Cross-disciplinary Research For Environmental Solution
Lead Research Organisation:
King's College London
Department Name: Chemistry
Abstract
King's' NERC-related research portfolio principally rests within the Departments of Chemistry;
Geography; Engineering; Analytical, Environmental & Forensic Sciences; and Nutritional
Sciences. King's maintains a diverse portfolio of NERC grants, most of which are concentrated
in the Department of Geography, with substantive foci on climate stress (e.g. relating to urban
risk and resilience, to rising seas) and earth observation science.
We propose a steering group (SG) to oversee the disbursement of funds, drawn from the
departments above, and including a range of career stages and backgrounds. The SG will
include those who participated in the first round of NERC discipline-hopping funding ('Round
1') to ensure knowledge continuity within the panel; we will also seek new membership of the
SG, and a female chair. We will build on the efficient and trackable award management
processes used for Round 1.
Geography; Engineering; Analytical, Environmental & Forensic Sciences; and Nutritional
Sciences. King's maintains a diverse portfolio of NERC grants, most of which are concentrated
in the Department of Geography, with substantive foci on climate stress (e.g. relating to urban
risk and resilience, to rising seas) and earth observation science.
We propose a steering group (SG) to oversee the disbursement of funds, drawn from the
departments above, and including a range of career stages and backgrounds. The SG will
include those who participated in the first round of NERC discipline-hopping funding ('Round
1') to ensure knowledge continuity within the panel; we will also seek new membership of the
SG, and a female chair. We will build on the efficient and trackable award management
processes used for Round 1.
Organisations
| Title | First investigation of potential doping biomarkers for WBE application. |
| Description | A. January 2023 - First investigation of potential doping biomarkers for WBE application. A first screening of sport doping biomarkers was performed in light of the new 2023 World-Anti Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List of Substances in force from 1st January 2023 (https://www.wada- ama.org/en/resources/world-anti-doping-program/2023-prohibited-list). The following classes of Prohibited Substances were covered for (i) doping defined "at all times" as shown in Table 1, (ii) doping "in-competition" as displayed in Table 2 and (iii) doping "in particular sports" (i.e. beta-blockers classified as P1). Table 1- List of substances prohibited at all times. Classification according to WADA - Substances S1 Anabolic agents S2 Peptide hormones, growth factors, related substances, and mimetics S3 Beta-2 agonists S4 Hormone and metabolic modulators S5 Diuretics and masking agents Table 2- List of substances prohibited in-competition. Classification according to WADA - Substances S6 Stimulants S7 Narcotics S8 Cannabinoids S9 Glucocorticoids B. February 2023 - Evaluation of sport doping biomarkers candidates Doping biomarkers selection for WBE purposes were refined by considering the following criteria with the support of peer-reviewed scientific literature data: o Metabolism and excretion. In the case of substance(s) found in medications used for the treatments, the parent drug itself along with the known pattern of metabolites were considered to account for any bias related to the disposal of the unused drug in the wastewater. Biomarkers uniquely formed from human metabolism and excreted in large percentage were preferred. o Stability. This parameter takes into consideration the permanence of the unchanged drug analyte in both urine and wastewater matrices. o Presence in the wastewater at quantifiable concentrations. Furthermore, known transformation products in the sewer biofilm and/or suspended solids were considered as they could affect the total detected amount of the analyte. C. March 2023 - Definition of analytical procedures and strategies for the analysis of doping biomarkers in wastewater for a follow-up experimental campaign. Following phases A and B, preliminary experimental analytical procedures were investigated to account for the wide range and chemical complexity of the targeted analytes and provide an initial assessment of sports doping biomarkers in the environment using WBE. These analytical methodologies include sample preparation via solid- phase extraction. Sophisticated instruments (Liquid Chromatography-High Resolution Mass Spectrometry systems) were used due to their versatility, sensitivity and comprehensive analytical performance. The study was undertaken within King's Forensics Mass Spectrometry Facility. |
