terrachem

Welcome to the TERRAChem Research Project

Welcome to the website for the TERRAChem Project – Assessment of the Environmental Contamination of Irish Soils and Sediments with Hazardous Chemicals.

The use of synthetic chemicals is more ubiquitous today than at any point in history. From medicines, to plastics and their additives, to personal care products, to pesticides and herbicides, virtually every industry makes use of synthetic chemicals in some form. Notwithstanding the practical benefits of the application of such chemicals, issues arise when these chemicals enter the environment in large quantities, particularly when such contaminants display the capacity to persist and bioaccumulate in the environment, undergo long-range environmental transportation, as well as demonstrate adverse effects on the biota, human health, and/or the environment at large.

In Ireland, there is a dearth of knowledge regarding the presence and prevalence of these emerging contaminants in the environment despite their extensive use in industry. It is therefore unclear how ubiquitous these chemicals are in the Irish environment and whether they are present at levels which may pose a risk to the environment or living organisms. The TERRAChem project aims to fill this knowledge-gap by carrying our a nationwide assessment of a wide range of emerging contaminants in the environment and evaluate the health risks associated with their presence.

For updates on this project check out our Twitter account @TERRAChem_UoG (https://twitter.com/TERRAChem_UoG)