Mark Taylor

Mark Patrick Taylor is a Professor of Environmental Science at Macquarie University, specialising in environmental contamination and the risks they pose to human health. He is also the Director of the University’s Energy and Environmental Contaminants Research Centre.

Professor Taylor generates significant and far-reaching impact from his research. Both governmentand private industry in Australian and the USA have invested more than AUD $1.2 billion to improve environment performance and human health outcomes as a direct result of Professor Taylor’s work. His recent successful science-based advocacy for the revision of the NHMRC’s intervention level for blood lead exposures in children exemplifies his commitment to delivering better outcomes for Australian public and environmental health.

As a former Commissioner of the NSW Land and Environment Court, expert advisor to a range of government, industry, NGO and community organisations in regard to environmental pollution and human heath, Professor Taylor has contributed significantly to Australia’s environmental protection, management and remediation. 

He recently completed a 15 month review of the NSW EPA’s management of contaminatedsites for the NSW Minister for the Environment. In addition, he is an expert science advisor to the Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation who represent the Mirrar people that are impacted by uranium mining in Kakadu, Northern Territory. 

Mark’s proficiency, impact and quality of work is reflected in multiple honours for his research, teaching and community endeavours. These include being nominatedas a Fellow of the Royal Society of NSW, a Fellow of the Peter Cullen Water and Environment Trust; visiting professorships at US universities, a national Australian Learning and Teaching Council award, Ku-ring-gai Citizen of the Year Award and several Macquarie University research and teaching awards. 

Mark’s work has been used and cited widely in court judgements, parliaments, government reviews and academic journals, with over 140 published research papers, and a similar number of research reports. The relevance and interest in his work is reflected in its significant national and international news, radio and TV media coverage with more than 2000 media mentions since 2013. 

His research program investigates environmental contamination in aerosols, dusts, sediments, soil and water and risks to human health. His work focuses on impacts from mining and smelting emissions and depositions, and contamination in non-mining locations. This work includes his community VegeSafe program that provides free soil metal analysis and advice to householdgardeners and a new global citizen science initiative ‘DustSafe’ that examines contaminants in household dust. 

His work spans Australia, Asia, Chile, Fiji, New Zealand and the USA. Recent work in Australia has examined contamination and environmental management issues in Broken Hill, Darwin (Kakadu), Mount Isa, Port Pirie, Newcastle, Sydney and Townsville. Mark holds degrees in Science – BSc (Hons) and PhD.