| Type Of Material | Technology assay or reagent |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | This research investigated sport doping biomarkers for WBE applications, enabling a targeted profile of health markers in wastewater, which are indicative of mental health (cannabis), cardiovascular (stimulants), diabetes (steroids), etc. WBE has proved to help in overcoming bias related to human information on unseen illegal activities e.g., using banned substances, and providing insight into a hidden activity supporting societal inclusivity and diversity by guaranteeing a fair and equal data evaluation. The environmental analysis along with this analytical model promotes awareness on the sports doping challenge with the goal of encouraging a healthy society. From the first screening of sport doping biomarkers in light of the new 2023 World-Anti Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List of Substances in force from 1st January 2023, it was observed that a number of sport doping biomarkers: (i) belongs to classes of compounds legally prescribed by the national health systems (NHS), such as beta-blockers (heart conditions), glucocorticoids (asthma, auto-immune disease), opioids (pain relief); (ii) are illegal substances, such as new psychoactive substances such as the stimulant ethylphenidate and synthetic cannabinoids; (iii) are from a drug class with high potential for abuse, such as the case of the fentanyls. The research on doping biomarkers selection for WBE purposes has seen the following considerations: o Metabolism and excretion. In the case of substances found in medications used for the treatments, the parent drug was usually identified as the first targeted biomarker, whilst its pattern of metabolites was found understudied. Excretion data were sometimes in contradiction (two sources may propose different percentage of excretions). A paucity of commercially available reference standards for known metabolites was found as a limiting factor for the evaluation of biomarkers for WBE approach. o Stability. Few studies investigated this parameter related to the unchanged drug analyte in wastewater, whilst more data were available in urine. The same trend was observed for the metabolites. o Presence in the wastewater at quantifiable concentrations. Few compounds per class of banned substances were reported in literature. It is unknown whether a number of prohibited substances have ever been investigated. For example, for the class of diuretics, only 7 unchanged drugs over 63 banned compounds were found at quantifiable concentration in wastewater and none of their metabolites were studied. Very limited studies on transformation products in the sewer biofilm and/or suspended solids were only found for the most abundant substances. An additional outcome of the workshop is related to the research activities that will be followed up by two Master's Students, respectively from the MSc Analytical Toxicology and Forensic Science. In particular, they will work on the development of methodologies using specialised analytical techniques used for the detection of doping biomarkers in wastewater. It is expected that their results will provide further evidence for applying to new funding calls in the area. In addition, Dr Erika Castrignanò has been invited to participate at 'Testing the Waters' (TTW6) Conference in Oxford, 26th -27th June by Dr Zhugen Yang, who is a member of the organising committee. Dr Erika Castrignanò will also attend TIAFT 2023 (27th-31st August), 2023 in Rome, Italy. This TIAFT congress brings together other key specialists from the Society of Hair Testing, the Group of Italian Forensic Toxicologists, the Group of Pharmacotoxicology and Doping of the Italian Society of Clinical Biochemistry. Both events will represent an opportunity to engage with the experts in the field of WBE and in the disciplines involved in wastewater analysis, including epidemiologists, analytical and environmental chemists, environmental engineers, toxicologists, experts in forensics and stakeholders from public health sector, addiction. |
| Description | A full day workshop was hosted at King's College London entitled "Crossovers between natural disasters and human response activities to disaster victim identification: the carbon footprint and challenges associated with climate change" |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | A full day workshop was hosted at King's College London entitled "Crossovers between natural disasters and human response activities to disaster victim identification: the carbon footprint and challenges associated with climate change". The topic was identified to be of interest due to increasing global instability with respect to climate change, and the need for continuous development in disaster management and victim identification (DVI) procedures. In particular, one aspect of DVI that has not received a lot of attention is assessing the environmental impact, not just of the disaster itself, but also the response effort. However, investigating methods to negate further environmental damage associated with both the disaster and response, are under-researched. Understandably, in any disaster event, the priority is to preserve life and reconcile the deceased since a failure to do so has significant impact on the psychological health and rehabilitation of communities. Nevertheless protection and recovery of the environment, along with provision of resources for future occupation, is vital for the healthy recovery of land and people. The workshop was fully interdisciplinary and brought together forensic experts from different disciplines such as forensic genetics, forensic ecology forensic anthropology, forensic archaeology, and policing, alongside environmental scientists. The main agenda was to identify current challenges in DVI and identify areas where further work is required, as well as sharing knowledge from interdisciplinary discussions, for future research initiatives to tackle these challenges. The workshop was designed to be participant centred with two key-note presentations interspersed with shorter, informal presentations from every