CV Summary (05/02/2025)

Dr Lúcia Santos research has been developed in the Environmental Chemistry field, focusing on the development of innovative analytical methods to study the sources and fate of emerging contaminants (ECs) (e.g., pharmaceuticals (PhACs), microplastics (MPs)) in the environment; monitoring the fate of ECs; and in the  Ecotoxicology field by linking the environmental exposure to ECs with the impact to non-target organisms in terms of toxicity, bioaccumulation, biotransformation and metabolic changes; and studying the risks to human health.

In 2013, she completed her PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences – Analytical Chemistry Specialty at the University of Porto (Portugal) with distinction. During her PhD she was supported by a competitive individual PhD grant funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT). Within the frame of her PhD, she performed pioneering studies on the contribution of hospital effluents to the load of PhACs to urban wastewaters in Portugal, being some of the first at European level; and provided some of the first data on the sources, fate, and environmental risks of PhACs and their human metabolites in Portuguese rivers, becoming a point of reference for environmental scientists (articles with >500 and >1200 citations). She also did two short-term stays at the Charles University (Czech Republic) (4 months) and at the Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA) (Spain) (1.5 months). After her PhD, she was postdoctoral fellow at CIIMAR (Portugal) (2013-2015) and at REQUIMTE/ICETA (Portugal) (2015-2106). At this postdoctoral stage, her research focused on the development of analytical methodologies for the analysis of PhACs and their metabolites in the Portuguese environment, evaluation of their removal by wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), and performing laboratory exposure studies to assess the toxic effects of ECs to non-target organisms. She worked in close collaboration with industrial water partners. In 2016, she moved to ICRA (Spain), after being awarded with the highly competitive Juan de la Cierva – Formación (2016-2018) and Juan de la Cierva – Incorporación (2018-2021) fellowships from MICINN (Spain). Later, her research was supported by a European H2020 project (HYDROUSA) (2021-2023) and an advanced postdoctoral researcher contract on the line of Water Quality and Safety of ICRA (2023-2024).  Herein, she consolidated her research on the sources, fate, and environmental impact of ECs, and develop new analytical tools based on advanced HRMS-based workflows to identify unknown metabolites; clarify pathways of metabolization of ECs by aquatic organisms; and assess changes in their metabolic profile. During this period, she did 2 short-term stays at IPMA (Portugal) (1 month) and University of Pisa (Italy) (1 month). In September 2024 she incorporated the research team of IRNASA-CSIC at her current position after being awarded with the prestigious “Ramón y Cajal” researcher fellowship.

Her main scientific contributions resulted from her participation in 9 R&D projects: PI of a RyC project; scientific coordinator of 1 MICINN National Project (PLASMED); task leader of 1 EU H2020 project (HYDROUSA); researcher of 3 European projects (ERA-NET.SIINN, PRIMA, JPI), and 3 Portuguese National Projects (FCT). She implemented and led a new research line at ICRA on the analysis, fate, and risks of MPs in the environment (2018-2024), participating in the international network PRIORITY (EU Cost Action, 2021-2025). Presently, she is implementing and leading a new and emerging research line at IRNASA-CSIC on the impact of MPs and associated contaminants in agroecosystems. She has a strong network of national and international collaborations.

Overall, she published 54 peer-reviewed articles (11 as first author; 11 as corresponding and leading scientist; 27 with international institutions) and 4 book chapters, with a total of 3896 citations (h-index 25, Scopus). She secured funding for her research as PI of 2 JdC and 1 RyC contracts and responsible of 3 R&D contracts. Her work was presented at more than 60 national and international conferences and seminars (28 oral communications, 10 as invited speaker). She participated in dissemination activities to society in Portugal and Spain: 3 citizen science projects (Spain); ICRA’s Family Day 2019 (Spain); “Jornades Portes Obertes–JPO2017” (Spain); articles in environmental journals of broad public access; researcher in charge of Summer scientific activities for high school students (Portugal); among other events. She supervised 3 PhD theses (2 on-going), 6 MSc, 3 BSc, the internship of 1 BSc student and various visiting researchers (6 EU countries, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay). She was Guest Editor of a Special Issue in the open access journal Water Emerging Contaminants & Nanoplastics, and evaluator of the activity of research-oriented institutes of the Czech Academy of Sciences. Since January 2024 she is member of the Editorial Board of STOTEN.

