🌿 Spotlight on Dr. Merete Grung: A Leader in Environmental Chemistry and Toxicology 🌍
We’re proud to recognize Dr. Merete Grung, an esteemed organic chemist and certified toxicologist, whose career spans decades of impactful research and scientific leadership.
Dr. Grung earned her PhD in Chemistry from the Norwegian Institute of Technology in 1993 and became a certified toxicologist in 2011 (European Registered Toxicologist). From 2014 to 2021, she also served as Professor II in Toxicology at the Department of Biosciences at the University of Oslo. Since joining The Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA) in 2001, she has been at the forefront of research on environmental contaminants in aquatic environments and ecotoxicological risk assessment.
She is involved in many monitoring projects concerning contamintants on commission from Norwegian Environmental Agency; coastal monitoring, Urban Fjord, Reference rivers and lake monitoring. Her work also includes collaborative projects with the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, where she investigated the effects of road-derived contaminants and their potential bioaccumulation in organisms. She has also led significant studies on PFAS concentrations in water sources across Norway for Norsk Vann, revealing that while most sources had very low levels, higher concentrations were found near known PFAS sources.
Another key area of her research is the impact of pharmaceuticals on the environment. In fact, Dr. Grung published Norway’s first risk assessment of pharmaceuticals in 2008. More recently, she has collaborated with the Norwegian Institute of Public Health and other NIVA colleagues to estimate environmental concentrations of pharmaceuticals used in Norway. Additionally, her work with Ahus Hospital and the NRVA treatment plant involves closely monitoring pharmaceutical concentrations as they move from hospital environments, through treatment processes, and into the natural environment, assessing the associated risks.
Dr. Grung’s contributions extend to projects that apply critical regulatory frameworks, including the Water Framework Directive, the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive, the Drinking Water Directive, and REACH.
Her dedication and expertise continue to make a profound impact on environmental science and public health.
#EnvironmentalScience #Toxicology #PFAS #Pharmaceuticals #WaterQuality #Ecotoxicology #NIVA
