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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20250321T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20250321T120000
DTSTAMP:20261018T163649Z
CREATED:20250317T081743Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261018T163649Z
UID:14047-1742551200-1742558400@idaea.csic.es
SUMMARY:PhD Thesis Defence by Diana Manjarrés
DESCRIPTION:The predoctoral researcher Diana Manjarrés\, from the ON HEALTH group\, will defend her thesis on 21st March at 10:00h in the Aula de Grados – Faculty of Biology\, University of Barcelona \nTitle: Biomonitoreo de contaminantes de preocupación emergente en especies invasoras y nativas para la evaluación del riesgo ecológico en ecosistemas acuáticos \nDirectors: Sandra Pérez and Nicola Montemurro  \nThesis tutor: Encarnación Moyano \nThesis Committee: Serge Chiron\, Sara Rodríguez Mozaz and Pablo Lara \nAbstract:\nLa contaminación acuática por actividades antrópicas afecta la calidad del agua y la biodiversidad. Esta tesis evaluó la presencia y bioacumulación de 173 contaminantes de preocupación emergente (incluidos PhACs\, OPFRs\, PFAS y plaguicidas) en peces\, cangrejos y almejas de agua dulce\, mediante el uso de técnicas avanzadas de LC-HRMS/MS. Se priorizaron la carpa común y la almeja asiática como especies invasoras eficaces para el biomonitoreo de CECs en ecosistemas sensibles como el río Llobregat y el Parque Natural de la Albufera \n 
URL:https://idaea.csic.es/event/phd-thesis-defence-by-diana-manjarres/
CATEGORIES:Thesis Defence
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://idaea.csic.es/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/DianaManjarres_PhD.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20250115T110000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20250115T130000
DTSTAMP:20261018T163559Z
CREATED:20250113T060909Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261018T163559Z
UID:14035-1736938800-1736946000@idaea.csic.es
SUMMARY:PhD Thesis Defence by Álvaro Moyano Salcedo
DESCRIPTION:The PhD student Álvaro Moyano Salcedo\, from the Surface Hydrology\, Ecology and Erosion group\, will defend his thesis on 15th January at 11:00h in Aula de Graus – Edifici Durfort (Faculty of Biology\, University of Barcelona) \nDirectors: Miguel Cañedo-Argüelles and Humbert Salvadó \nThesis Committee: Eugènia Martí\, Francesc de Paula and Juan David González \nAbstract:\nFreshwater salinization (FS) is a global challenge impacting aquatic ecosystems. This thesis compiles the GlobSalt database\, which includes ~15M records on salinity parameters globally. It examines FS in Spanish rivers\, focusing on temporal variability and key human-driven sources. It also explores the interactive effects of nutrient and salt pollution on aquatic ecosystems. Finally\, it assesses how salinity affects wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and their contributions to river salinity. The findings highlight FS drivers\, impacts\, and management strategies\, providing a foundation for future research and solutions.
URL:https://idaea.csic.es/event/phd-thesis-defence-by-alvaro-moyano-salcedo/
CATEGORIES:Thesis Defence
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://idaea.csic.es/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/phd_thesis_alvaromoyano.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20241118T113000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20241118T133000
DTSTAMP:20261018T163547Z
CREATED:20241106T071032Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261018T163547Z
UID:14032-1731929400-1731936600@idaea.csic.es
SUMMARY:PhD Thesis Defence by Carlos Pérez López
DESCRIPTION:The PhD student Carlos Pérez López\, from the Chemometrics for Environmental Omics group\, will defend his thesis on 18th November at 11:30h in Facultat de Ciències at Universitat de Girona. \nTitle: Development of comprehensive non-target bioinformatics and chemometric tools for data filtering and management of mass spectrometry datasets and the chemical compound identification in environmental omics (proteomics\, metabolomics\, and exposomics) \nDirectors: Romà Tauler\, Antoni Ginebreda and Damià Barceló \nThesis Committee: Victoria de los Ángeles Salvadó Martín\, Guillermo Quintas Soriano and Antonio Checa Gómez \nAbstract:\nEnvironmental omics is a valuable source of knowledge concerning the chemical compounds and biomolecules occurring in the environment and their molecular effects on the exposed biota. Mass spectrometry (MS)\, usually coupled to a chromatographic instrument to separate the analytes of a sample\, is the most widely used analytical technique in environmental omics studies. However\, MS instruments generate a large amount of data\, some unrelated to analytes and associated with instrumental interferences or noise background. Filtering MS signals\, selecting those belonging to analytes\, and identifying these chemical compounds remain challenging tasks in analytical chemistry. These procedures are even more demanding when there is a total lack of knowledge of the sample´s composition\, a typical scenario in the untargeted analytical approach. In the last decades\, chemometrics and bioinformatics methods have been proposed\, some based on feature detection and a few others on the direct resolution of chemical compounds. \nThis PhD Thesis has been focused on studying the so-called Regions of Interest-Multivariate Curve Resolution (ROIMCR) chemometrics method to resolve the chemical compounds present in environmental omics samples\, following a direct non-target analytical approach. Data from different sources and MS acquisition modes have been analyzed using the ROIMCR method to validate its performance\, (including strengths and limitations). Datasets related to mixtures of small (exposomics and metabolomics) and large (proteomics) molecules have been successfully analyzed using full-scan\, Data Dependent acquisition (DDA)\, and Data independent acquisition (DIA) modes. The possibilities of ROIMCR using DIA mode have confirmed its application to the analysis of MS data structures including MS2 information (even considering simultaneously positive and negative ionization modes). Some tools were developed to overcome certain limitations (generally related to the lack of automatization of the process) of the ROIMCR methodology. Such developments were implemented in two related MATLAB software packages\, the SigSel package used for the visualization\, filtering\, and extraction of ROIMCR-results information\, and the MSident program for annotating the resolved chemical compounds. Additionally\, a rapid and cost-effective methodology\, so-called Aquasearch\, has been proposed to perform proteomic biomarkers profiling in wastewater samples using Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption /Ionization-Time of Flight (MALDI-TOF). The Aquasearch program developed in this Thesis is proposed as a convenient tool for routine biomarker monitoring\, instead of other possible methods that are more resource-demanding and time-consuming.
URL:https://idaea.csic.es/event/phd-thesis-defence-by-carlos-perez-lopez/
LOCATION:AYUDAS RAMÓN Y CAJAL 2022
CATEGORIES:Thesis Defence
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://idaea.csic.es/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/PhD-Thesis-Defence_cpl.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20241029T110000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20241029T130000
DTSTAMP:20261018T163528Z
CREATED:20241021T122024Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261018T163528Z
UID:14026-1730199600-1730206800@idaea.csic.es
SUMMARY:PhD Thesis Defence by Jordi Massagué
DESCRIPTION:The PhD student Jordi Massagué\, from the EGAR group\, will defend his thesis on 29th October at 11:00h in Escola de Camins (Building C1. Classroom: 002) at Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya \nTitle: Tendencias y dinámica de los episodios de contaminación por ozono troposférico en España \nDirector: Xavier Querol\, and Miguel Escudero  \nThesis Committee: Célia Alves\, Amalia Muñoz\, Xavier Gamisans \nAbstract:\nEl ozono (O3) troposférico es un contaminante secundario gaseoso fotoquímico con efectos adversos en la salud\, los ecosistemas y los materiales\, y que contribuye al efecto invernadero. El 94% de la población urbana europea está expuesta a niveles nocivos de O3\, especialmente en el sur y países mediterráneos como España\, donde se superan sistemáticamente los valores normativos. La reducción de los niveles de O3 es compleja debido a las reacciones no lineales entre sus precursores clave -óxidos de nitrógeno (NOx) y compuestos orgánicos volátiles (COVs)-\, y la influencia de la meteorología y de procesos de transporte atmosférico a diferentes escalas. El objetivo de esta tesis es ampliar el conocimiento de la dinámica del O3 en España y contribuir al futuro Plan Nacional de Ozono\, destinado a reducir sus niveles. La investigación se basa en el análisis de datos experimentales de calidad del aire y meteorológicos. Se ha propuesto una regionalización del territorio según la severidad de la contaminación por O3. Las zonas críticas (hotspots) registran los niveles más altos de O3 y\, por tanto\, son las áreas a priorizar en la implementación de políticas de reducción. Estas incluyen: la cuenca de Madrid\, el norte de Barcelona (NdB)\, la cuenca cerrada de Puertollano\, el interior de la Comunidad Valenciana y la cuenca del Guadalquivir (CdG). En estos hotspots\, los aportes de O3 externos a España y Europa se suman a la considerable producción de O3 generado a partir de emisiones locales/regionales de precursores\, causando superaciones de los valores normativos. La gestión adecuada de estas emisiones podría reducir marcadamente los niveles de O3 durante episodios. Se han estudiado dos hotspots en profundidad: (i) la CdG\, donde se han estimado algunas contribuciones de O3. El control de emisiones locales/regionales podría reducir hasta el ~50% de los niveles de O3 durante episodios agudos. (ii) Eje Barcelona-NdB\, donde se han analizado tres episodios excepcionales de O3 en la ciudad\, identificando sus causas (mayormente comunes): acumulación previa de O3\, efecto fin de semana\, condiciones meteorológicas específicas\, con Tramontana en altura y muy altas temperaturas\, y convergencia multirregional de masas de aire. Se ha analizado la evolución de los niveles de O3 durante tres fases: antes (2008-2019)\, durante (2020-2021) y después (2022- 2023) de la pandemia de COVID-19\, debido al impacto que ésta tuvo en la emisión de precursores. En 2008-2019\, los niveles de O3 en los hotspots mostraron tendencias divergentes. En la cuenca de Madrid\, aumentaron de forma generalizada\, debido a la meteorología\, la reducción de emisiones de NOx del tráfico rodado\, y al leve aumento de COVs\, en un régimen de formación de O3 COV-limitado. En contraste\, Sevilla registró descensos de O3\, atribuidos a un régimen de formación urbano atípico (más limitado por NOx). Otros hotspots no mostraron tendencias claras\, debido a variaciones leves en las emisiones de precursores y a la ausencia de variaciones meteorológicas. En pandemia\, los niveles de O3 decrecieron ampliamente en el país\, especialmente en el litoral Mediterráneo\, donde por primera vez no se superaron valores normativos\, debido a la reducción sin precedentes de las emisiones de precursores a diversas escalas (local\, regional\, europea y hemisférica)\, y a condiciones meteorológicas desfavorables para la producción/acumulación de O3. En postpandemia\, los niveles de O3 aumentaron respecto a la pandemia\, aunque generalmente no alcanzaron los niveles de prepandemia\, a pesar de las múltiples e intensas olas de calor\, propicias para el O3. En los tres periodos\, los niveles de O3 aumentaron en zonas urbanas afectadas por emisiones de tráfico\, indicando varias causas. Los resultados sugieren una convergencia a largo plazo entre los niveles de O3 en entornos rurales y urbanos. Además\, destacan la importancia de analizar la dinámica de O3 a escala local/regional y de aplicar una gestión diferenciada para los distintos hotspots.
