Researchers from the Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA) Michael Gonsior, Nonito Ros, Natalia Saez and Francisco Zafra participated in the SETAC Europe 36th Annual Meeting, held from May 18 to 22 in Maastricht, the Netherlands.

SETAC (Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry) is one of the leading international scientific societies in the fields of environmental sciences, toxicology and environmental chemistry, bringing together researchers, institutional representatives and professionals from the sector to share the latest scientific and technological advances related to environmental protection and human health.

During the conference, Michael Gonsior and Francisco Zafra presented their research on the formation of disinfection by-products in drinking water. Michael Gonsior presented the work entitled “Commercial Organic UV Filters in Sunscreens and their Ability to form Novel Disinfection By-products”, focused on the ability of organic UV filters present in sunscreens to generate novel disinfection by-products. Francisco Zafra presented the study “Persistent DOM Fractions as Dominant Precursors of DBP Formation: Integrated Target and Non-Target HRMS Insights from a Full-Scale DWTP”, focused on the role of persistent dissolved organic matter fractions as dominant precursors of disinfection by-products in drinking water treatment plants.

Nonito Ros and Natalia Saez participated with several posters related to the use and development of advanced analytical techniques for the identification of emerging contaminants, including PMT (Persistent, Mobile and Toxic) and vPvM (very Persistent and very Mobile) substances in groundwater. Among the presented works were “Characterising Emerging Contaminants in a Groundwater Catchment Using Advanced Screening Approaches” and “Overcoming Chromatographic and Extraction Challenges for the Determination of PMT/vPvM Substances in Water”.

In addition, they also presented the work “Uncovering PFAS in Groundwater: Occurrence, Hotspots and Health Risks Implications”, focused on the presence and distribution of PFAS in Catalan aquifers and the potential health risks associated with these contaminants.