I am a Research Scientist and currently serve as the Head of the Environmental Chemistry Department at IDAEA, where I also lead the “Exposomics, Pollution and Agriculture” (EPA) research group. PhD in Chemistry (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 1994), complemented by research stays in the USA at the University of Tennessee and the University of Kentucky. After working as a Marie Curie postdoctoral researcher at Universidade do Porto (1995), I held a postdoctoral position at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT, 1996–1999). In 2003, I was awarded a Ramón y Cajal research fellowship, which led to my appointment as a permanent CSIC staff position. As of 2026, I am coauthor of over 170 SCI publications with more than 7,275 citations and an h-index of 47.
My research focuses on the fate, transport, and transformation of trace metals and metalloids in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems and wildlife, with a particular emphasis on mercury. This work combines fieldwork with the development of advanced analytical methodologies to study trace metal speciation and bioavailability in the environment. I have also focused on advancing passive sampling approaches using Diffusive Gradients in Thin-films (DGT) devices to precisely identify the bioavailable fraction of toxic metals for risk assessment.
The core areas of my current research include: (i) investigating the biogeochemical cycling of mercury and how environmental impacts affect its bioavailability and bioaccumulation in aquatic organisms; (ii) identifying reliable biomarkers for human metal exposure assessment, (iii) examining the transfer of bioavailable trace metals from soils to crops, and (iv) advancing wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) and the chemical exposome by linking human biomonitoring, diet tracking, and urban sewage analysis to monitor population-level exposure to environmental and dietary contaminants.
Currently, I coordinate and collaborate on international projects addressing mercury pollution in Colombia, Brazil, and Peru to evaluate the environmental and health impacts of artisanal and small-scale gold mining. I also lead the CYTED MercuRed network, which spans six Ibero-American countries. My commitment to global policy is reflected in my roles as a scientific advisor to MITECO for the Minamata Convention and as an expert advisor to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) since 2020. Additionally, I contribute to the scientific community as an Associate Editor for Scientific Reports, Frontiers in Environmental Chemistry, and STOTEN.
