OMICHEMAR
New tools for marine environmental monitoring: Omics, ARGs and chemical analysis of emerging and untargeted Contaminants
OMICHEMAR aims to assess the impact of regulated and emerging pollutants and their possible effects in the marine environment, using omics approaches such as the use of meta-genomics and meta-proteomics in environmental matrices such as sediment and biota and cutting-edge analytical approaches such as non-target analysis or the analysis of emerging pollutants such as nanoparticles or the presence of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Hence, the results of the project can contribute to a significant improvement in the monitoring of marine ecosystems and transitional waters and to the development of new approaches to be implemented for assessing the environmental quality of coastal ecosystems.
Start Date: 01/01/2024 – End Date: 30/06/2026
Project Leader: Miren López de Alda Villaizán
Researchers: Rocío Inés Bonansea
Support: Dana Pierina Orlando Véliz
Funding: European Project
AnguillaMed
Estado sanitario de las anguilas europeas de lagunas y cursos fluviales del Mediterráneo occidental; desarrollo de métodos no invasivos de estudio de fuentes de contaminación y propuesta de medidas de restauración
The AnguillaMed project proposes to assess the health status of eels (level of contamination by different pollutants, bacteria, viruses and macro-parasites) in 12 selected sites which correspond to several water masses in the Pyrénées-Orientales regions (lower parts of the Têt and Tech rivers and the Verdouble river, Canet-Saint-Nazaire and Salses-Leucate lagoons), Girona (lower part of the Llançà river, Aiguamolls de l'Alt Empordà and Aiguamolls del Baix Ter ) and Barcelona (lower parts of the Tordera and Besòs rivers and the lagoons of the Delta del Llobregat). All of these sites are independent and subject to varying levels of anthropogenic pressures.It is also planned to test the feasibility of assessing the health status of eels based on methods that have the advantage of not requiring the sacrifice of individuals, which seems essential to consider long-term monitoring of this protected species. These methods will focus on studying:- metabolites and the microbiome associated with skin mucus,- oxidative stress, and- molecular detection of viruses and macro-parasites.Ultimately, the AnguillaMed project will make it possible to specify the level of degradation of continental aquatic habitats, lagoons and waterways (rivers and streams) and to target sources of degradation
(altered hydromorphology, ecological connnectivity, effect of diffuse or industrial pollution, etc.) and therefore to propose appropriate restoration measures, agreed upon during regional meetings and workshops with the participation of stakeholders from each study site. This last point appears all the more important with regard to global changes (climate and demographic changes, etc.), the impact of which is very marked in the Mediterranean coastal regions.
Partners:
- Fundació Universitària Balmes - CT BETA (UVIC-UCC) (Coordinator)
- Instituto de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentarias (IRTA)
- AGENCIA ESTATAL CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTÍFICAS - Instituto de Diagnostico Ambiental y Estudios del Agua - Institut de Diagnosi Ambiental i Estudis de l'Aigua
- Université de Perpignan Via Domitia (UPVD)
Start Date: 01/01/2024 – End Date: 31/12/2026
Project Leader: Nicola Montemurro
Researchers: Sandra Pérez Solsona , Marinella Farré Urgell , Marta Llorca Casamayor
Support: Francesca De Angelis
Funding: European Project
CIRCULATE
Ciència ciutadana per conèixer l’exposició humana a additius del cautxú dels pneumàtics
CIRCULATE aims to monitor the environmental fate of tire wear particles in an urban environment and elucidate the routes of exposure in humans, while creating a research community with the public that will co-design and implement the study in the city of Barcelona. The project will elaborate a first participative and structured diagnosis of the presence of these chemical compounds in Barcelona using citizens science and social innovation with a planetary health approach that aims to raise community awareness of an environmental pollution problem not associated with the use of fossil fuels.
Funding: Ajuntament de Barcelona – Fundació “la Caixa”: Convocatòries per a l’atorgament de subvencions de recerca, creació artística i transferència de coneixement en el camp de la ciencia 2023
Reference: 23S06161-001
Start Date: 10/11/2023 – End Date: 10/05/2025
Project Leader: Mercè Garí de Barbarà , Nicola Montemurro
Support: Francesca De Angelis
Funding: Regional Project
EnviBrain
Characterization of Diffuse Glioma tumors’ chemical exposome and potential positive associations with environmental pollution through air particulate matter analysis and wastewater based epidemiology
Start Date: 01/11/2023 – End Date: 31/10/2025
Project Leader: Maria-Christina Nika
Funding: European Project
BIOplasticMENT
Biodegradation and interaction of BIOplastic residues with the environMENT
The BIOplasticMENT project will address the emerging issues related to the presence of bioMNPLs in the environment. It will evaluate the main exposure routes for the aquatic organism to respond to the multiple shortcomings and different innovative strategies for the decontamination of waters will be tested.
