The Geochemistry and Pollution group studies natural organic matter and contaminants as a source of knowledge of the evolution of ecosystems, including climate change and transport processes, distribution, transformation and effects of organic pollution in organisms, including humans. These approaches also include the study of molecules of viral activity, and, in the present times, contributing to understanding the environmental occurrence of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.
The overall goal includes the development of analytical methods to study the concentrations of deleterious molecules, their transfer flows between environmental compartments and their incorporation into organisms. It also covers the investigation of how organic compounds can provide geochemical information on past and present ecosystems and molecules that are useful to describe the health status of organisms.
• Analysis of trace organic compounds in environmental samples
• Pollutants in the atmosphere
• Pollution processes in terrestrial and coastal ecosystems
• Paleoclimatology
• Pollutants and human health
Caracterización del Exposoma a sustancias disruptoras endocrinas en niños mediante el uso de espectrometría de masas de alta resolución y el análisis de datos avanzado
Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación. Proyectos Consolidación Investigadora 2023. Referencia: CNS2023-143649
Start Date: 01/04/2024 – End Date: 30/06/2026
Assistència tècnica per a l’anàlisi de sediments, peixos i biomarcadors i realització de testos de toxicitat al meandre de Flix
És objecte d’aquest treball donar resposta a aquests requeriments. Concretament:
- Analitzar la matèria orgànica, els metalls i els compostos organoclorats de mostres de sediment.
- Analizar metalls i compostos organoclorats de mostres de peix.
- Analitzar biomarcadors de toxicitat i indicadors d’estrès en peixos i invertebrats.
- Realitzar assajos de toxicitat in vitro amb aigua i sediments de dins i fora del meandre.
Finançament: Agència Catalana de l'Aigua. Referència: CTN2300529.
Start Date: 01/04/2024 – End Date: 31/10/2025
ENVESOME
The Environmental Exposome And Health
ENVESOME aims to elucidate mechanistically the role of air, noise, light, and hazardous waste pollution in non-communicable disease development. The project addresses the need to strengthen the knowledge available to policymakers regarding pollution-disease associations and causal mechanisms at different phases throughout the human lifecycle. ENVESOME proposes to develop an exposome and citizen-science-based framework for assessing the risks of emerging environmental health stressors. This will be achieved by fusing environmental monitoring and personal exposure data and models through AI tools. Human and cell biology knowledge, human biomonitoring, and in vitro data will be used to determine adverse outcome pathways and networks associated with environmental stressors. Particular focus will be paid to intersecting pathways relevant to cardiorespiratory disease; metabolic syndrome; neurotoxicity; immunotoxicity; sleep, and mental health disorders.
We aim to elucidate the main sources of environmental exposure and drivers of the adverse outcomes above. This will allow for the articulation of cost-effective mitigation strategies that will be applied in select case studies. Their efficacy will be evaluated using environmental and exposure indicators together with early effect biomarkers (EEB). Methodological and technical innovations and the respective scientific evidence regarding the causal links between emerging environmental stressors and human health will be translated into policy proposals supporting the articulation of strategies for country- or city-specific, targeted and cost-effective interventions, thus promoting effective public health protection, as well as guidelines and updated limit values as needed. Environmental management for public health protection will be supported by a decision support system (for policy makers), a chatbot (for health practitioners), and a mobile app (for citizens). Training on novel tools will be given to all relevant actors.
Start Date: 01/01/2025 – End Date: 31/12/2029
NEMESIS
Novel effect biomarkers for metabolic disruptors: evidence on health impacts to answer science and policy needs
Metabolic disrupting chemicals (MDCs) represent a prevalent challenge to human health, as their wide use in consumer products results in unavoidable, continuous exposure to these chemicals. As exposure to MDCs has been linked to increased incidence of metabolic diseases, the NEMESIS project aims to address critical gaps in understanding how this happens, to pave the way for more effective regulatory measures.
Within the project, we will enhance the understanding of how MDCs impact human health, provide insights from biomonitoring data on MDC levels and their mixtures across different regions, increase mechanistic understanding of chemical-induced metabolic disruption, develop predictive computational tools to predict outcomes of exposure, and communicate the project results efficiently to the public to raise awareness and promote health-promoting behaviors. By integrating the project’s findings into regulatory measures, the NEMESIS project aims to enhance the public health of the EU citizens and beyond.
Funding: European Commission. HORIZON-HLTH-2023-ENVHLTH-02-03-101137405
Start Date: 01/01/2024 – End Date: 31/12/2028
https://www.nemesis-project.eu/
REC-FLIX
Recoveries from pollution in water, organisms, air and food in the Ebro River after remediation of chlor-alkali wastes (Flix Reservoir): Extrapolation to other river systems
This project aims to determine the current chemical and biological quality of the Lower Ebro River from Riba-roja reservoir to Ebro Delta, after the elimination of the industrial waste of the Flix reservoir and the cessation of industrial activities of the chlor-alkali plant. For this purpose, a comprehensive study of the levels of organic contaminants and trace metals in water, sediments, soils, air, organisms and food produced in the area will be carried out.
The work will include the analysis of the pollutants of concern in the environmental matrices, their distribution in the area and the potential toxic effects associated. In addition to the pollutants related to the discharges from the chlor-alkali plant, other currently used compounds, such as pesticides, and of emerging concern in the environment will be also considered to provide a global picture of the quality of the aquatic system. This project constitutes a unique opportunity to study the response of a heavily impacted freshwater ecosystem to the pollution elimination in one of the most important rivers in Spain.
Funding: Convocatoria 2023- Proyectos de Generación de Conocimiento, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación. PID2023-146639NB-I00.
