About Project

Project type:
Scientific research project

Scientific area:
Interdisciplinary (natural, biomedical, biotechnical, and computer-information sciences)

Project title:
Environment pollution and human health: physico-chemical analysis, toxicity, and machine learning models

Acronym:
EnvironPollutHealth

Holder:
Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health (IMROH), Ksaverska cesta 2, Zagreb, Croatia
MB 03270475 | OIB 30285469659
🌐: www.imi.hr

Leader:
Snježana Herceg Romanić, PhD, Division of Environmental Hygiene, IMROH

Duration:
1 Jan 2024–31 Dec 2027

Source of funding:
European Union – Next Generation EU
Program Contract of 8 Dec 2023, Class: 643-02/23-01/00016, Reg. no. 533-03-23-0006
Funding: 460,652.00 EUR

OBJECTIVE

EnvironPollutHealth is a comprehensive study of levels, profiles, sources of environmental pollution and the impact of pollution on the environment and human health. The most important environmental pollutants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, ozone, heavy metals, volatile organic compounds (VOC), floating particles (PM₁₀, PM_2.5, PM₁) and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are investigated.

Artificial intelligence (AI) implemented through machine learning methods (ML) is used to study the interrelationships of pollutants and their dependence on other variables in the environment. An in silico toxicological model (Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship, QSAR) is used in toxicity research.

The special goal of this project is to develop and introduce new analytical and measurement methods for the purpose of monitoring substances, such as ultrafine particles (UFP) with a diameter < 100 nm, black carbon (BC), microplastics, specific VOCs, PAH derivatives and new classes of flame retardants, in different environmental matrices.

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PROJECT WORK PACKAGES:

Water ecosystem research

Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and various toxic and essential elements (Al, As, B, Ba, Be, Ca, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ga, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, P, Pb, S, Sb, Si, Sn, Sr, Ti, V, Zn) in freshwater and marine parts of the environment are investigated within this work package. Pollutants are determined in the sediments of rivers from the Danube and Adriatic basins (areas of Istria, central Croatia and the Neretva river), while monitoring is conducted on chub Squalius cephalus (Danube basin), Squalius squalus (Adriatic basin) and fish widely available for consumption (carp Cyprinus carpio, pike Esox lucius, perch Sander lucioperca, catfish Silurus glanis, bream Abramis brama and grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella). In the marine part of the environment, bioaccumulation in aquaculture fish species is investigated.
In toxicity research, the Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship (QSAR) in silico toxicological model is used.

Human biomonitoring

Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and various toxic and essential elements (Al, As, B, Ba, Be, Ca, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ga, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, P, Pb, S, Sb, Si, Sn, Sr, Ti, V, Zn) are investigated in breast milk. Given that breast milk is necessary for the growth and development of infants, their health risks will be assessed. Health risk assessments of vulnerable groups are one of the public health priorities of the European Union.

Air quality

The impact of Saharan dust, various climatic extremes (temperature, increased precipitation, etc.), fires, and possible accidents is investigated with the aim of obtaining knowledge on how specific events affect the levels of pollutants in the air, which is particularly important with regard to climate change, the ecosystem and human health. Since systematic research in this area has so far not been carried out in Croatia, detailed physicochemical analyses of floating particles composition, multi-year trends, health and ecological risk assessment and determination of dominant pollution sources would provide a basis for developing guidelines and strategies in air protection. Finally, research will include studies of indoor air quality, pollutants cycling between air, atmospheric and soil deposition, and the development of models using chemometric techniques and machine learning methods.

Development of analytical methods and applied research

Optimization of analytical methods for flame retardant determination
Applied research in agroecology
Applied research on air quality sensors
Measurements of ultrafine particles (particles < 100 nm in diameter)
Analysis of microplastics
Analysis of anions of organic acids of lower molecular weights and short-chain alkyl and alkanol amines
Analysis of carbon in air
Analysis of higher molecular weights polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and their derivatives
Optimization of methods for metal analysis
Optimization of volatile organic compound (VOC) analysis methods