Research Challenges

Environmental pollution is highly complex: hundreds of thousands of toxic substances with very different chemical properties and origins can coexist within the same environment. Their interactions are often still poorly understood, yet they may intensify harmful effects.
To address this challenge, we develop advanced analytical, toxicological, exposure assessment and modelling techniques to identify pollutants, understand how they disperse, determine exposure pathways, and assess risks to ecosystems and human health.

In the current context of global change, both ground and surface waters are becoming increasingly valuable resources. Population growth, aquifer overexploitation and pollution, together with drought, place water resources under growing pressure, creating major social and economic inequalities.
In addition, the subsurface offers significant potential for geological gas storage, with important implications for climate change mitigation solutions, such as CO₂ storage, and for renewable energy technologies, including green hydrogen.
We advance hydrogeological and biogeochemical understanding to support sustainable management of water and geo-resources under climatic and anthropogenic pressures.

Understanding how ecosystems respond to environmental pressures requires examining the processes that connect pollution, climate and Earth system functioning. To this end, we study the entire life cycle of pollutants, from their sources of emission to their transport, transformation and potential impacts on ecosystems.
This challenge also addresses the effects of global change and the natural hazards that threaten societies and ecosystems. Through the study of natural paleo-archives, we can reconstruct past climate evolution to better understand current changes and improve future projections. We also investigate phenomena such as droughts, wildfires, earthquakes and volcanic activity in order to anticipate risks, reduce impacts and strengthen territorial resilience.

Transforming scientific knowledge into practical solutions is essential for addressing today’s environmental challenges. For this reason, we develop and implement solutions aimed at improving water quality, recovering valuable raw materials, restoring ecosystems, and supporting decision-making by public administrations, businesses and other societal stakeholders.
This challenge connects our scientific research with action, facilitating the transition towards a more sustainable and resilient society.