Start Date: 01/09/2024 – End Date: 31/08/2027
IBCC-Shack
Iberian Climate Change paleoarchive: Shackleton legacy for the climate unknowns ahead
Our main goal in the IBCC-Shack project is to monitor the factors that force, amplify, sustain, and globalise climate change during “deglaciations” on the Iberian margin. These include transitions at warming and cooling, brought about by the internal atmospheric-oceanic circulation system, not only for long-term trends (century-scale) but specifically for medium and short-term related anomalies (multi-decadal scale). Evaluating data from the Balearic basin and the Tagus basin, we will provide knowledge to understand the mechanisms of response to climate change in the Mediterranean region.
Reference: PID2022-137665NB-I00/ AEI/10.13039/501100011033/ FEDER, UE
Start Date: 01/09/2023 – End Date: 31/08/2027
Funding: European Project, National Project
https://ibcc-lo2k.org/shack/
ONE BLUE
Integrated approach to assess the levels and impact of contaminants of emerging concern on blue health and biodiversity modulated by climate change drivers
The ONE-BLUE project aims to address the growing concerns about emerging contaminants (CECs) in marine environments. CECs can be found in pharmaceuticals, personal care products, flame retardants, pesticides, plastic additives, and micro- and nanoplastics. These contaminants pose a significant risk to marine ecosystems and biodiversity. Moreover, climate change exacerbates these risks by altering marine conditions, contaminant behaviour, and ocean acidification. The project seeks to enhance understanding of the presence, behaviour, and impacts of CECs in marine ecosystems under the influence of climate change.
ONE-BLUE focuses on developing new monitoring tools, advanced methodologies, and a comprehensive database (CECsMarineDB) to support effective management and policy decision-making. The studies include sampling campaigns in selected marine areas—the Atlantic Ocean, the Arctic, and the Mediterranean Sea—as well as controlled marine mesocosm experiments to investigate the interactions between CECs and climate change. Additionally, the project employs machine learning-based predictive models to assess and forecast future impacts. The project outcomes will be widely disseminated, and exploitation plans will be established to ensure the effective application of the developed technologies.
Funding: European Union’s HORIZON-CL6-2023-ZEROPOLLUTION-01 Ref No. 101134929
Start Date: 01/01/2024 – End Date: 30/06/2028
Funding: European Project
https://one-blue.eu/
DINAMIQS
Development of integrated new approach methodologies in air quality studies: deciphering the implications on lung and brain toxicity
DINAMIQS project aims to shed light on the relationship between the chemical composition of air pollution and its effects on human lung and brain health. This is carried out by using an integrated strategy that combines advanced analytical chemistry methods, new approach methodologies and chemometrics. The particulate matter samples for this project are collected in contrasting outdoor ambient air, from urban traffic to rural background sites.
Funding: Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación. Reference: PID2022-140392OB-I00
Start Date: 01/09/2023 – End Date: 31/08/2026
Funding: National Project
AnguillaMed
Estat sanitari de les anguiles europees d’estanys i cursos fluvials de la Mediterrània occidental: desenvolupament de mètodes no invasius d’estudi de fonts de contaminació i proposta de mesures de restauració
El projecte AnguillaMed analitzarà l’estat sanitari de les poblacions d’anguila europea (Anguilla anguilla) a la Mediterrània occidental, desenvolupant mètodes no invasius per a l’estudi de fonts de contaminació i fent propostes de mesures de restauració del seu estat sanitari. Des de mitjans del s. XX, la població d’anguila europea s’ha reduït a tot el món fins a tenir una presència mínima. Es calcula que els últims 50 anys els efectius d’aquesta espècie tan vulnerable s’han reduït a menys del 95%. Les causes principals en són la sobrepesca, la ruptura de la connectivitat ecològica, l’elevada la contaminació química de l’aigua i infestacions parasitàries, entre altres. Aquest projecte farà un estudi de camp que inclourà 12 llocs d’estudi, que corresponen a diverses masses d’aigua. D’entrada, a la demarcació dels Pirineus Orientals, a la de Girona i a la de Barcelona.
Els resultats del projecte permetran conèixer els nivells de degradació i l’estat ecològic dels ambients o hàbitats aquàtics continentals, llacunes costaneres i cursos fluvials i centrar-se en les causes del declivi de la biodiversitat: l’alteració de la hidromorfologia i la hidrodinàmica, la contaminació difusa d’origen agrari o industrial, etc. A partir d’aquí, i tenint en compte que l’anguila és una espècie indicadora de la qualitat del medi aquàtic, la intenció és proposar les mesures de restauració més adequades per a aquests hàbitats, de comú acord amb els grups socials d’interès de cada lloc d’estudi. Els resultats de la recerca també es considera que puguin ser extrapolables a altres regions mediterrànies i europees.
Start Date: 01/01/2024 – End Date: 31/12/2026
Funding: European Project
https://anguillamed.eu/
CIRCULATE
Ciència ciutadana per conèixer l’exposició humana a additius del cautxú dels pneumàtics
CIRCULATE aims to monitor the environmental fate of tire wear particles in an urban environment and elucidate the routes of exposure in humans, while creating a research community with the public that will co-design and implement the study in the city of Barcelona. The project will elaborate a first participative and structured diagnosis of the presence of these chemical compounds in Barcelona using citizens science and social innovation with a planetary health approach that aims to raise community awareness of an environmental pollution problem not associated with the use of fossil fuels.
Funding: Ajuntament de Barcelona – Fundació “la Caixa”: Convocatòries per a l’atorgament de subvencions de recerca, creació artística i transferència de coneixement en el camp de la ciencia 2023
Reference: 23S06161-001
