Collegio futuro winter school 2026, workshop III Soil pollution in times of climate change
Climate change is reshaping how pollutants behave in soils and ecosystems. In this workshop participants will discuss how shifting temperatures, rainfall, and land use influence contaminant dynamics, with implications for environmental health and sustainability.
The study of soil contamination within the context of climate change is crucial for understanding the processes that regulate the health of terrestrial ecosystems. Rising temperatures linked with altered precipitation patterns and changes in soil use can affect the fate of contaminants adsorbed or trapped in the soil, such as trace elements, persistent organic compounds and different emerging contaminants, thereby changing their bioavailability. These processes can negatively affect the quality of the soil and water, as well as the biodiversity. Moreover, climate change can modify biogeochemical cycles, potentially amplifying or mitigating the effects of pollutants towards organisms. For these reasons, understanding the fate of pollutants in a climate change context is crucial for assessing environmental risks and developing effective management and/or mitigation strategies to protect terrestrial ecosystems and human health.
Supervision:
Prof. Marco Parolini, University of Milan
Prof. Luigi Orsi, University of Milan
Marco Parolini obtained his Master’s degree (cum laude) in Analysis and Management of Natural Environments at the University of Milan, where he also received his Ph.D. in Biological Science in 2010. Since 2020, he is Associate Professor of Ecology at the Department of Environmental Science and Policy of the University of Milan. His research activity is mainly focused on ecotoxicology, whereby his interests are focused on the monitoring of the presence, the distribution, the fate and the toxicity of both legacy and emerging contaminants in environmental matrices from terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
Luigi Orsi serves as an Associate Professor at the University of Milan's Department of Environmental Science and Policy, where he lectures on Environmental Accounting and Management. He earned his PhD in Corporate Finance and Management from the same university. His scientific pursuits lie in innovation and green technology management, focusing primarily on patent intelligence and strategic alliances. More recently, his work has expanded to encompass sustainable supply chain studies.