Start Date: 01/09/2023 – End Date: 31/08/2025
Project Leader: Marta Llorca Casamayor
Researchers: Marinella Farré Urgell
Support: Xavier Borrell Díaz , Arianna Bautista Gea (Ari) , Clara Serrano Lorigados
Funding: National Project
DINAMIQS
Development of Integrated New Approach Methodologies in Air Quality Studies: deciphering the implications on lung and brain toxicity
DINAMIQS project aims to shed light on the relationship between the chemical composition of air pollution and its effects on human lung and brain health. This is carried out by using an integrated strategy that combines advanced analytical chemistry methods, new approach methodologies and chemometrics. The particulate matter samples for this project are collected in contrasting outdoor ambient air, from urban traffic to rural background sites.
Funding: Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación
Reference: PID2022-140392OB-I00
Partners: Agència de Salut Pública de Barcelona (ASPB); Generalitat de Catalunya, Dr. Ana Sevilla (University of Barcelona)
Start Date: 01/09/2023 – End Date: 31/08/2026
Project Leader: Barend L. van Drooge , Carmen Bedia Girbés
Support: Inmaculada Fernández Escobar , Maryam Pyambri Pramani
Funding: National Project
TRANSIT
Tire Rubber Additives on the environment and wildlife and implications for the human health
TRANSIT is aimed to perform a broad environmental and human exposure assessment to Tire Wear Particles (TWPs) and related chemical compounds by the collection and analysis of air, water, biota and human samples from the Llobregat River Delta and surroundings. This is a unique area comprising the second biggest Spanish airport surrounded by urban, agricultural, industrial and natural protected spaces to study the fate of TWPs in the environment and their impact on the human health.
Funding: Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación
Reference: PID2022-138623OA-100
Partners: Agència Catalana de l’Aigua (ACA); Consorci del Delta del Llobregat; Agència de Salut Pública de Barcelona (ASPB); Generalitat de Catalunya.
Start Date: 01/09/2023 – End Date: 31/08/2026
Project Leader: Mercè Garí de Barbarà , Nicola Montemurro
Researchers: Carolina Muñoz Bustamante , Diana Manjarrés López
Support: Natalia Bravo Villarraso , Xavier Borrell Díaz , Francesca De Angelis
Funding: National Project
WARMed
Ecohydrological resilience of Mediterranean headwater catchments to disturbances in water availability
The WARMed project is grounded on the starting hypothesis that increasing disturbances in water availability will greatly modify the ecohydrological behavior of Mediterranean headwater catchments. How resilient will be Mediterranean headwater catchments to (i) potential changes in ecohydrological partitioning, (ii) expected modifications of ecohydrological connectivity, and (iii) alterations in hydrological threshold and hysteresis patterns. We therefore expect this project to broaden our knowledge of the ecohydrological resilience of Mediterranean headwater catchments to disturbances in water availability.
To achieve this goal WARMed aims to investigate how changes in water availability will affect ecohydrological dynamics at different scales through four different objectives: The first objective will investigate water partitioning under different soil water availability conditions at the forest plot scale. This will be complemented with a second objective investigating how water transits, is stored, mixes and is used by vegetation in response to rainfall in different water availability conditions. The third objective will investigate hillslope-stream hydrologic connectivity and its variations depending on water availability. Finally, the fourth objective will assess how and why increasing disturbances in water availability will affect hydrological response and behaviour of Mediterranean headwater catchments.
WARMed will combine up-to-date high-frequency isotopic and hydrometric measurements, with continuous long-term monitoring in the Vallcebre research catchments (NE Pyrenees) used by the Surface Hydrology and Erosion Group as long-term (>30 years) field laboratories.
Funding: Agencia Estatal de Investigación – PID2022-141868NB-I00
Start Date: 01/09/2023 – End Date: 31/08/2026
Project Leader: Pilar Llorens Garcia
Researchers: Jérôme Latron , Francesc Gallart Gallego
Support: Miriam Elena Salguero Sandoval
Funding: National Project
HydroPore II
Coupled processes of multiphase flow, transport, and mechanical deformation in heterogeneous porous and fractured media across spatial and temporal scales.
