Lúcia Santos

Senior Researcher

Research group: Environmental Sciences and Technology

Academic position: Assistant Professor (FEUP)

Background: PhD in Chemistry from the Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal

Major research topics

• Environment, Food, cosmetics and health areas
• Studies of microencapsulation and controlled release (food  and cosmetics)
• Valorization Strategy of Agro-Industrial By-Products
• Study of methodologies for the degradation/removal of persistent pollutants and pharmaceutical compounds in the environment, as well as of emergent compounds (PPCPs)
• Determination of veterinary antibiotics, UV Filters Musks  and Parabens in aquatic environment and solid matrices (eg . sludge, soils, plants and vegetables)
• Development of analytical methods (GC-MS , and LC-MS) and extraction / pre-concentration (SPME , SPE, MW, of US-DLLME and SDE ) in environmental, food and cosmetic samples

Selected Publications

Paulo, F., L. Santos. 2018. "Inclusion of hydroxytyrosol in ethyl cellulose microparticles: In vitro release studies under digestion conditions".  Food Hydrocolloids 84:104-116. doi:10.1016/j.foodhyd.2018.06.009

Costa, R., L. Santos. 2017. "Delivery systems for cosmetics - From manufacturing to the skin of natural antioxidants".  Powder Technology 322:402-416. doi:10.1016/j.powtec.2017.07.086

Ferreira, S.M., Santos, L. 2022. “From by-product to functional ingredient: incorporation of avocado peel extract as an antioxidant and antibacterial agent”. Innovative Food Science and Emerging Technologies. doi: 10.1016/j.ifset.2022.103116

Carvalho, I. T., L. Santos. 2016. "Antibiotics in the aquatic environments: A review of the European scenario".  Environment International 94:736-757. doi:10.1016/j.envint.2016.06.025.

Ferreira, S. M., Gomes, S., Santos, L. 2023. “A novel approach in skin care: by-products extracts as natural UV filters and an alternative to synthetic ones”, Molecules, 28(5), 2037. doi: 10.3390/molecules28052037

Selected Projects

“Microencapsulation of Moringa Oleifera extracts and its application in functionalfoods to mitigate chlldren mainutrition in developing countries” (MORfood) funded by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia. Beginning: 2022. Duration: 36 months. Role: Principal investigator at FEUP.

"Evaluation of pine contamination by emerging pollutants" (SAFEPINE), funded by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia. Beginning: 2010. Duration: 42 months. Role: Principal investigator.

“From spectra to formulas” (Finnee), funded by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia. Beginning: 2018. Duration: 36 months. Role: Co Principal investigator