I SEMINARI DEL DCCI
Ocean in Danger: The Global Crisis of Chemical Pollution

Martedì 21 Aprile 2026 ore 14:30 Aula 1 DCCI

Professor Renato Carreira,
Head of the Department of Chemistry at the Pontifical 
Catholic University (PUC-Rio) University of Rio (Brazil)

Ocean in Danger: The Global Crisis of Chemical Pollution addresses one of the most pressing 
environmental issues of the twenty-first century: the progressive contamination of the oceans by 
synthetic chemicals and persistent waste. Industrial development, urban expansion, intensive 
agriculture, and modern consumption patterns have greatly increased pollutant emissions into marine 
systems. Today, substances such as PFAS (“forever chemicals”), hydrocarbons, pesticides, 
pharmaceuticals, and plastic residues can be detected from coastal zones to the open ocean, raising 
concerns about ecosystem integrity and long-term environmental quality.
In this talk, Professor Renato S. Carreira (PUC-Rio, Brazil) will present an accessible overview of how 
chemical pollution has intensified over recent decades, why many contaminants are difficult to control 
once released, and how current scientific knowledge helps us understand their global distribution and 
persistence. The discussion will also place marine pollution within the framework of planetary 
boundaries, where chemical pollution is represented by the boundary of novel entities—synthetic 
substances and materials capable of disrupting the Earth system beyond safe operating limits. Special 
attention will be given to PFAS and plastic pollution as emblematic examples of this broader globalcrisis affecting the marine environment.

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