attendees. Specifically, the attendees were asked to come with one slide that outlined current challenges, ideas, and or discussion points related to DVI, with a specific emphasis on key issues in understanding the environmental impact of natural disasters and human response activities to disaster victim identification. A summarised schedule of the events that took place during the day can be found in the table below: Morning: Welcome Address by Professor Kim Wolff and introductions Dr Ian Mudway (Imperial College London) "An overview of the impact of different hazards on the environment" Slide presentations from participants and group discussion 1. Rapid DNA in DVI - Mrs Chandra Finaughty 2. Operational Considerations, training and SOP's - Dr Layla Renshaw 3. DVI, climate, Citizen Forensics & Capacity Building - Dr Julie Roberts 4. Forensic Ecology - Dr Mark Spencer Afternoon: Mr Stephen Fonseca (African Centre for Medicolegal Systems, International Commission of the Red Cross) "Addressing routine medicolegal death investigation capacity today to address tomorrow's mass fatality events" Continuation of slide presentations from participants, group discussion and closing. 5. Automatic & Semi - automatic 3D model analysis - Mr Roland Wessling 6. DVI teams - Dr Andrew Langley 7. DVI preparedness - Dr Robert Green 8. Dignified management of the dead: risks for the living environment - Dr Patrick Randolph-Quinney |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | A one-day interdisciplinary workshop to analyse the current state of art in the wastewater (WW) analysis of explosives, with a specific emphasis on its use for the early detection (pre-crime) of improvised explosive device (IED) manufacturers and criminal cells (i.e., WW-enabled policing). |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | A one-day interdisciplinary workshop was organised. This aimed at promoting discussion between experts in different fields, in order to analyse the current state of art in the wastewater (WW) analysis of explosives, with a specific emphasis on its use for the early detection (pre-crime) of improvised explosive device (IED) manufacturers and criminal cells (i.e., WW-enabled policing). The workshop was organised as a hybrid, invitation-only event on the 24th March, with 24 participants attending (17 in person, and 7 online). The physical meeting took place at the KCL Strand Campus. The programme included two 40-minute keynote presentations and four 20-minute short presentations, for a total of six invited speakers. The presentations covered a number of topics in analytical and data science, with a specific focus on the research carried out on the boundary between environmental and forensic science. These included the use of mass spectrometry and non-targeted screening in environmental sciences, the importance of spatio-temporal studies in WW-based epidemiology, the use of WW analysis in forensic intelligence and crime investigation, the identification of explosive markers for WW analysis and the application of data science for the prioritisation of these markers. The workshop also included two 90-minute round table discussions, to encourage networking and brainstorming. A website and digital repository have been organised to efficiently share information and data (e.g., presentations) between participants. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | A one-day workshop at King's (Guy's Campus) for 65 delegates on Quantifying biological form. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Postdoc Dr Neal Anthwal spent 8 weeks at the Natural History Museum working with the Geometric morphometrics group of Prof Anjali Goswami. After the visit, we organised a one-day workshop at King's (Guy's Campus) for 65 delegates on Quantifying biological form. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Interdisciplinary workshop at King's College London including people engaging with forest issues in different contexts and with different approaches |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | - Gathering and identifying collections of sounds - Contacting colleagues and circulating calls for forests sounds - Working with sound artist Andrés Saenz de Sicilia to conceptualise and develop approaches to soundscape to composition - Working with early career scholars of the Political Ecology, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services research group to develop place-based forestscapes (associated with research in Cambodia, India, South Africa) - Working with colleagues at the European Forest Institute to gather place-based sound collections for forestscapes and to identify future collaboration, cocreation and engagement opportunities. - Working with supercollider developer Zach Scholl to design and refine open source supercollider and norns software scripts - Conceptual work including conducting a literature review mapping out different uses of sound in environment- related research in geography, media studies, STS, environmental humanities, sounds studies and other fields. - Organising interdisciplinary workshop at King's College London including people engaging with forest issues in different contexts and with different approaches (arts, ecology, political ecology, humanities, social sciences) - Follow-up activities with researchers and practitioners - Plans for public events - including with King's Culture (e.g. National Gallery X, Somerset House, Science Gallery) and