URL:https://idaea.csic.es/event/phd-thesis-defence-by-jordi-massague/
CATEGORIES:Thesis Defence
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://idaea.csic.es/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/tesis_jordimassague.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20241018T120000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20241018T140000
DTSTAMP:20261018T163110Z
CREATED:20241003T045748Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261018T163110Z
UID:13959-1729252800-1729260000@idaea.csic.es
SUMMARY:PhD Thesis Defence by Tiantian Wang
DESCRIPTION:The PhD student Tiantian Wang\, from the Environmental Toxicology group\, will defend her thesis on 18th October at 12:00h in Aula de Graus\, Facultat de Biologia\, at Universitat de Barcelona \nTitle: Development of 3D spheroids from fish liver cells as in-vitro models to assess the effects of plastics in aquatic systems \nDirector: Cinta Porte \nThesis Committee: Miren Pilare Cajaraville\, Ricardo Beiras García-Sabell and Carmen Bedia \nAbstract:\nLa contaminació per plàstic és una amenaça ambiental important\, especialment als ecosistemes aquàtics\, on els articles d´un sol ús es degraden en mesoplàstics\, microplàstics i nanoplastics (MNP)\, causant danys físics i químics als organismes. Tot i que els plàstics biodegradables i compostables (BP) estan dissenyats per ser ecològics\, encara requereixen additius que poden ser tòxics abans que es degradin completament. Aquesta tesi ha investigat la toxicitat dels BP\, plàstics convencionals i mesoplàstics de les platges espanyoles\, examinant com la fotodegradació i el compostatge afecten les respostes tòxiques de les cèl·lules PLHC-1. A més\, s’ha avaluat la toxicitat cel·lular en ZFL dels micro i nanoplàstics de poliestirè\, centrant-se en el metabolisme dels lípids i les vies antioxidants. També s’han desenvolupat esferoides de fetge de peix (PLHC-1\, ZFL) per emular condicions in vivo\, caracteritzant patrons de creixement\, signatures lipidòmiques i expressió gènica i l´efecte del suplement sèric (FBS) sobre el lipidoma i la modulació de la toxicitat.
URL:https://idaea.csic.es/event/phd-thesis-defence-by-tiantian-wang/
LOCATION:DISTINTIVO MENTO EN EL IDAEA- MENTORES ERC-COG-2025 – Tomás Aquino
CATEGORIES:Thesis Defence
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://idaea.csic.es/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/thesis_tiantianwang.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20241007T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20241007T120000
DTSTAMP:20261018T163506Z
CREATED:20240906T050549Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261018T163506Z
UID:14022-1728295200-1728302400@idaea.csic.es
SUMMARY:PhD Thesis Defence by Adolfo González
DESCRIPTION:The PhD student Adolfo González\, from the EGAR group\, will defend his thesis on 7th October at 10:00h in Escola de Camins (Building C1. Classroom: 002) at Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya \nTitle: Understanding sediment formation processes\, properties and dust emission potential in desert dust hotspot regions \nDirector: Xavier Querol \nThesis Committee: Jesús de la Rosa\, Claudia di Bagio and Sonia Castillo Fernández \nAbstract:\nDesert dust\, primarily composed of mineral particles from arid and semiarid regions\, impacts the Earth´s atmosphere\, climate\, ecosystems and human health. To better evaluate these impacts\, desert dust models must reduce uncertainties. n this study\, samples were collected from four regions and analysed for particle size\, aggregation\, mineralogy and Fe modes of occurrences. Four different conceptual models have been developed to understand sediment properties and their impact on emitted dust and will guide future studies and improve desert dust emission models. \n 
URL:https://idaea.csic.es/event/phd-thesis-defence-by-adolfo-gonzalez/
CATEGORIES:Thesis Defence
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://idaea.csic.es/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/thesis_adolfogonzalez.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20240920T110000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20240920T130000
DTSTAMP:20261018T163511Z
CREATED:20240909T074402Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261018T163511Z
UID:14023-1726830000-1726837200@idaea.csic.es
SUMMARY:Defensa de Tesi de Bernat Oró Nolla
DESCRIPTION:L’investigador predoctoral Bernat Oró Nolla\, del grup Chemometrics for Environmental Omics\, defensa la seva tesi doctoral el 20 de setembre a les 11:00h en la Facultat de Física i Química de la Universitat de Barcelona (Sala de Graus\, aulari) \nTítol: Noves estratègies analítiques per a la determinació de contaminants orgànics en ocells \nDirectora: Sílvia Lacorte \nTribunal: Romà Tauler i Ferré\, Rosa Maria Marcé i Recasens\, i Fran Ramírez Benítez \nAbstract:\nAquesta Tesi Doctoral s’ha centrat en l’ús de les aus marines i les rapinyaires com a espècies bioindicadores dels contaminants orgànics persistents i emergents ja que els acumulen a través de la dieta als seus teixits interns. S´han desenvolupat diversos mètodes d´anàlisi i s´ha estimat la incertesa de la mesura analítica. S´han estudiat les espècies següents: el petrell de les Bermudes (Pterodroma cahow)\, la gavina corsa (Larus audouinii)\, el gavià de potes grogues (Larus michahellis)\, el flamenc (Phoenicopterus roseus) i el pigarg cuablanc (Haliaeetus albicilla) que habiten i crien en diverses zones naturals d´interès com l´Arxipèlag de les Bermudes\, el Delta de l´Ebre\, les Illes Medes o en illes remotes de Noruega. Les matrius seleccionades han estat la sang\, els ous i el fetge d´aquestes aus. Els mètodes desenvolupats han permès determinar quantitativament les concentracions dels OCP\, dels PCB\, dels PBDE i dels PAH a través de GC-HRMS-Orbitrap; dels bisfenols\, de les benzofenones i dels ftalats mitjançant LC-MS/MS i dels PFAS mitjaçant LC-Q-ToF. S´ha fet èmfasi també en l´anàlisi no dirigida (suspect i non-targeted analysis) per determinar qualitativament contaminants orgànics nous en aquests teixits biològics. Aquesta Tesi Doctoral destaca l´amenaça i l´impacte generalitzat dels contaminants orgànics en espais naturals protegits i ecològicament fràgils.
URL:https://idaea.csic.es/event/defensa-de-tesi-de-bernat-oro-nolla/
LOCATION:Sistemas avanzados de exposición celular en interfase aire-líquido y enfoques multi-ómicos para evaluar los efectos de los aerosoles atmosféricos sobre la salud pulmonar
CATEGORIES:Thesis Defence
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://idaea.csic.es/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/PhD-Thesis-Defence_jds.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20240711T103000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20240711T123000
DTSTAMP:20261018T163500Z
CREATED:20240709T044709Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261018T163500Z
UID:14020-1720693800-1720701000@idaea.csic.es
SUMMARY:PhD Thesis Defence by Albert Vega
DESCRIPTION:The PhD student Albert Vega\, from the ONHEALTH group\, will defend his thesis on 11th July at 10:30h in Aula Magna Enric Casassas\, Faculty of Chemistry (University of Barcelona) \nTitle: Micro and nanoplastics in the environment: development of mass-quantitative analytical methodologies for the global impact assessment \nDirectors: Marinella Farré and Esteban Abad \nThesis Committee: Oscar Núñez\, Enrico Bergamaschi and Ricard Marcos \nAbstract:\nMicro and nanoplastics (MNPLs) are considered contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) due to their detrimental environmental and human health effects already reported in recent literature and because current legislation applied in developed countries is not able to regulate these effectively enough or simply does not exist in most developing countries. Plastic pollution concerns the scientific community because of its continuous introduction to the environment and the poor consensus regarding the impact at global scale and its potential toxic effects associated with living organisms that are still poorly understood. Moreover\, there is a lack of harmonised quantitative analytical methodologies able to estimate plastic pollution’s impact in terms of mass concentration. The main current scientifc advances published for these purposes are related to microscopy\, spectroscopy or nanometric techniques that are more suitable for successful particle characterisation (nature\, size and shape) and qualitative extrapolations based on plastic particle-counting approaches which are unsuitable to provide real quantitative measurements. \n\nIn the present context of climate change\, circular economy processes acquire increased importance and there is a need to understand what micro(nano)plastics are\, as well as their different origin sources\, their occurrence\, fate\, behaviour in the environment\, and the different human exposure routes. In this sense\, in this doctoral thesis\, mass-quantitative analytical methodologies based on liquid and pyrolysis-gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry have been developed and applied to samples collected from different environmental compartments and marine biota in order to assess the plastic pollution by MNPLs abundance and to give a comprehensive global view. Target and suspect screening approaches have been applied to obtain the polymeric and plastic additives composition. Moreover\, various MNPLs human exposure routes have been also evaluated through contaminated food (mussels previously exposed)\, drinking water taken from household taps located in the Barcelona Metropolitan Area\, and bottled water in single-use plastic bottles from the 20 most popular commercial brands in Spain.\n\nThus\, this thesis contributes to enhance the understanding and knowledge about MNPLs pollution\, putting special emphasis on the occurrence\, fate\, and behaviour of these contaminants in atmospheric and aquatic ecosystems from areas close to populated zones to remote regions\, the potential exposure to marine biota\, and ultimately\, to humans. In addition\, the analytical methodologies presented here will help to address the scientific community regarding the current lack of mass-quantitative methods available in order to tackle plastic pollution through real and more accurate MNPLs-polymers abundances at ultra-trace levels\, and finally\, to obtain a more comprehensive view of the real impact of these contaminants on the environment and the subsequent potential threats associated with living organisms through the main exposure pathways.\n 
URL:https://idaea.csic.es/event/phd-thesis-defence-by-albert-vega/
LOCATION:Aula Magna\, Facultat Química (UB)
CATEGORIES:Thesis Defence
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://idaea.csic.es/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/PhD-Thesis-Defence_AlbertVega.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20240430T150000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20240430T170000
DTSTAMP:20261018T163355Z
CREATED:20240403T061555Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261018T163355Z
UID:14003-1714489200-1714496400@idaea.csic.es
SUMMARY:PhD Thesis Defence by Juliette Bedrossiantz
DESCRIPTION:The PhD student Juliette Bedrossiantz\, from the Environmental Toxicology group\, will defend her thesis on 30th April at 15:00h in Sala d’Actes IDAEA. \nTitle: Development of screening methodologies for chemical risk assessment: behavioral effects and neuropathological mechanisms in aquatic species \nDirectors: Demetrio Raldua\, Carlos Barata and Jérôme Cachot  \nThesis Committee: Vincenzo Di Donato\, Marija Stevanovic and Miguel Cañedo-Argüelles \nAbstract:\nWith the incessant growth of the chemical industry and the development of new molecules\, there is an urgent need to evaluate the toxicity of many chemicals and their safe levels of exposure to ensure the protection of the environment and human health Currently\, regulations on environmental risk assessment of chemicals are based on three main criteria for decision-making: lethality\, growth\, and reproduction. However\, by adopting sublethal endpoints\, such as considering changes in essential behaviors\, we could improve the accuracy of risk assessment due to exposure to contaminants through the environment and\, therefore\, minimize these risks. \nThis thesis focuses on developing effective screening strategies through methodological advancements and validation of behavioral assays in aquatic models\, specifically zebrafish\, Japanese medaka\, and Daphnia magna. \nThe methods outlined in this thesis are meticulously detailed to ensure reproducibility and ease of replication. Automation of tests and the use of video tools offer several advantages\, including objective evaluations\, reduced variability\, and minimized error factors\, facilitating their application in toxicological studies. \nThe research initially explores the use of automated behavioral assays in the Daphnia magna model for screening emerging pollutants\, particularly neuroactive drugs. Subsequently\, behavioral assays are used to identify environmentally relevant adverse effects induced by insecticides in zebrafish larvae. Pharmacological validation and target profiling are employed to decipher potential modes of action. \nThe thesis also investigates neurotoxic effects in adult zebrafish exposed to environmental levels of glyphosate and methamphetamine. Mechanistic approaches are utilized to understand adverse pathways leading to observed behavioral changes. Additionally\, the zebrafish neurotoxidrome model is validated for testing potential therapeutic drugs\, exemplified by N-acetyl cysteine’s protective effects against oxidative damage induced by acrylamide. \nComparative toxicology analysis is employed to highlight similarities and differences in neurotoxic responses between organisms exposed to insecticides and a fungicide. The reproducibility of assays and the varying sensitivity of organisms to chemical compounds underscore the importance of studying multiple model organisms for comprehensive risk assessments. \nIn conclusion\, this thesis introduces innovative screening methodologies and provides valuable insights into chemical risk assessment in aquatic species. By incorporating behavior as a new endpoint in One Health assessments and extending research to non-mammalian models\, it contributes to advancing toxicology\, environmental conservation\, and human health protection. These findings hold significant implications for regulatory frameworks\, guiding decisions to ensure the safe and sustainable use of chemicals in our environment. \n 
