Mira Petrovic

Institut Català de Recerca de l'Aigua

Experimental Sciences & Mathematics

ICREA Research Professor since December 2005. PhD in Chemistry (1995), Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, University of Zagreb, Croatia. From 1999-2011 research scientist at the Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institute for Environmental Assessment and Water Studies (IDAEA-CSIC), Barcelona. Since July 2011 senior researcher at the Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Girona, Spain. At ICRA she is responsible for the research line "Pollutants in wastewater". She has participated in 16 EU projects since 1999; published 180 papers in SCI journals (Hirsch Index 57); edited 7 books and published 36 book chapters. Coordinator of a MSCA EID project TreatREC (H2020).


Research interests

My main expertise is in the field of analytical environmental chemistry, specifically analysis of trace organic contaminants, such as pharmaceuticals, endocrine disrupting compounds and surfactants by advanced mass spectrometric techniques (liquid chromatography-tandem and hybrid MS) and the study of their fate and behaviour in the aquatic environment and during wastewater and drinking water treatment. Specific research lines are: (i) non-target analysis and fingerprinting of organic substances in wastewater and receiving environment, (ii) the study of biotic and abiotic transformation of emerging contaminants, identification of transformation products, elucidation of transformation pathways; (iii) the study of occurrence and distribution of emerging contaminants in aquatic environment and environmental risk assessment and (iv) sustainable wastewater management; application of innovative wastewater treatment technologies; innovative practices for reuse of reclaimed waters.

Selected publications

- Čelić M, Insa S, Škrbić B & Petrović M 2017, 'Development of a sensitive and robust online dual column liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for the analysis of natural and synthetic estrogens and their conjugates in river water and wastewater', Anal. Bioanal. Chem., 409, 5427-5440  

- Mandaric L, Diamantini E, Stella E, Cano-Paoli K, Valle-Sistac J, Molins-Delgado D, Bellin A, Chiogna G, Majone B, Diaz-Cruz MS, Sabater S, Barcelo D & Petrovic M 2017, 'Contamination sources and distribution patterns of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in Alpine rivers strongly affected by tourism', Sci.Total Environ., 590, 484 - 494.

- von Schiller D, Acuna V, Aristi I, Arroita M, Basaguren A, Bellin A, Boyero L, Butturini A, Ginebreda A, Kalogianni E, Larranaga A, Majone B, Martinez A, Monroy S, Munoz I, Paunovic M, Pereda O, Petrovic M, Pozo J, Rodriguez-Mozaz S, Rivas D, Sabater S, Sabater F, Skoulikidis N, Solagaistua L, Vardakas L & Elosegi A 2017, 'River ecosystem processes: A synthesis of approaches, criteria of use and sensitivity to environmental stressors', Sci.Total Environ., 596, 465 - 480.

- Boy-Roura M, Mas-Pla J, Petrovic M, Gros M, Soler D, Brusi D & Mencio A 2017, 'Towards the understanding of antibiotic occurrence and transport in groundwater: Findings from the Baix Fluvia alluvial aquifer (NE Catalonia, Spain)', Sci.Total Environ., 612, 1387 - 1406.

- Verlicchi P, Barcelò D, Mutavdžić Pavlović D, Papa M, Petrović M, Voulvolis N & Zambello E  2017, 'The impact and risks of micropollutants in the environment', in Lema JM & Suarez S  (Eds) Innovative Wastewater Treatment & Resource Recovery Technologies: Impacts on Energy, Economy and Environment, IWA Publishing, London, UK. pp 510-533.


Selected research activities

Editor-in-chief of Trends in Environmental Analytical Chemistry (Elsevier)