a number of projects totalling > A$ 7 millions in funding.

Research Interests

  • Wastewater-based epidemiology
    Identifying markers for population exposure estimation through wastewater-based epidemiology
  • Air quality and its impact
    Developing new approach to monitor air quality and linking exposure to air pollutants to health impact

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology

Publications

View all Publications

Supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy

  • Master Philosophy

  • Doctor Philosophy

View all Supervision

Publications

Book Chapter

  • Gao, Jianfa, O'Brien, Jake W., Li, Jiaying, Choi, Phil, Li, Yijing and Thai, Phong K. (2023). Assessment of in-sample and in-sewer stability of biomarkers in wastewater-based epidemiology: an important step. Wastewater-based epidemiology for the assessment of human exposure to environmental pollutants. (pp. 83-122) edited by Mohammad Hadi Dehghani, Rama Rao Karri, Nikolaos Rousis and Emma Gracia-Lor. London, United Kingdom: Academic Press. doi: 10.1016/b978-0-443-19172-5.00001-9

  • O'Brien, Jake W., Thai, Phong K. and Tscharke, Benjamin J. (2023). Population biomarkers for wastewater-based epidemiology. Wastewater-based epidemiology for the assessment of human exposure to environmental pollutants. (pp. 123-138) edited by Mohammad Hadi Dehghani, Rama Rao Karri, Nikolaos Rousis and Emma Gracia-Lor. London, United Kingdom: Academic Press. doi: 10.1016/b978-0-443-19172-5.00005-6

  • Luo, Yuzhou, Williams, W. Martin, Young, Dirk F., Watanabe, Hirozumi, Boulange, Julien, Ritter, Amy M. and Thai Khanh Phong (2011). Modeling approaches for pesticide exposure assessment in rice paddies. Pesticide mitigation strategies for surface water quality. (pp. 203-226) edited by Kean S. Goh, Brian L. Bret, Thomas L. Potter and Jay Gan. Washington, DC, United States: American Chemical Society. doi: 10.1021/bk-2011-1075.ch014

  • Watanabe, H., Inao, K., Vu, S. H., Phong, T. K., Ishihara, S. and Tournebize, J. (2007). Pesticide exposure assessment in rice paddy areas: A Japanese perspective. Pesticide risk assessment in rice paddies: Theory and Practice. (pp. 167-214) edited by Ettore Capri and Dimitrios Karpouzas. Amstedam, The Netherlands: Elseiver Science. doi: 10.1016/B978-044453087-5.50009-6

Journal Article

Conference Publication

  • Vu, Giang T., Stjepanovic, Daniel, Sun, Tianze, Leung, Janni, Qiu, Yaqi, Thai, Phong, Connor, Jason P., Gartner, Coral, Hall, Wayne D. and Chan, Gary Chung Kai (2023). A systematic review and meta-analysis of the relationship between smoking and intelligence measures. APSAD 2023 Conference, Adelaide, SA, Australia, 12–15 November 2023. Chichester, West Sussex, United Kingdom: Wiley-Blackwell.

  • Le, Hong, Pham, An, Nguyen, Vinh, Ware, Robert, Phung, Dung, Thai, Phong, Ranganathan, Sarath, Tran, Dang, To, Hien and Sly, Peter (2023). Children respiratory health during COVID-19 lockdown and after 6-month re-exposure to poor air quality. 26th Congress of the Asian Pacific Society of Respirology Above and Beyond, Seoul, Korea, 17–20 November 2022. Richmond, VIC Australia: John Wiley and Sons. doi: 10.1111/resp.14433

  • Le, H., Ware, R., Phung, D., Thai, P., Tran, D., Nguyen, , Pham, A. and Sly, P. (2021). Significant lack of recognition of asthma in Vietnamese children. TSANZSRS 2021 The Australia & New Zealand Society of Respiratory Science and The Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand (ANZSRS/TSANZ) Annual Scientific Meeting for Leaders in Lung Health & Respiratory Science, Online, 1-2 May 2021. Richmond, VIC Australia: Wiley-Blackwell. doi: 10.1111/resp.14022

