Beginning in July 2020, Prof. Mitrano was awarded an SNF Eccellenza Professorship and founded the ECAM group in the Environmental Systems Science Department at ETH. The natural environment is experiencing ever-increasing pressures from anthropogenic stressors. Understanding how human activities influence physical, chemical and biological cycles is a central component of modern geosciences. Our research aims to connect this geochemical knowledge with decision making on a larger platform concerning the protection of various ecosystems. Thus, we combine fundamental science within an applied context, with a focus on environmental impacts of the Anthropocene and risk assessment of pollutants. To date, our research has centered on engineered nanomaterials and (micro)plastic pollution.