URL:https://idaea.csic.es/event/phd-thesis-defence-by-juliette-bedrossiantz/
LOCATION:Salón de actos IDAEA\, c/Jordi Girona\, 18\, Barcelona
CATEGORIES:Thesis Defence
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://idaea.csic.es/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/thesis_juliette.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20240202T110000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20240202T130000
DTSTAMP:20261018T163248Z
CREATED:20240111T115013Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261018T163248Z
UID:13986-1706871600-1706878800@idaea.csic.es
SUMMARY:PhD Thesis Defence by Joan Botey i Bassols
DESCRIPTION:The PhD student Joan Botey i Bassols\, from the Groundwater and Hydrogeochemistry group\, will defend his thesis on 2nd February at 11:00h in Sala de tesines – Escola de Camins UPC Campus Nord\, C1-002. \nIf you want to attend online\, please click on this link \nTitle: Exploring the potential of satellite InSAR in geological engineering: new opportunities in land monitoring and hydrogeological characterisation \nDirectors: Enric Vázquez-Suñé\,Pierre Gerard and Michele Crosetto \nThesis Committee: Giorgia Giardina\, Rudy Rosetto and Marcel Hürlimann \nAbstract:\nInterferometry with Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) is a remote sensing technique to measure displacements of the observed surface\, either the ground or any structure on it. Although the systematic acquisition of SAR data from satellites started in the 1990s\, InSAR is a technique still in development. The continuous improvement of the successive SAR satellite constellations in terms of reliability\, revisit time\, spatial resolution and data accessibility\, and the processing techniques of SAR data in the estimation of the surface displacement are improving the performance of InSAR. Thus\, this doctoral thesis aims to explore the new opportunities that InSAR offers today. In particular\, the objectives are\, first\, to explore novel contributions of InSAR in geological engineering\, more specifically\, in land monitoring and the hydrogeological characterisation of the ground; and\, second\, to do so while covering both qualitative and quantitative approaches at both regional and local scales. These goals are addressed through four questions. The first question aims to investigate whether InSAR’s spatial resolution and precision are high enough today to monitor ground deformation at such a local scale and in such a changing environment as a construction site. Applied to the ground deformation induced by the dewatering of civil engineering works\, InSAR provides a much more complete view and understanding of the observed phenomena than more common alternative techniques such as levelling. However\, levelling usually provides more precise measurements. Thus\, a combination of both techniques will improve and make the monitoring of civil engineering works more reliable. The second question is whether\, because of its spatial data density and its precision\, InSAR is suitable for the numerical modelling of extensive ground deformation phenomena. The results achieved thanks to InSAR data in the hydromechanical numerical modelling of regional and long-term ground subsidence related to the overexploitation of confined aquifers prove to be significantly better than the results obtained with other data sources. InSAR data can\, first\, cover the whole extent of the aquifer system and identify several different deformation phenomena and\, second\, improve the design of the numerical models and the calibration of the ground parameters\, thus achieving a significantly better reproduction and understanding of the observed ground subsidence that enable the design of more adequate and effective policies for land planning and the management of (ground)water resources. The third question turns to a novel InSAR technique: coherence-change detection (CCD)\, a method to detect and map\, under certain conditions\, changes in the observed surface. In particular\, the question is whether InSAR coherence can indeed remotely detect torrential sediment transport events in arid environments. The conclusion is that InSAR coherence is not only able to detect the occurrence of such events but shows a greater detection capacity than the meteorological data\, being much more operative and economical than field campaigns. Finally\, the fourth question is whether InSAR coherence can remotely map these events\, aiming to evaluate the uncertainty that other factors that may also affect InSAR coherence introduce in the CCD maps. The comparison of several mapping methods with different sensitivity to each component of the coherence changes show that CCD methods are able to locate the areas affected by such events\, although rugged areas require a thorough analysis and the precise delimitation of the affected areas still presents some uncertainty. All in all\, despite the weaknesses that are still to be resolved\, InSAR already offers valuable contributions to geological engineering.
URL:https://idaea.csic.es/event/phd-thesis-defence-by-joan-botey-i-bassols/
CATEGORIES:Thesis Defence
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://idaea.csic.es/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/thesis_joanbotey-4.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20240124T110000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20240124T130000
DTSTAMP:20261018T163246Z
CREATED:20240109T115709Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261018T163246Z
UID:13985-1706094000-1706101200@idaea.csic.es
SUMMARY:PhD Thesis Defence by Maria Dulsat i Masvidal
DESCRIPTION:The PhD student Maria Dulsat i Masvidal\, from the Chemometrics for Environmental Omics group\, will defend her thesis on 24th January at 11:00h in Sala de Graus II – Facultat Biociències (UAB). You can attend the defence online on this link. \nTitle: The impact of organic contaminants in Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas: monitoring for and with birds \nDirectors: Sílvia Lacorte and Rafael Mateo Soria \nThesis Committee: Carola Sampere\, Carlos Barata and Clàudia Fontàs \nAbstract:\nChemical pollution is an underestimated threat to biodiversity conservation. This Thesis aims to quantify for the first time the impact of organic pollutants on Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs)\, designated as key biodiversity conservation areas. Pollution pressure was assessed by monitoring organic pollutants in water\, soil\, and sediment in 140 IBAs in Spain. Organic contamination was detected in all IBAs. The most frequently detected contaminant families in water were pharmaceuticals\, lifestyle compounds\, and OPEs. The agricultural surface around the sampling points was associated with significantly higher concentrations of all compounds\, especially pesticides. Lifestyle compounds and PFASs were associated with proximity to urban areas and wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs)\, which were also identified as a source of pharmaceuticals in water. Soils were impacted for diffuse sources of contamination. OCPs were the most detected group of contaminants in soils followed by PAHs. PCBs were detected in low concentrations\, and the highest levels were found in areas with high artificial surface influence. In the sediment samples\, PAHs were the most detected group of contaminants\, followed by OCPs. The results show that soils and sediments in natural areas act as reservoirs for persistent pollutants. Pollution in natural areas poses a risk to organisms and biodiversity. \nIn this Thesis\, birds have been proposed as sentinel species for assessing pollution exposure in organisms. The feasibility of the proposed European biomonitoring programme for pollutants in birds of prey was demonstrated by identifying the limitations and solutions for obtaining samples from birds of prey for pollutant analysis. For the first time\, exposure to organic pollutants has been analysed in flamingos (Phoenicopterus roseus) from the breeding colony of the Ebro Delta. The results showed a high exposure of the breeding colony to PFASs\, with PFOA being the compound detected at the highest levels. Exposure to environmental contaminants was also determined in the livers of five species of nocturnal roadkill raptors\, including eagle owl (Bubo bubo)\, long-eared owl (Asio otus)\, tawny owl (Strix aluco)\, barn owl (Tyto alba)\, and little owl (Athene noctua) from Portugal. All individuals analysed were exposed to organic pollutants. In addition\, different exposure patterns were determined according to the trophic level and habitat of the species studied.\nOverall\, this thesis provides evidence on the threat of chemical pollution in natural areas and its impact on biodiversity. The results demonstrate the importance of contaminant monitoring studies for the successful implementation of biodiversity conservation strategies.
URL:https://idaea.csic.es/event/phd-thesis-defence-by-maria-dulsat-i-masvidal/
CATEGORIES:Thesis Defence
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20231129T120000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20231129T140000
DTSTAMP:20261018T163234Z
CREATED:20231117T083618Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261018T163234Z
UID:13982-1701259200-1701266400@idaea.csic.es
SUMMARY:PhD Thesis Defence by Marten In't Veld
DESCRIPTION:The PhD student Marten In’t Veld\, from the EGAR group\, will defend his thesis on 29th November at 12:00h in Escola de Camins UPC (Classroom 002\, Building C1) \nTitle: Secondary Air Pollutants in Urban and Rural Catalonia\, Spain: Characterizing the Precursors\, Source-contributions\, and Toxicity. \nDirectors: Xavier Querol and Nicolas Marchand \nThesis Committee: Jesús Damian de la Rosa\, Amalia Muñoz and Maria Piñeiro \nAbstract:\nAir pollutants can be classed as either primary or secondary pollutants. Primary air pollutants are those that are directly emitted into the atmosphere\, whereas secondary air pollutants are generated in the atmosphere from chemical reactions of precursors. This thesis focusses on two specific secondary air pollutants\, secondary organic aerosols (SOA) and tropospheric ozone (O3). SOA is formed in the troposphere by the oxidation of precursor volatile organic compounds (VOCs)\, which are a group of over 1.000 species with high vapor pressure and limited water solubility\, emitted from a variety of sources. SOA contributes considerably to atmospheric particulate matter (PM). O3 on the other hand is formed in the troposphere by photolysis of nitrogen dioxide (NO2). NO2 is primarily emitted from anthropogenic activities but is also formed in the atmosphere by the oxidation of nitrogen oxide (NO) by hydroperoxyl and organic radicals (HO2 ?and RO2?\, respectively). Both radicals are formed in the atmosphere during the oxidation of VOCs by hydroxyl radicals (OH?). The formed NO2 will consequently photolyze to NO\, producing an activated oxygen (O?)\, which in turn will react with oxygen (O2) to form O3. The aim of this thesis was to identify and quantify SOA’s contributions to PM\, as well as to examine temporal trends for both SOA levels and relative contributions to PM. In addition\, measurements and a source apportionment were performed on VOCs mixing ratios as these are essential precursors to both SOA and O3 formation. Finally\, the levels and major variables of the oxidative potential (OP) of PM (with a emphasis on SOA) were determined to ascertain the impact each variable has on human health. All these studies were carried out at an urban background site in Barcelona (BCN) (Catalonia\, NE Spain) and a rural background station at the nearby Montseny natural park (MSY). The comparison of the two sites will reveal which sources are more local and which are more regional\, and how BCN emissions can affect regional air quality. \nThe results indicated that the relative OA mass contribution to PM2.5 has increased with 12% in BCN and 9% in MSY between 2009 and 2018\, becoming the dominant component of PM. The offline Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (AMS) identified five common sources of the OA fraction\, of which 51% was SOA in BCN and 53% in MSY. However\, the composition of SOA differed between the two stations\, with summer oxygenated OA (SOOA\, being primarily biogenic SOA) being the main driver of SOA in MSY (46% of total OA)\, while in BCN the contribution of SOOA and winter oxygenated OA (WOOA\, being anthropogenic SOA) was roughly equal in BCN (24% and 27% respectively)\, favoring SOOA during the summer and WOOA in the winter. The OP analysis showed a significant difference between the two stations\, with 2.42 nmol DTT min-1 m-3 in PM10 at BCN\, compared to 0.52 nmol DTT min-1 m-3 at MSY. The OP levels of PM10\, PM2.5\, and PM1 were similar in MSY\, but in BCN only PM2.5 and PM1 were similar\, with the levels of PM10 being substantially higher. The OP analysis concluded that the OA and the non-exhaust vehicle emissions were major drivers of the OP of PM in BCN\, which indicated that anthropogenic SOA has a higher OP compared to biogenic SOA. The anthropogenic SOA was mostly formed from aromatic VOCs\, especially toluene and C8 aromatics (xylenes and ethyl benzene)\, which in the study area generally have a major anthropogenic origin\, specifically traffic & industries. Aromatic VOCs were also the main contributors to the O3 formation potential in BCN\, with also a relevant summer contribution from biogenic VOCs (BVOCs) and a yearlong contribution from oxygenated VOCs (OVOCs)\ngenerated from the oxidation of primary VOCs. MSY on the other hand\, showed a less worrying case\, with a lower SOA and O3 formation potential compared to BCN.
