Dandelions, cotton balls and swimming pools – what do they have in common? They are all terms used by Australian experts to explain science to the public. A scientific concept such as density might be explained by comparing, say, a piece of glass with a snow-flake. A description of water management might invoke a drop of a dangerous substance in an Olympic-size swimming pool.

Landowners who receive a clean-up notice should review it for both liability and the remedial actions required.

Can a landowner be required to clean up legacy contamination? A recent decision of the Queensland Planning and Environment Court provides essential lessons to demonstrate why this may not always be the case.

Complementary medicines – also known as traditional, natural or alternative medicines – include vitamin and dietary health supplements, herbal medicines, and traditional Ayurvedic, Chinese and homeopathic medicines. Contaminants in complementary medicines can include pesticide residues, and toxic heavy metal(loid)s such as cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), lead (Pb) and mercury (Hg).