PhD Thesis Defence by Ana Torres Agulló

The predoctoral researcher Ana Torres Agulló, from the Chemometrics for Environmental Omics group, will defend her thesis on 1st September at 10:00h in Aula Enric Casassas (Faculty of Physics, Universitat de Barcelona)

Directors: Sílvia Lacorte and Angeliki Karanasiou

Thesis Committee: Soledad Muniategui, Vânia Martins and Rosa Maria Marcé

Abstract:
Microplastics have emerged as a ubiquitous environmental contaminant, raising growing concern due to their potential impacts on human health. In the atmosphere, these particles can be directly and continuously inhaled, leading to their deposition throughout the human respiratory tract. However, the assessment of airborne microplastics is challenged by their heterogeneous physicochemical properties, coexistence with complex atmospheric matrices, and the lack of standardized analytical methodologies and exposure assessment frameworks.
In this context, this PhD Thesis aims to develop advanced analytical and chemometric methodologies to improve the characterization, identification, and exposure assessment of microplastics. A pyrolysis–gas chromatography–high-resolution mass spectrometry method was optimized for targeted and non-targeted analysis. The thermal fragmentation of plastic additives was systematically investigated to support reliable interpretation of pyrolysis data. To address data complexity, chemometric strategies based on Regions of Interest Multivariate Curve Resolution were applied and further extended to incorporate liquid chromatography–ion mobility–mass spectrometry, enabling improved resolution, reduced data complexity, and a more realistic interpretation of multidimensional datasets. These methodological developments were applied to real-world case studies in educational environments, where microplastic occurrence, polymer composition, and associated additives were investigated in indoor and outdoor air. In addition, different approaches for inhalation exposure assessment were evaluated, including respiratory deposition modelling and human biomonitoring through nasal lavage samples.
Overall, this Thesis provides an integrated framework combining advanced analytical techniques, chemometric data analysis, and monitoring to improve the understanding of airborne microplastics and their potential relevance for indoor air quality and human exposure studies.