AN INTEGRATED MODEL OF BUS EMISSION IMPACTS AT AND AROUND BUS STATIONS AND BUSWAYS FOR TRANSPORT AND LAND USE PLANNING. Buses are one of the two most common forms of public transport in Australia, with bus fleet and service coverage increasing, yet the effect on human health and the environment of the emissions from these vehicles is unknown. This research will develop a comprehensive model of bus emission impacts in and around bus stations and along bus corridors for use in exposure and risk as ....AN INTEGRATED MODEL OF BUS EMISSION IMPACTS AT AND AROUND BUS STATIONS AND BUSWAYS FOR TRANSPORT AND LAND USE PLANNING. Buses are one of the two most common forms of public transport in Australia, with bus fleet and service coverage increasing, yet the effect on human health and the environment of the emissions from these vehicles is unknown. This research will develop a comprehensive model of bus emission impacts in and around bus stations and along bus corridors for use in exposure and risk assessment, integrated transport and land use planning and policy setting. This research will provide a scientific foundation for developing future directions for the management of public transport to minimize the impact of emissions on the public and the environment.Read moreRead less
The Effect of Fuel Type on Health and Environmental Risks Caused by Motor Vehicle Emissions. Motor vehicles constitute one of the most significant sources of air pollutants but the state of knowledge on the quantity of some of these does not permit for projection of the risk they create. This project aims at quantification of emissions of pollutants contributing to deterioration of health, ozone formation, global warming and acid rain as a function of fuel type, using a novel on-road sampling m ....The Effect of Fuel Type on Health and Environmental Risks Caused by Motor Vehicle Emissions. Motor vehicles constitute one of the most significant sources of air pollutants but the state of knowledge on the quantity of some of these does not permit for projection of the risk they create. This project aims at quantification of emissions of pollutants contributing to deterioration of health, ozone formation, global warming and acid rain as a function of fuel type, using a novel on-road sampling method. Resultantly, a holistic picture of integrated health and environmental risk will be developed that will build a scientific foundation for future fuel,transport and land use to protect the community and the environment.Read moreRead less
Risk assessment for environmental health in Adelaide based on weather, air pollution and population health outcomes. This is the first systematic assessment of the effect of climate variation and air pollution on population health in an Australian temperate region. It is one of the ARC's research priorities (PG 7: Responding to climate change and variability). The results will provide a more complete picture of association among air pollution, climate variability and population health in Austral ....Risk assessment for environmental health in Adelaide based on weather, air pollution and population health outcomes. This is the first systematic assessment of the effect of climate variation and air pollution on population health in an Australian temperate region. It is one of the ARC's research priorities (PG 7: Responding to climate change and variability). The results will provide a more complete picture of association among air pollution, climate variability and population health in Australia. They will also provide important information to policy-makers and communities for their relevant actions, including changes in resource management systems and the operation of these systems, a range of socioeconomic actions, infrastructure establishment, disaster prevention and emergency events response regulation, and health education and promotion campaigns.Read moreRead less
Developing and validating an air quality assessment model for application in human exposure assessment, housing/urban planning and policy setting. At present there does not exist a model for assessing human exposure to airborne pollutants in places where people live, work and rest. In addition, experimental exposure assessments display large discrepancies dependent on the measurement method used. This research aims at developing and validating an air quality assessment model that would enable ....Developing and validating an air quality assessment model for application in human exposure assessment, housing/urban planning and policy setting. At present there does not exist a model for assessing human exposure to airborne pollutants in places where people live, work and rest. In addition, experimental exposure assessments display large discrepancies dependent on the measurement method used. This research aims at developing and validating an air quality assessment model that would enable predictions of air quality in various mircoenvironments for the purpose of exposure and risk assessment, housing and urban planning, and policy setting. This research will provide scientific foundation and a tool for developing future directions for management and control to protect the community and the environment.Read moreRead less
A surface functionality based approach for the risk assessment of manufactured nanomaterials in the environment. Manufactured nanoparticles are increasingly present in the environment yet their risk assessment is fraught with analytical challenges. This project will use customised nanoparticles with unique isotopic signatures and surface properties to circumvent key difficulties and support novel investigations into nanoparticle stability, fate and toxicity.