URL:https://idaea.csic.es/event/phd-thesis-defence-by-marten-int-veld/
CATEGORIES:Thesis Defence
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://idaea.csic.es/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/thesis_marten.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20231123T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20231123T120000
DTSTAMP:20261018T163057Z
CREATED:20231120T103219Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261018T163057Z
UID:13957-1700733600-1700740800@idaea.csic.es
SUMMARY:PhD Thesis Defence by Daniela Campos Durán
DESCRIPTION:The PhD student Daniela Campos Durán will defend her thesis on 23rd November at 10:00h in the Aula Magna Ramon Parés of the Faculty of Biology at the University of Barcelona \nTitle: Volcanic risk assessment at Irazú volcano\, Costa Rica \nDirectors: Joan Martí Molist and Guillermo Alvarado Induni \nThesis Committee: Carmen López Moreno\, Gerardo Aguirre and Xavier de Bolós \nAbstract:\nThis Doctoral Thesis carries out an evaluation of the long-term volcanic hazard at the Irazú volcano\, the highest volcano in Costa Rica (3427 m.a.s.l.) and one of the most active and potentially most dangerous volcanoes in Central America\, which has historically presented important eruptions in 1723-1724\, 1917-1921\, 1924\, 1928-1930\, 1933\, 1939-1940 and 1963-1965. For this\, the tephrochronostratigraphy of the last 2.6 ka of the Irazú volcano has been established\, based on detailed field work and C14 radiometric dating\, as well as a review of the geological and historical records. This has allowed us to establish its eruptive recurrence\, which is 23 and 100 years\, with a major event every 85 years (VEI 3). The hazard analysis indicates that the most probable area for the location of new vents is the Main Crater area\, from where all historical eruptions have been originated. Likewise\, it points out that the most probable scenario is an eruption with VEI ≥1 (that is\, VEI between 1 and 3)\, with pyroclastic falls\, short PDCs\, ballistics and lahars (mainly on the south and southwest flanks)\, similar to the eruptions of 1723-1724\, 1939-1940\, or 1963-1965. These results have been used to perform an exposure analysis on population\, land use and critical infrastructure. Finally\, we provide an essential contribution to territorial planning and development of emergency plans\, which should be applied in an area threatened by active volcanoes. \n 
URL:https://idaea.csic.es/event/phd-thesis-defence-by-daniela-campos-duran/
LOCATION:Public Policy
CATEGORIES:Thesis Defence
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20230929T110000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20230929T130000
DTSTAMP:20261018T163047Z
CREATED:20230928T044425Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261018T163047Z
UID:13954-1695985200-1695992400@idaea.csic.es
SUMMARY:Defensa de Tesis de Siday Marrugo-Madrid
DESCRIPTION:La investigadora predoctoral Siday Marrugo-Madrid\, del grupo Environmental Pollution and Agriculture (EPA)\, defenderá su tesis el 29 de septiembre a las 11:00h en el Aula Eduard Fontseré\, de la Facultat de Química de la Universitat de Barcelona. \nTítulo: Nuevos materiales en el uso de la técnica de gradiente de difusión en la capa fina (DGT) en estudios de la contaminación por mercurio en ambientes impactados por la minería de oro \nDirectores: Sergi Díez \nTribunal: Jean Remy Davee Guimarães\, Àngels Sahuquillo Estrugo\, Arne Bratkic \nAbstract:\nEl mercurio (Hg) es uno de los contaminantes más tóxicos en el medioambiente. En esta tesis doctoral se ha priorizado la implementación in situ de la técnica de gradiente de difusión en capa fina (DGT) con el propósito de cuantificar la fracción biodisponible de Hg en medio acuático\, es especial en aquellos impactados por La minería de oro artesanal y en pequeña escala (MAPE). Asimismo\, se ha llevado a cabo una exhaustiva exploración y evaluación de nuevos materiales poliméricos y derivados de biomasa residual\, con el objetivo de incorporarlos a esta técnica como alternativas para la captación del Hg lábil. Estos esfuerzos han sido orientados hacia el desarrollo de una estrategia eficiente y confiable para la evaluación y el monitoreo del Hg en sistemas acuáticos de áreas remotas y de difícil acceso. \nEn la primera parte de la tesis\, se presentan los resultados de la evaluación del nivel de contaminación\, el riesgo para la salud humana y el riesgo carcinogénico por consumo de alimentos contaminados con Hg y As en áreas de difícil acceso altamente impactadas por MAPE en la selva tropical colombiana. En términos generales\, los resultados de los índices de peligrosidad (HI) para Hg y As a través del consumo de frutas\, tubérculos y pescado superaron el nivel aceptable (HI>1) y también se muestra el riesgo carcinogénico relacionado con As. En cuanto a la cuantificación de la fracción biodisponible de Hg\, se desplegaron dispositivos DGT a lo largo del río Atrato (Colombia) y en pozas mineras abandonadas (AMPs) por la MAPE cercanas a poblaciones locales. Estos dispositivos DGT fueron manufacturados y calibrados en el laboratorio usando sílica funcionalizada con 3-mercaptopropilo (3MFS) como gel para el Hg. Además\, se consideró relevante cuantificar la fracción biodisponible de otros metales traza (Pb\, Cu\, Zn\, Cd\, Ni\, Mn y Cr) utilizando dispositivos DGT de tipo comercial con Chelex-100. Los resultados presentados fueron coherentes con otros estudios de Hg en el río Atrato y AMPs\, y fueron comparados con otros estudios con métodos similares\, lo que nos permitió concluir que la aplicación de la técnica DGT es eficiente para la cuantificación y monitoreo del Hg biodisponible en sistemas acuáticos altamente vulnerables y de difícil acceso. \nLa segunda parte de la tesis se enfocó en la exploración y evaluación de nuevos materiales para su incorporación en la técnica DGT mediante la revaloración de residuos agroindustriales y la aplicación de nuevos materiales poliméricos para la determinación de la fracción lábil de Hg en el medio acuático. Los materiales derivados de biomasa (biocarbón\, plumas de pollo\, corcho\, cáscara de arroz y canola) fueron evaluados en cuanto a su capacidad de captación del Hg\, la facilidad de preparación de las capas de unión (hidrogeles de agarosa y poliacrilamida)\, y su eficacia en la determinación de la fracción lábil de Hg. Para este fin se diseñaron experimentos de serie temporal en medio acuoso\, en ausencia y presencia de otros elementos traza (Mn\, Cu\, Zn\, Ni\, Pb\, Cd y As) y en condiciones controladas de laboratorio. De manera similar\, se evaluaron tres polímeros sintetizados a partir de la benzoiltiourea (BTP1\, BTP2 y PBTU) con demostrada afinidad con el Hg para su uso en la técnica DGT. En esta búsqueda de nuevos materiales\, el polímero BTP1 demostró una mayor efectividad en la captación y cuantificación del Hg lábil\, y la eficacia de los dispositivos DGT-BTP1 fue comparada con la de dispositivos DGT preparados con 3MFS en mediciones in situ de Hg en el río Quito (Colombia). Los resultados mostraron un buen rendimiento en la cuantificación de la fracción de Hg lábil y\, a su vez\, se demostró que los dispositivos DGT-BTP1 son una herramienta útil para la monitorización in situ de Hg biodisponible en aguas dulces. En conclusión\, los resultados obtenidos a través de la inclusión de nuevos materiales en la técnica DGT podrían considerarse satisfactorios y prometedores.
URL:https://idaea.csic.es/event/defensa-de-tesis-de-siday-marrugo-madrid/
LOCATION:Aula Eduard Fontserè\, Facultat de Física i Química (UB)
CATEGORIES:Thesis Defence
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://idaea.csic.es/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/sidaymarrugo_tesis-1.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20230919T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20230919T120000
DTSTAMP:20261018T163035Z
CREATED:20230905T111322Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261018T163035Z
UID:13950-1695117600-1695124800@idaea.csic.es
SUMMARY:PhD Thesis Defence by Marta Via
DESCRIPTION:The PhD student Marta Via\, from the EGAR group\, will defend her thesis on 19th September at 10:00h in the Aula Eduard Fontserè of the Faculty of Physics at the University of Barcelona. \nTitle: Towards a better characterisation of the submicron aerosol in the mediterranean basin  \nDirectors: María Cruz Minguillón and Andrés Alastuey \nThesis Committee: Stefania Gilardoni\, David Green and Yolanda Sola \nAbstract:\nParticulate Matter (PM) affects Earth climate and human health differently according to its size and composition. Concerning health effects\, PM regulation aiming to protect the population do not establish target limits for the smaller particles or for specific PM components due to the lack of sufficient monitoring of these pollutants and their impact on health. This Ph.D. thesis aims to characterise the submicronic PM composition in Barcelona during the last decade concerning its composition\, potential origins and trends. With this purpose\, source apportionment techniques were applied to high resolution data\, focusing on the organic aerosol\, an ensemble of pollutants of diverse origin. The source description of such OA and submicronic PM has enabled the understanding of formation mechanisms of such PM and its potential effects on climate and health.
URL:https://idaea.csic.es/event/phd-thesis-defence-by-marta-via/
LOCATION:Aula Eduard Fontserè\, Facultat de Física i Química (UB)
CATEGORIES:Thesis Defence
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://idaea.csic.es/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/tesis_martavia.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20230915T110000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20230915T130000
DTSTAMP:20261018T163033Z
CREATED:20230905T110615Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261018T163033Z
UID:13949-1694775600-1694782800@idaea.csic.es
SUMMARY:Defensa de Tesis de Maria López Olivé
DESCRIPTION:La investigadora predoctoral Maria López Olivé\, del grupo EGAR\, defenderá su tesis el 15 de septiembre a las 11:00h en el Aula Magna Enric Cassassas de la Facultat de Química de la Universitat de Barcelona. \nTítulo: Liberación de partículas atmosféricas en escenarios industriales reales y su impacto en la exposición humana y ambiental. Casos de estudio: actividades portuarias y reciclaje de residuos electrónicos \nDirectores: Mar Viana y Eliseo Monfort \nTribunal: Jesús D. de la Rosa\, Sónia A. Teixeira Fraga y Núria Serrano \nAbstract:\nLa liberación de material particulado en la industria genera impacto en la salud humana y al medio ambiente es por eso la relevancia del estudio de la liberación de este contaminante durante la exposición profesional. El objetivo principal de esta Tesis Doctoral es caracterizar los aerosoles generados y liberados en escenarios industriales reales complejos\, en especial las nanopartículas (NP)\, y su impacto en la salud humana y el medioambiente. Para ello se han combinado una gran variedad de técnicas e instrumentos además de la realización de distintos análisis en el laboratorio. La detección de NP en todos los escenarios estudiados hace aún más significativa la importancia de estudiar este contaminante para implementar estrategias de mitigación adecuadas\, tanto para reducir el impacto en la salud humana como en el medioambiente.   
