External Collaborator

Filipe Miguel Teixeira de Sousa Bernardo

Filipe Bernardo is carrying out a PhD in Biology by the University of the Azores, starting in 2016, within the Island Environmental Risks & Society group of cE3c.

He is conducting the project "Development of a toolbox to biomonitor air quality: towards the sustainability of the Azorean green environment", under the supervision of Patrícia Garcia (cE3c), Cristina Branquinho (cE3c) and Armindo Rodrigues (IVARG).

Filipe Bernardo's PhD project aims are:

General aim

Development of a toolbox of sensitive biomarkers in selected macrolichen bioindicator species for biomonitoring air quality in environments subjected to a variety of anthropogenic and geogenic emissions.

Specific aims

• Detailed mapping of the pattern of distribution and functional diversity of lichens in São Miguel island.
• Determination of the influence of local anthropogenic and geogenic emission sources on the distribution and diversity of lichens.
• Development of sensitive biomarkers of exposure and effect in selected macrolichens on environments subjected to significant anthropogenic and/or geogenic emission sources.
• Test the association between the response of these biomarkers and the occurrence of genotoxic and cytotoxic effects in humans frequently/occupationally exposed to the same environments and types of air pollution.
• Assess, in an integrated approach, the impact of emissions taking place in São Miguel island on human and environmental health.
• Fine-tune a set of cost-efficient tools and methodologies for implementation in air quality biomonitoring programs, oriented for the preservation of air quality excellence in the Azores islands, providing valuable data for:
  • predicting ensuing environmental health risks of a given antropogenic/geogenic emission source.
  • tracking variations in air quality over time, associated with the degree of intensification of antropogenic and geogenic emissions.