  • Luong, T., Dang, T., Huong, N., Phung, D., Tran, L. K., Dung, D. and Thai, P. K. (2020). Particulate air pollution and risk of ALRI hospital admission among young children in Ho Chi Minh city. 32nd Annual Conference of The International Society for Environmental Epidemiology. The International Society for Environmental Epidemiology (ISEE), Virtual, 24-27 August 2020. Durham, NC USA: Environmental Health Perspectives. doi: 10.1289/isee.2020.virtual.o-os-503

  • Thomas, Kevin, O'Brien, Jake, Tscharke, Benjamin, Choi, Phil, Thai, Phong, Mackie, Miss, Verhagen, Rory, Shimko, Katja, Ahmed, Fahad, O'Malley, Elissa, Zheng, Quida and Mueller, Jochen (2019). Expanding wastewater-based epidemiology to inform on public health. Fall National Meeting and Exposition of the American-Chemical-Society (ACS), San Diego, CA, United States, 25-29 August 2019. Washington, DC, United States: American Chemical Society.

  • O'Brien, Jake W. , Jiang, Guangming , Gao, Jianfa , Li, Jiaying , Banks, Andrew , Mueller, Jochen F. , Choi, Phil , Thomas, Kevin V. , Ort, Christoph , Tscharke, Benjamin J. and Thai, Phong K. (2019). Implication of in-sewer stability testing of markers for wastewater-based epidemiology. ACS Fall 2019 National Meeting & Exposition, San Diego, CA, United States, 25-29 August 2019. WASHINGTON: AMER CHEMICAL SOC.

  • Thai, Phong, O'Brien, Jake, Tscharke, Benjamin, Du, Peng, Li, Xiqing, Bruno, Raimondo, Thomas, Kevin and Mueller, Jochen (2019). Monitoring opioid use through wastewater-based epidemiology: Case of methadone in Australia and China. Fall National Meeting and Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS), San Diego, CA, United States, 25-29 August 2019. Washington, DC, United States: American Chemical Society.

  • Luong, Ly Mai, Dang, Tran Ngoc, Phung, Dung, Sly, Peter, Morawska, Lidia and Thai, Phong (2018). Seasonal association between ambient ozone and hospital admission for respiratory in Hanoi, Vietnam. International Society of Exposure Science and International Society for Environmental Epidemiology Joint Annual Meeting 2018, Ottawa, Canada, 26–30 August 2018. Durham, NC USA: Environmental Health Perspectives. doi: 10.1289/isesisee.2018.p01.1280

  • Bruno, Raimondo, Edirisinghe, Methsiri, Hall, Wayne, Mueller, Jochen, Lai, Foon Yin, O'Brien, Jake and Thai, Phong (2017). Association between purity of seized drugs with their daily loads measured in wastewater in an Australian catchment from 2010-2015. Testing the Waters 2017: 3rd International conference on “Wastewater – Based Drug Epidemiology”, Lisbon, Portugal, 26-27 October 2017.

  • O'Brien, Jake, Grant, Sharon, Thai, Phong, Ort, Christoph, Eaglesham, Geoff, Vijayasarathy, Soumini, Lai, Foon Yin, Covaci, Adrian, Novic, Andrew, Tscharke, Ben, Choi, Phil, Thomas, Kevin and Mueller, Jochen (2017). Finding population and demographic markers in wastewater using samples collected during a population census. Testing the Waters 2017: 3rd International conference on “Wastewater – Based Drug Epidemiology”, Lisbon, Portugal, 26-27 October 2017.

  • O'Brien, Jake , Grant, Sharon , Thai, Phong , Ort, Christoph , Eaglesham, Geoff , Vijayasarathy, Soumini , Lai, Foon Yin , Covaci, Adrian , Novic, Andrew , Tscharke, Ben , Choi, Phil , Thomas, Kevin and Mueller, Jochen (2017). Using wastewater analysis to find demographic markers. 2nd Queensland Mass Spectrometry Symposium 2017, Brisbane, Australia, 2-3 November 2017.

