Projects per year
Personal profile
Biography
Professor Peter Nelson is Pro-Vice Chancellor, (Research Performance and Innovation) and a Professor of Environmental Studies at Macquarie University.
As Pro-Vice Chancellor, Research (P&I), Professor Nelson oversees the development and implementation of strategies to facilitate research innovation, build research capacity and optimise the University’s research assessment and metrics capabilities.
As a Scientist, Professor Nelson has more than 30 years’ experience in research on the assessment and control of air pollution and on environmental issues associated with energy production and use. In recent years Peter has developed a program of research on mercury, a toxic trace metal with a variety of industrial sources, and long-standing use in industrial processes and commercial products. In 2013 the United Nations agreed on a Convention for mercury management and Peter’s research contributed to Australia’s understanding of this issue. Peter has subsequently led the development of the United Nations Environment Programme guidelines on best available techniques and best environmental practices for controlling non-ferrous metal smelting. He is currently a member of the expert group preparing the 2018 Global Mercury Assessment and co-lead of the UN Environment Partnership on mercury from Coal Combustion.
Professor Nelson was Project Leader (Emissions and Waste) in the CRC for Coal in Sustainable Development (CCSD). He has managed projects for NERDDP, ACARP, Pacific Power, ICI, NSW Environmental Research Trusts, RTA, Commonwealth EPA, NSW EPA, Federal Airports Corporation and the National Greenhouse Inventory Committee. Peter is the author of more than 120 peer reviewed journal papers, 130 conference papers and 100 reports to government agencies and industry on aspects of fuel and atmospheric chemistry and urban and industrial air pollution measurement, assessment and control.
Professor Nelson was appointed Professor of Environmental Studies, Macquarie University in 2001, and was Director of the Graduate School of the Environment 2001-2008, Associate Dean Research in the Faculty of Science 2008-2013, Acting Executive Dean of the Faculty of Science 2014-2015. He was previously Senior Principal Research Scientist in CSIRO Energy Technology, where he managed projects on energy and the environment, air pollutant measurement, mechanism of formation and control. He completed a PhD in Physical Chemistry from the University of Sydney. He has subsequently pursued his equal interest in the Humanities and holds a BA in English Literature from Macquarie University.
Research interests
atmospheric chemistry
air pollution measurement, assessment, management and control
sources, transport and fate of mercury in the environment
emissions of biogenic organic compounds from vegetation
environmental impacts of coal combustion
Education/Academic qualification
Graduate Member, GAICD, Australian Institute of Company Directors
Award Date: 30 Apr 2016
English Literature, BA, Macquarie University
Award Date: 30 Apr 1994
Physical Chemistry, PhD, Coal Pyrolysis at High Heating Rates, University of Sydney
Award Date: 15 Apr 1989
Inorganic Chemistry, BSc (Hons), University of Sydney
Award Date: 1 Apr 1975
External positions
• Co-lead UN Environment Partnership on Mercury Control in Coal Combustion, UN Environment
Mar 2017 → …
Lead author, BAT/BEP Guidance for the Minamata Convention on Mercury, UN Environment
2014 → 2016
Member Expert Group for the Global Mercury Assessment, UN Environment
2012 → 2018
• Science Leader (Environmental Risk) , Australian National Low Emission Coal Research and Development (ANLECR&D)
2008 → …
Foundation President, Australian Council of Environmental Deans & Directors
2008 → 2011
Program manager Education, Co-operative Research Centre for Coal in Sustainable Development (CCSD)
2006 → 2008
Project Leader Emissions and Waste, Co-operative Research Centre for Coal in Sustainable Development (CCSD)
2001 → 2008
Program Manager, Emissions and Waste, Co-operative Research Centre for Black Coal Utilisation
1995 → 2001
Senior Principal Research Scientist, CSIRO
1975 → 2001
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- 1 Similar Profiles
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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NanoMin; Quantitative Mineral Mapping of Nanoscale Processes
Kennedy, M., Sorrell, C., Haberlah, D., Dewhurst, D., Turner, S., Gore, D., O'Reilly, S., Van Kranendonk, M., Nelson, P., Le-Clech, P., Koshy, P., Foden, J., Ward, C., Sherwood, N. & Haghighi, M.
18/03/16 → …
Project: Research
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Macquarie University Energy and Environmental Contaminants Research Centre
Taylor, M., Gore, D., Strezov, V., Nelson, P., Edwards, G., Davies, P., Kennedy, M., Loehr, S., Handley, H., George, S., Jiang, Y. & Hose, G.
1/01/16 → …
Project: Research
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Soot emissions from shipping operations: A novel risk-based framework for environmental impact assessment.
Salehi, F., Abbassi, R., Nelson, P., Garaniya, V. & Chen, L.
1/01/20 → 31/12/21
Project: Research
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Reducing mercury emissions from industrial sources included in the Minamata Convention on Mercury
8/12/17 → 7/12/18
Project: Other
Research Outputs
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Patterns and trends of atmospheric mercury in the GMOS network: insights based on a decade of measurements
Bencardino, M., D'Amore, F., Angot, H., Angiuli, L., Bertrand, Y., Cairns, W., Diéguez, M. C., Dommergue, A., Ebinghaus, R., Esposito, G., Komínková, K., Labuschagne, C., Mannarino, V., Martin, L., Martino, M., Neves, L. M., Mashyanov, N., Magand, O., Nelson, P., Norstrom, C., & 8 others , 15 Dec 2024, In: Environmental Pollution. 363, Pt 2, p. 1-15 15 p., 125104.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile3 Downloads (Pure) -
Can databases facilitate accountability? The case of Australian mercury accounting via the National Pollutant Inventory
Ullah, M. H., Hazelton, J. & Nelson, P. F., 11 Jan 2021, In: Accounting, Auditing and Accountability Journal. 34, 1, p. 164-193 30 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
5 Citations (Scopus) -
Atmospheric mercury in Australia: recent findings and future research needs
Fisher, J. A. & Nelson, P. F., 23 Dec 2020, In: Elementa. 8, 1, p. 1-20 20 p., 070.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
Open AccessFile14 Citations (Scopus)132 Downloads (Pure) -
Application of national pollutant inventories for monitoring trends on dioxin emissions from stationary industrial sources in Australia, Canada and European Union
Salian, K., Strezov, V., Evans, T. J., Taylor, M. & Nelson, P. F., 25 Oct 2019, In: PLoS ONE. 14, 10, p. 1-13 13 p., e0224328.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile17 Citations (Scopus)173 Downloads (Pure) -
Biomass-fueled direct carbon fuel cells
Kan, T., Strezov, V., Town, G. & Nelson, P., 2019, Renewable energy systems from biomass: efficiency, innovation, and sustainability. Strezov, V. & Anawar, H. M. (eds.). Boca Raton, USA: CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group, p. 225-241 17 p.Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review