THE TEAM ON ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY AND ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH

EGAR belongs to the Institute of
Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA) from the Spanish Research Council (CSIC).

This IDAEA-CSIC research team has developed robust atmospheric pollution monitoring and
chemical characterization strategies, focusing on aerosols but also including semi-volatile organic
species such as persistent organic pollutants, drugs of abuse and gaseous pollutants.

Our Valuable Team Members

Xavier Querol
Xavier Querol Head of IDAEA Group
Research Professor leads the EGAR group at IDAEA-CSIC. Main focus on atmospheric pollution, waste valorisation and applied geochemistry. Supervisor of 26 PhD Theses. >500 articles in SCI journals. Member of LRTAP-UNECE, WHO and EC committees and working groups advising on air quality and climate directives. 2013 Award “Rey Jaime I” for the Protection of the Environment. Included in the ISI Highly Cited Scientists.
Orcid | Scopus | Researcherid | e-mail
Andrés Alastuey
Andrés AlastueyResponsible of the network
Research Professor and Vice-Director of IDAEA-CSIC, >20 years of experience on environmental geochemistry, and atmospheric pollution. >300 articles in SCI journals. Supervisor of >10 PhD Theses. Main focus on chemical, physical and optical properties of atmospheric aerosols in urban, regional and remote environments. Included in the ISI Highly Cited Scientists.
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Teresa Moreno
Teresa MorenoAnalytical Lab
Senior Tenured Researcher. Main research topic: Air quality in public transport systems and passenger exposure (projects BUSAIR, METRO, IMPROVE LIFE). Geology Degree, Universidad Complutense Madrid; Earth Sciences PhD, Cardiff University (UK); Research Associate (Fulbright), Colgate University (New York, USA); Research Associate, Cardiff University (UK); “Ramón & Cajal” researcher, CSIC (Barcelona); Senior Researcher, IDAEA-CSIC from 2007- now).
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Mar Viana
Mar Viana OC/EC lab
Senior Staff Researcher. Her main research interests are indoor and outdoor air quality, occupational exposures, aerosol geochemistry, nanoparticles, mitigation strategies, and source apportionment (projects ETC/ACM, CERASAFE, MiAire, PREDEXPIN). >140 peer-reviewed research articles in SCI journals, >35 invited presentations, h-index = 52. She is vice-Chair of the Scientific Advisory Panel of UN Environment’s Global Environmental Outlook (GEO6) assessment, and Chair of the Aerosols and Health Working Group for the European Aerosol Conferences. Supervisor of 4 PhD Theses. MSc in Environmental Sciences by the Madrid Autonomous University; PhD in Air Quality, Barcelona University.
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 Aurelio Tobias
Aurelio Tobias
Senior Tenured Researcher. I originally trained in Statistics, before moving over to do a PhD in Epidemiology and Public health. I have a broad range of research interests with a common theme of applied statistical and epidemiological methods in environmental health studies. In particular, the application of time-series regression models in public health, also the statistical methods for meta-analysis. My current research focus on environmental epidemiology, studying the short-term effects of environmental risk factors, mainly air pollution and on human health.
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Fulvio Amato
Fulvio Amato
Tenured Scientist. PhD on traffic non-exhaust emissions at EGAR in 2010. Specialized in CARES (NY, USA) and TNO (Netherlands) on air quality, non-exhaust traffic PM and source apportionment methods. Member of national and international working groups advising on air quality.
