Matti T Leppänen

MattiLeppänen
 

Senior Research Scientist

PhD

Contact information

Email: firstname.t.lastname@syke.fi
Tel. +358 295 251 368

Finnish Environment Institute (Syke)
Research infrastructure
Environmental impacts
Survontie 9A, FI-40500 Jyväskylä

Tasks

 I work as an ecotoxicologist in the Environmental impacts –group where the major tasks relate to biotesting of environmental samples and chemicals, expert guidance for our environmental administration (local and central) and research in aquatic environment. We use standard in vivo and in vitro biotests as effect-based methods in research projects but also in commercial orders. The major matrix is aquatic but also extracts of all kind of solid samples are in program. My role in central environmental administration also requires method development and duties in standardization organizations and quality assurance work.

International activities

  • National coordinator in the OECD Test Guideline programme (OECD)
  • National coordinator of the EU Test Methods
  • Member of the Nordic cooperation group in chemical test methods (Nordisk koordinering for Udvikling af Testmetoder inden for Toksikologi og Økotoksikologi, NordUTTE)
  • Member of the ISO/TC 147 Water Quality SC5 Biological methods (National chair 2020-)
  • Member of the CEN/TC 230 Water analysis WG2 Biological methods co-ordination group
  • Member of the SETAC Metals Interest Group steering committee 
  • Editorial Board Member of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry

Background

Before I joined SYKE 2012 I did research and teaching in University of Joensuu/Eastern Finland starting as a PhD student (1995) and going through the whole academic career ending up to university researcher and acting professor in ecotoxicology (-2012). The major interest were in aquatic and sediment toxicology and food web bioaccumulation.

Major interests

  • Bioavailability and effects of metals and organic chemicals (especially EDCs) in ecosystems
  • Assessment and determination of Environmental Quality Standards (EQS) in the WFD implementation
  • Development and application of effect-based methods (EBMs) for Finnish aquatic ecosystems
  • The role of WWTPs in environmental contamination – Combining effect-based methods with hydrodynamic distribution models
  • Risk assessment of sediment associated contaminants
  • Use and development of passive sampling devices and EBMs for assessing environmental contamination
  • Developing passive sampling materials for air sampling using drones
  • Bringing hydrodynamic distribution models into aquatic ecotoxicology
  • The role of harmful contaminants in circular economy – recycling and chemicals; a problem?

Recent research projects and reports (2020-)

  • Are the Biotic Ligand Models (BLM) suitable for assessing the ecological risk of metals in Nordic freshwaters? (BLMNordic) Phase 2 (WCA Environment UK)
  • Mixture effects of endocrine disrupters in aquatic environment (Ministry of Environment/Syke)
  • Sustainable risk assessment of contaminated sediments (Ministry of Environment/Syke)
  • Significance of sulfate in soft freshwater: Determination of PNEC value (Industry)
  • Significance of sulfate in brackish water: Determination of PNEC value (Industry)
  • Remediation of surface waters of city of Oulu: Study of urban runoffs (City of Oulu)
  • Towards sustainable circular economy: Management of herbicides in recycled fertilizers and growth substrates (Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry)
  • Status of chemical emissions via WWTP effluents and impact in the Baltic Sea catchment (Nordic Council of Ministries)
  • Pikeperch in Lake Pyhäjärvi – Are endocrine disrupters affecting reproduction of pikeperch and other species? (Kone foundation)
  • Chemical warfare agents in the Baltic Sea: Toxicity of biotransformation products (The Academy of Finland)
  • Harmful chemicals in surface waters – Suggesting changes to the Hazardous chemicals in aquatic environment act (Ministry of Environment/Syke)

Publications

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Research Gate

Published 2019-07-05 at 12:28, updated 2023-02-23 at 14:41

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