Organics and plastics in rivers and oceans

Status: This talk is in preparation - details may change

Chemical micropollutants and environmental microplastics are detrimental byproducts of the technosphere. Their presence in soils and sediments will be a distinctive characteristic of this phase of the anthropocene. Chemical pollutants and microplastics are ubiquitous in the environment, yet very little is known of their impact on environment and human health.
This talk focuses on framing the problem, and analyses the state of the art of research on the fate, transport and distribution of these micropollutants, opening perspectives on the future of research and chemical management.

Dr Luca Nizzetto has a degree in biology (2003) and a PhD in environmental sciences (2007). He works at the Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA) and also holds a position at Masaryk University in the Czech Republic. His research concerns the assessment of the fate, distribution, impact and management of anthropogenic contaminants in the environment, with a particular interest in coupling the transport and distribution of organic contaminants and microplastics with hydro-biogeochemical cycles in terrestrial and marine environments