installation at re:publica23 in Berlin - Identification of different possibilities for next steps including testing of soundscapes in different locations and with different audiences (e.g. SUPERB, University of Potsdam, etc) and possible follow-up funding proposals. - New soundscape works from workshop based on sounds collected by King's researchers - Developed funding proposal for Gray Area foundation with team members Andrés, Angela, Maud and Jonathan: https://cchange.xyz/opencall/ - Invitation for sound installation at re:publica23 in Berlin: https://re-publica.com/en - Follow-up workshop with core forestscapes team at University of Potsdam: https://jonathangray.org/2023/02/22/berlin-fellowship - Invitation to undertaken further field recordings to attend to soundscapes associated with forest restoration at Queen Elizabeth Forest Park in Scotland - as well as exploring possible site-based research and public engagement activities. - Exploring forestscapes collaboration with European Forest Institute, including possible connections with major forest restoration project (https://forest-restoration.eu/ ) and public engagement and co-creation activities related to forest restoration. - Public listening moment at launch of Digital Futures Institute, with principal and colleagues across King's: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/dfi - Plans for multi-author article based on literature review, software development, soundscapes and soundscaping activities. - Exploring possible collaborations at workshop at France's new National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), Nouvelle-Aquitaine Bordeaux - including sound collections and participatory listening activities at forest sites across Europe. - Presentation 'Forestscapes as methodology for meaningful engagement with forest issues' as part of seminar on 'Engaging communities in studying environmental change' at the Centre for the Study of the Sciences and the Humanities, University of Bergen, Norway, April 28th, 2023. https://www.uib.no/en/svt/161928/engaging- communities-studying-environmental-change - We have set up an online channel with the Public Data Lab network to continue exploring soundscape methods. Links to further outputs, software scripts, research and reports will be added here: https://publicdatalab.org/projects/forestscapes/ - Invitation to join UKRI networking event for call on "collaborative community research to tackle health inequalities" - where we met colleagues from other universities where listening could be relevant. https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/collaborative-community-research-to-tackle-health-inequalities/ |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Understanding the social and environmental dynamics that affect the drinking water metallome with a focus on drinking water contamination and toxicity. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Using an interdisciplinary approach, the project sought to better understand the social and environmental dynamics that affect the drinking water metallome with a focus on drinking water contamination and toxicity. This was done through three sets of activities: 1) identify research gaps in water metallome understanding utilising a workshop with British Geological Survey (BGS), Thames Water, businesses, agricultural water users; 2) conduct a representative grid of tap water samples from the greater London area (full quantitative chemical elemental analysis); 3) co-produce research communication and impact strategy led by London Metallomics and King's Water on water metallomics that includes arising contamination and water quality risks. We have made new internal interdisciplinary links across human and physical geography, King's Forensics and the Department of Nutritional Sciences. While there has been prior collaboration, this new link has been forged around drinking water, which add further breadth to existing themes of interdisciplinary water security focus. We have also made new external interdisciplinary links with water management, engineering and biochemistry through our engagement with research stakeholders and establishment of the water toxicity network. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Workshops across a range of cross-disciplinary topics relevant to Discovery Science, in particular on the following areas - • environmental solutions for clean growth • safe food and chemicals for environmental health • digital twining to advance environmental nowcasting and optimise environmental capitals and flows |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | We have organised several well-received workshops and invited global-leading experts to themed workshop/group discussions. Our invited experts across different disciplines include Prof Maged Younes (food safety, toxicology) Professor Emilio Benfenati (toxicology) and Prof Willy Verstraete (from Ghent University, environmental microbiology and biotechnology). The presentations, discussions in the workshops as well as the background research enabled us to advance understanding across a range of cross-disciplinary topics relevant to Discovery Science, in particular on the following areas - • environmental solutions for clean growth • safe food and chemicals for environmental health • digital twining to advance environmental nowcasting and optimise environmental capitals and flows |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |