Centre for Air pollution, energy and health Research

An NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence

We are a virtual centre that brings together more than 40 researchers from around Australia and internationally to pursue collaborative research projects and translate our research into practice. Our research aims to understand the health impacts of air pollution and new energy sources.

Our vision is for a healthier community through cleaner air and cleaner energy sources.

About us

Fossil fuels

Energy transitions

Landscape fires

Out now

In response to the 2019-20 bushfire season in Australia, we compiled this evidence-based factsheet. It outlines what the health impacts are to bushfire smoke, which groups are most vulnerable, what we can do to minimise exposure and why climate change is needed now.

Factsheets

Resources

WORKSHOPS

WEBINARS

SUBMISSIONS

PUBLICATIONS

NEWSLETTERS

FACTSHEETS

FUNDING

CARDAT PLATFORM

Latest news

8 March, 2021

Air quality thresholds do not adequately protect Australians

According to CAR researchers the current mechanism for setting air quality thresholds in Australia does not adequately protect community health. The standards provides only partial health protection and adversely impacts community perceptions by implying that the current standards represent a ‘safe’ level of exposure.

Read media release

Read publication

15 February, 2021

The Role of Traffic-Related Air Pollution on Neurodegenerative Diseases in Older People

CAR researchers have conducted a review on the role that traffic-related air pollution may play in neurodegenerative diseases, such as dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease. Current research has provided mixed findings and longer-term studies are needed to confirm the levels of risk and other contributing environmental factors. Better understanding of these relationships will help inform the development of preventive measures and reduce chronic cognitive and physical health burdens (cost, quality of life) at personal and societal levels.

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25 January, 2021

Air pollution leads to more deaths than national road toll

CAR has found that man-made air pollution in Australia is causing substantial levels of mortality and economic burden, even when pollution (PM2.5) levels remain well below those widely considered to be safe. We have estimated that air pollution in Australia leads to over 2,600 premature deaths- more than double the national road toll. And this costs the Australian economy $2.6 billion each year. Read publication

Read media release

25 November, 2020

CAR's data platform receives funding boost

We have received funding from Australian Research Data Commons to expand our unique Data Platform (CARDAT) for mapping and analysing air pollution data. More information about our sucessful funding at and

Events

17 February, 2021

February webinar: Professor Susan Thompson

Join us on 26 February 2021 at 12:00-1:00 pm (Sydney time) to hear from Professor Susan Thompson, Head of City Wellbeing Program at UNSW City Futures Research Centre.

More info

11 November, 2020

November webinar: Identifying smoke plumes

Watch our recording from 20 November, 2020 as we we heard from Dr Alexandra Larssen from the USA EPA on a machine learning approach for detecting large fire smoke plumes in new generation satellite imagery.

More info

17 September, 2020

October webinar: The Pollution, Climate and Global Burden of Disease Initiative

Watch the recording of our October webinar from Dr Howard Hu

on his work on the Global Burden of Disease-Pollution, Climate and Health Initiative (GBD-PCHI)

More info