Research on aerosol science, toxicological impacts of airborne particles on human health, risk assessment of air quality on human health, research and technology development on the implications of climate change for human health and society.
Researchers at the Health and Environments Research Centre Laboratory collaborate with other investigators and industrial partners locally and globally, to examine the sources, fate, transport and metabolism of aerosols of health significance in human environments and ecosystems. Key considerations include the associated toxicological mechanisms and pathways of host defence, tissue injury and repair, and other systems-related responses in relation to such exposures; the identification of new clinically significant markers of environmental and occupational toxicology and pathogenesis; the estimation of the population health burden of such exposures on the health of Canadians and the global community; and the development of new environmental public health policy and community health planning tools. Our areas of expertise include toxicology, environmental and occupational health, environmental chemistry, atmospheric science, and climate change.
Our facilities are linked to the Canadian Aerosol Research Network (CARN), with the global purpose of enabling researchers, consultants, and governmental officials to conduct environmental and occupational health and atmospheric science research in accordance with the Canadian Aerosol Research Network user principles and definitions.
Indoor and outdoor air quality assessment, characterization of environmental contaminants in air, water and soil, characterization of fine particulate matter and aerosol composition, environmental sampling method development, worksite exposure investigations, analysis of trace metals in environmental samples and filter weighing and sample collection preparation, exposure assessment support to epidemiological and occupational hygiene studies, freely accessible information and data. We provide a repository of GEOS-Chem input files (such as emission and metfields), which can be downloaded via anonymous FTP from ftp://rain.ucis.dal.ca, and data processed from meteorological input from the Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) of the NASA Global Modeling and Assimilation Office and the MERRA reanalysis.
We ask users to familiarize themselves with corresponding publications and communicate with the research contact listed to ensure the most up-to-date and appropriate use of information.
- Aerospace and satellites
- Agriculture, animal science and food
- Clean technology
- Environmental technologies and related services
- Healthcare and social services
- Information and communication technologies and media
- Life sciences, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment
- Ocean industries
- Policy and governance
Specialized labs and equipment
|
Specialized lab |
Equipment |
Function |
|---|---|---|
|
Analytical Chemistry Suite |
Thermo Scientific iCAP Q ICP-MS PerkinElmer Clarus ® SQ 8 GC-MS/TD
Thermo Scientific Exactive Plus Orbitrap Mass Spectrometer
Thermo Scientific ISQ GC-MS
Thermo Scientific Dionex ICS-5000 Reagent-Free HPIC System Thermo Scientific Dionex ASE 350
Thermo Scientific Spectra HPLC Sunset Laboratory Semi-Continuous OCEC Carbon Aerosol Analyzer TSI 3081/3085//3775 Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer
Sartorius SE-2-F Microbalance and Terra Universal Cleanroom CEM Discover SP-D microwave digester |
Trace elemental analysis Trace organic and inorganic compound analysis Identify and quantify chemicals in complex matrices
Trace organic compound analysis Simultaneous anion and cation analysis Extracts solids and semisolid samples for chemical analysis Quantify organic and inorganic compounds with chemical speciation Quantifies organic and elemental carbon in aerosol Continuous measurements of the size distribution and number concentration of submicron particles High-precision, seven-digit microbalance in clean room Fast and efficient sample digestion for metal analysis |
|
Environmental Monitoring Suite
(Environmental analytical chemistry facilities for high-precision analyses of environmental contaminants) |
Aerodyne Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitor
CES Xact 625 ambient metals monitor
Thermo Scientific 5012 Multi-Angle Absorption Photometer for Real-time Black Carbon Monitoring Thermo Scientific 5014i Beta Continuous Ambient Particulate Monitor
Thermo Scientific 42i NO-NO2-NOx Analyzer
Thermo Scientific 48i-TLE Enhanced Trace Level CO Analyzer
Recordum Airpointers
Thermo Scientific Partisol 2300 Speciation Sampler
Thermo Scientific Partisol Plus 2025 Sequential Air Sampler
TSI Ultrafine Particle Monitor 3031
DustTrak Drx Aerosol Monitor 8533
TSI Q-Trak Indoor Air Quality Monitor 7575 TSI Condensation Particle Counter 3007 |
Real-time quantification of inorganic and organic components in submicron particles
Near real-time trace elemental analysis Continuous measurement of black carbon Continuous measurement of PM10, PM2.5, PM1, and total suspended particles Continuous measurement of oxides of nitrogen levels
Continuous measurements carbon monoxide
Real-time measurements of O3, CO, SO2, H2S, NOx, and PM2.5 and weather metrics
Filter-based ambient particulate sampling of PM2.5 and PM10
Filter-based ambient particulate sampling of PM2.5 and PM10
Continuous measurements of the size, distribution and number concentration of ultrafine particles Continuous measurements of PM1, PM2.5, PM4, PM10, and total PM fractions Measures CO2, CO, temperature, and humidity Continuous measurements of submicron particle number concentrations |
|
Toxicology Suite |
Nanoparticle generating unit Cell culturing unit |
In vitro toxicity testing system |
|
Remote Sensing Computing Suite (PCS) - Physics and Atmospheric Sciences
|
High Powered Computing Suite PE R410 Head Node, dual E5520, 16GB 2*80GB, RPS
Dell Precision T5500 Quad Core Xeon E55062 Workstations + Office |
Remote Sensing Data Repository Freely accessible information and data have greatly advanced scientific development during the past decade. GEOS-Chem input data We provide a repository of GEOS-Cheminput files (emission, metfields, etc.), which can be downloaded via anonymous FTP from ftp://rain.ucis.dal.ca. Data processed from meteorological input from the Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) of the NASA Global Modeling and Assimilation Office and the MERRA reanalysis. Users are asked to familiarize themselves with corresponding publications and contact principle researchers (as provided within subsequent sections) to ensure the most up-to-date and appropriate use of information. |
Private and public sector research partners
- University of Toronto
- University of British Columbia
- Health Canada
- University of Calgary
- University of Iowa (USA)
- National Research Foundation of Korea
- Korea Institute of Toxicology
- Mount Allison University
- Manipal University/ Faculty of Medicine/ India
- Health Effects Institute (USA)
- The Lung Association of Nova Scotia
- Canadian Cancer Society (PEI Division)
- Canadian Institutes for Health Research
- Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
- Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute
- National Research Council Canada