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Mª Cruz Minguillón
Mª Cruz Minguillón Tenured researcher
Main expertise on air quality, both indoor and outdoor, impact of mitigation measures, source apportionment with special emphasis on carbonaceous aerosol (among others, by using aerosol mass spectrometers). Participant or PI in >30 research projects, Chair of COST Action CA16109 COLOSSAL. Advisory and dissemination activities.
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Angeliki Karanasiou
Angeliki Karanasiou
Ramon y Cajal fellow. Expert on chemical and physical characterization of atmospheric aerosols. She works on the carbonaceous fraction of atmospheric particles specifically on elemental, organic and carbonate carbon, investigating the emission processes and analytical methods of determination.
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Marco Pandolfi
Marco PandolfiTenured researcher
Responsible for the surface in-situ and remote aerosol optical measurements. PhD in 2003. Primary research focuses are: Aerosol optical properties and how these properties change with aerosol chemical composition, trend analyses, source apportionment methods.
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Noemi Pérez
Noemi Pérez Responsible of Montseny site and CPC and SMPS measurements
Postdoc researcher. PhD in environmental sciences at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB). Her work focuses mainly on atmospheric geochemistry and air quality studies. She is responsible for aerosol monitoring at the ACTRIS-GAW site Montseny and for ultrafine particle measurements at the IDAEA network.
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Cristina Reche
Cristina Reche Responsible of Barcelona site
Postdoc researcher. She holds a BS in Environmental Studies and received her PhD on Environmental Science and Technology at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (Spain). Her main field is the study of air pollutants physicochemical properties and human exposure both at indoor and outdoor urban environments. Currently her primary research focuses on air quality at metro systems.
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Patricia Córdoba
Patricia CórdobaResponsible of the Geochemistry Lab
Juan de la Cierva Fellow. PhD on the partitioning and fate of trace elements at two full-scale power plants equipped with a wet limestone flue gas desulphurization (FGD) system at the IDÆA-CSIC in through the framework of the UPC doctorate program in Geochemistry in 2013. Patricia´s expertise is in general combustion and especially FGD systems, relating to the chemistry of inorganic trace pollutants and to the reuse of solid by-products.
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Amaia Fernandez
Amaia Fernandez
PhD student. Degree in Chemistry. Master in Analytical Chemistry. Doctoral thesis in personal exposure during public transport commuting.
e-mail
Natalia Moreno Palmerola
Natalia Moreno Palmerola Head of X-Ray Laboratory
Tenured Scientist. Head of X-Ray Laboratory equipped with two X-Ray Diffractometers (XRD) and an Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (EDXRF). She graduated in Pharmacy (UB) and PhD in Mining Engineering and Natural Resources (UPC) in 2002. She worked as a researcher at the Institute of Earth Sciences “Jaume Almera” (ICTJA-CSIC) between 2003 and 2009. Since 2010 she is a member of the Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC). Her research focuses on the industrial waste valorisation, industrial emissions, atmospheric pollution and applied geochemistry.
She has participated in numerous research projects of public funding and also in various agreements with public and private entities
