Projects / Programmes
Cycling of substances in the environment, mass balances, modelling of environmental processes and risk assessment
January 1, 2015
- December 31, 2019
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 1.08.00 |
Natural sciences and mathematics |
Control and care of the environment |
|
| 1.04.00 |
Natural sciences and mathematics |
Chemistry |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| P305 |
Natural sciences and mathematics |
Environmental chemistry |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 1.05 |
Natural Sciences |
Earth and related Environmental sciences |
Environmental analytical chemistry, modeling, environment and health, food characterisation, food traceability, mass balances, risk assessment, environmental technologies, trace elements, speciation, nutrients, radiochemistry, radioecology, stable isotopes
Researchers (55)
Organisations (3)
Abstract
"Cycling of substances in environment" deals with environmental analytical chemistry, biological and chemical cycles, radiochemistry and radioecology. Current information about levels and state of certain substance in environment is investigated using analytical and biological analysis. Performing these analyses over time allows us to trace the transport and fate of these compounds in environment. Substances that are subject to our analyses are of natural or anthropogenic origin and include (1) organic contaminants (e.g. pharmaceuticals and personal care products, endocrine disrupters, industrial chemicals,), and biomarkers (lipids, pigments etc.), (2) inorganic contaminants (trace and major elements and their species, including isotopes), and metal nanoparticles) (3) natural and man made radionuclides and (4) nutrients. When these activities are supplemented with studies of "mass balances", analytical chemistry gains technological/engineering angle while "modelling of environmental processes and risk assessment" connects natural sciences to environmental policy and addressing the main societal challenges.
The aim of this program is to acquire high level of understanding and researcher's perception regarding environmental studies. This will allow them to contribute to finding best possible way for society to develop and improve quality of life and health. Results of this research program will be applied as support for decision making and planning environmental and research policy.
The main activities of the programme will include the following major themes (1) environment and health, (2) environmental modelling and mass balances and (3) environmental technologies. A support on a horizontal level will be provided through the development of (1) new analytical methods and (2) tools (risk analysis and assessment, modelling, environmental impact assessments, strategic assessments, sensitivity and vulnerability analysis and spatial attractiveness and appropriateness, environmental cost-benefit analysis, sustainability appraisal), (3) research related to environmental systems (state, quality, morphology, composition, function, limits), (4) understanding of processes (transport, transformations, metabolism, fate), (5) impacts (environmental, health) and (6) education.
The goal is therefore to combine natural sciences with the socio-economic analysis and needs and modelling of environmental processes including changes related to spatial use (models of substance emissions into the environment, transport and partitioning in all environmental compartments, mass balances, potential health risks and impacts, changes of land use in relation to developmental scenarios, etc.) and assessment of the validity and uncertainty of the models. The Group will continue strong collaboration with research organizations at home and abroad, partners from industry and public services, and in the framework of European projects.
Significance for science
Environmental concerns together with social development considerations and assurance of vital economy are the key stones of any modern strategy for national development. Aiming at early recognition of environmental quality deterioration and public health issues different scientific approaches are applied. However, predictions of long-term changes still remain speculations, e.g. consequences of climate change, so improvement of approaches and tools are a constant need. Our research programme deals with these improvements, for example with the research on approaches which may substitute prospective epidemiological studies since these are inefficient in relation to evaluating health consequences due to climate change in different regions.
In investigations of the toxicity and cycling of elements in the environment it is necessary to know not only total element concentration, but also the concentration of its species. The research programme group followed the world’s trends in this area. We were between the first that before 25 years began to develop analytical procedures for speciation of elements. In this area the researchers are between the top scientists worldwide, what is evident from numerous publications in scientific journals and citations, as well as through collaboration in international projects. The rich laboratory experiences will be implemented also in the future and will significantly contribute to research in the field of speciation analysis. The proposed investigations follow the last trends in analytical chemistry and will crucially contribute to basic research in the field of speciation analysis.
The programme also focuses on the better understanding of natural processes, particularly the circulation of the different elements and substances that form the basis for understanding global environmental change. The proposed program includes a combination of different analytical methods and approaches that will contribute to the structure and composition of large-scale databases and form the scientific basis for the development and implementation of various models. This will allow the activities to be easier integrated into the European and global research area.