URL:https://idaea.csic.es/event/defensa-de-tesis-de-maria-lopez-olive/
LOCATION:Aula Magna\, Facultat Química (UB)
CATEGORIES:Thesis Defence
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://idaea.csic.es/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/tesis_mariaolive.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20230707T110000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20230707T130000
DTSTAMP:20261018T162959Z
CREATED:20230621T084153Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261018T162959Z
UID:13940-1688727600-1688734800@idaea.csic.es
SUMMARY:PhD Thesis Defence by Atefeh Vafaie
DESCRIPTION:The PhD student Atefeh Vafaie\, from the Groundwater and Hydrogeochemistry group\, will defend her thesis on 7th July at 11:00h in the Aula Carmina Virgili of the Faculty of Earth Sciences at the University of Barcelona. \nTitle: Experimental and numerical study of chemo-hydro-mechanical effects of CO2 injection on permeable limestone \nDirectors: Jordi Cama and Josep M. Soler \nThesis Committee: Maarten Saaltink\, Enrique Gómez Rivas and Fidel Grandia \nAbstract:\nGeological carbon storage (GCS) in saline aquifers is a means required to arrive at the net-zero CO2 emission target and climate change neutrality. Injected CO2 in aquifers acidifies the resident brine\, inducing mineral dissolution and precipitation. ‎These reactions may alter the pore structure and hydromechanical properties of the rock\, particularly in carbonate reservoirs with considerable amounts of fast-reacting calcite. \nImproving the current understanding of the form\, extent\, and governing mechanisms of such interactions is central to optimizing and securing the implementation of GCS which is the main goal of this thesis. To achieve this goal\, this study combines (i) percolation experiments with CO2-saturated water and HCl solutions on highly permeable limestone cores with (ii) 3D Darcy-scale reactive transport simulations. \nEffluent chemistry analyses\, X-ray Micro Computed Tomography (XMCT) imaging\, and measurements of the hydromechanical properties of cores are used to quantify acid-induced alterations in these two acid-rock systems. Further\, a digital rock physics method is developed to construct heterogeneous permeability maps of intact specimens that feed into reactive transport models to consider the effect of pore space heterogeneities on carbonate rock response to acidic fluid percolations.
URL:https://idaea.csic.es/event/phd-thesis-defence-by-atefeh-vafaie/
LOCATION:Aula Carmina Virgili\, Facultat Ciències de la Terra (UB)\, Martí i Franquès\, s/n\, Barcelona\, 08028\, Spain
CATEGORIES:Thesis Defence
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20230613T110000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20230613T130000
DTSTAMP:20261018T162954Z
CREATED:20230612T052724Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261018T162954Z
UID:13938-1686654000-1686661200@idaea.csic.es
SUMMARY:PhD Thesis Defence by Manuel García Vara
DESCRIPTION:The PhD student Manuel García Vara\, from the ENFOCHEM group\, will defend his thesis on 13 June at 11:00h in the Sala Eduard Fontseré of the Faculty of Chemistry at the University of Barcelona. \nTitle: Agriculture-related organic contaminants: occurrence in edible crops\, potential transfer from reclaimed water used for irrigation and bioremediation approaches \nDirectors: Miren López de Alda and Cristina Postigo \nThesis Committee:  Yolanda Picó\, Mercè Granados and Lubertus Biljsma. \nAbstract: \nEsta tesis doctoral tiene por objeto proporcionar nuevas herramientas analíticas para el control medioambiental de los contaminantes emergentes (CECs) en aguas y cultivos y generar nuevos conocimientos sobre i) la presencia y el destino de los CECs en el entorno agrícola\, y ii) la eficacia de los métodos de biorremediación para eliminar pesticidas del agua. Para ello\, se emplearon diferentes técnicas basadas en la cromatografía líquida acoplada a la espectrometría de masas en tándem (LC-MS/MS). \nEn primer lugar\, se desarrollaron y validaron metodologías analíticas para la determinación de hasta 42 pesticidas en cinco matrices alimentarias de origen vegetal (maíz\, uvas\, alfalfa\, aceitunas y semillas de girasol). Los métodos desarrollados\, basados en la extracción por QuEChERS y análisis por LC-MS/MS de baja resolución\, permitieron detectar la mayoría de los pesticidas seleccionados por debajo de sus correspondientes límites permitidos. Los análisis de muestras reales detectaron algunos pesticidas de gran relevancia ecotoxicológica. Por otro lado\, se desarrolló y aplicó un procedimiento de análisis suspect screening (basado en LC-MS/MS de alta resolución) en un sistema de riego a base de agua regenerada en una zona agrícola en Cataluña\, España\, para\, posteriormente\, llevar a cabo una priorización de los contaminantes más relevantes a nivel ecotoxicológico. Los resultados evidenciaron la presencia de más de cien CECs en el agua de riego con un alto riesgo ecotoxicológico. Por último\, se investigó la viabilidad del uso del hongo Trametes versicolor y de sistemas basados en microalgas para la eliminación de varios pesticidas (bentazona\, acetamiprid y propanil) en aguas residuales mediante análisis non-target por LC-MS/MS de alta resolución. Se evaluó la eficacia de eliminación de dichos compuestos y se elucidaron las vías de biodegradación mediante la identificación de los productos de transformación. \nLos resultados obtenidos en los diferentes estudios incluidos en esta tesis contribuyen al conocimiento sobre la presencia y comportamiento de los CECs en el entorno agrícola y su posible eliminación en las plantas de tratamiento de aguas residuales\, ayudando a la actual y futura gestión de estos contaminantes en el medio ambiente. \n 
URL:https://idaea.csic.es/event/phd-thesis-defence-by-manuel-garcia-vara/
LOCATION:Aula Eduard Fontserè\, Facultat de Física i Química (UB)
CATEGORIES:Thesis Defence
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://idaea.csic.es/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/manuelgarcia_thesis.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20230525T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20230525T120000
DTSTAMP:20261018T162915Z
CREATED:20230511T043017Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261018T162915Z
UID:13928-1685008800-1685016000@idaea.csic.es
SUMMARY:PhD Thesis Defence by Ashkan Hassanzadeh
DESCRIPTION:The PhD student Ashkan Hassanzadeh\, from the Groundwater and Hydrogeochemistry group\, will defend his thesis on 25 May at 10:00h in the Sala d’Actes IDAEA-CSIC. If you want to attend online\, click on this link. \nTitle: Novel algorithms for geological and hydrogeological assessments \nDirectors: Enric Vázquez Suñé and Mercè Corbella Cordomí \nThesis Committee: Luis Sebastián Vives\, María del Mar García Alcaraz and Aline Concha Dimas \nAbstract: \nGroundwater numerical modeling is essential for sustainable water management as it helps understand the behavior of groundwater resources and their interaction with surface water. These models can predict the impacts of water manipulation on the environment\, aid in developing sustainable management scenarios\, and help in understanding the impacts of climate change on groundwater resources. Generating numerical groundwater models require various input data and boundary conditions\, including geological models\, surface water input\, and groundwater recharge. By combining different modeling approaches\, a comprehensive understanding of groundwater resources can be developed to support sustainable groundwater management\, decision-making\, and water resource planning. This thesis is based on open-source tools to aid in the different stages of groundwater studies: geological 3D modeling\, isotopic modeling\, and soil water balance spatial-temporal modeling.
URL:https://idaea.csic.es/event/phd-thesis-defence-by-ashkan-hassanzadeh/
LOCATION:Sala d’Actes IDAEA-CSIC\, c/ Jordi Girona\, 18-26\, Barcelona
CATEGORIES:Thesis Defence
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://idaea.csic.es/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/thesis_ashkan.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20230124T110000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20230124T130000
DTSTAMP:20261018T162739Z
CREATED:20230118T053035Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261018T162739Z
UID:13900-1674558000-1674565200@idaea.csic.es
SUMMARY:PhD Thesis Defence by Juan Pinos
DESCRIPTION:The PhD student Juan Pinos\, from the Surface Hydrology and Erosion group\, will defend his thesis on 24 January at 11:00h in Sala de Grados (C1/070-1) at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. \nTitle: Multi-approach investigation of the dynamics of rainfall partitioning fluxes and their implications in a Mediterranean environment \nDirectors: Pilar Llorens and Jérôme Latron \nThesis Committee: Antonio del Campo\, Ilja van Meerveld\, Teresa Gimeno \nAbstract: \nRainfall interception by forest canopies prevents rainfall from immediately reaching the soil\, redistributing it in the form of throughfall and stemflow. The aim of the present research was to investigate the role of forest cover on the spatial and temporal distribution of both flows in a Mediterranean forest. The dissertation aimed to fill some knowledge gaps by using novel ecohydrological approaches in a Scots pine forest in the Vallcebre research catchments\, a representative area of Mediterranean middle mountain environments. High temporal resolution monitoring of rainfall\, throughfall\, stemflow\, meteorological variables\, and soil water content\, as well as water sampling of the different fluxes for the determination of the stable water isotopes signatures in the period 2018-2020\, were used to improve the mechanistic understanding of forest-water interactions. \nWith this information\, we investigated the throughfall partitioning into splash throughfall\, free throughfall\, and canopy drip by means of rainfall and throughfall drop size distributions\, and their relationships with the observed shift in their isotopic composition. Throughfall types were characterized according to different rainfall classes based on duration and intensity. We found that during rainfall events\, splash throughfall was greater at the beginning of the events\, as well as the vapour pressure deficit. This initial stage coincided also with the greater throughfall isotopic enrichment with respect to rainfall isotopic signal. Higher splash throughfall and vapour pressure deficit indicated that the isotopic enrichment was caused by splash droplet evaporation. Moreover\, isotopic differences among rainfall\, throughfall\, and stemflow were analysed. Throughfall was more enriched than rainfall and stemflow more than throughfall. Seasonal differences in isotopic shift were also observed\, with throughfall being more depleted during the growing season whereas stemflow was more enriched. Meteorological variables did not show a relationship with either throughfall or stemflow isotopic shifts. Isotopic fractionation was caused by a combination of factors occurring throughout the event\, with evaporation being more relevant during the initial stage of the events\, whereas canopy selection processes (i.e.\, the possibility of intercepted rainfall to be retained and transmitted asynchronously) dominated towards the end of the events. Nevertheless\, intra-event mixing of waters could occur during the same event. \nStemflow is a spatially-concentrated and chemically-enriched water flux input\, altering soil moisture and chemistry in near-stem areas when infiltrating in the vicinity of tree trunks. While many studies have examined stemflow production among tree species\, no known research examined the stemflow distribution around the trunk before reaching the ground. Moreover\, only a few studies explored its infiltration dynamics (the double funnelling effect). The results of our study clearly show a non-uniform distribution of stemflow down in the trunk surface\, meaning that stemflow distribution shows preferential flow paths. These flow paths are related to biotic factors (trunk lean\, bark morphology\, and tree neighbourhood)\, and to a lesser extent to abiotic factors (rainfall intensity peaks). By conducting a field experiment simulating stemflow\, labelled with a dual-tracer approach\, we were able to determine the influence of stemflow in the soil moisture response at the base of the tree. We observed that stemflow primarily infiltrated along the surface of coarse roots and through macropores\, and demonstrate\, by a set of metrics\, the prevalence of preferential flow. Knowledge of above- and below-ground stemflow distribution and its implications is therefore emphasized. \nThe insights and findings presented in this dissertation will enable forest hydrologists to better characterize the hydrological processes in Mediterranean forest landscapes. In addition\, future research lines that could extend and complement our results are also discussed.
