Dr Žiga Tkalec Excellent in Science 2023 / 21.11.2023

Scientific Research Council for the Natural Sciences selected our achievement entitled "Non-targeted analysis identified 74 biomarkers of exposure in the urine of Slovenian children" by Dr Žiga Tkalec and the colleagues from the Department of Environmental Sciences as Excellent in Science 2023. 

The paper summarizing this study was published in Environmental Pollution and was presented by Dr Tina Kosjek at the National ARIS Day 2023 event on November 21, 2023.

The study features an innovative in-house developed high-throughput workflow for non-targeted analysis applicable for large-scale population studies. The study reports the extent of exposure of Slovenian children to variety of chemicals, including pesticides, plasticizers, personal care products and chemicals not yet reported in literature, which raises concern for health effects of children. Comparison of seasons and locations further examines the dynamics and complexity of human exposure to chemicals, indicating a seasonal and location-wise variability. The study is currently one of a few studies successfully applying non-targeted analysis to study exposure to chemicals in human biological samples.