Paula Sobral and Joana Antunes at the 1st National Health and Environment Congress
On February 7 and 8, 2025, the 1st National Congress on Health and Environment - For a healthy and sustainable future was held at Culturgest in Lisbon, organized by the Portuguese Council for Health and Environment (CPSA), and attended by MARE researchers Joana Antunes and Paula Sobral. 
Researcher Joana Antunes presented her doctoral thesis on the impacts of co-exposure to nanoplastics and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on human and environmental health, developed in collaboration with NOVA FCT and iMED, where it was shown that “exposure of cells to nanoplastics and PAHs (such as benzo[a]pyrene) together intensifies oxidative stress, causes DNA damage and alters the expression of genes associated with inflammation and detoxification processes”, common in tobacco smoke) together intensifies oxidative stress, causes DNA damage and alters the expression of genes associated with inflammatory and detoxification processes,” said Joana Antunes, who recently completed her PhD, a pioneer in Portugal in the area of nanoplastics.
Paula Sobral took part in the panel “Plastics in health and health in plastics”, which focused on the impact of plastics on health, in particular micro- and nano-plastics, and on the environment, since “a large part of health practices generate a large amount of plastic waste, and a large majority of this is not contaminated and could be sent for recycling, were it not for the classification of waste in force, which needs to be changed urgently”, she stressed. The panel also discussed aspects related to the feasibility of using biodegradable plastics, the lack of information on additives by the industry, and the sources of plastic in the environment and its removal, stressing the need for information sharing and collaborative work between all the players involved: from the industry to the consumer, the administration and academia.
The 1st National Congress on Health and the Environment brought together more than 130 speakers and around 700 participants from different professional fields such as scientific research, medicine, nursing, biology, nutrition, pharmaceuticals, psychology, engineering, among others, and offered a space for debate on the interconnection between health and the environment and the promotion of a healthier and more sustainable future, where different perspectives on these issues were shared, exploring how environmental problems affect human health and how we can collaborate to find sustainable solutions that benefit both people and the environment.
The event brought together more than 130 speakers and around 700 participants from various professional backgrounds, including doctors, nurses, nutritionists, pharmacists, psychologists, engineers and researchers, to debate the interconnection between health and the environment and promote a healthier and more sustainable future. The 1st National Health and Environment Congress represented a significant step forward in the integration of health and environment policies in Portugal, underlining the importance of a joint approach to tackling today's global challenges.