URL:https://idaea.csic.es/event/phd-thesis-defence-by-juan-pinos/
CATEGORIES:Thesis Defence
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://idaea.csic.es/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/juanpinos_Thesis-Defence.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20230118T120000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20230118T130000
DTSTAMP:20261018T162737Z
CREATED:20230117T085443Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261018T162737Z
UID:13899-1674043200-1674046800@idaea.csic.es
SUMMARY:PhD Thesis Defence by Rosa Lara
DESCRIPTION:The PhD student Rosa Lara\, from the EGAR group\, will defend her thesis on 18 January at 12:00h in Sala de Proyectos at Escuela Politécnica de Gijón. \nTitle: Suspended and settleable particulate matter in the western area of the conurbation of Gijón \nDirectors: Xavier Querol and Luis Negral \nThesis Committee: Stella Moreno\, Andrés Alastuey\, Jesús de la Rosa\, Beatriz Suárez-Peña and Leonor Castrillón \nAbstract: \nAir pollution is one of the leading causes of premature deaths in Europe. Above all autonomous communities in Spain\, Asturias is one of the latest to comply with the PM10 limit values established by state regulations. One of the areas of particular concern is identified in the western area of the conurbation of Gijón\, which is noted for the persistence of significant levels of suspended and settleable particulate matter. This is an area of intense industrial activity\, in which an integrated steel plant\, a port with the state’s largest bulk solid traffic\, coal and mineral stockyards\, a cement plant\, and a coal-fired power plant exist\, among others. The high levels of PM recorded in the area\, together with the presence of sources of fugitive PM emissions and the persistence of high levels of atmospheric deposition in the area\, highlight the need to deepen knowledge of the characterization of these pollutants\, as well as the identification and quantification of their principal sources.\nRegarding the study of PM\, a sampling campaign was carried out between May 2019 and September 2020 employing a high-volume collector equipped with a selective PM10 head. 447 24-h samples were collected. A representative part of the samples (32%) was chemically characterized. For the study of atmospheric deposition\, a sampling campaign was carried out between December 2019 and June 2020\, employing a self-designed and self-built collector located in five different sites to obtain representative samples attending to the spatial variability. Rainy days were avoided to collect the samples in the best conditions for the dispersion of settleable particulate matter. 150 24-h samples (30 per location) of dry atmospheric deposition (DSPM) were collected and chemically characterized.\nMobility and industrial activity restrictions\, derived from the COVID-19 pandemic\, occurred during both sampling campaigns\, subsequently leading to the possibility of analysing their impact on PM10 and DSPM levels. During strict confinement\, there was an increase of 9.1% in the PM10 concentration\, mainly due to the increase in secondary inorganic aerosol\, favoured by meteorological conditions. In DSPM\, significant reductions (>74%) in sites closest to the industrial activity. However\, these reductions should be taken with caution because of the variation in the wind dynamics of the compared periods.\nThe assessment of source apportionment for PM10 and DSPM was carried out by using the PMF multivariate receptor model. Regarding PM10\, eight contribution sources were identified: “Biomass burning”\, “Iron and steel combustion”\, “Secondary nitrate”\, “Secondary sulfate”\, “Sinter”\, “Fugitive from iron and steel resuspension”\, “Local diffuse” (mixture of resuspension of abrasion products from brakes and wheels\, and industrial metals deposited on the road surface) and “Marine aerosol”. Regarding DSPM\, two sources were identified in the stations that presented higher levels of DSPM: “Sinter/Steelmaking” and “Resuspension of contaminated crustal”. The other two stations also presented a factor associated with marine aerosol and\, in the more rural one\, a factor associated with biomass burning was detected.\nFuture air quality policies should consider measures to reduce anthropogenic emissions of PM10 and DSPM with the aim of reducing their impact in industrialized urban/suburban areas. The results also highlight the need to take environmental action on the secondary PM precursor gases to reduce PM10 and PM2.5 levels efficiently.
URL:https://idaea.csic.es/event/phd-thesis-defence-by-rosa-lara/
CATEGORIES:Thesis Defence
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://idaea.csic.es/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/rosalara_thesis-Defence.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20230113T113000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20230113T133000
DTSTAMP:20261018T162730Z
CREATED:20230109T072933Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261018T162730Z
UID:13897-1673609400-1673616600@idaea.csic.es
SUMMARY:PhD Thesis Defence by Adrià Sunyer Caldú
DESCRIPTION:The PhD student Adrià Sunyer Caldú\, from the ENFOCHEM group\, will defend his thesis on 13 January at 11:30h in the Aula Enric Casassas of the Faculty of Chemistry at the Universitat de Barcelona. \nTitle: Combination of target and non-target analysis for the identification and determination of contaminants of emerging concern \nDirectors: Silvia Diaz Cruz and Pablo Gago Ferrero \nThesis Committee:  Víctor Matamoros\, Lubertus Bijlsma and Jana Weiss \nAbstract: \nContaminants of emerging concern (CECs) are those that have been detected in the environment and/or in humans\, can cause ecological or human health impacts\, and are normally not regulated. Their continuous introduction into the environment (favoured by conventional wastewater treatments’ inefficiency in their degradation)\, pseudo-persistence\, and intrinsic ability to interfere with organisms\, concern the scientific and public community. Their potential toxic effects can threaten the ecological status of water bodies as well as human health. There is a need to know what these contaminants are and understand their occurrence\, fate and transformation processes in the environment. In the current context of climate change\, circular economy processes acquire great importance. In this regard\, the reuse of waste and reclaimed water is applied as a helpful solution to alleviate water scarcity and enable better use of resources. However\, this approach is not exempt from risk\, since the water-borne contaminants can be translocated into crops after irrigation\, constituting a threat to human health. Likewise\, there are other routes of exposure to CECs that should be studied\, and human biomonitoring is necessary to address specific exposures. In this thesis\, powerful analytical methodologies were developed and applied in the different stages of the CECs cycle\, from their release until they are degraded (transformed) or (bio)accumulated. The presence of different types of CECs including personal care products (PCPs)\, pharmaceuticals\, biocides and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) was assessed in different environmental compartments. Advanced target and non-target approaches were applied to expand the knowledge of the presence of these chemicals and their derived transformation products in water\, sediment\, biota\, and crops. Special emphasis was placed on evaluating the wastewater reuse feasibility for irrigation purposes in agriculture. Finally\, human exposure to CECs was evaluated\, putting a special focus on prenatal exposure at the early stage of development through the analysis of umbilical cord blood. Thus\, this thesis has contributed to improving the understanding and knowledge about CECs occurrence\, removal\, transformation\, transfer\, and fate in aquatic ecosystems\, agrifood environment and\, ultimately\, humans.
URL:https://idaea.csic.es/event/phd-thesis-defence-by-adria-sunyer-caldu/
LOCATION:Aula Magna\, Facultat Química (UB)
CATEGORIES:Thesis Defence
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://idaea.csic.es/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/tesis_adriasunyer.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20221220T110000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20221220T130000
DTSTAMP:20261018T162725Z
CREATED:20221130T071732Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261018T162725Z
UID:13896-1671534000-1671541200@idaea.csic.es
SUMMARY:PhD Thesis Defence by Jesús Yus
DESCRIPTION:The PhD student Jesús Yus from the EGAR group\, will defend his thesis on 20 December at 11:00h in the Aula Eduard Fontserè of the Faculty of Physics at the Universitat de Barcelona. \nTitle: Understanding the measurement and variability of aerosol optical properties in NE Spain \nDirectors: Andrés Alastuey and Marco Pandolfi \nThesis Committee:  Olivier Favez\, Alberto Cazorla and Yolanda Solá \nAbstract: \nAtmospheric aerosol particles play a key role in Earth’s climate by regulating the formation of clouds\, and therefore modifying the Earth’s albedo and the hydrological cycle\, as well as a consequence of their direct interaction with solar and terrestrial electromagnetic radiation\, among many more processes. Overall\, aerosol particles effect on the Earth’s radiative balance is to cool the atmosphere\, however\, there are still large uncertainties related\, mainly associated to their spatial and temporal distribution\, their concentration levels and the absorption properties of the most important absorbers\, namely black carbon (BC)\, brown carbon (BrC) and potentially mineral dust particles. This PhD thesis focuses on providing an in-depth characterization of the optical properties of these particles in an area in the Western Mediterranean\, the NE Spain. More\, specifically in the improvement of the characterization of the absorption measurements\, an analysis of the effect that the mixing of BC particles with other organic aerosols has on their absorption properties\, and determining the optical properties of these particles\, and especially of mineral dust\, under different meteorological scenarios.
URL:https://idaea.csic.es/event/phd-thesis-defence-by-jesus-yus/
LOCATION:Aula Eduard Fontserè\, Facultat de Física i Química (UB)
CATEGORIES:Thesis Defence
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://idaea.csic.es/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/tesis_jesusyus.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20221117T120000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20221117T140000
DTSTAMP:20261018T162703Z
CREATED:20221019T082006Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261018T162703Z
UID:13888-1668686400-1668693600@idaea.csic.es
SUMMARY:PhD Thesis Defence by Raimon Martínez Prats
DESCRIPTION:The PhD student Raimon Martínez Prats from the Geochemistry and Pollution research group\, will defend his thesis on 17 November at 12:00h in the Aula Magna of the Faculty of Earth Sciences at the Universitat de Barcelona. \nTitle: Passive Air and Water Sampling in High-Altitude Lakes: Occurrence and Distribution of Legacy and Emerging Organic Pollutants \nDirectors: Joan Grimalt and Pilar Fernández \nThesis Committee: Encarnación Moyano\, Jordi Catalan and Esteban Abad \nAbstract: \nRemote high mountains allow the study of the environmental fate of legacy and emerging anthropogenic chemicals that form a worldwide diffuse background layer of pollution. Semi-volatile compounds like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)\, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)\, organophosphate esters (OPEs)\, and other organochlorine compounds like hexachlorobenzene (HCB) have become ubiquitous by undergoing long-range atmospheric transport\, penetrating other environmental compartments (e.g.\, water\, soils\, sediments\, and biota)\, and often remaining unperturbed due to their high resistance to degradation. Moreover\, pollutant levels in high mountains tend to be amplified because of cold-trapping\, a series of physical and thermodynamical processes that occur at low temperatures and high altitudes. Toxic effects in living organisms have been linked to the exposure to these chemicals\, thus constituting a threat to the health of some of the most fragile ecosystems of the world.\nHowever\, high mountains pose a set of unique challenges that complicate the assessment of pollutant levels (e.g.\, inaccessibility and harsh environmental and meteorological conditions). In recent decades\, passive samplers have provided an alternative way of monitoring pollutants with significant benefits for studying remote sites: low cost\, ease of use\, no energy supply required\, deployment in environmental matrices (e.g.\, air and water) for extended periods\, and time-integrated assessment of average pollutant levels. Here\, passive samplers were used for the determination of semi-volatile and hydrophobic organic compounds in air and water from six alpine lacustrine areas forming an altitudinal gradient in the Pyrenees (1619 to 2453 m above sea level). Polyurethane foam (PUF) was used for the atmospheric gas-phase\, and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and silicone rubber (SR) were used for the dissolved phase of water. The performance and uncertainty of these methods were adequate\, even in a remote environment with trace-level pollutant concentrations.\nLong-term trends in pollutant levels in air and water from the Pyrenees were studied. Persistent compounds like PCBs and HCB were found at levels very similar to those reported over two decades ago in the same area. PAHs\, less persistent\, were detected at half of their previously measured concentrations\, agreeing with estimated reductions of their emissions. Atmospheric concentrations of half of the studied pollutants significantly increased with temperature\, showing the influence of re-volatilization from surfaces (e.g.\, soils\, water\, snow).\nSecondary emissions were prominent for OPEs and the heavier PCBs and PAHs\, as their lower volatilities cause them to partition more prominently towards other environmental compartments. HCB and the lighter PAHs and PCBs did not present significant changes with temperature\, as expected from their higher volatility. Diffusive exchange fluxes between air and water at the lakes showed deposition of actively emitted PAHs\, slight deposition or near-equilibrium state for most PCBs\, OPEs\, and other chlorinated compounds\, and slight volatilization of HCB and the diagenetically generated methylated PAH retene. Overall\, this high-mountain region may be acting as a sink for several pollutants that accumulate in its surfaces\, but some compounds may reach equilibrium between air and other compartments and may experience seasonal secondary emissions.\nAdditionally\, passive air samplers were used for the study of pollutant levels in the city of Barcelona. Most pollutants in air presented concentrations up to more than two orders of magnitude higher than in the Pyrenees. Since these measurements were performed before and during the implementation of restrictive lockdown measures at the beginning of the COVID-19 global pandemic\, sudden changes in the composition of atmospheric organic pollution caused by an unprecedented halt in anthropogenic activities were also assessed. The concentrations of PAHs\, PCBs\, HCB\, and other organochlorine compounds decreased by 60 to 91%\, but OPE concentrations remained stable because their release is diffusive and does not depend directly on the activities that stopped during restrictions.
