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UCT PragueFETDepartment of Environmental Chemistry Research Research Groups at the Department Emerging Contaminants Treatment Research Group
 

Our research focuses on identifying and solving problems associated with emerging contaminants that threaten not only the quality of the environment, especially water resources, but also human health. As environmental engineers, we connect the latest scientific knowledge with practice and the development of innovative advanced technologies for the sustainable elimination of these contaminants.

We also study their fate, transport, and transformation in the environment. Part of our approach includes ecotoxicity tests, which allow us to assess the impacts of these substances on ecosystems and ensure that the proposed solutions are not only effective but also environmentally friendly.

 
 

Research Areas

Emerging contaminants, their occurrence and transformation in the environment

  • Benzophenone-type UV filters and other personal care products
  • Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and other emerging POPs
  • Pharmaceuticals, e.g., analgesics, anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), or hormones
  • Transformation processes in the environment, decontamination in industry

Modern advanced oxidation processes (AOPs)

  • Removal of organic pollutants from wastewater using AOPs
  • Homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis, sulfate and hydroxyl radical reactions, photochemistry, microwave chemistry
  • Study of contaminant degradation mechanisms, optimization of process parameters
  • Technology development and scale-up to industrial scale

In-situ chemical oxidation and reduction

  • Application of oxidizing and redox agents into the geological environment for the remediation of contaminated sites
  • Degradation of recalcitrant contaminants (e.g., chlorinated hydrocarbons, PAHs)
  • Fate of agents in the geological environment (stability, transport) and minimization of side effects on ecosystems
  • Numerical process simulations, model validation

Ecotoxicity Assessment

  • Ecotoxicity assessment of degradation products from the transformation of organic pollutants
  • Leaching tests and ecotoxicity assessment of secondary raw materials (waste glass, slag)
  • Study of changes in the bioavailability of hazardous elements from construction mixtures containing recycled materials

Group Projects

Ongoing

  • FW10010458: NanoFe Catalytic Reactor for the Removal of Pharmaceuticals from Wastewater with Online Monitoring and Data Evaluation (2024-2026)
  • GA26-23628S: Mechanistic and Optimization Studies of Antiviral Drug Degradation in Water via Unactivated, Thermal, and Halide-Mediated Advanced Oxidation Processes (2026-2028)

Completed

  • GA23-05901S: Degradation of benzophenone-type UV filters in aqueous solutions using peroxydisulfate (2023-2025)
  • FW01010563: NNanostructured catalysts for advanced decontamination processes (2020-2023)
  • TJ01000148: Train technology development for the removal of chlorinated ethylenes from the subsurface (2018-2019)
  • TA04020435: Development and verification of technology for site remediation intensification (2015-2017)
  • TA04021132: Methodology and equipment for hot water infiltration within the remediation survey (2014-2016)

Recent Publications (Last 5 Years)

