Maria Teresa Moreira

• Doctor of Engineering
• Professor at University of Santiago de Compostela

Emerging pharmaceutical contaminants in wastewater are a significant concern, especially those extensively consumed during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to identify in Nexapa River the following pharmaceuticals used in COVID-19 treatment: acetaminophen, albendazole, chloroquine, dexamethasone, diclofenac, hydroxychloroquine, and ivermectin...

The depletion of fossil resources and climate change is already a fact that entails a great concern among the population. Efforts to search for renewable resource alternatives with low environmental impact is now a priority for authorities, industries and society in general. Added to this, there is the problem of the high demand for goods and servi...

The increase in the consumption of food products and the management of food waste have endangered the sustainability of the food sector. The need to move forward on the European bioeconomy requires to evaluate waste valorization strategies, to convert a non-valorized resource into a high-added value production in the market. In this regard, the foc...

Marine algae are considered promising resources both at present and in the near future. Their availability, together with their molecular structure and properties, increases their applicability in various sectors: food and feed, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and bioenergy. However, the "bio" qualification does not always imply a lower impact compared...

The valorization of sewage sludge and food waste to produce energy and fertilizers is a well-stablished strategy within the circular economy. Despite the success of numerous laboratory-scale experiments in converting waste into high-value products such as volatile fatty acids (VFAs), large-scale implementation remains limited due to various technic...

Proper waste management is a key element in the transition to a sustainable bioeconomy. Population growth and the demand for food and services have led to an ever-increasing production of biotic waste whose disposal in landfills is no longer considered a sustainable option. For this reason, efforts are being made to find an appropriate management s...

The transition to a sustainable bioeconomy requires the development of advanced materials with improved functional properties, in particular bio-based products that could have a low environmental impact. Chitosan, derived from crustacean chitin, is a biodegradable biopolymer with multiple applications in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food sector...

Biocatalytic degradation of micropollutants has been extensively explored in both batch and membrane reactors in μg/L to mg/L concentrations and variable water compositions. The degradation of micropollutants by biocatalytic membranes at environmentally relevant concentrations of ng/L range found in natural surface water matrices has not yet been i...

The combination of techno-economic process modelling and life cycle assessment is an integrated methodology that addresses quantitative operational data, and evaluates the emissions associated with any process under development. In particular, the valorisation of waste streams within the context of the circular economy could be considered a valid a...

The oxidative capacity of ozone makes it a highly effective biocide, widely used in the food and processing industry, as well as in drinking water plants. In a context of tighter restrictions on the use of synthetic plant protection products at the regulatory level, wineries are looking for alternative methods to control diseases, making the applic...

The European Bioeconomy Strategy aims to accelerate the deployment of a sustainable European bioeconomy to maximize its contribution to the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as well as to the Paris Agreement on climate change. In this context, transport is considered as a key sector, with aviation and shipping playing an imp...

The application of the Safe-and-Sustainable-by-Design (SSbD) framework to emerging technologies (i.e. chemicals, bio-based products and other related materials manufacturing processes) faces significant challenges due to the limited data availability of these processes and because their level of optimization and implementation is less developed com...

An appropriate food model should move towards sustainable food systems that promote healthy food choices. Current food systems have a significant impact on the health of people and the planet and guide producer decisions and consumer food choices not only in households but also in the HORECA (HOtels, REstaurants and CAtering) sector. This work uses...

Nowadays, food production systems play a relevant role as the steady increase of global population and food demand. The water-energy-food (WEF) nexus is a suitable approach to tackle resources management associated with these three pillars recognizing synergies and trade-offs. Different approaches have been used in the literature to measure the WEF...

The food industry requires new production models that include more environmentally friendly waste management practices, considering that the environmental loads of solid waste and wastewater associated with this sector cause damage to the receiving ecosystems. The approach considered in this study focuses on the design and environmental assessment...

In the transition towards climate neutrality, biorefinery models are considered promising alternatives to processes based on fossil fuels and non-renewable materials. This consideration is attributed to the reduction of dependence on non-renewable systems, in line with greener and lower impact technological strategies. However, they imply a profoun...

One of the main hotspots in the agricultural sector is related to the extensive use of fertilizers and pesticides, which leads to direct environmental impacts, such as eutrophication, and indirect ones, such as the energy demand associated with their production. Faced with these limitations, the use of biostimulants has emerged as a suitable and ef...

Anaerobic treatment of domestic wastewater has been recognized as a feasible technology to reduce energy demand from the valorization of streams with high-organic load. However, there are many factors that influence the environmental and economic profiles of the process, such as the effluent pollutant load, operating temperature and methane emissio...