Multiphase flow, deformation, transport, mixing, and reaction processes in porous and fractured media are fundamental across many scientific and engineering disciplines. Unraveling the underlying mechanisms that control them and developing quantitative and predictive tools are key to understanding a series of engineered technologies and natural phenomena such as the quantification of natural nutrient cycles in soils, the design of effective soil and groundwater remediation strategies, and the development of safe and efficient geoenergy technologies. The inherent heterogeneity of porous and fractured media across scales is at the heart of the limitations of current conceptual models. The main goal of HydroPore II therefore is to determine the fundamental principles underlying coupled flow, transport, reaction, and deformation processes in heterogeneous porous and fractured media. Following an interdisciplinary methodology based on laboratory scale experiments, high resolution numerical simulations, and numerical and analytical upscaling techniques, HydroPore II will identify and quantify the dynamics of two-phase displacements, thermally-driven deformation and fracturing, and solute mixing and chemical reactions under complex flow conditions across scales.
Start Date: 01/09/2023 – End Date: 30/08/2026
Project Leader: Marco Dentz , Juan José Hidalgo González
Funding: National Project
https://hydropore.es/
WATERPOLLUT
Coordinated project: Developing strategies for controlling anthropogenic and geogenic pollutants in groundwater (WATERPOLLUT) Subprojects: Assessing natural attenuation of organic contaminants of emerging concern in urban aquifers through modelling and identification of transformation products (ATTENUATE). Geogenic and anthropogenic influences on the health status of groundwater of a Mediterranean – …
The sustainability of freshwater resources is one of the most important challenges of the Mediterranean region and European Union, constituting a social, economic, and technological challenge, as pressure on these resources is increasing rapidly due to sharp population growth and industrial and agricultural activities. This situation will be especially dramatic in urban areas, which are expected to amass 70% of the world's population by 2050. Moreover, water resources will be also affected by climate change, especially in the south of Europe, where droughts will be more frequent, intense, and long. Combining both chemical and quantitative status assessments show that 29% of the total groundwater body area lacks sufficient capacity to meet the needs of ecosystems or society. Consequently, it is essential to preserve groundwater resources from overexploitation, but also from anthropogenic pollution. WATERPOLLUT is focused on the newest classes of contaminants (organic contaminants of emerging concern, microplastics, geogenic trace elements and inorganic elements of emerging concern), investigating their presence, their hydrodynamic behaviour and natural attenuation through modelling and identification of their transformation products in groundwater, and also the potential risk associated with the consumption of drinking water produced from contaminated groundwater. In addition, the project aims at identifying pollution sources of emerging contaminants and at distinguishing between anthropogenic and geogenic origins in case of inorganic pollutants. Studies will be conducted in the deltas of two Mediterranean with distinct characteristics. WATERPOLLUT will consist of two sub-projects: ATTENUATION and GEOTHROP-H2O, which are executed by two research institutes, Environmental Diagnostic and Water Research Institute (IDAEA) and Desertification Research Centre (CIDE) with recognized expertise in water quality analysis, risk assessment of contaminants in human health and environment, the assessment urban groundwater quality and evaluation of the impact of climate change on freshwater resources. To achieve the demanding objectives of this project, subject matter experts from the fields of analytical chemistry, hydrogeochemistry and numerical modelling will team up to design and execute the project in order to generate meaningful quality results. The need for such multidisciplinarity has been the driver for the collaboration between the two Centers coordinating the two subprojects that constitute the project WATERPOLLUT.
Funding: Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades; PID2022-138556OB-C21
Start Date: 01/09/2023 – End Date: 31/08/2026
Project Leader: Sandra Pérez Solsona , Anna Jurado Elices
Researchers: Estanislao Pujades Garnes , Sergio Santana Viera
Support: Carmen Sáez Camacho , Francesc Labad Roig , Olga Gómez Navarro , Filippo Chierchini , Xavier Borrell Díaz
Funding: National Project
PANAMA
Assessment of the ecological impacts of copper mining on aquatic ecosystems in Panama
This project combines field studies with ecotoxicological studies to assess the potential impact of copper mining on rivers and streams in Panama. We use a combination of techniques such as environmental DNA, behavioral experiments, LC50s, mesocosm experiments and artificial substrates. The final aim of the project is to understand if there is a toxic effect of mining activities on the aquatic organisms and if this can translate into changes in the community structure and functioning. Also, the project will explore the modulating role of natural disturbances (i.e. floods), which are common in the tropical landscape.