  • Těšínská, P., Škarohlíd, R., Loos, A., Němcová, N., Šturmová, R., Navrátilová, M., Činčura, M., Kostrakiewicz, R., Michalcová, A., McGachy, L. (2026). Fe(II)/CA versus S-nZVI for peroxydisulfate activation: A comparative study on the removal of benzophenone-1 from water matrices. Emerging Contaminants, 100651. DOI: 10.1016/j.emcon.2026.100651.
  • McGachy, L., Škarohlíd, R., Těšínská, P., Loos, A., Melliti, A., Mocová, K. A., Kulda, T., Navrátilová, M., Vazdar, M., Vazdar, K., Kosina, J., Tarabek, J. (2026). Elucidation of pH-Dependent Pathways for Benzophenone 1 Transformation by Heat-Activated Peroxydisulfate: A Combined Mechanistic and Environmental Assessment. ACS ES&T Water, 6(1). DOI: 10.1021/acsestwater.5c01079.
  • Mocová, K. A., Petrová, Š., Řehák, K., Kujalová, H., Dibdiaková, M., Soudek, P. (2026). High, Buffered pH as the Primary Driver of Ecotoxicity in Construction and Demolition Waste (CDW) Leachates. WATER AIR AND SOIL POLLUTION, 237(9), 552. DOI: 10.1007/s11270-026-09237-2.
  • Rippelová, V., McGachy, L. (2025). Odhad sorpčního koeficientu na základě obsahu organického uhlíku a půdní textury. Chemické listy, 119(9), 526–532. DOI: 10.54779/chl20250526.
  • Desmarais, M., Fraraccio, S., Rídl, J., Šuman, J., Perez-Potti, A., Dawson, K. A., Dolinová, I., McGachy, L., Hradilová, M., Ševců, A., Strejček, M., Uhlík, O. (2025). Phenol-driven cometabolic degradation of cis-1,2-dichloroethene (cDCE): insights from Acinetobacter pittii and Ectopseudomonas alcaliphila. Environmental Sciences Europe, 37(1), 196. DOI: 10.1186/s12302-025-01237-z.
  • Kroužek, J., Rippelová, V., McGachy, L., Škarohlíd, R., Hendrych, J., Mašín, P. (2025). Microwave-enhanced catalytic oxidation of VOCs: from lab-scale optimization to pilot-scale industrial application. Results in Engineering, 28(December 2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.rineng.2025.108096.
  • McGachy, L., Sedlak, D. (2024). From Theory to Practice: Leveraging Chemical Principles To Improve the Performance of Peroxydisulfate-Based In Situ Chemical Oxidation of Organic Contaminants. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, 58(1), 17-32. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c07409.
  • Těšínská, P., Škarohlíd, R., Kroužek, J., McGachy, L. (2024). Environmental fate of organic UV filters: Global occurrence, transformation, and mitigation via advanced oxidation processes. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION, 363(1). DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.125134.
  • Rippelová, V., McGachy, L., Janků, J., Kroužek, J. (2024). Estimating Tetrachloroethene Sorption Coefficients Based on Soil Properties in Organic-Poor Soils. Applied Sciences-Basel, 2024(14), 11761. DOI: 10.3390/app142411761.
  • McGachy, L., Kroužek, J., Škarohlíd, R. (2024). PERZISTENTNÍ ORGANICKÉ LÁTKY PFAS: VÝZVY, DOPADY A LEGISLATIVNÍ OPATŘENÍ. CHEMICKE LISTY, 118(12), 639−644. DOI: 10.54779/chl20240639.
  • Škarohlíd, R., Kraljic, D., Suchan, J., Kühnl, K., Hanzlová, B., Těšínská, P., Kholomyeva, M., Martinec, M., Michalcová, A., McGachy, L. (2024). Overlooked effects of chlorides and bicarbonates on the intensity of peroxydisulfate activation in Fe(II)/citric acid-S2O82- process. Environmental Technology & Innovation, 35. DOI: 10.1016/j.eti.2024.103687.
  • McGachy, L., Škarohlíd, R., Kostrakiewicz, R., Kühnl, K., Těšínská, P., Müllerová, B., Šír, M., Martinec, M. (2024). Peroxydisulfate Persistence in ISCO for Groundwater Remediation: Temperature Dependence, Batch/Column Comparison, and Sulfate Fate. Water, 16(24). DOI: 10.3390/w16243552.
  • McGachy, L., Škarohlíd, R., Rošková, Z. (2022). Siderophores: an alternative bioremediation strategy?. Science of the Total Environment, 819, 153144. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153144.
  • McGachy, L., Škarohlíd, R., Martinec, M., Rošková, Z., Šmrhová, T., Strejček, M., Uhlík, O., Marek, J. (2021). Effect of chelated iron activated peroxydisulfate oxidation on perchloroethene-degrading microbial consortium. Chemosphere, 266(1289282). DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.128928.