Marta Llorca Casamayor
3124
mlcqam@idaea.csic.es
ORCID:
0000-0002-6065-2129
Research group: Water, Environmental and Food Chemistry (ENFOCHEM)
My current research deals with:
- Development of analytical methods based on gas and liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry of low and high resolution for the study of emerging contaminants. Nowadays, the main efforts are focused on: (i) the development of target analytical methodologies for the assessment of microplastics in the environment, as well as other anthropogenic emerging organic contaminants such as fluorotelomer carboxylic acids; and (ii) the development of non-target screening of environmental samples, aiming to identify new contaminants.
- Assessment of the presence and fate of selected emerging contaminants in environmental, food and human samples. This subject is focused on both, in-field monitoring studies and laboratory scale experiments in controlled mesocosms to elucidate the fate of selected emerging contaminants. This strategy will allow to perform transferability studies from the environment to food and drinking water and, finally, to humans.
- Evaluation of the ecotoxicity of selected emerging contaminants. The experiments are done with lower trophic level organisms including bacteria, microcrustaceans, algae and bivalves, by means of acute and chronic toxicity tests. The studies are based on the evaluation of toxic effects by metabolomics approaches and represent the main basis for future risk assessment.
Dr. Llorca, doctorate in Chemistry in December 2012 with Cum Laude honours, was awarded with the best PhD thesis of the Department of Analytical Chemistry of the University of Barcelona during the course 2012-2013. During her PhD won a short stage Marie Curie fellowship in the scope of Environmental ChemOinformatic – Initial Training Network (eco-itn). Since 2016 she has a postdoctoral fellowship Juan de la Cierva Incorporación (IJCI-2014-21736) to develop her investigation at the Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research from the Spanish Council for Scientific Research (IDAEA-CSIC).
She has participated in 8 National projects (one as the lead IP and two as the Project Manager (Integra-Coast; and PLAS-MED (in course)), 6 European projects and 1 international project. She has published 47 scientific papers (17 as the first author) in SCI journals from the first quartile since 2008, 5 book chapters and participated in 36 national and international conferences with 22 platform presentations and 26 poster presentations. According to the Scopus ranking, her publications have been cited more than 1140 times, resulting in a H-index of 23 (2008-2018).
Main research line focuses on the study of new emerging contaminants, their fate, behaviour, ecological impact to the environment, their potential transferability from the environment to food and drinking water, and, finally, their effects to humans. In this sense, the investigations are based on target and non-target studies. Afterwards, these investigations are applied as the basis of risk assessment studies.
PLAS-MED
Microplastics and micro-pollutants on the Mediterranean coast: toxicity and environmental impact and on human health
PLAS-MED will assess the risks associated with microplastics and their ability to accumulate and transfer other contaminants to living organisms, including the highly toxic and persistent marine biotoxins and persistent organic compounds, as well as emerging contaminants such as pharmaceuticals, personal care products, current-use pesticides, and contaminants of industrial origin. PLAS-MED will also propose solutions for a sustainable management.
Funding: MINECO (CTM2017-89701-C3-1-R)