URL:https://idaea.csic.es/event/phd-thesis-defence-by-raimon-martinez-prats/
CATEGORIES:Thesis Defence
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://idaea.csic.es/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/thesisraimon.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20220905T113000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20220905T143000
DTSTAMP:20261018T162628Z
CREATED:20220714T090927Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261018T162628Z
UID:13876-1662377400-1662388200@idaea.csic.es
SUMMARY:PhD Thesis Defence by Miriam Carolina Pérez Cova
DESCRIPTION:The PhD student Miriam Carolina Pérez Cova from the Chemometrics research group\, will defend her thesis on 5 September at 11:30h in the Aula Magna Enric Cassasas  of the Faculty of Chemistry at the Universitat de Barcelona. \nTitle: Development and application of analytical and chemometric methodology for environmental metabolomic studies based on one-and two-dimensional liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry \nDirectors: Joaquim Jaumot and Romà Tauler \nThesis Committee: Sílvia Lacorte\, Yvan Vander Heyden\, Miguel Herrero \nAbstract: \nChemical exposure to emerging contaminants (ECs) is a major concern nowadays. These ECs have recently become a global environmental threat\, and an in-depth characterization of their occurrence and toxic impact is needed. In this context\, omic sciences have arisen as powerful tools to shed some light on the biological mechanisms affected by exposure to these chemicals. Particularly\, metabolomics and lipidomics can provide a snapshot of what is actually happening at the molecular level\, pointing to metabolic pathways affected by the contaminants. New analytical methodologies are required to extract the sought information in more complex biological matrices (from single cells to whole organisms). Hence\, a major emphasis has been put on developing multidimensional separations and multiplatform approaches to increase the metabolome coverage. However\, these novel approaches bring about massive datasets\, and the complexity of the data analysis augments considerably. Therefore\, chemometric strategies are a perfect match to get through this bottleneck and provide useful tools to obtain the most from the data collected.\n \nIn this PhD Thesis\, the focus was set on developing analytical protocols\, especially using two-dimensional liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC×LC-MS)\, as well as chemometric data analysis strategies applicable to environmental metabolomic studies. On the one hand\, LC×LC-MS methods have been developed for both untargeted and targeted analyses. Active modulation strategies have been also successfully implemented in the multidimensional chromatographic separation of lipids. On the other hand\, the Regions Of Interest (ROI) approach for compression and filtering has been validated for LC×LC-MS analyses. Regarding chemometric resolution methods (i.e.\, which allow obtaining quantitative and qualitative information from the sample constituents)\, and due to deviations from an ideal trilinear behavior presented by LC×LC datasets\, the use of the Multivariate Curve Resolution Alternating Least Squares (MCR-ALS) method has been preferred. Different quantification strategies have been tested based on the Regions Of Interest Multivariate Curve Resolution (ROIMCR) approach. In addition\, several multivariate statistical methods based on the analysis of variance (ANOVA) have been compared for metabolomic studies. As a result\, a combination of ANOVA-simultaneous component analysis (ASCA) and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) has been selected for statistical analysis and variable (metabolite) selection\, respectively. All in all\, different metabolomic workflows have been validated for the assessment of emerging contaminants in model biosystems.
URL:https://idaea.csic.es/event/phd-thesis-defence-by-miriam-carolina-perez-cova/
LOCATION:Aula Magna\, Facultat Química (UB)
CATEGORIES:Thesis Defence
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://idaea.csic.es/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/PhD-Thesis-Defence-Miriam.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20220719T110000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20220719T130000
DTSTAMP:20261018T162626Z
CREATED:20220701T104409Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261018T162626Z
UID:13875-1658228400-1658235600@idaea.csic.es
SUMMARY:PhD Thesis Defence by Sonia Valdivielso
DESCRIPTION:The PhD student Sonia Valdivielso Mijangos\, from the Groundwater and Hydrogeochemistry research group\, will defend her thesis on 19th July at 11h in the Sala de Juntas of the Faculty of Earth Sciences at the Universitat de Barcelona. The PhD defence will be also streamed following this link. \nTitle: Isotopic characterization of precipitation and its relationship with groundwater in the Central Andes \nDirectors: Enric Vázquez-Suñé and Emilio Custodio \nThesis Committee: Albert Soler\, Christian Herrera Lameli\, Josep Mas Pla \nAbstract: \nThe availability of water resources is increasingly limited worldwide. Therefore\, optimal and sustainable management is necessary to ensure a balance between ecosystems and human rights and activities. In the arid Central Andes\, there is a great demand for water for different uses\, including domestic consumption\, intensive mining and\, in some areas\, livestock and emerging ecotourism. These human activities must respect and conserve the lagoon systems of the salt flats\, on which the fauna depend. Understanding the hydrological and hydrogeological functioning of basins is essential for the optimal and sustainable management of water resources. To address this issue\, the objective of this thesis is to advance the knowledge on the isotopic composition of precipitation and its relationship with groundwater in the Central Andes\, particularly in the Salar de Atacama basin (Chile). \nThis thesis contributes to the (1) understanding of the origin of precipitation in the Central Andes and reviews how it varies isotopically (δ18O and δ2H) throughout the Amazon basin and in the Central Andes between 14°S and 28°S\, (2) identification of the factors that control the isotopic composition of precipitation in areas with scarce isotopic and meteorological data and estimation of the meteorological and isotopic variables of precipitation\, (3) characterisation of precipitation and identification of the recharge zone of the Salar de Atacama basin using stable isotopes\, and (4) quantification of the contribution of snowmelt to the recharge of the aquifer of the basin. \nThrough an exhaustive review of the literature\, precipitation in the Central Andes has been characterised. Precipitation occurs mainly during the austral summer. The masses of humidity have different origin: (1) from the North Atlantic Ocean through the Amazon basin\, (2) from the South Atlantic Ocean through the Plate River basin and the Gran Chaco in summer\, and (3) the Pacific Ocean in winter. The processes involved in the isotopic evolution of summer convective precipitation in the Eastern Cordillera are known. However\, there is no consensus on the factors that control the isotopic variation in the Western Cordillera. \nTo identify the processes that determine the precipitation isotopy in the Cordillera Occidental\, a statistical analysis is carried out between geospatial\, meteorological and isotopic variables. The result indicates that temperature is controlled by altitude and latitude\, while relative humidity is controlled by latitude\, and summer precipitation is controlled by altitude and latitude. The stable isotopes of precipitation are controlled by temperature\, altitude\, latitude\, longitude\, and precipitation. Finally\, based on these relationships\, these variables are estimated by independent models throughout the study area and three isotopic models (summer\, winter and annual). \nThe isotopic compositions of the surface water and groundwater indicate the presence of evaporation and that they are similar to each other in each subbasin\, both in the Salar de Atacama and in the Altiplano-Puna. Finally\, the meteoric source of the waters of the Altiplano-Puna basins is more depleted of heavy isotopes than are the waters of the peripheral subbasins of the salar. Therefore\, these results show that there is no hydraulic connection between basins and that there is no significant transfer of water from the Altiplano-Puna to the peripheral aquifer of the Salar de Atacama. \nThis thesis presents a first view of the behavior of snow in the Toconao subbasin (subbasin east of the Salar de Atacama) through physical models. The total average precipitation was 139 mm/year in 2017\, of which a third was in the form of snow. In summer the snow was above 4500 m asl and it melted in 10 days. In winter\, when the temperature is lower\, the snow cover covered much of the basin and slowly melted for a month.
URL:https://idaea.csic.es/event/phd-thesis-defence-by-sonia-valdivielso/
CATEGORIES:Thesis Defence
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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20220610T110000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20220610T140000
DTSTAMP:20261018T162614Z
CREATED:20220530T142833Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261018T162614Z
UID:13871-1654858800-1654869600@idaea.csic.es
SUMMARY:PhD Defensa de tesi per Berta Sala Solà
DESCRIPTION:La estudiant de doctorat Berta Sala Solà\, del grup d’investigació ONHEALTH\, defenderà la seva tesi el 10 de juny a les 11h a la Universitat de Barcelona. El lloc és l’Aula Magna Enric Casassas de la Facultat de Química. \nTítul: Impacte dels residus plàstics en organismes marins: avaluació de la bioacumulació de plastificants i retardants de flama  \nDirectora de la tesi: Ethel Eljarrat \nComité de tesi: Jordi Dachs\, Cristina Romera\, and Carme Alomar \nResum tesi: \nEls organofosfats èsters (OPEs) s’apliquen a una gran varietat de materials tant com a retardants de flama (FRs) i/o com a plastificants. En són un exemple els aparells electrònics\, els teixits\, mobles i els plàstics en si. Cada vegada hi ha una demanda més gran d’aquests compostos ja que són els principals substituts dels FRs èters difenílics polibromats (PBDEs)\, prohibits el 2009 pel Conveni d’Estocolm. \nEn aquesta tesi s’ha volgut avaluar l’impacte d’OPEs i d’altres FRs ja prohibits en el medi ambient i més concretament\, en els organismes marins. Per fer-ho\, s’ha estudiat el comportament espai-temporal dels OPEs analitzant 4 espècies diferents de dofins. Per tal de poder escollir quin teixit dels dofins era el més idoni per poder estudiar la concentració d’OPEs en biota marina\, es va dur a terme un anàlisi d’aquests contaminants en diferents teixits del dofins recol·lectats al Mar d’Alboran. L’estudi va demostrar que el múscul era el més adient i per tant\, és el teixit que es va mostrejar en els altres dofins. Les diferents espècies de dofí s’han mostrejat en 3 zones. L’anàlisi espacial només s’ha realitzat per a les dues zones que disposàvem de mostres d’anys similars: Mar Mediterrani (per la costa catalana) i l’Oceà Índic (per la costa de Sudàfrica). En aquest estudi\, es va poder observar que la concentració d’OPEs a la costa de Sudàfrica era 1\,5 vegades superior a la del Mediterrani occidental. Tot i així\, la diferència de concentracions entre ambdues zones no era significativa. També es va poder estudiar la concentració de PBDEs en les mateixes zones d’estudi\, observant que eren molt més baixes que les trobades pels OPEs. Es va destacar que pel cas de la costa de Sudàfrica els OPEs eren significativament superiors als PBDEs\, fins a dos ordres de magnitud per sobre. Aquest fet\, va fer pensar que la contaminació d’OPEs\, a banda de venir del seu ús com a FRs\, també hi tenia un gran impacte la seva funció com a plastificant ja que es tracta d’una zona molt contaminada pels residus plàstics. Els perfils d’OPEs trobats a les 3 zones ens mostra la semblança que hi ha entre les dues costes del mateix mar\, el Mediterrani\, enfront a la del sud-oest de l’Índic. La tendència temporal dels OPEs\, es va veure només en el Mar Mediterrani\, a on s’observà que la concentració dels OPEs era constant al llarg del temps\, així com les concentracions de plàstics en la mateixa zona. \nTambé s’ha estudiat la bioacumilació i la biomagnificació d’OPEs en organismes marins. En aquest cas\, s’han pogut analitzar per primera vegada mostres de diferents espècies d’organismes marins de diferents nivells tròfics\, com per exemple la medusa i la tortuga babaua\, entre d’altres. Es va poder observar que no existien diferències significatives entre els nivells tròfics estudiats\, indicant una manca de biomagnificació global dels OPEs. Tot i així\, al disposar de mostres de parelles predador-presa es va poder calcular el BMF i veure quins contaminants tendien a biomagnificar-se de manera individual on es va observar que compostos que la bibliografia descriu com que tendeixen a metabolitzar-se\, com per exemple el TNBP\, presenten un potencial de biomagnificació. També es va comprovar que l’aportació dels OPEs als organismes marins pot venir donada tant per la dieta com per la ingesta directa de plàstics. Els resultats de les mostres de lluç ens va permetre calcular la ingesta d’OPEs a través del consum de peix\, observant una nul·la amenaça per a la salut pública d’aquests contaminants per aquesta via d’entrada\, tot i que l’exposició dels humans cap aquests contaminants és més àmplia. \nFinalment\, al disposar de les mostres de rorqual comú i fetus\, es va poder fer el primer estudi de transferència materna d’OPEs i també es va poder mirar la transferència de les SCCPs i el DBDPE.\nEls resultats van demostrar concentracions d’aquests tres compostos en els fetus\, demostrant així la transferència placentària.
