Water and soil pollution: management and reuse

This line of research explores the presence, fate and behaviour of pollutants in terrestrial and aquatic systems (freshwater and marine ecosystems). Using an integrated, interdisciplinary approach that combines state-of-the-art analytical chemistry, environmental engineering and systems science, we address Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs), including micro- and nanoplastics, nanoparticles, nutrient pollution and legacy pollutants.

We also investigate how pollutants move through interconnected environmental compartments, including groundwater, surface waters, the water-air interface and the soil-water continuum. This research examines how contaminants accumulate and are transferred through aquatic food webs, as well as their distribution in living tissues, with particular attention to compounds that can cross the blood-brain barrier and to mother-to-child transfer during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Another key research area integrates environmental microbiology and exposomics to identify the microbial and chemical drivers of antimicrobial resistance in water systems and wastewater. This knowledge supports predictive antimicrobial resistance surveillance and the development of strategies to protect public health.