The proposed research programme on the investigation of global water cycle, biogeochemical cycles and fluxes of nutrient and of the response of natural systems to the anthropogenic activities directly contributes to the development of basic sciences, such as geology, hydrology, biogeochemistry, forest ecology, environmental analytical chemistry etc. and applied research (e.g. food safety, security and traceability). Combination of different approaches, introduction of new and well established methods and techniques in environmental research and model calculation will enable a better insight into the past and present functioning of environmental systems, especially in light of environmental change and elaboration of adaptation strategies. Introduction and critical evaluation of combined geochemical and biomarkers of environmental change in different spatial and time scales represent a particular contribution to the science.
The Programme will combine the current research skills and apply them to the development of new analytical procedures for the determination of new emerging pollutants and classical persistent compounds in environmental samples, the optimization and implementation of novel molecular tools to explore the phylogenetic composition and diversity of microbial consortia responsible for the degradation of selected organic pollutants, and toxicity testing. This interdisciplinary approach will bring together knowledge in the fields of chemistry and biology what will contribute to an overall understanding of organic contaminants impact on the environment.
We will develop, optimize and implement analytical procedures to determine new emerging contaminants residues and their stable metabolites in waste and environmental waters and assess th
Significance for the country
The research programme aims at providing strong, original contribution to comprehensive research and education agenda on environmental health and long-term environmental assessment producing scientists capable of practical work that the society needs. In addition, the knowledge produced in the programme will be a basis for identifying BAT in the widest sense of the term, as well as decision-making on spatial development, societal and spatial cohesion, and economy.
The topics of the proposed programme are in line with the Slovenian Smart Specialization Strategy since they build a knowledge base for sustainable development, environmental and risk management, management of natural resources and development of environmental technologies. The proposed research programme is also harmonized with the main priorities of the EU - sustainable use and management of natural resources and environment and development of environmental technologies. It also represents support to the elaboration and implementation of national and EU environmental legislation.
In particular, contributions in the following areas are outlined:
1 - Sustainable exploitation of Slovenia’s water potential: changes in hydrological cycle, particularly the physical alterations of river flows due to natural and anthropogenic influences have a decisive impact on the changes in the cycling of substances, including dangerous and toxic ones. Therefore, there is a basic need for improving the understanding of hydrological cycling processes in river basins, to detect and predict impacts of climate change and water resource development and it is important to warn the public and the policy makers of the potential dangers of both old and new accumulation lakes, especially because water ecosystems are generally considered to be an important natural energy potential for the country.
2 - New tools for the pollution prevention and pollution control will be developed. For this purpose reliable analytical procedures for speciation of elements in combination with ID-ICPMS, and their isotope fingerprinting using MC-ICP-MS will be applied. These methods provide the information about the concentration and distribution of pollutants; however they do not provide any information about the sources of pollutants. In the contrary the fractionation of stable isotopes of a particular chemical element provides the opportunity to identify its source and its transformation processes. The use of stable isotopes thus represents innovative approach with high diagnostic tool in environmental technologies and remediation of contaminated. Moreover, in the proposed programme we shall combine measurements of chemical, isotopic and hydrogeochemical parameters which will contribute to better understanding of the environmental processes and development of reliable models. In medium term, this knowledge will contribute to the improvements of surface waters and quality of drinking groundwater. All these aspects are also important as Slovenia must comply with the EU environmental legislation.
3 – Cutting-edge advances in speciation analysis: complementary and good collaboration of our research group with numerous international leading research groups in the field of chemical speciation and collaboration in international projects enables efficient exchange of new knowledge and incorporation in new environmental and biological studies.
4 – New and emerging contaminants: Further assessment of risks deriving from the presence of new emerging pollutants in the environment will be obtained. However, this topic is not just about the transfer of expert knowledge into a Slovene context but more importantly tackles the subject from an interdisciplinary perspective. We expect our results will overcome institutions borders and impact future legislation amendments at the EU levels.
5 – Sensor technologies: Based on excellence knowledge in environmental analytical chemistry, the programme will intensify collaboration in t
Most important scientific results
Annual report
2015,
interim report,
final report
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Annual report
2015,
interim report,
final report