URL:https://idaea.csic.es/event/phd-defensa-de-tesi-per-berta-sala-sola/
LOCATION:Aula Magna\, Facultat Química (UB)
CATEGORIES:Thesis Defence
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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20220502T110000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20220502T120000
DTSTAMP:20261018T162453Z
CREATED:20220325T081145Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261018T162453Z
UID:13847-1651489200-1651492800@idaea.csic.es
SUMMARY:PhD Thesis Defence by Nupur Nagar
DESCRIPTION:The PhD student Nupur Nagar\, from the Geochemistry & Pollution research group\, will defend her thesis on 2nd May at 11h in Universitat de Vic. The PhD defence will be streamed at this link. \nTitle: Source assessment of the organochlorine pollutants in sediment and fish from Greenland lakes \nDirectors: Joan O. Grimalt and Mireia Bartrons \nThesis Committee: David Huertas\, Pilar Fernández and Àngels Leiva \nAbstract: \nIn the thesis\, three studies were conducted across temporal and spatial gradients to deepen our understanding of OHCs accumulation in the fish and sediments from Greenlandic freshwater lakes. The first chapter aimed to understand the levels of POPs arriving to the high Arctic freshwater lakes in Greenland and how the presence of the living organisms affects their depositional patterns. The role of sea birds as carriers of pollutants over long distances was evaluated. One of the three lakes selected for this purpose had a little auk (Alle alle) bird colony\, and the other two were devoid of these seabirds. We found a strong influence of these seabirds in the transport and deposition of these hydrophobic compounds to remote sites. However\, not all compounds showed the same relative increases. We found a discriminating effect in the seabird accumulation and transport of organohalogen to remote sites. \nThe second chapter aimed to establish a record of OHCs contamination in Greenlandic freshwater lakes sediments. Airports\, military bases\, and research stations were important local sources for DDTs\, HCB\, OCS\, Methoxychlor\, Mirex\, Chlordanes\, and Heptachlors in Greenland freshwater lakes. Populated areas were essential sources for PCBs. The effect of LRAT was evident for HCHs\, HCB\, Chlordanes\, and Heptachlors. Positive longitudinal gradients explained the arrival of HCHs and PBDEs from the Eurasian and Northeastern American continents. The concentrations of most compounds showed a decrease through the years due to the past restrictions. This study is the first to analyse a broad spectrum of OHCs\, including Endosulfans\, Drins\, OCS\, Mirex\, and Methoxychlor\, which were never studied in freshwater lake sediments of Greenland. \nThe third chapter study aimed to determine the range of concentrations of PCBs\, DDTs and PBDEs in the top predator Arctic charr across Greenland freshwater lakes and understand OHCs accumulation and distribution patterns. We found that PCBs and DDTs concentrations in some Arctic charr crossed the toxicity thresholds\, which may be of concern since it is an important component in the local population’s diet. The most critical factors determining PCBs\, PBDEs\, and DDTs accumulation in Arctic charr were mean annual air temperature (indicating LRAT) and anthropogenic impact. The Arctic charr from lakes with higher anthropogenic impact also accumulated higher levels of heavier molecular weight PCBs. Total nitrogen in the lake was also an important factor determining PBDEs bioaccumulation\, indicating a dilution factor of PBDEs in Arctic charr when nitrogen concentrations in the lake were higher. Some Layman metrics were significant predictors for DDTs and PBDEs bioaccumulation\, providing insight into the relevance of biomagnification\, trophic diversity and niche overlap effects for the cycling of these organic compounds across the freshwater food webs.
URL:https://idaea.csic.es/event/phd-thesis-defence-by-nupur-nagar/
CATEGORIES:Thesis Defence
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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20220429T103000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20220429T123000
DTSTAMP:20261018T162535Z
CREATED:20220428T122713Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261018T162535Z
UID:13858-1651228200-1651235400@idaea.csic.es
SUMMARY:PhD Thesis Defence by Alícia Martínez
DESCRIPTION:The PhD student Alícia Martínez\, from the Global Change and Genomic Biogeochemistry research group\, will defend her thesis on 29th April at 10:30h in Universitat Politècinca de Cataluyna (Escola de Camins\, Edifici C1\, Aula 002) If you want to attend online\, please click on this link. \nTitle: Biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the surface ocean \nDirectors: Maria Vila-Costa and Benjamí Piña \nThesis Committee: Lluís Banyeras\, Marta Sebastian and Eva Ortega
URL:https://idaea.csic.es/event/phd-thesis-defence-by-alicia-martinez/
CATEGORIES:Thesis Defence
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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20220325T170000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20220325T170000
DTSTAMP:20261018T162448Z
CREATED:20220311T121255Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261018T162448Z
UID:13846-1648227600-1648227600@idaea.csic.es
SUMMARY:PhD Thesis Defence by Max Giannetta
DESCRIPTION:The PhD student Max Giannetta\, from the Groundwater and Hydrogeochemistry research group\, will defend his thesis online on 25th March at 17h.  \nIf you want to attend online\, please contact with doctorat.ciencies.terra@ub.edu up to 48 hours before the defence. \nTitle: A biogeochemical study of an abandoned Pb-Zn mine in the Aran Valley\, Spain; applications of natural attenuation of heavy metals via secondary hydrozincite precipitation \nDirectors: Jordi Cama and Josep M. Soler \nThesis Committee: M. Mercè Corbella\, Cristina Domènech and  Eva Marguí  \nAbstract \nThe Aran Valley in Catalonia (Spain)\, was the site of large-scale Zn\, Pb\, Cu\, Fe\, and Ag mining from the late 19th century until approximately 1950. Although mining activities ceased over 70 years ago\, some of the abandoned mining relics (e.g. tunnels\, processing facilities\, and tailings dumps) exhibit elevated concentrations of metals in the associated water systems\, thus posing a health risk in the neighboring ecosystem. In this study\, the largest underground zinc mine in the Aran Valley (the Victoria Mine) was chosen as a field site to showcase the processes affecting metal mobility in the environment. This mine is composed of 15 km of tunnel galleries\, many of which are flooded today\, and is situated beneath a steep mountain slope. Moreover\, the lowermost gallery exhibits a continuous output of water\, whose composition reflects a flow path through the mine and overlying host rock. \nThree sampling campaigns to the mine (2019\, 2020\, and 2021) provide a spaciotemporal dataset showing the evolution of solute concentrations through the system along a flow path. Rainwater from the upper catchment flows into the host rock above the mine where it dissolves ore materials (primarily Zn (sphalerite) and Fe (pyrite) sulfides with Ni and Cd impurities) causing elevated Zn\, Ni\, and Cd concentrations where these waters enter the mine. From there\, the precipitation of hydrozincite (Zn5(CO3)2(OH)6) along the tunnel gallery where water flows serve as a metal polishing mechanism resulting in significantly diminished metal concentrations (e.g. Zn from 155 to 10 ppm\, Ni from 377 to 32 ppb\, and Cd from 105 to 22 ppb). Hydrozincite has been shown to be product of biomineralization in other sites. However\, by way of DNA sequencing of local communities\, microbial batch experiments\, morphological comparisons to samples known to be a product of biomineralization and geochemical modeling\, it is confirmed that the mineral forms abiotically at the Victoria Mine. \nCharacterization of the solid samples taken from the mine reveals several different morphologies\, Zn zonations in hydrozincite (i.e. purity changes)\, and small amounts of smithsonite (ZnCO3) and calcite (CaCO3). In general\, all solids show layering\, which is a result of intermittent precipitation of distinct solid products. These precipitation patterns are likely a result of changing solute concentrations and precipitation rates. The cause of these changes is hypothesized to be rain events\, which change the water residence time in both the host rock and in the gallery\, thereby altering the water composition. \nSolubility experiments and speciation calculations done using the CrunchFlow code demonstrate that hydrozincite here does not have a constant Keq value\, but rather a range of values (30.0 < log[Keq] <37.68 at 7°C). This behavior is presumed to be a result of precursor effects\, such that amorphous solids with higher solubilities may form before the structured hydrozincite. Notably\, all analyzed solids from the collected mine samples show significant amounts of amorphous material (i.e. broad XRD peaks). \nA CrunchFlow reactive transport model constructed to capture the processes occurring along the flow path through the catchment (i.e. rainwater infiltration and flow through the host rock → mixing of different gallery source (drip) waters → flow of water through the gallery)\, successfully reproduces the measured concentrations. Further\, the model predicts the formation of hydrozincite\, calcite\, and smithsonite while maintained their relative proportions consistent with that of the samples. A sensitivity analyses of the most relevant parameter values (e.g. hydrozincite solubility\, flow velocity\, dispersivity and mineral reactivities) is performed as a way to capture the range of behaviors expected to occur\, and thereby predict future changes to metal mobility. The model confirms that changes to flow velocity\, which would translate to changes in volumetric discharge through the system caused by rain events\, could be the cause of mineral layering and metal zonation in hydrozincite. The model also confirms that the natural metal attenuation process is expected to occur through a wide range of system perturbations. Thus\, the abandoned mine poses little risk to the neighboring ecosystem. \n 
URL:https://idaea.csic.es/event/phd-thesis-defence-by-max-giannetta/
CATEGORIES:Thesis Defence
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