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Published April 8th, 2026.
DRopH2O research awarded
DRopH2O research awarded
Inês M. Quintela, Project Researcher on DRopH2O, received the Best Poster + Oral Flash Communication Award at ANALITICA2026 – 12th Meeting of the SPQ Analytical Chemistry Division, held at Universidade de Aveiro on March 30-31, 2026.
Inês presented her work entitled “EU-Relevant Micropollutants in Drinking Water: A SPE-LC-MS/MS Monitoring and Risk Assessment” through both a poster and a flash oral communication.
Congratulations Inês!
Published March 13th, 2026.
New DRopH2O articles
New DRopH2O articles
Several new DRopH2O articles were recently published in high‑impact peer-reviewed journals in the past months. These include two papers featured in the Chemical Engineering Journal, one of the leading journals in Environmental Engineering, and another in Journal of Chromatography A, an important journal in analytical chemistry.
You can read these publications, available in open access, following the links below:
J.J.M. Dele, A. Torres‑Pinto, A.M. Chávez, A.M.T. Silva, "Urea-based immobilisation of activated carbon onto alumina spheres for adsorption of organic micropollutants and regeneration by catalytic wet peroxide oxidation". Chem. Eng. J., 526, 171031 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2025.171031
M.A. Jiménez‑López, A.M. Chávez, C.G. Silva, J.L. Faria, A.M.T. Silva, F.J. Beltrán, P.M. Álvarez, "Graphitic carbon nitride immobilized on alumina supports for solar photocatalytic degradation of sulfamethoxazole". J. Water Process Eng., 79, 109028 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwpe.2025.109028
A. Fdez‑Sanromán, A. Torres‑Pinto, C.G. Silva, E. Rosales, J.L. Faria, M. Pazos, A.M.T. Silva, "Highly hydrophilic graphitic carbon nitride membranes for photocatalytic removal of venlafaxine". Chem. Eng. J., 525, 170354 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2025.170354
A.M. Gorito, B.R. Mota, A.M.T. Silva, A.R.L. Ribeiro, "SPE‑LC‑MS/MS optimisation for priority water contaminants". J. Chromatogr. A, 1756, 466052 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chroma.2025.466052
A.L.R. Cabral, L.R. Barroca, M. Pedrosa, A.R.L. Ribeiro, A.M.T. Silva, "Drinking water treatment: Removal of pharmaceuticals using a Spirulina-based carbon biosorbent". J. Water Process Eng., 75, 107993 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwpe.2025.107993
Published November 24th, 2025.
New MSc defense
New MSc defense
Another MSc dissertation conducted under the scope of project DRopH2O has been successfully defended:
Igor E. Oliveira presented his work on November 19th, 2025, titled "Structural modification and enantioseparation of Nadifloxacin and its derivates for further ecotoxicological and biodegradation studies", developed within the Master in Pharmaceutical Chemistry at FFUP.
The dissertation was carried out under the supervision of DRopH2O team members Maria Elizabeth Tiritan and Ana Rita Lado Teixeira Ribeiro.
Congratulations to Igor!
Published November 2nd, 2025.
DRopH2O on air!
DRopH2O on air!
DRopH2O has reached national radio! In a recent Portuguese radio program promoted by FCT (“90 Segundos de Ciência”), André Torres Pinto, researcher at LSRE‑LCM (FEUP) and member of DRopH2O, spoke about the work developed in his PhD within the project.
Supervised by Professor Adrián M.T. Silva (DRopH2O PI), André presented his research on innovative graphitic materials for the removal of organic contaminants from water through advanced oxidation processes. The interview highlights both the impact of his PhD and the relevance of DRopH2O’s contributions to safer and more sustainable water treatment in the context of contaminated industrial, wastewater and surface waters of Portugal.
You can listen to the episode (in Portuguese) here.
Published October 27th, 2025.
Most recent MSc defenses
Most recent MSc defenses
Two MSc dissertations in Chemical and Environmental Engineering, carried out under the scope of project DRopH2O, were succesfully defended at FEUP:
Inês Quintela presented her work on July 15th, titled "SPE-UHPLC-MS/MS method for the multi-class analysis of EU-relevant organic micropollutants in drinking water", carried out under the supervision of Ana M. Gorito, Marta O. Barbosa and Ana Rita Lado Ribeiro;
Tânia Ferreira presented her work on October 15th, titled "Análise de Pesticidas e Desreguladores Endócrinos em Águas de Consumo" (Pesticide and Endocrine Disruptor Analysis in Water for Human Consumption), carried out under the supervision of Marta O. Barbosa, Ana M. Gorito, and Ana Rita Lado Ribeiro.
Congratulations to Inês and Tânia!
Published September 30th, 2025.
DRopH2O researchers featured in World’s Top 2% Scientists list
DRopH2O researchers featured in World’s Top 2% Scientists list
DRopH2O team members were featured in the most recent World’s Top 2% Scientists list:
Prof. Adrián M.T. Silva, Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto and DRopH2O P.I.;
Dr. Ana Rita Lado Ribeiro, Principal Researcher at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto;
Prof. Manuel Fernando Pereira, Full Professor at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto.
