Nanoplasthub 2026
International Forum on Submicron Plastic Contaminants
September 17-19, 2026
Szeged, Hungary
Speakers
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Elvis Genbo Xu
University of Southern Denmark
Dr. Elvis Genbo Xu is an Associate Professor and Sapere Aude Research Leader at the University of Southern Denmark. His research focuses on eco- and environmental toxicology, particularly the impacts of micro- and nanoplastics on aquatic ecosystems. He integrates marine biology, molecular toxicology, and toxicogenomics to investigate how pollutants affect ecosystems and human health. With over 120 publications, Xu leads interdisciplinary projects that contribute to understanding ecological risks and developing strategies to mitigate environmental pollution.
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Gabriela Kalčíková
University of Ljubljana
Dr. Gabriela Kalčikova is an associate professor and researcher at the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. Her research focuses on micro/nanoplastic pollution, particularly the preparation and characterization, as well as their environmental fate, aging, transport, and ecotoxicological effects. She is also actively involved in developing solutions to reduce plastic pollution in the environment. Dr. Kalčikova leads a dedicated research group on plastic pollution and serves as principal investigator on several national and international projects. She has published numerous scientific articles and book chapters on the topic and actively contributes to international collaborations in the field of environmental science.
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Cassandra Rauert
University of Queensland
Dr Cassandra Rauert is a Senior Research Fellow at the Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences and microplastics research lead in the Minderoo Centre- Plastics and Human Health at the University of Queensland. Her research focuses on developing robust and reliable methods for detecting micro and nanoplastics in human and environmental matrices.
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Stefania Federici
University of Brescia
Stefania Federici is an Associate Professor at the University of Brescia, Italy, where she leads activities in the Chem-Bio-Nanointerfaces Division at the Chemistry for Technologies Laboratory. Her research focuses on the characterization, aging, and environmental impact of micro- and nanoplastics, with particular interest in their interactions at the nanoscale with environmental and biological systems. She is actively involved in national and international research and collaborative projects. Beyond research, she is engaged in dissemination, stakeholder involvement, and promoting interdisciplinary approaches to sustainable materials and environmental health.
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Florian Breider
EPFL, Switzerland
Dr. Florian Breider is the head of the Central Environmental Laboratory at Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne – EPFL, Switzerland. He studied environmental chemistry and physics at the University of Lausanne and earned his PhD in isotope biogeochemistry from the University of Neuchâtel. He then worked as a research associate at Tokyo Institute of Technology. His research focuses on the fate and effects of micropollutants and micro/nanoplastics in ecosystems, and their implications for human health.
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Willie Peijnenburg
Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML) of the Faculty of Science of Leiden University
- Prof. Dr. Willie Peijnenburg is Professor at the Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML) of the Faculty of Science of Leiden University, Leiden (The Netherlands), research chair “Environmental Toxicology and Biodiversity”, and senior researcher at the National Institute of Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven (The Netherlands). His research profile is best characterised as being based on long-years’ experience in the areas of chemical fate and safety assessment, whilst gradually moving in the broad theme of LCA-based Safety and Sustainability by Design (SSbD) assessment. This theme allows to integrate his chemical safety experience with Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA), Economic and Social costing, and SSbD assessment. His research in the area of chemical fate and safety assessment has resulted in over 520 scientific publications. Thereupon, he recently published around 20 papers on LCA/SSbD-related topics including a framework for SSbD for batteries.
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Dušan Materić
Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ in Leipzig, Germany
Dr. Dušan Materić (Matt) is an environmental analytical scientist and group leader at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ in Leipzig, Germany. He leads the Microplastics, Nanoplastics and Elements (MNE) research group, developing cutting-edge mass-spectrometric methods for the detection and quantification of nanoplastics in environmental and biological systems. His work has revealed the presence and global transport of nanoplastics from remote glaciers to human tissues, and he actively coordinates international field campaigns and inter-laboratory harmonization efforts. He also serves as Associate Editor at iScience (Cell Press, Elsevier).
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Violette Geissen
Wageningen University & Research
Violette Geissen is a leading expert in microplastic research, specifically regarding its interaction with pesticides in agricultural environments. Her research is instrumental in shaping global strategies for soil health and plastic reduction. Dedicated to connecting science with policy, she works to implement sustainable agricultural practices. She is driven by a commitment to understanding how pollutants affect ecosystem health and advancing innovation in sustainable farming
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Nelly Saenen
Hasselt University - Hasselt, Belgium
Nelly Saenen is appointed as a 90% FWO Senior Postdoctoral Fellow and a 10% Assistant Professor at Hasselt University. She is part of the Zoology: Biodiversity and Toxicology group at the Centre for Environmental Sciences (CMK). She studied Biology and Environmental Health Sciences at Hasselt University and obtained her PhD in Biology, focusing on the effects of air pollution on (neuro)development. Her expertise lies in molecular epidemiology and particle toxicology, where she integrates in vitro model systems with human tissues and combines molecular approaches with advanced imaging techniques. She applies these methods to investigate how environmental and food-related particles affect human health.
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Luigi Rizzo
University of Salerno (Italy)
Luigi Rizzo is Associate Professor in Sanitary and Environmental Engineering at Department of Civil Engineering, University of Salerno (Italy). He is the Coordinator of the "International PhD School on Advanced Oxidation processes"; External expert of European Commission "Scientific Committee on Health, Environmental and Emerging risks (SCHEER)" (he was member of the SCENIHR); Editor of “Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering” (Elsevier) and he was editor for “Water Science and Technology” journal (IWA publishing) (2011-2023); Co-founder and president of the AOP4Water spin-off of the University of Salerno; He was Chair of the 7th International Conference on Environmental Applications of Advanced Oxidation Processes (EAAOP-7), 10-13 June 2025, Paestum-Capaccio (SA), Italy. His main research interest is water/wastewater treatment and disinfection by advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) and in particular: 1. advanced treatment of urban wastewater for pathogens inactivation, removal of contaminants of emerging concern and control of antibiotic resistance spread into the environment; 2. effect of microplastics on advanced treatment of urban wastewater; 3. industrial wastewater treatment by combination of AOPs and biological processes.
