Research Interests

• biogeochemistry and environmental fate of persistent organic pollutants (POPs)
• ecotoxicological impacts of environmental pollutants on organisms
• plastisphere ecology, including microbial communities associated with plastics and their role in pollutant transport and transformation

Research projects

• 2025 – NCN Opus; Threats hidden in biofilm: transfer of contaminants from the plastisphere to Baltic benthic organisms, project leader
• 2023-2026 – NCN BIODIVERSA+CALL 2021; New approaches in determining the impacts of chemical pollution to protect the biodiversity of the Baltic Sea; investigator
• 2017-2020 – NCN Preludium; Determination of the suspended matter role in the cycling of persistent organic pollutants in the Hornsund fjord (Spitsbergen); project leader
• 2016-2019 – NCN Opus; Transport pathways and accumulation history of heavy metals in two Spitsbergen fjords that are influenced by different environmental conditions, investigator
• 2013-2017 – Polish-Norway Grants; Climate change impact on ecosystem health – marine sediment indicators - CLISED”, investigator
• 2013-2015 – NCN Opus; Spatial variability of benthic trophic food webs - 4age; investigator

Publications:

1. Maes T., Lusher A.L., Pazdro K., Pouch A., Mazurkiewicz M., Hjelset S., Folbert M., Lagiewka K., 2026. Silent Spill - maritime microplastics from vessel coatings. Science of The Total Environment, DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2026.181916
2. Hoszek-Mandera K., Staniszewska M., Bełdowska M., Fudala K. Bialik R., Hinke J., Pouch A., Panasiuk A., 2025. Presence of toxic organic substances in antarctic wildlife as an indicator of human impact in the South Shetland Islands area (Western Antarctic). Journal of Hazardous Materials, DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2025.140567
3. Dołżonek J., Sharma L., Pouch A., Mika A., Godlewska K., Solé M., Siedlewicz G., Białk-Bielińska A., Pazdro K., 2025. Impact of imidazolium ionic liquid on biochemistry of marine mussels Mytilus trossulus. Journal of Hazardous Materials, DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2025.139610
4. Pouch A., Pazdro K., 2025. Pharmaceutical residues and caffeine in Arctic fjord waters (west Spitsbergen). Marine Pollution Bulletin, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2025.117531
5. Iglikowska A., Szwarc A., Bartosik K., Gruba D., Michalak A., Namiotko L., Pouch A., Zaborska A., Namiotko T., 2024. Environmental concentrations of metals (Cu and Zn) differently affect the life history traits of a model freshwater ostracod. The European Zoological Journal, DOI: 10.1080/24750263.2024.2362372
6. Pouch A., Zaborska A., Legeżyńska J., Deja K., Pazdro K., 2023. Assessment of exposure of benthic organisms to selected organochlorine pollutants in the west Spitsbergen fjords. Science of The Total Environment, DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165262
7. Nawrot N., Pouch A., Matej-Łukowicz K., Pazdro K., Mohsin M., Rezania S., Wojciechowska E., 2022. A multi-criteria approach to investigate spatial distribution, sources, and the potential toxicological effect of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in sediments of urban retention tanks. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-24168-1
8. Pouch A., Zaborska A., Dąbrowska A. M., Pazdro K., 2022. Bioaccumulation of PCBs, HCB and PAHs in the summer plankton from West Spitsbergen fjords. Marine Pollution Bulletin, DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113488
9. Pouch A., Zaborska A., Mazurkiewicz M., Winogradow A., Pazdro K., 2021. PCBs, HCB and PAHs in the seawater of Arctic fjords – Distribution, sources and risk assessment. Marine Pollution Bulletin, DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.111980
10. Rendell-Bhatti F., Paganos P., Pouch A., Mitchell C., D’Aniello S., Godley B.J., Pazdro K., Arnone M. I., Jimenez-Guri E., 2021. Developmental toxicity of plastic leachates on the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus. Environmental Pollution, DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115744
11. Pouch A., Zaborska A., Pazdro K., 2021. Levels of dioxins and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls in seawater from the Hornsund fjord (SW Svalbard). Marine Pollution Bulletin, DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111917
12. Pouch A., Zaborska A., Pazdro K., 2018. The history of hexachlorobenzene accumulation in Svalbard fjords. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, DOI: 10.1007/s10661-018-6722-3
13. Pouch A., Zaborska A., Pazdro K. 2017. Concentrations and origin of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in sediments of western Spitsbergen fjords (Kongsfjorden, Hornsund, and Adventfjorden). Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, DOI: 10.1007/s10661-017-5858-x
14. Pouch A., Zaborska A., 2015. Climate change influence on migration of contaminants in the arctic marine environment. GeoPlanet: Earth and Planetary Sciences, DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-14283-8_7
15. Gołȩbiowski M., Paszkiewicz M., Grubba A. (Pouch A.), Ga̧siewska D., Boguś M.I., Włóka E., Wieloch W., Stepnowski P., 2012. Cuticular and internal n-alkane composition of Lucilia sericata larvae, pupae, male and female imagines: Application of HPLC-LLSD and GC/MS-SIM. Bulletin of Entomological Research, DOI: 10.1017/S0007485311000800

Awards:

• Award for outstanding oral presentation: Pouch A., Zaborska A., Mazurkiewicz M., Winogradow A., Pazdro K., „Czynniki wpływające na rozmieszczenie zanieczyszczeń z grupy polichlorowanych bifenyli i wielopierścieniowych węglowodorów aromatycznych w wodach wybranych fiordów arktycznych”; XIV conference „Chemia, Geochemia i Ochrona Środowiska Morskiego”, Sekcja Chemii Morza KBM PAN, Online, Poland, 16.10.2020 r.
• Award for outstanding PhD thesis: „Assessment of organisms exposure to selected persistent organochlorine pollutants in west Spitsbergen fjords benthic habitats”, 4.11.2019 r.
• 24.10.2014 – award for the best poster at the 11th Conference of Marine Chemistry Section, The Committee on Maritime Research of the Polish Academy of the Polish Academy of Sciences