  • O'Brien, Jake , Grant, Sharon , Thai, Phong , Ort, Christoph , Eaglesham, Geoff , Vijayasarathy, Soumini , Lai, Foon Yin , Covaci, Adrian , Novic, Andrew , Tscharke, Ben , Choi, Phil , Thomas, Kevin and Mueller, Jochen (2017). Using wastewater analysis to find population and demographic markers in wastewater. SETAC Australasia Conference 2017, Gold Coast, Australia, 4-6 September 2017.

  • O'Brien, Jake , Tscharke, Ben , Grant, Sharon , Thai, Phong , Ort, Christoph , Lai, Foon Yin , Mackie, Rachel , Covaci, Adrian , Bruno, Raimondo , Gartner, Coral , Prichard, Jeremy , Hall, Wayne , Kirkbride, Paul , Choi, Phil , Thomas, Kevin and Mueller, Jochen (2017). Wastewater analysis: a tool for measuring population consumption of chemicals and release of chemicals to the environment. Environmental Health Australia 42nd National Conference, Brisbane, Australia, 16-19 October 2017.

  • O'Brien, Jake, Thai, Phong, Ort, Christoph, Thomas, Kevin, Reid, Malcolm, Baz Lomba, José Antonio, Lai, Foon Yin and Mueller, Jochen (2016). A modelling approach to estimate the number of people contributing to a wastewater sample using population biomarkers. 2016 Annual Meeting of the International Society of Exposure Sicence, Utrecht, Netherlands, 9 - 13 October 2016. Herndon, VA, United States: International Society of Exposure Science.

  • Lai, F. Y., Hall, W., Wilkins, C., Gartner, C., Carter, S., Anuj, S., O'Brien, J. W., Thai, P., Bruno, R., Prichard, J., Kirkbride, P. and Mueller, J. F. (2015). Application of wastewater-based epidemiology on monitoring illicit drug, alcohol and nicotine use in Australian and New Zealand populations. Testing the Waters, Ascona, Switzerland, 11-15 October 2015.

  • Thai, Phong K., Lai, Foonyin, O'Brien, Jake W., Bruno, Raimondo, Hall, Wayne, Edirisinghe, Methsiri, Kirkbride, Paul, Prichard, Jeremy and Mueller, Jochen (2015). Long-term monitoring of cathinone use using wastewater analysis in an urban catchment in South East Queensland. Chichester, West Sussex, United Kingdom: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing.

  • Mueller, J. F., Lai, F. Y., Thai, P., O'Brien, J., Ort, C., Gartner, C., Prichard, J., Bruno, R., van Dyken, E., Humphries, M., Carter, S., Wilkins, P., Kirkbride, W. and Hall, W. (2015). Reading wastewater downunder. Testing the Waters, Ascona, Switzerland, 11-15 October 2015.

  • Thai, Phong K., Van Dyken, Emma, Banks, Andrew, Lai, Foonyin, O'Brien, Jake, Bruno, Raimondo, Hall, Wayne D., Prichard, Jeremy and Mueller, Jochen F. (2014). Refining the Excretion Factor for the Back-Estimation of Methadone Consumption in Sewer Epidemiology. Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs Conference 2014, Adelaide, SA Australia, 9-12 November 2014. Chichester, West Sussex, United Kingdom: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing. doi: 10.1111/dar.12222

  • Jiang, Guangming, Thai, Phong, Gernjak, Wolfgang, Yuan, Zhiguo and Mueller, Jochen (2013). Effects of sewer conditions on the dissipation of illicit drug residues and metabolites in wastewater. SPN7 2013: 7th International Conference on Sewer Processes and Networks, Sheffield, UK., 28-30 August, 2013.

  • Thai, Phong K., Lai, Foon Yin, Jiang, Guangming, Gernjak, Wolfgang, Yuan, Zhiguo and Mueller, Jochen F. (2012). Degradation of illicit drugs and their metabolites in laboratory-scale sewer reactors. 2nd SETAC Australasia Conference, Brisbane, QLD, Australia, 4-6 July 2012. Brisbane Qld Australia: Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC).