Start Date: 15/03/2023 – End Date: 15/03/2024
Project Leader: Miguel Cañedo-Argüelles Iglesias
Support: Nieves López-Rodríguez , José María Fernández Calero
Funding: Technology Transfer Contract
DOCNUT
Influence of future runoff scenarios on dissolved organic carbon degradation and associated nutrient uptake in boreal lakes
Our aim is to understand how changes in run-off associated with increasing extreme rainfall events in the future will influence dissolved organic carbon (DOC) degradation and associated nutrient uptake in boreal lakes. The specific objectives are:
1. To estimate DOC degradation and associated nitrogen and phosphorus uptake during the mesocosm experimental periods in two boreal lakes with contrasting background dissolved organic matter, nutrients and communities.
2. To test different modeling approaches to accurately capture the effect of nutrient pulses on DOC degradation kinetics
3. To assess the influence of the different run-off scenarios on DOC degradation and nutrient uptake in the two study lakes.
Funded by: AQUACOSM Network (H2020-INFRAIA-2019-1), Project No 871081, European Union
Start Date: 01/01/2023 – End Date: 31/12/2023
Project Leader: Núria Catalán
Funding: European Project
LACOS
Pyrenean LAkes C cycling assessed through CO2/O2 comprehensive measurements to its direct share with Scholars
The LACOS (LAkes-Carbon-Oxygen-Schools) project addresses this knowledge gap by quantifying how C-gas emissions, metabolic processes and CO2/O2 quotients vary in two alpine lakes of contrasted recreational use in terms of fishing.
Funded by: Observatori recerca Parc Natural Alt Pirineu, Ajuts Salvador Grau i Tort
Start Date: 01/12/2022 – End Date: 30/11/2023
Project Leader: Núria Catalán
Funding: Regional Project
https://www.kilianjornetfoundation.org/ca/project/projecte-lacos/
Be Plastic Free
Fes el Canvi, Be Plastic Free
The "Fes el Canvi, Be Plastic Free" project is a citizen science project, which consists of the assessment and social awareness of human exposure to chemical compounds added to plastics, the plasticizers, through the participation of students aged 12 to 16 from Escola Solc in Barcelona. The starting point is to evaluate the amount of these plasticizer additives to which their bodies are exposed by wearing a bracelet for 24 hours and taking of a urine sample. In this way, the incorporation of inhaled and ingested plasticizer compounds is made visible and related to the daily life habits of the students. Once the results are obtained, several co-creative workshops will be held to reduce the use and exposure to plasticizing chemical compounds from plastics.
"Fes el canvi, Be Plastic Free" is presented as a collaborative project between the Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), the Solc School, and the Zero Waste BCN organization.
This project has as an innovative element the fact that the students do not only provide and analyze data but are their own subjects of scientific study, also contributing to co-creating activities and dynamics to reduce the use of plastic materials.
Funded by the Barcelona City Council:
Convocatòria de subvencions per al desenvolupament de projectes en el marc de l’emergència climàtica de la ciutat de Barcelona 2022(22S06957-001)
Start Date: 01/11/2022 – End Date: 31/10/2023
Project Leader: Ethel Eljarrat Esebag
Researchers: Sandra Callejas Martos
Support: Ana Sotres Fernández , Alejandro Rodríguez Bermejo , Alicia Arroyo
Funding: Regional Project
Plastic Pirates Go Europe!
Plastic Pirates is a European project led by Germany’s DLR Projektträger and funded by the European Union Commission within the Mission Restore our Oceans and Waters by 2023 program
Educational centers from Portugal, Greece, Bulgaria, Hungary, Austria, Italy, Belgium, Spain, Germany and Slovenia participate in the Plastic Pirates initiative.
The objectives of Plastic Pirates are:
- involve young people in research projects and train them in the scientific procedures of taking, analyzing and interpreting data
- involve young people in research projects to raise awareness of environmental degradation and promote environmental preservation values
- expand the data on the presence of plastic waste in European aquatic ecosystems,
- improve scientific understanding and knowledge
- help develop systematic solutions for the prevention, reduction, and elimination of marine and river pollution, especially by plastics
Involved partners in Spain: Universidad de Burgos and Centre Tecnològic BETA (UVic-UCC) – coordinators in Spain.
