Rita Ewela Ojo

Rita Ewela Ojo is an ecotoxicologist specializing in aquatic ecotoxicology and environmental biology, with experience in evaluating the environmental hazards of chemicals and materials, contributing to advancing research and innovation.

She earned her undergraduate degree in biochemistry at Bingham University, Nigeria, where her thesis examined the metabolic effects of antibiotic-resistant microbial pollutants on liver function. She subsequently completed an Erasmus Mundus master’s in environmental contamination and toxicology, studying across France, Norway, and Spain. During this program, she gained research experience as an intern, contributing to hazard assessments of cosmetic products and pesticides on aquatic and terrestrial organisms. Her master’s thesis focused on the application of in vitro ecotoxicity assays utilizing fish cell lines to evaluate the hazards of advanced materials, in accordance with the European Union’s Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) principles.

Currently, as Doctoral Candidate 14 in the NEUTEN project, Rita’s research integrates standardized ecotoxicity assessment with Life Cycle Assessment (ISO 14040 & 14044) to evaluate both the environmental hazards and overall environmental impacts associated with innovative energy-neutral wastewater treatment technologies. Her work aims to scientifically support the selection of environmentally safe technologies that produce high-quality treated effluents.