FIELD OF INTEREST

The research activity developed by Dr. Pilar Fernández has been focused on the study of organic pollutants in the environment, involving their analysis in almost all compartments, namely water, sediments, soils, atmospheric deposition and organisms, including humans. Her research encompasses different perspectives of the environmental research, from the development of sampling and analytical methods for the determination of organic compounds at trace levels, to their application with the aim of investigating the distribution, transport mechanisms and fate of the so called persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the Earth. These studies covered the analysis of these compounds in remote areas (high altitude mountain regions), but also in local sites under the impact of industrial and urban pollution sources (coastal area of Barcelona city, industrial area of Gibraltar, and surroundings of Huelva).

Current research activities under development are:

• Fate and transport mechanisms of persistent organic pollutants to remote areas.
• Climate change effects on the redistribution of POPs in the Earth.
• Occurrence and origin of organochlorine pesticides in the Environment.
• Occurrence and origin of volatile organic compounds in the atmosphere
• Effects of drinking water disinfection by-products (DBP) on human health.
• Exposure and effects of atmospheric pollution in people who perform vigorous physical exercise
• Study of the submicron organic matter in urban and rural aerosols and its effects on human health.