​IAH Technical Discussion Meeting will be presented by Damien Mooney (Trinity College Dublin) on the 'Emerging organic contaminants in Irish groundwater: the occurrence of veterinary pharmaceuticals' .

Speaker:

This research presented was carried out by Damien as a PhD researcher under the iCRAG groundwater research challenge. Damien graduated with a BSc in Forensic and Environmental Chemistry in June 2015 from the Dublin Institute of Technology, before joining iCRAG in September 2015 under the supervision of Dr. Catherine Coxon at Trinity College Dublin. Damien's PhD is being run through Trinity College in collaboration with Teagasc. His research investigates the occurrence of emerging organic contaminants in rural environments, with the main focus on groundwater quality. His research specifically on the occurrence of agricultural antiparasitic agents in groundwater, with investigations in karst and fractured aquifers throughout Ireland.

Due to an increasing global population, there is a huge demand for more food, while using less space. This has led to more intensive food producing practices being used. As a result, agro-chemicals, such as veterinary pharmaceuticals, are now commonly used in agriculture in Ireland. Use of these chemicals can potentially lead to their occurrence in our groundwater. This research focuses on developing advanced techniques to allow us to be able to find these trace agricultural contaminants in groundwater. This research seeks to determine where such contaminants came from (source) and how they reached groundwater (pathway).

At present, Damien is at the final stages of writing up his PhD thesis, and while doing so, Damien is due to take up a position at the State's Laboratory, in the coming weeks.

All welcome. 6pm start (tea and coffee from 5.30pm).

For further information on this event, contact either Taly Hunter Williams (01-678 2780) or Alasdair Pilmer (0833377671).