Addressing the uncertainties: Pathways, fate and associated risks of manufactured nanoparticles in the environment. Manufactured nanomaterials are increasingly present in commercial products, such as sunscreens, textiles and building materials. Their subsequent release to the environment is unavoidable. This project will deliver novel methods for assessing the associated risks, thereby supporting the safe and sustainable use of nanomaterials in Australia.
Integrated and precautionary approach for assessing complex environmental health impacts. It is important to develop an innovative and systematic approach to the improvement of environmental health impact assessment for emerging complex environmental hazards. It has become increasingly apparent that traditional risk assessment methods are no longer suitable for assessing the health impact of emerging global environmental issues such as climate change and ecosystem degradation. The novelty of thi ....Integrated and precautionary approach for assessing complex environmental health impacts. It is important to develop an innovative and systematic approach to the improvement of environmental health impact assessment for emerging complex environmental hazards. It has become increasingly apparent that traditional risk assessment methods are no longer suitable for assessing the health impact of emerging global environmental issues such as climate change and ecosystem degradation. The novelty of this proposal lies in its intention to create fundamental knowledge on an integrated and precautionary approach for assessing complex and emerging environmental health risks by development of a conceptual framework for integrated environmental health impact assessment.Read moreRead less
Quantifying the effects of criteria air pollutants on child health - setting Australian air quality standards. The project is proposed and supported by the National Environment and Heritage Protection Council, who will be reviewing Australian air quality standards from 2005. The study aims to determine whether current air quality standards adequately protect the health of Australian school children, and to provide nationally-based information to inform any changes to the current standards. A cr ....Quantifying the effects of criteria air pollutants on child health - setting Australian air quality standards. The project is proposed and supported by the National Environment and Heritage Protection Council, who will be reviewing Australian air quality standards from 2005. The study aims to determine whether current air quality standards adequately protect the health of Australian school children, and to provide nationally-based information to inform any changes to the current standards. A cross-sectional study will examine cumulative effects; a nested panel study will quantify day-to-day effects of air pollution in sensitive children. Sampling will ensure national representation and generalisability of findings. This will be the first nationally-based study of the relationship between air quality and child health in Australia.Read moreRead less
Toward the effective surveillance of environmental health hazards for a sustainable society. It is important to maintain and enhance environmental health and community well-being from a sustainable development perspective. There has been an increasing realisation that an effective surveillance system needs to be developed to identify and manage environmental health hazards. The expected research outcomes of this project provide significant social benefits by contributing to the development of an ....Toward the effective surveillance of environmental health hazards for a sustainable society. It is important to maintain and enhance environmental health and community well-being from a sustainable development perspective. There has been an increasing realisation that an effective surveillance system needs to be developed to identify and manage environmental health hazards. The expected research outcomes of this project provide significant social benefits by contributing to the development of an effective surveillance system of emerging environmental health hazards for a sustainable society. The results of this project will also assist governments to formulate policies, guide actions and assess progress in the direction toward sustainable development.Read moreRead less
Extreme weather and population health in Australia: risk assessment, prediction of health impacts and disease burden, and adaptive strategy exploration. This is the first systematic assessment of the effect of heatwaves on daily mortality/hospitalisations/emergency department visits/ambulance callouts, and the burden of disease due to climate change in major Australian cities. It will explore relevant health specific adaptation strategies. The results will help relevant government agencies with ....Extreme weather and population health in Australia: risk assessment, prediction of health impacts and disease burden, and adaptive strategy exploration. This is the first systematic assessment of the effect of heatwaves on daily mortality/hospitalisations/emergency department visits/ambulance callouts, and the burden of disease due to climate change in major Australian cities. It will explore relevant health specific adaptation strategies. The results will help relevant government agencies with policy-making, such as public service and resource allocation, infrastructure establishment, disaster prevention and response, including establishing the national heatwaves response system. They will help relevant industry for their adaptation to climate change, i.e. aged care industries. The results will also benefit local communities with their attention and behaviour changes for climate change.Read moreRead less