The main challenge in wastewater treatment is changing the perception of wastewater as a waste product to be treated or disposed of, and instead seeing it as a source of energy and other valuable byproducts. This approach is in line with the basic principles of a circular economy, which replaces the ‘end-of-life’ concept with reducing, reusing, rec...

The livestock sector plays an essential role in anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, where fodder crop production has been largely identified as the main contributor to their environmental impact. This research evaluates the attributional environmental impacts of introducing food industry subproducts such as apple and olive pomaces to reduce the...

There is an urgent need to switch from fossil to bio-based fuels in the transport sector, particularly in shipping and aviation. The growth of the world's population has resulted in a significant impact on passenger transport, with a noticeable increase in greenhouse gas emissions, depletion of fossil resources and associated risks in all three pil...

Importance The universal call to action for healthier and more sustainable dietary choices is the framework of the United Nations’s Sustainable Development Goals. The Atlantic diet, originating from the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, represents an example of a traditional diet that aligns with these principles. Objective To explore a 6-month...

By 2050, food production's environmental impacts are projected to double without intervention. Crucial changes in dietary habits are needed, and seafood can be pivotal. The focus in calculating burdens using life cycle assessment (LCA) indicators has shifted towards exploring interconnections within the Water-Energy-Food (WEF) nexus. Addressing thi...

The presence of organic micropollutants in water bodies represents a threat to living organisms and ecosystems due to their toxicological effects and recalcitrance in conventional wastewater treatments. In this context, the application of heterogeneous photo-Fenton based on magnetite nanoparticles supported on mesoporous silica (SBA15) is proposed...

The agri-food industry creates a vast amount of waste each year. This is not just a problem for waste management, in terms of finding space to store waste and preventing escape of harmful waste into the environment; it also represents a loss of resources: the chemicals and energy which have gone into the production of this waste. If current waste s...

The agri-food industry creates a vast amount of waste each year. This is not just a problem for waste management, in terms of finding space to store waste and preventing escape of harmful waste into the environment; it also represents a loss of resources: the chemicals and energy which have gone into the production of this waste. If current waste s...

Energy transition has implications not only for economic growth and social welfare but also for the planet. It is therefore important to provide a framework of quantifying how this transition might affect these aspects from a triple perspective. In this regard, an in-depth and critical analysis of the available reports, policy frameworks and initia...

Biomass is one of the renewable resources with the greatest potential, not only because of the possibility of energy recovery but also because of its content in components of interest. In this context, the regions of Galicia and Portugal have large areas of land dedicated to forestry, agriculture and livestock, and the large amount of waste generat...

Innovation in digitalization and low-carbon technologies are leading the way for the production sector. In the context of the bioeconomy, a path is opening up for the integration of bio-based processes into the value chain as alternative production schemes to fossil fuel-based production models, although process modeling and optimization is needed...

One of the most promising alternatives to face the environmental deterioration and handling of waste is the development of biotechnological processes. In this context, the winemaking process of red grapes gives rise to waste streams whose properties are suitable for the biotechnological production of high-value-added products, such as resveratrol,...

The occurrence of antibiotics in surface waters is an alarming issue that can be addressed by advanced wastewater treatment technologies. Among them, enzymatic treatment is an emerging technology claimed to provide prospective benefits in terms of efficiency, controllability, and safety. This review illustrates the current state of research focused...

Resveratrol, a natural organic polyhydroxyphenolic compound, has gained significant attention in the last years given its potential health benefits, including antioxidant, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammatory properties. It can be directly extracted from plants, vegetables, and related products and waste resources, but also chemically/enzymatically/m...

Moving from the linear production model to the circular economy approach is the main concern of the EU Circular Economy Action Plan. Population growth coupled with high demand for goods has led to a significant increase in solid waste, especially food waste, triggering the depletion of natural resources and the environmental burdens associated to t...

The conditions of social distancing and home confinement imposed to contain the outbreak of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (COVID-19) pandemic have changed the dietary patterns and lifestyle of society. These changes have had significant consequences not only for our personal well-being but also for the health of the planet. In...

The overexploitation of resources, the increase of the world population and the trend of consumption based on “use and throw away” is causing an increasing pressure on waste management. In this sense, it is necessary to promote sustainable practices in the valorization of waste streams as a strategy for the co-production of bioproducts and bioenerg...

Wheat plays an essential role in safeguarding global food security. However, its intensive agricultural production, aimed at maximizing crop yields and associated economic benefits, jeopardizes many ecosystem services and the economic stability of farmers. Rotations with leguminous are recognized as a promising strategy in favor of sustainable agri...