The World’s Top 2% Scientists list is compiled by researchers at Stanford University (USA) and published yearly by Elsevier.
Congratulations to all!
Posted on June 8th, 2025.
Project DRopH2O in the organisation of an International Congress
Project DRopH2O in the organisation of an International Congress
Held in Porto on May 8–9, the fourth edition of the 1H-TOXRUN International Congress took place under the motto "No Boundaries for Toxicology: One Health, One Society, One Planet." Project DRopH2O proudly participated in the organisation of this event, which brought together leading scientists, researchers, policymakers, and experts to explore the latest advancements in science within the holistic framework of One Health.
Posted on June 6th, 2025.
Project DRopH2O supported science outreach activities
Project DRopH2O supported science outreach activities
Alongside STAR, BioPlasMar and other research projects, DRopH2O team members were involved in a science outreach activity, aiming to showcase science to children and teenagers from 3 to 17 years old, from several schools in Greater Porto.
On April 15, curious young students were at CESPU for an activity entitled "Cientistas do Futuro" (Scientists of the Future), organised by members of the TOXRUN Toxicology Research Unit.
Posted on April 2nd, 2025.
Most recent MSc defense
Most recent MSc defense
A MSc dissertation in Chemical Engineering carried out under the scope of project DRopH2O was succesfully defended last week at FEUP:
Amanda Fujita presented her work on March 28th, titled " Carbon-Based Electrocatalysts for Water Treatment" under the supervision of André Torres-Pinto and Adrián M.T. Silva.
Congratulations, Amanda!
Posted on April 2nd, 2025.
New article of DRopH2O
New article of DRopH2O
Check out the most recent article of project DRopH2O:
Fernández-Poyatos, M.P.; Velo-Gala, I.; Torres-Pinto, A.; Álvarez-Merino, M.Á.; López-Ramón, M.V.; Da Silva, E.S.; Silva, C.G.; Silva, A.M.T.; Faria, J.L. Assessing copolymerisation and exfoliation synergistic effects of graphitic carbon nitride in simulated sunlight photocatalysis. Chemical Engineering Science 2025, 305, 121204. 10.1016/j.ces.2025.121204
Published January 8th, 2025.
DRopH2O research featured at EMEC24
DRopH2O research featured at EMEC24
DRopH2O was represented at the 24th European Meeting on Environmental Chemistry (EMEC24), held from November 26 to 29 2024 in Alicante, Spain.
Leonor Barroca (DRopH2O Project Researcher) won the Best Poster Communication Prize for Young Researchers, sponsored by the Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water, for her poster entitled "Removal of Venlafaxine and Diclofenac from Drinking Water Using a Spirulina-Based Carbon Bio-Sorbent and a Commercial Adsorbent".
André Torres Pinto, a DRopH2O Researcher whose participation was supported by a grant from the Association for Chemistry and the Environment (ACE), presented two works at EMEC24, an oral communication and a poster communication.
DRopH2O team member Rita Lado Ribeiro delivered a keynote presentation titled “Are We Aware of the Role of Enantioselectivity in the Environment?”. Her participation was supported by the Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water.
Posted on July16th, 2024.
2 new MSc theses presented
2 new MSc theses presented
Two MSc theses in Chemical Engineering carried out under the scope of project DRopH2O have been succesfully defended last week at FEUP:
Joana Dele presented her work on July 10th, titled "Three-dimensional funcionalised structures for water treatment";
Ana Cabral presented her work on July 10th, titled "Water quality: removal of microcontaminants by carbon-based materials".
Congratulations Joana and Ana!
Posted on July16th, 2024.
DRopH2O reaches the news!
DRopH2O reaches the news!
This work carried out during the PhD of André Torres Pinto, team member of DRopH2O working at LSRE-LCM (FEUP), has recently been highlighted in the University’s news and in other national press. Under the supervision of Professor Adrián Silva (DRopH2O PI), Professor Joaquim Faria and Professor Cláudia Silva, André Torres Pinto has studied an innovative and self-sufficient system that allows the treatment of water and wastewater through an advanced oxidation process that eliminates organic contaminants potentially harmful to human health.
Posted on April 16th, 2024.
New article of DRopH2O
New article of DRopH2O
Check out the most recent article of project DRopH2O:
Antonopoulou, M.; Tzamaria, A.; Pedrosa, M.F.F.; Ribeiro, A.R.L.; Silva, A.M.T.; Kaloudis, T.; Hiskia, A.; Vlastos, D. Spirulina-based carbon materials as adsorbents for drinking water taste and odor control: Removal efficiency and assessment of cyto-genotoxic effects. Science of The Total Environment 2024, 927, 172227. 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172227
The article is available until June 2nd using this link.
Graphical abstract from 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172227
Posted on February 24th, 2024.
DRopH2O has a LinkedIn page!
DRopH2O has a LinkedIn page!
DRopH2O now has a LinkedIn page, in which scientific articles, presentations and participations in conferences will be shared. You can now follow the project's updates here !
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