ONE-BLUE presents in Belgrade the main research findings on the Irish sampling campaign

ONE-BLUE presents in Belgrade the main research findings on the Irish sampling campaign

  • IDAEA-CSIC, leader of the project, represented ONE-BLUE in Serbia
  • The project was presented at the 19th International Conference on Chemistry and the Environment

Our project arrived at the 19th International Conference on Chemistry and the Environment held from June 8 to 12 in Belgrade (Serbia). Through the Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), leader of the project, ONE-BLUE presented some of its research, with Marinella Farré, project coordinator, and David Alcaide, PhD at IDAEA-CSIC, as speakers.

Both participated in the conference on Monday, June 9, as part of the session “Contaminants of emerging concern in focus (occurrence, analytical assessment, regulation, climate change impacts on the fate of contaminants)”. Marinella Farré gave a keynote lecture called “Occurrence and Fate of Contaminants of Emerging Concern and New Persistent Organic Pollutants in Different Environmental Compartments. Influences of plastic particle pollution”.

David Alcaide presented the case study “Understanding Micro- and Nanoplastics and Plastic Additives Pollution in Irish Coastal Areas”, based on ONE-BLUE’s sampling campaign last June in Ireland. During the session, Alcaide presented the research results, which revealed high concentrations of microplastics and additives in the northern regions and the Dublin area. These areas, characterised by high population density and industrialisation, are likely polluted due to urban wastewater, industrial discharges, and maritime activities. In contrast, the southern sites showed lower levels. The study emphasises the importance of monitoring both water and sediments to comprehensively assess plastic pollution. The findings reveal clear spatial patterns in pollution and reinforce the need for dual monitoring to understand its true extent.

ICCE 2025 brought together over 450 experts, researchers, and professionals from around the world. Organised by the Division of Chemistry and the Environment (DCE) of the European Association of the Chemical Societies (EuChemS) and the Serbian Chemical Society, ICCE 2025 has addressed a wide range of challenges and developments from the perspective of environmental chemistry, serving societal sustainability goals. The conference has served as a platform to foster knowledge exchange on the cycling and effects of pollutants while advancing sustainable solutions in environmental analysis, waste management, and risk assessment.