Purpose
The International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health (ILAQH) is part of the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS) in the Faculty of Science at QUT. The ILAQH is a World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Air Quality and Health. The Institute undertakes research, postgraduate training and consultancy in the complex, interdisciplinary field of air quality and its impact on human health, with a specific focus on ultrafine and nanoparticles. The three main aspects of ILAQH research activities are:
- Comprehensive characterisation of indoor and outdoor air, including emission sources;
- Integrated health and environmental risk assessments; and
- Strategies for controlling and managing air pollutants.
Interdisciplinary research
To address the challenge related to the interdisciplinary nature of air pollution and its impact on human health, academics from a number of Faculties within QUT are involved with the programs undertaken by the ILAQH, including discipline areas such as: physics, chemistry, microbiology, mathematics, public health and engineering. The expertise of the ILAQH personnel is strengthened by close collaboration with a number of government and non-government organizations. Through joint research, lecturing and postgraduate student supervision, the ILAQH collaborates closely with a number of North American, European and Asian research and tertiary organizations.
Facilities
The facility is equipped with state of the art instrumentation for aerosol generation, mass and number size classification; monitoring of atmospheric gases; real time biological studies; vehicle emission testing, filter testing, lung deposition studies, and computer modelling. Access to electron microscopy and analytical chemistry facilities is available through the links existing within the Science and Engineering Faculty.
Impact
ILAQH has built up a scientific program, which is recognised internationally through a high publication rate in reputable international journals, visits by scholars from around the world to the facility, and invitations to the ILAQH key researchers to address international conferences and participate in international initiatives. In Australia both the Queensland State and the Federal government and non-government organizations regularly seek the expertise of this facility.