Theme 1: Preventing pollution, avoiding landfill, waste management and recovering resources

Chemical Surveillance

We monitor and analyse both emerging and established chemicals in various environmental matrices such as land, soil, water, and air to track their presence and levels.

Contaminant Behaviour and Fate

Our research explores how chemicals interact with environmental components, their persistence, degradation, and potential to accumulate in ecosystems.

Chemical Exposure Pathways

We assess how chemicals from environmental sources are transferred to and impact animals, plants, and humans through direct exposure or through the food chain.

Toxicity and Effects

We investigate the toxicological impacts of chemicals on living organisms, evaluating short-term and long-term health effects on animals, plants, and humans.

Chemical Risk Assessment

We analyse the risks associated with chemical exposure, focusing on the potential threats to biodiversity, human health, and environmental sustainability.

Theme 2: Preventing pollution, avoiding landfill, waste management and recovering resources

Pollution Prevention Strategies

We develop and assess innovative methods to reduce pollution at its source, focusing on cleaner production techniques and sustainable practices to minimize environmental impact.

Landfill Diversion and Waste Minimization

We research and promote technologies and strategies for diverting waste from landfills, including waste reduction, recycling, and the reuse of materials to reduce landfill dependency.

Waste Management Optimization

We evaluate and improve waste management systems, including sorting, processing, and disposal methods, to enhance efficiency and reduce environmental harm.

Resource Recovery and Circular Economy

We explore methods to recover valuable resources from waste materials, such as metals, plastics, and organic matter, to support a circular economy and reduce the need for raw material extraction.

Sustainable Waste Solutions

We investigate sustainable approaches to waste treatment, including composting, waste-to-energy technologies, and biodegradable alternatives, aiming to minimize waste’s environmental footprint.

Theme 3: A new paradigm for risk assessment and management

Risk Identification and Analysis

We focus on identifying potential environmental and health risks by analysing contaminants, pollutants, and emerging threats, considering their sources, pathways, and impacts on ecosystems and human populations.

Quantitative Risk Assessment

We develop models and methodologies to quantify risks, evaluating the probability and severity of adverse outcomes from exposure to environmental hazards, such as chemicals, pollutants, or new technologies.

Risk Prioritization

We prioritize risks based on their potential harm and likelihood, guiding resource allocation and decision-making to address the most critical issues first.

Integrated Risk Management Strategies

We create and assess risk management frameworks that combine scientific data, regulatory standards, and stakeholder input to minimize risks while maximizing environmental and public health protection.

Adaptive Risk Approaches

We implement adaptive management techniques, continuously updating risk assessments and management strategies in response to new data, evolving risks, and emerging environmental or societal changes.

Theme 4: Remediation of our environment

Comprehensive Remediation Techniques

We explore and develop various remediation methods, including physical, chemical, biological, and bioremediation approaches, to address contamination in soil, water, and air.

Treatability Studies

We conduct rigorous laboratory-based treatability studies to evaluate the effectiveness of different remediation technologies, testing their ability to degrade, transform, or remove contaminants from environmental media.

Field Trials and Pilot Projects

We implement large-scale field trials and pilot projects to validate remediation strategies under real-world conditions, assessing their feasibility, efficiency, and environmental impact.

Contaminant Fate and Monitoring

We track the fate of contaminants during and after remediation efforts, using advanced monitoring techniques to measure the progress and success of treatment processes and ensure environmental restoration.

Audits and Performance Assessments

We carry out comprehensive audits and performance evaluations of remediation projects to assess their long-term effectiveness, ensuring that contaminants are properly managed, and the ecosystem is restored to safe levels.

Theme 5: Next generation clean-up technologies

Innovative Clean-Up Technologies

We develop cutting-edge clean-up technologies, including advanced chemical, biological, and physical methods, designed to address complex environmental contaminants in soil, water, and air.

Sensor Development for Real-Time Monitoring

We design and implement advanced sensor technologies for continuous, real-time monitoring of contaminants, enabling precise tracking of pollutant levels and the effectiveness of remediation efforts in various environmental media.

Prototype Development and Testing

We create and test prototypes of next-generation clean-up technologies, conducting rigorous laboratory experiments to assess their efficiency, safety, and potential for addressing diverse contamination issues.

Scale-Up and Pilot Trials

We focus on scaling up successful laboratory prototypes to larger, more practical applications, performing field trials to validate the technologies under real-world environmental conditions and assessing their scalability and cost-effectiveness.

Comprehensive Assessments and Optimization

We conduct thorough environmental and performance assessments, optimizing clean-up processes based on field data, refining technologies, and integrating them into tailored solutions for different contamination challenges.

Research Hub

Pioneering research for a cleaner world

crcCARE’s multidisciplinary research explores how contaminants behave, move, and impact our environment — uncovering new knowledge that shapes global standards in assessment, remediation, and prevention.

Turning scientific discovery into real-world impact

Through collaboration with government, universities, and industry, crcCARE advances fundamental and applied research to address the world’s most pressing contamination challenges.

Our scientists develop the data, tools, and models that underpin better environmental decisions — from assessing risk to restoring land and preventing pollution before it starts.

Explore our research programs

Our research programs

crcCARE’s research themes reflect an integrated approach to contamination — understanding emerging chemicals, rethinking risk, and innovating new ways to protect ecosystems and communities.

Theme 1:

Understanding emerging and emerged chemicals

This program will address the significant gaps in our knowledge of the potential risks posed by the rapidly increasing number of emerging contaminants and their mixtures.

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Theme 2:

Preventing pollution, avoiding landfill, waste management and recovering resources

This program will develop tools and technologies to minimise waste to landfill and provide the knowledge critical for rebuilding the Australian recycling system and industry.

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Theme 3:

A new paradigm for risk assessment and management

This program will consider the management of risk from a range of different perspectives to gain a more complete understanding and prediction of risk.

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Theme 4

Remediation of our environment

This program focuses on developing, testing, and validating remediation techniques to restore contaminated environments, ensuring practical, effective, and sustainable clean-up outcomes.

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Theme 5

Next generation clean-up technologies

This program will address the complexity of existing approaches to assessing and cleaning up contaminated sites which makes the process time consuming, costly, fraught with uncertainty and errors, and potentially litigious.

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Work with crcCARE researchers

Our research thrives on collaboration.

Partner with crcCARE to advance new technologies, participate in joint research projects, or apply our findings to your contamination challenges.

Contact our research team

Theme 1: Preventing pollution, avoiding landfill, waste management and recovering resources

Theme 2: Preventing pollution, avoiding landfill, waste management and recovering resources

Theme 3: A new paradigm for risk assessment and management

Theme 4: Remediation of our environment

Theme 5: Next generation clean-up technologies

Research Hub

Pioneering research for a cleaner world

crcCARE’s multidisciplinary research explores how contaminants behave, move, and impact our environment — uncovering new knowledge that shapes global standards in assessment, remediation, and prevention.

Turning scientific discovery into real-world impact

Our research programs

Theme 1:

Understanding emerging and emerged chemicals

Theme 2:

Preventing pollution, avoiding landfill, waste management and recovering resources

Theme 3:

A new paradigm for risk assessment and management

Theme 4

Remediation of our environment

Theme 5

Next generation clean-up technologies

Work with crcCARE researchers

Our research thrives on collaboration.

Partner with crcCARE to advance new technologies, participate in joint research projects, or apply our findings to your contamination challenges.

crcCARE advances global solutions for the assessment, remediation, and prevention of environmental contamination through collaboration between research, industry, and government.

About us

What we do

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