Funding agency: European Union Commission within the Mission Restore our Oceans and Waters by 2023 program
Start Date: 01/09/2022 – End Date: 30/08/2023
Project Leader: Marinella Farré Urgell , Marta Llorca Casamayor
Support: Xavier Borrell Díaz
Funding: European Project
https://www.plastic-pirates.eu/en
Bac4Zink
Biorecovery of Zn using microbial electrolysis cells from Cu wastes
The Copper (Cu) industry sector has been in the need of exploiting low Cu quality deposits with high impurities as most of the existing mines are near to an end-exploitation, which offers the opportunity to be used as well as secondary sources of raw and critical materials. This is the case of Zinc (Zn). Zn is a base-metal in the Europe´s strategy to shift away from today’s fossil fuels system towards clean energy technologies1 . By 2050, Europe will require new demand equivalent to 11% of Zn today’s consumption for manufacturing of electric vehicles, electricity networks, solar panels, and hydrogen. Recycling provides between 40% and 55% of Europe’s Zn supply. However, in the wake of supply disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Europe’s lack of resilience for its growing metals such as Zn, needs have become a strategic concern. To meet demand, it is crucial that attention shifts to secondary sources of Zn as the by-products generated during Cu primary production which is a target of this project.
Sinergia-Innovación Project 2023
Start Date: 15/07/2022 – End Date: 14/07/2023
Project Leader: Maria Vila Costa , Patricia Córdoba Sola
Funding: National Project
ND-WEB
New Directions in Wastewater-based Epidemiology. Identification of small and large biomolecules as Biomarkers of public health and industrial activities
Our hypothesis is that the combination of environmental proteomics with genomics/transcriptomics (e.g. virus RNA or ARGs) and the analysis of small (exogenous and endogenous) chemicals (ABS or other chemicals, typically m/z<1.000 Da) using metabolomics workflows, can lead to novel and holistic early-warning systems capable to diagnose present and future environmental issues. With the aim of proving the strength and capabilities of the strategy, ND-WEB will apply proteomics and metabolomics workflows and qPCR to a specific case study in order to: 1) Determine which specific human activities can be linked with the presence of ARGs and 2) Prioritize chemicals that are linked with the presence of specific ARGs. For this purpose, six different WWTP in Catalonia, where different economic sectors overshadow, will be analysed, including: two with a strong primary sector (Vic and Olot, with farms and meat industry), two where secondary sector prevails (Manresa and Igualada) and two highly-populated with a strong secondary and tertiary sector (Barcelona Prat and Besos). Sinergia Project 2023
Start Date: 15/07/2022 – End Date: 14/07/2023
Project Leader: Damià Barceló Cullerès , Rubén Gil Solsona
Funding: National Project
Sincrourban
Dinámica de contaminantes inorgánicos emergentes en suelos urbanos y rizosfera: interacciones y especiación sólida mediante técnicas de sincrotrón
Mejorar nuestro conocimiento mecanístico sobre los procesos bióticos y abióticos y las transformaciones que Pt, Pd, Rh, Sb y Ce sufren en suelos urbanos y en la interfase suelo-agua (rizosfera), la cinética de estas transformaciones y las implicaciones que esto tiene en términos de bio-disponibilidad y captación por parte de cultivos urbanos.
Sinergia Project 2023
Start Date: 15/07/2022 – End Date: 14/07/2023
Project Leader: Sergio Carrero Romero , Sergi Díez Salvador
Funding: National Project
Verbena
NueVos sistEmas de humedales construidos basados en pRocesos Bioelectroquímicos para rEducir la coNtaminación de Aguas superficiales y subterráneas
En la actualidad los humedales construidos utilizados en el tratamiento de aguas se basan en materiales inertes, el uso de materiales electroconductores para incrementar la eliminación de nutrientes como el amonio y emergentes ayudará a mejorar la calidad del agua tratada. No existen estudios sobre el uso de humedales bioelectroquímicos con coque o grafito para atenuar contaminantes emergentes. La aplicación de modelos y trazadores a los resultados experimentales servirá para el escalado de la tecnología.
Sinergia Project 2023
Start Date: 15/07/2022 – End Date: 14/07/2023
Project Leader: Laura Scheiber Pagès , Víctor Matamoros Mercadal
Funding: National Project
Scientox
Inter-species single cell lipidomics in environmental toxicology: exploring the frontiers of cell heterogenicity
SCIENTOX aims to study the response of human, embryo zebrafish (Danio rerio) and bacteria cells to OPFRs exposures at single-cell lipidomics level. To fulfill this objective, we will:
1. develop and optimize a single cell lipidomics workflow suitable to human and bacteria cell cultures as well as to disaggregated cells from fish embryo tissues; and
2. perform a cross-species comparison of lipid stress responses to OPFRs exposures.
Sinergia Project 2023