Selected publicactions

1. J.M. Castaño-Ortiz, F. Romero, L. Cojoc, D. Barceló, J.L. Balcázar, S. Rodríguez-Mozaz, L.H.M.L.M. Santos*. 2024. Accumulation of polyethylene microplastics in river biofilms and effect on the uptake, biotransformation and toxicity of the antimicrobial triclosan. Environmental Pollution 344: 123369 (doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123369) IF: 7.6 (Q1) (JCR 2023)
2. J.M. Castaño-Ortiz, R. Gil-Solsona, N. Ospina-Alvarez, M.M. García-Pimentel, V.M. León, L.H.M.L.M. Santos*, D. Barceló, S. Rodríguez-Mozaz. 2023. Bioaccumulation and fate of pharmaceuticals in a Mediterranean coastal lagoon: Temporal variation and impact of a flash flood event. Environmental Research 228: 115887 (doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.115887) IF: 7.7 (D1) (JCR 2023)
3. C. Salgado Costa, F. Bahl, G.S. Natale, T.M. Mac Loughlin, D.J.G. Marino, A. Venturino, S. Rodriguez-Mozaz, L.H.M.L.M. Santos*. 2023. First evidence of environmental bioaccumulation of pharmaceuticals on adult native anurans (Rhinella arenarum) from Argentina. Environmental Pollution 334: 122231 (doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122231) IF: 7.6 (Q1) (JCR 2023)
4. Lúcia H.M.L.M. Santos*, Ana Luísa Maulvault, Adrián Jáen-Gil, António Marques, Damià Barceló, Sara Rodríguez-Moza. 2023. Linking chemical exposure and fish metabolome: Discovering new biomarkers of environmental exposure of Argyrosomus regius to the antidepressant venlafaxine. Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology 98: 104063 (doi: 10.1016/j.etap.2023.104063) IF: 4.2 (Q1) (JCR 2023)
5. Lúcia H.M.L.M. Santos*, Sara Insa, Marta Arxé, Gianluigi Buttiglieri, Sara Rodríguez-Mozaz*, Damià Barceló. 2023. Analysis of microplastics in the environment: Identification and quantification of trace levels of common types of plastic polymers using pyrolysis-GC/MS. MethodsX 10: 102143 (doi: 10.1016/j.mex.2023.102143) IF: 1.7 (Q2) (JCR 2023)
6. Lúcia H.M.L.M. Santos*, Sara Rodríguez-Mozaz*, Damià Barceló. 2021. Microplastics as vectors of pharmaceuticals in aquatic organisms – An overview of their environmental implications. Case Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering 3: 100079 (doi: 10.1016/j.cscee.2021.100079)
7. Lúcia H.M.L.M. Santos*, Ana Luísa Maulvault, Adrián Jaén-Gil, António Marques, Damià Barceló, Sara Rodríguez-Mozaz. 2020. Insights on the metabolization of the antidepressant venlafaxine by meagre (Argyrosomus regius) using a combined target and suspect screening approach. Science of the Total Environment 737: 140226 (doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140226) IF: 7.963 (D1) (JCR 2020)
8. Paula Paíga, Lúcia H.M.L.M. Santos*, Sandra Ramos, Sandra Jorge, Jaime Gabriel Silva, Cristina Delerue-Matos. 2016. Presence of pharmaceuticals in the Lis river (Portugal): Sources, fate and seasonal variation. Science of the Total Environment 573: 164-177 (doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.08.089) IF: 4.900 (D1) (JCR 2016)
9. Lúcia H.M.L.M. Santos, Meritxell Gros, Sara Rodriguez-Mozaz*, Cristina Delerue-Matos, Angelina Pena, Damià Barceló, M. Conceição B.S.M. Montenegro. 2013. Contribution of hospital effluents to the load of pharmaceuticals in urban wastewaters: Identification of ecologically relevant pharmaceuticals. Science of the Total Environment 461-462: 302-316 (doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.04.077) IF: 3.163 (D1) (JCR 2013)
10. Lúcia H.M.L.M. Santos, A.N. Araújo, Adriano Fachini, A. Pena, C. Delerue-Matos, M.C.B.S.M. Montenegro*. 2010. Ecotoxicological aspects related to the presence of pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment. Journal of Hazardous Materials 175: 45-95 (doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2009.10.100) IF: 3.723 (D1) (JCR 2010)