It is expected that the potential of biorefineries will continue to grow in the coming years, so that their development can be beneficial for promoting economic, environmental and social welfare, in accordance with the pillars of sustainable development. In this sense, it is necessary to ensure the effective implementation of these emerging biorefi...

Unspecific peroxygenase (UPO) presents a wide range of biotechnological applications. This study targets the use of by-products from bioethanol synthesis to produce UPO by Agrocybe aegerita. Solid-state and submerged fermentations (SSF and SmF) were evaluated, achieving the highest titers of UPO and laccase in SmF using vinasse as nutrients source....

Soil plays an essential role as a habitat, source of nutrients and support for vegetation. Promoting food security and environmental sustainability of agricultural systems requires an integrated approach to soil fertility management. Agricultural activities should be developed with preventive approaches aimed at avoiding or reducing negative impact...

Advanced oxidation processes such as Fenton reaction-based processes have attracted great interest in recent years as a promising alternative for the removal of persistent pollutants in wastewater. The use of nanocatalysts in advanced oxidation processes overcomes the limitations of homogeneous Fenton processes, where acidic pH values are required,...

The bioeconomy is positioned as a sustainable pathway to address the climate crisis and decrease the consumption of fossil resources. Life cycle methodologies are recognised as useful tools for assessing sustainability issues of production and consumption patterns. Nevertheless, the Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA) methodology is less explored...

Sustainability assessment should be considered as a decision-making framework for the development of circular processes. Techno-economic, environmental and social metrics should be integrated and interrelated (e.g., through life-cycle costing) to achieve sustainable and circular processes. Industrial symbiosis is a key strategy that promotes the ph...

Looking for renewable energy sources is one of the main targets in the transition to low-carbon economies. Bioenergy appears as an alternative with great potential, but firstly, it requires addressing all aspects that can limit its environmental viability. Stillage has been identified as an environmental concern of the bioethanol production. Thus,...

Cow milk is a fundamental nutrients source for the human diet at all stages of life. However, the decline in cow milk consumption over the years has been driven by increased consumer awareness of animal welfare and the environmental burdens associated. In this regard, different initiatives have emerged to mitigate the impacts of livestock farming,...

Indicators from life cycle assessment methodologies (i.e., footprints) have emerged as useful tools for identifying and communicating the environmental impacts of a system thanks to they are accessible and intuitive and easy to understand to non-expert public. However, the focus on a single environmental problem is one of their main drawbacks. From...

Electrochemical oxidation of lignin has been widely regarded as a clean and reliable alternative to obtain value-added products from lignin, such as vanillin or guaiacol. This work aims to go one step beyond the production of low molecular weight molecules and explore the possibility of using lignin residues from electrochemical treatments in the c...

Beyond the commercial exploitation of macroalgae as food and as a source of phycocolloids, this bioresource could represent a third-generation feedstock to obtain a wide range of bioactive compounds as well as biostimulants and bioenergy from biomass valorization. However, seaweed biorefineries are less advanced than those based on terrestrial biom...

Cyanobacteria have long attracted market interest as a source of natural compounds such as pigments with proven bioactivity (carotenoid and phycobiliproteins). The cultivation and extraction processes for such compounds have been developed at different levels, from laboratory trials to photobioreactors on a demonstration scale. Based on this experi...

The definition of the term gastronomy encompasses both the knowledge of food and its handling, preparation and consumption. Beyond a sense of cultural identity and tradition, gastronomy also represents a pole of tourist attraction. This is the case of Galicia, a region in north-western Spain. Within this framework, local dishes, which include disti...

The unprecedented crisis associated with the COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact of planetary magnitude on the socioeconomic development of society. COVID-19 has put the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at risk. In particular, productive activities for food provision must address the degree of compliance with SDGs 6 (Clean Wa...

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The Sustainable Development Goals defined by the United Nations established a roadmap on the way to a sustainable society based on a circular economy in which the residual fractions of process streams emerge as raw materials for the provision of material goods and services. In this context, the approach of biorefineries as the technological scheme...

The need to improve current wastewater treatments to ensure a clean and sustainable water supply is an unquestionable contemporary challenge. It is therefore essential to facilitate knowledge transfer between research institutions and the industry by developing novel technologies to a proof-of-concept stage, demonstrating both treatment efficiency...

Seaweeds represent a diverse and valuable source of cosmetic compounds such as vitamins, minerals, trace elements, amino acids, antioxidants, etc., with moisturizing, anti-inflammatory, and regenerative effects. The so-called “blue cosmetics” represent a line of products related to the use of natural active ingredients and an important market share...

