CESAM (Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies) & Department of Chemistry

University of Aveiro, Portugal

The environmental and health protection issues have led to several impacts in Science, namely, on the role of Analytical Chemistry to understanding the fundamentals of measurement processes in complex environmental matrices. Analytical and Environmental Chemistry is considered as an informative and practical science, which entails the application of analytical methodologies to obtain information fundamental to establishing and implementing technical policies and regulatory processes for protecting public health and the environment. However, Analytical and Environmental Chemistry is more than an information gatherer, and it has evolved into an integrated concept whose main objective is answering to the global challenges of contemporary society. In this integrated view (Figure 1) the various steps of the analytical process includes the problem definition, selection of analytical method, sampling and sample preparation, data collection (signal measurements, validation of the analytical method by suitable standards and instrument calibration), validation and interpretation of data (statistical analysis, assessing and employing databases), reporting, conclusions and useful recommendations for policy-making.

Figure 1. Analytical and Environmental Chemistry as defined by the different components involved in dealing with a specific issue.

The perception, the assessment and a rapid response to wide societal concerns are certainly the most important keywords in the frame of the analytical process. In this context, our research has aimed at understanding a plethora of aspects concerning natural and polluted environments (water, soil, and atmosphere). Since these are complex systems, studies of both organic and inorganic species of natural and anthropogenic origin are based on the use and development of analytical methods “fit for purpose”. Our research work is also focused on the implementation of innovative research strategies and modelling methods to identify a wide number of cross-cutting issues related to emerging European environmental policies.

Two invited reviews^1,2 and the participation in large multidisciplinary European research projects such as “ELME - European Lifestyles and Marine Ecosystems” ³ (Figure 2), are excellent examples of such emerging research work that is taking place in our laboratory.

Figure 2. ELME - European Lifestyles and Marine Ecosystems project, www.elme-eu.org.

ELME is a project involving 28 research groups from 15 European countries, with the following objectives: the assessment of the consequences of current human lifestyles on Europe’s regional seas; the construction of a predictive model of key environmental problems such as destruction of habitats and species, eutrophication, chemical pollution, and unsustainable extraction of living resources; and the generation of and integrated vision of the future state of European sea catchments following the EU enlargement and other large scale policy options.

The development and improvement of analytical methodologies allowed us to provide new and up-to-date information on the role of natural nonliving organic matter in airborne particulate matter ². This topic constitutes one of our research highlights since organic aerosols have been linked to many important atmospheric processes, including visibility reduction, cloud formation, direct radiative forcing, and also to a range of serious respiratory and cardiovascular health problems. The application of statistical methods to the design and selection of optimal experimental procedures, calibration of analytical instrumentation, and interpretation of chemical data¹ has also become an important issue within our research activities, being this considered as a critical tool for the modern Analytical Chemistry.

Other researchers involved in this work: Mª Eduarda Pereira, Regina Duarte, Sónia Rodrigues & Sónia Capelo.

Selected publications:

1. A. C. Duarte and S. Capelo, “Application of Chemometrics in Separation Science”, J. Liq. Chromatogr. & Rel. Technol. 2006, 29, 1143.

2. A. C. Duarte and R. M. B. O. Duarte, “Natural Organic Matter in Atmospheric Particles”, Biophysico-Chemical Processes in Environmental Systems, 2^nd Volume, IUPAC-Sponsored Wiley Book Series, P.M. Huang and N. Senesi Eds., 2007, in press.

3. ELME - European Lifestyles and Marine Ecosystems, www.elme-eu.org, last accessed December 2007.

Armando Duarte was born in 1952, obtained a degree in Chemical Engineering at the University of Oporto (1976) and a PhD in Public Health Engineering at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne (1981). He has over 20 years of internationally recognised experience on environmental quality studies from the point of view of an analytical and environmental chemist (author of over 200 SCI papers with more than 500 citations). He integrated several relevant Portuguese and European research projects, such as “MORENA” (1993-1996), “BIOGEST” (1996-1999), “URBSOIL” (2002-2005), “ELME” (2004-2006) and “SWIFT-WFD - Screening methods for water data Information in support of the implementation of the Water Framework Directive” (2004-2006). In 2006, he was awarded the Portuguese Science Foundation prize for Scientific Excellence.