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Ana Maria Yañez Serrano
Ana Maria Yañez Serrano
La Caixa Junior Leader fellow. My research is focused in the study volatile organic compounds (VOC) to understand the role of biology in atmospheric chemistry and biosphere-atmosphere interactions. For this, I mainly use the Proton Transfer Reaction mass Spectrometry (PTR-MS) which I complement with other analytical techniques. BSc in Environmental Science by Nottingham University, MSci in Biogeochemical cycles and Atmospheric science by Lund University. I hold a PhD in Climate and Environment by the University State of the Amazon. Here I will further explore the interaction between biogenic and anthropogenic VOCs, as to study the interaction of VOCs with rainwater.
e-mail
María Izquierdo
María IzquierdoRamon y Cajal research fellow
Main research interests cover using isotopes as environmental tracers, determining the (bio)availability of trace elements in soils, and assessing the behaviour and long term changes in lability, solubility and fixation of stable elements and radionuclides at the geosphere-biosphere interface.
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Mercè Cabañas
Mercè CabañasResponsible of ICP-MS laboratory
Technician. Responsible of ICP-MS laboratory. Degree in Chemical Sciences, University of Barcelona. Laboratory Technician at ICP-MS/AES. My work focuses on elemental analysis by ICP.
e-mail
Rafael Bartrolí
Rafael BartrolíResponsible ICP-AES
Technician. Responsible ICP-AES. Degree in Biological Sciences, University of Barcelona. Laboratory Technician at ICP-MS/AES. My work focuses on elemental analysis by ICP and FRX and granulometric analysis.
e-mail
Silvia Martínez
Silvia MartínezTechnician
Technician. ICP-AES Specialist. Industrial Technical Engineer, Industrial Chemical Specialty. Working in the ICP-AES / MS laboratory.
e-mail
Oriol Font
Oriol Font Responsible of the Environmental Geochemistry Lab
Technician. Responsible of the Environmental Geochemistry Lab. He has received degree in Geology at the University of Barcelona and PhD at the Polytechnic University of Catalunya. Industrial emissions, waste valorization, trace pollutants, environmental geochemistry, and mineralogy are his main research topics.
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Diana Blanco
Diana Blanco Technician
Technician of Atmospheric Geochemistry laboratory. Degree in Biological Sciences, University of Salamanca and Superior technician in Enviromental chemistry. Treatment atmospheric filters and chemical analysis of atmospheric pollutants
e-mail
Cristina Carnerero
Cristina CarnereroPhD student
BSc in Physics and MSc in Meteorology by the University of Barcelona.
With a background on atmospheric modelling and forecasting of daily ozone levels, her current research focuses on the origin of high tropospheric ozone episodes.
e-mail
Jesus Parga
Jesus PargaTechnician
Optical microscopy sample preparation. Maintenance of air quality monitoring sites.
e-mail
Valeria Vecchi
Valeria VecchiPhD student
BSc in Chemistry by the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia and MSc in Environmental Chemistry by the University of Turin (Italy).
The master thesis was done entirely at  the University of Aberdeen (UK) and it was focused on Arsenic speciation in rice and rice-based products.
She boasts experiences in the field of Environmental, Social and Health Impact Assessments.
Currently her research is focused on organic and inorganic pollutants of concern in existing urban allotments together with the study of their biogeochemical behavior and their uptake in plants; the research project include also the evaluation of social-anthropological benefits of urban agriculture