A sustainable city implies socio-economic characteristics that allow citizens to maintain a certain quality of life. However, the effect of overtourism in some tourist cities negatively affects the community. In this study, a methodology was developed to analyze how tourism affects the way of life of residents in Santiago de Compostela. This work a...

The effects of climate change and water scarcity on food security in Latin America and the prevalence of metabolic risk factors that increase the likelihood of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among Chilean citizens are considered two significant challenges. The 2020 Sustainable Development Goals Report shows that an increasing number of people are...

Bioethanol production technologies from lignocellulosic biomass are not yet optimized and do not compete economically with first-generation bioethanol production. Strategies have been investigated to produce more active, stable and temperature-tolerant enzymes to be used for biomass hydrolysis such as the hyperthermophilic β-glucosidase produced by...

Climate change and water scarcity are clearly related environmental problems, making them global environmental issues. Accordingly, the water cycle management deserves a revision in its approach, integrating the concept of circular economy within an efficient and sustainable management of water resources and the design of wastewater facilities. In...

The current energy and environmental crisis, linked to increasing industrialisation, has progressively driven the adoption of solutions focused on circular life cycle thinking, such as waste management with resource recovery and decarbonization of technologies. In this context, this study was built to quantify the environmental performance of a two...

The role of the bioeconomy based on the use of renewable resources and also on the valorization of bio-based waste could contribute to a higher degree of sustainability. In this sense, biobased processes and products should exhibit values for indicators that demonstrate and outperform their competing counterparts. To this end, it is essential to ap...

The valorization of agro-industrial waste streams and residues for the production of antioxidant compounds is a good strategy for circular economy approaches. However, to demonstrate its suitability and operational feasibility, it is necessary to develop environmental assessments to ensure the effectiveness of the production strategy. In this sense...

Moving toward a bioeconomy system is fundamental to climate change mitigation, nevertheless, the biotechnological routes should guarantee an environmental sustainability. Isobutene, a precursor in several industrial applications, is one of those chemicals that the environmental effects of its bio-based production have been scarcely explored. This s...

Crop rotation represents a potentially sustainable strategy to address environmental problems of intensive agricultural practices, such as soil degradation, biodiversity reduction, and greenhouse gas emissions. This manuscript assesses the environmental and economic implications of introducing lupin cultivation into winter wheat-based rotation syst...

The adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development must address the balance between sustainable growth and tackling climate change. In this context, forests can help to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, unfortunately, equivalent solutions in the ocean are often overlooked. Moreover, the complexity in determining the real impact of fis...

The new consumption patterns based on the “use and throw away” trend has led to an increase in the production of petroleum-based plastics for their application as food packaging films, leading to significant environmental impacts. In the search for alternatives to conventional plastics, polylactic acid (PLA) stands out due to its renewable origin,...

In north-western Spain, the cultivation of wheat landraces represents the pillar of quality Galician bread; today, a minimum of 25% Galician flour is required to produce bread under the auspices of the Protected Geographical Indication “Pan Galego”. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the rotation of two wheat landraces—‘...

Bio-based adhesives offer a sustainable alternative to formaldehyde-based adhesives, which is the most common product applied in wood-based panel manufacturing. Despite the undeniable interest in lignin as a bulk chemical for the synthesis of bio-based adhesives, the main problem is its low reactivity. Therefore, it is crucial to study techniques t...

Bioethanol production from lignocellulosic biomass requires cellulose attack, which can be carried out by enzymes, such as β-glucosidase. The production of the enzyme by Yarrowia lipolytica offers as a major sustainable advantage, as it can be produced from glycerol (Shaikh et al. 2021, Abdellaa et al. 2016, Rywińska et al. 2013). Thus, the use of...

Crop diversification, as a sustainable land management practice, is a potential strategy to face soil degradation, climate change and food security, being the incorporation of legumes in cereal rotation systems, a strategy that improves soil nutrient levels. In a context of sustainable agriculture, this manuscript aims to evaluate the effect of lup...

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The immediate need to build resilient food systems with lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and protection of water resources is a global challenge. To address this, the EAT-Lancet Commission described the global reference diet with principles of nutritional quality and environmental sustainability. With this in mind, the carbon and water footprin...

Interest in the development of biorefineries and biotechnological processes based on renewable resources has multiplied in recent years. This driving force is the result of the availability of lignocellulosic biomass and the range of applications that arise from its use and valorization. The approach of second-generation sugars from lignocellulosic...