Recipharm International Environmental Award 2012 Won by Dr. Damia Barcelo

Recipharm AB has announced that the Recipharm International Environmental Award 2012 has been awarded to Dr. Damià Barceló, Director of the Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA) and research professor at the Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Studies (IDAEA).

The award is presented annually for the best environmental performance or environmental best practice and innovation by the pharmaceutical industry or the academic community.

Since Recipharm was founded in 1995, its commitment to environmental best practice has been a pivotal corporate mission.

The award justification:

Dr. Damià Barceló’s longstanding and highly recognized work has played a vital contribution in achieving a shift in the scientific community’s focus towards tackling emerging pollutants as these chemicals are harmful to mankind due to their persistence and continuous introduction.

Amongst Barceló’s main contributions are method development for pollutants, endocrine disruptors and pharmaceutical compounds.

Commenting on winning the award, Dr. Damià Barceló remarked: “I feel very honoured to receive such an accolade from within the pharmaceutical industry in recognition of research efforts devoted to first understanding and then minimizing the impact of pharmaceutical residues on the environment”.

Lars Backsell, Chairman of Recipharm, says that: “Dr Barceló’s important work in finding solutions for environmental problems in water and soil by new and innovative ways of method development and monitoring, gives an excellent and solid base for hands-on guidance for all interested parties - manufacturing industry, water treatment companies and authorities.”