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Ecosystem Monitoring and Sustainability

Principal Investigator:
Laura Guimarães

The team aims to respond to pressing socio-environmental challenges linked to contamination, health and sustainability of ecosystems, supporting the objectives of the Green Deal. It focuses on the early diagnosis (biological early warning systems) of the effects of chemical contamination on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, their recovery, and the toxicological efficiency of remediation measures for residual water for circular economy, within the scope of the One Health approach (as adopted by the World Health Organization). The specific themes are: i) new technologies and methods to diagnose the environmental quality and recovery of ecosystems; ii) metabolism and mechanisms of action of environmental contaminants and resilience; iii) integrated chemical-biological monitoring; iv) assessment of the toxicological efficiency of technologies and nature-based solutions for the treatment of surface and residual water; v) science and ocean literacy. The work fits the scope of several Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) of the United Nations: SDG2 (Zero hunger), SDG4 (Quality Education), SDG6 (Clean water and sanitation), SDG12 (Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns), SDG13 (Climate action), SDG14 (Life below water), SDG15 (Life on land), SDG17 (Partnerships for the goals).

 

EcoSignal Co-PI: Filipe Oliva Teles

TEAM

Publications Highlights

Rodrigues, P., Guimarães, L., Carvalho, A.P., Oliva-Teles, L. (2023) Carbamazepine, venlafaxine, tramadol, and their main metabolites: Toxicological effects on zebrafish embryos and larvae. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 448, art. no. 130909.

Oliva-Teles, L., Pinto, R., Vilarinho, R., Carvalho, A.P., Moreira, J.A., Guimarães, L. (2022) Environmental diagnosis with Raman Spectroscopy applied to diatoms. Biosensors and Bioelectronics, 198, art. no. 113800.  

Eder, M.L., Oliva-Teles, L., Pinto, R., Carvalho, A.P., Almeida, C.M.R., Hornek-Gausterer, R., Guimarães, L. (2021) Microplastics as a vehicle of exposure to chemical contamination in freshwater systems: Current research status and way forward. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 417, art. no. 125980. 

Gorito, A.M., Ribeiro, A.R.L., Rodrigues, P., Pereira, M.F.R., Guimarães, L., Almeida, C.M.R., Silva, A.M.T. (2022) Antibiotics removal from aquaculture effluents by ozonation: chemical and toxicity descriptors. Water Research, 218, art. no. 118497.

Pinto, R., Vilarinho, R., Carvalho, A.P., Moreira, J.A., Guimarães, L., Oliva-Teles, L.  (2021) Raman spectroscopy applied to diatoms (microalgae, Bacillariophyta): Prospective use in the environmental diagnosis of freshwater ecosystems. Water Research, 198, art. no. 117102.  

Oropesa, A.L., Guimarães, L. (2021) Occurrence of Levonorgestrel in Water Systems and Its Effects on Aquatic Organisms: A Review. Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 254, pp. 57-84.

Ferreira, N.G.C., Morgado, R.G., Cunha, L., Novo, M., Soares, A.M.V.M., Morgan, A.J., Loureiro, S., Kille, P. (2019). Unravelling the molecular mechanisms of nickel in woodlice. Environmental Research, 176, art. no. 108507. 

Projects