CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE IN ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS AND MONITORING AT THE CHEMICAL FACULTY OF THE GDANSK UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

Rapid development, observed in almost every field of human activity, contributes to the degradation of environment and creates ecological hazards of global scale. Modern societies release into the environment – either during production, storage, transportation, usage or ultimate disposal – much waste, including chemical products. These materials participate in natural cycles and reactions and frequently interfere with or disturb natural systems. One may ask, what role does analytical chemistry play in this context. Analytical chemistry or, in more modern and broader approach, environmental analytics, including monitoring, focuses on determination of all possible pollutants not only in such environment components as air, waters or soils, but also in vegetation, animal and human materials (tissues or whole organisms). Monitoring is dedicated to identification, localization and assessment of ecological risks, principally using automated and autonomous instruments or their modules. Taking into account such definition, analytical chemistry plays significant role in nowadays world and occupies a special place among all the sciences in the field of environmental protection. In almost every case, analytical chemistry provides rapid and robust systems and analytical tools for the characterization of pollutants and assessment of related eco-toxicological risks. Within the European Framework Programme 5, at the end of its functioning, the European Commission announced a call for proposals, known as “centres of excellence”, to facilitate systematic diffusion of scientific concepts and ideas between the European Research Area and the Newly Associated States through organization of trainings, courses and workshops, as well as promoting international exchange of scientists. Such a centre was established on 1 January, 2003 at the Department of Analytical Chemistry, Chemical Faculty, Gdansk University of Technology. Project entitled: Centre of Excellence in Environmental Analysis and Monitoring (CEEAM) was submitted to the European Commission as a response for the call QoL/ Growth/EESD-20001-INTEGR, published by the European Commission in September 2001. On 27 March 2002, project co-ordinator received evaluation outline from the European referees. CEEAM project obtained high notes and soon afterwards, “godfathers” of the centre, prof. dr hab. inz. Jacek Namieśnik and dr hab. inz. Wojciech Chrzanowski were invited to carry on the negotiations, which were completed successfully in September 2002. The project was accepted on 16 December 2002 and the Centre of Excellence in Environmental Analysis and Monitoring became effective on 1 January 2003. Activity of the centre is based on the equipment and human resources of the Department of Analytical Chemistry. Thematic focus and planned growth of the centre complies with traditional fields of interests in the department. The Department of Analytical Chemistry is devoted to both basic and applied research in a broad range of topics with a focus on microand macro-environmental aspects of chemistry.