Research projects

1. “Impact of microplastics and associated contaminants in agroecosystems” (RYC2022-036245-I), Rámon y Cajal project. AEI-MICINN. Budget: 50,000€. 01/09/2024-31/08/2029. PI: Lúcia Santos
2. SAFE – “Sustainable water reuse practices improving safety in agriculture, food and environment” (PCI2022-132980), PRIMA project. Coordinator: Monica Brienza (Università degli Studi della Basilicata (UNIBAS), Italy); PI ICRA: Gianluigi Buttiglieri. 2022-2025. Budget ICRA: 184,000€. Lúcia Santos Researcher at ICRA, leading the research on ERA and HHRA.
3. ARENA – “Antibiotic REsistaNce and Pathogenic Signature in Marine and Freshwater Aquaculture Systems”. (PCI2021_121929: ARENA), JPI project. Coordinator: National Research Council (CNR) (Italy); PI ICRA: Sara Rodríguez-Mozaz. 2021-2024. Budget ICRA: 150,000€. Lúcia Santos Researcher at ICRA
4. HYDROUSA – “Demonstration of water loops with innovative regenerative business models for the Mediterranean region”, (Grant Agreement nº 776643). EU Horizon 2020, Call: CIRC-02-2016-2017. Coordinator: Simos Malamis (National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), Greece); PI ICRA: Gianluigi Buttiglieri. 01/07/2018-30/06/2023. Budget ICRA: 474,300€. Lúcia Santos Task leader in WP6 at ICRA.
5. PLAS-MED – “Microplastics and micro-pollutants on the Mediterranean coast: Toxicity and Impact on environment and human health”, (CTM2017-89701-C3-2-R). MICINN (Spain), Call: Convocatorias 2016 Proyectos EXCELENCIA y Proyectos RETOS. Coordinator: Marinella Farré (IDAEA/CSIC, Barcelona); PI ICRA: Sara Rodriguez-Mozaz. 01/01/2018-30/09/2021. Budget ICRA 132,000€. Lúcia Santos Scientific coordinator at ICRA.
6. ERA-NET_NANO-Transfer – “Transfer of carbon based manufactured nanomaterials in the aquatic environment: An assessment of their fate and effects, bioaccumulation, food web transfer, Trojan horse effects, and green applications”, (ERA SINN PCIN-2015-182-C02-02), MINECO (Spain), Call: ERA-NET “SIINN” Third Joint Transnational Call (2014). Coordinator: Andreas Schaeffer (RWTH Aachen University, Germany); PI ICRA: Sergi Sabater. 01/12/2015-30/11/2018. Budget ICRA: 90,000€. Lúcia Santos Researcher at ICRA, leading the research on the bioaccumulation/biotransformation of ECs in river biofilms.
7. PSYCHOBASS – “Aquatic species under psycho pharmaceuticals neuroendocrine effects», (PTDC/AAG-MAA/2405/2012), FCT (Portugal). Coordinator: Marta Ferreira (CIIMAR, Portugal); 01/03/2013-31/08/2015. Budget: 199,680€. Lúcia Santos Researcher and co-leader of analytical tasks.
8. ECOPHARMAP – “Ecopharmacovigilance of five relevant pharmaceuticals: contamination mapping in Portugal”, (PTDC/AAC-AMB/120889/2010), FCT (Portugal). Coordinator: Angelina Pena (Faculty of Farmacy, University of Coimbra, Portugal). 01/04/2012-30/06/2013. Budget: 120,061€. Lúcia Santos Researcher at Faculty of Farmacy, University of Porto.
9. «Rehabilitation of pharmaceuticals-contaminated soils”, (PTDC/ECM/103141/2008), FCT (Portugal). Coordinator: Cristina Delerue-Matos (ISEP, Portugal). 01/04/2010-30/06/2013. Budget: 124,389€. Lúcia Santos Researcher at Faculty of Farmacy, University of Porto.