e-mail
Jesús Yus
Jesús YusPhD student
BSc in Physics by the University of Zaragoza and MSc in Meteorology by the University of Barcelona. My current doctoral research focuses on the physical and optical propertiesof the aerosol particles and its variabilities in the NE of the Iberian peninsula.
e-mail
Pedro Trechera Ruiz
Pedro Trechera RuizPhD student
University Degree in Chemistry and University Master’s Degree in Analytical Chemistry by the University of Barcelona. Currently, his research is focused on the characteristics of coal dust exposure in coal mines depending on the coal properties and mine characteristics.
e-mail
Jordi Massague
Jordi MassaguePhD student
Degree in Mechanical Engineering at the UAB. MSc in Environmental Engineering at the UPC.
Main focus on atmospheric pollution. Current research on the origin of high tropospheric ozone episodes in Spain.
e-mail
Marten in ’t Veld
Marten in ’t Veld PhD student
BSc. in applied chemistry specialized in analytical chemistry obtained at Avans Hogeschool (Netherlands), and MSc. In Environmental Chemistry and Health (ChemTox) obtained at København Universitet (Denmark) where I did my master thesis about Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and Secondary Organic Aerosols (SOAs) in high arctic situations. My current research focusses on sampling and analyzing O3 , VOCs, and SOAs in different photochemical pollution episodes around Spain and interpret the results to determine key patterns affecting O3 and SOA formation.
e-mail
Marta Via
Marta ViaPhD student
Degree in Physics and MSc in Meteorology at the University of Barcelona. Current research focused on the identification and quantification of the sources of submicron aerosols in the Western Mediterranean Basin.
e-mail
Adolfo Gonzalez Romero
Adolfo Gonzalez Romero
BSc in Geology at the University of Barcelona and MSc Geologic Hazards in University of Barcelona and Autonomous University of Barcelona. Current research focused in chemical, mineralogical and grain size characterization of soil and air samples from arid and semi-arid regions.
e-mail
Mar Olmos Liberal
Mar Olmos Liberal
Laboratory technician since 2010 at Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Researh (IDAEA)
She has a degree in Biology. Graduated like High Technician in Environmental Chemistry. Currently she is working at the Geosciences Department as laboratory technician carrying out quantitative determinations on air and water pollutans by Ion Chromatography.
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Roger Seco
Roger Seco
Ramon y Cajal researcher. He obtained his PhD at CREAF (Barcelona) before working at the National Center for Atmospheric Research and the University of California Irvine (USA), and more recently as an Assistant Professor at the University of Copenhagen (Denmark). His research has focused on the biogenic emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and how these are affected by temperature and drought stress in a variety of ecosystems ranging from northern tundra to Amazonian rain forests. In addition, he has studied how these VOCs affect the ecological communication between organisms and how they alter the atmospheric chemistry. He is an expert in analyzing the constituents of the atmosphere with online mass spectrometry, in particular with proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) and in combining PTR-MS with the eddy covariance technique to measure ecosystem-scale fluxes of VOCs.
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Verónica Moreno Martín
Verónica Moreno Martín
Laboratory technician at the Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA). Degree in Chemistry by the University of Barcelona. Currently studying a Master’s degree in Chemical Science and Technology. Working at the Geosciences Department treating atmospheric filters and carrying out chemical analysis of atmospheric pollutants.
e-mail
Anna Canals Angerri
Anna Canals Angerri
BSc in Chemistry and MSc in Analytical Chemistry from Universitat de Barcelona.
Technician in the Atmospheric Geochemistry laboratory carrying out chemical analyses of atmospheric pollutants
e-mail
Maria López Olivé
Maria López Olivé
Degree in Environmental Sciences at the Autonomous University of Barcelona and MSc in Meteorology at the University of Barcelona. Currently doing a PhD on worker exposure to particle emissions from harbour areas.
e-mail
Sharon Ridolfo
Sharon Ridolfo PhD student
Federica Ippolito
Federica Ippolito PhD student
Master Degree in Geological Sciences and technologies specialized in Geochemistry and Volcanology (2020). PhD student in the framework of LIFE REMY project (Reducing Emission Modelling uncertainty) working on “Experimental approaches to reduce emission modelling uncertainty for solid fuel combustion and road dust resuspension”.
e-mail
Angie Albarracín Melo
Angie Albarracín MeloPhD student
Angie got her BSc degree in Environmental Engineer (Colombia) on 2014 and master’s degree in Biological and Environmental Engineering at the Autonomous University of Barcelona on 2020. Previously, Angie worked at the District Environment Secretary (SDA) of Bogotá-Colombia, Atmospheric emissions group in Air Quality Subdirection during 3 years.
Since September 2021, Angie has been working as a PhD student, the research is focusing in the impact of the electric vehicles over the air quality and toxicity, taking into account the non-exhaust emissions from transport are increasing at the same rate with increasing transport demand, in order to give technical options to the automotive industry and policy options/development to reduce the impact.
e-mail
Ainhoa Rodriguez
Ainhoa RodriguezTechnician
Laboratory technician working atmospheric filters and carrying out chemical analysis of atmospheric pollutants.
e-mail

Former Members of EGAR

Marina Ealo
Marina Ealo
PhD student. BSc in Environmental Sciences and completed a MSc in Meteorology at the University of Barcelona. She is currently doing a PhD and her main research focus on studying the optical properties of atmospheric aerosols and its spatio-temporal evolution depending on emission sources and atmospheric dynamics.
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Carla Ribalta
Carla Ribalta
Postdoc researcher. PhD in Analytical chemistry and Environment at the University of Barcelona (UB). Her work focuses mainly on the study of air pollutants physicochemical properties and human exposure in occupational environments, dustiness testing, risk assessment and modelling.
Orcid | Scopus | Researcherid | e-mail