  • Lai, F. Y., Thai, P. K., O'Brien,, Kele, B., Ort, C., Gartner, C., Carter, S., Hall, W., Prichard, J., Bruno, R., Kirkbride, P., Eaglesham, G. and Mueller, J. F. (2012). Evaluation of illicit drug prevalence among attendees at a music festival via wastewater analysis. 2nd SETAC Australasia Conference, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 4-6 July 2012.

  • Lai, F. Y., Thai, P. K., Ort, C., O'Brien, J., Kele, B., Hall, W., Gartner, C., Bruno, R., Kirkbride, P. and Mueller, J. F. (2012). Forensic epidemiology: estimating illicit drug prevalence at a music festival through wastewater analysis. 21st International Symposium on the Forensic Sciences, Hobart, TAS Australia, 23-27 September 2012.

  • Lai, Foon Yin, Bruno, Raimondo, Hall, Wayne, Gartner, Coral, Ort, Christoph, Kirkbride, Paul, Prichard, Jeremy, Thai, Phong K., Carter, Steve and Mueller, Jochen F. (2012). Illicit drug use between an annual key holiday and a control period: wastewater analysis in a semi-rural, an urban and a vacation area. Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs Conference 2012, Melbourne, Australia, 18-21 November 2012. West Sussex , United Kingdom: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing. doi: 10.1111/j.1465-3362.2012.00514.x

  • Lai, F. Y., Thai, P. K., O'Brien, J., Kele, B., Ort, C., Gartner, C., Carter, S., Hall, W., Prichard, J., Bruno, R., Kirkbride, P., Eaglesham, G. and Mueller, J. F. (2012). Using wastewater analysis to measure illicit substance use among attendees of a music festival. 25th Annual Australian and New Zealand Society of Criminiology Conference, Auckland, New Zealand, 27-29 November 2012.

  • Lai, F. Y., Thai, P. K., O'Brien, J., Mueller, J. F., Ort, C., Carter, S., Eaglesham, G., Prichard, J., Bruno, R., van Dyken, E., Hall, W., Gartner, C., Humphries, M. and Karpievitch, Y. (2012). Wastewater "epidemiology": competitor or complement to survey studies?. 2012 National Drug Trends Conference. Drugs, crime and the front-line: Australiasian perspective, Sydney, NSW Australia, 9 October 2012.

  • Lai, F. Y., Prichard, J., Bruno, R., Ort, C., Gartner, C., Carter, S., Kirkbride, P., Hall, W., Eaglesham, G., Thai, P. K., Salina, A. and Mueller, J. F. (2011). Forensic epidemiology: Monitoring illicit drug use through wastewater analysis in South-East Queensland, Australia. 23rd Conference of Residue Chemists, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 25-28 October 2011.

  • Lai, F.Y., Prichard, J., Bruno, R., Ort, C., Gartner, C., Carter, S., Kirkbride, P., Hall, W., Eaglesham, G., Thai, P., Salinas, A. and Mueller, J. (2011). Measuring illicit substance use in the general population of Queensland through wastewater analysis. Australian and New Zealand Society of Criminology Annual Conference, Geelong, Australia, 28-30 Sept 2011.

  • Lai, F, Prichard, J, Bruno, R, Ort, C, Gartner, C, Carter, S, Kirkbride, P, Hall, W, Eaglesham, G, Thai, P, Salinas, A and Mueller, JF (2011). Monitoring Illicit Drug Use Through Wastewater Analysis in South East Queensland, Australia. Unknown, unknown, unknown. WILEY-BLACKWELL.

  • Lai, Foon Yin, Prichard, Jeremy, Bruno, Raimondo, Ort, Christopher, Gartnerm Cirak, Carter, Steve, Kirkbride, Paul, Hall, Wayne, Eaglesham, Geoff, Thai, Phong, Salinas, Anna and Mueller, Jochen F. (2011). Monitoring illicit drug use through wastewater analysis in South-East Queensland, Australia. Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs Conference 2011, Hobart, Australia, 13-16 November 2011. Oxford, United Kingdom: Wiley-Blackwell. doi: 10.1111/j.1465-3362.2011.00355.x

Other Outputs

Grants (Administered at UQ)

PhD and MPhil Supervision

Current Supervision

Completed Supervision