Angela Pinzón

Angela Pinzón joined ITOPF as a Technical Adviser in 2019 and became a Senior Technical Adviser in 2022. After six years in ITOPF’s London office, she relocated to Singapore in 2025. She holds an MSc in Chemistry and a PhD in Environmental Sciences.

Angela has responded to spills across Latin America, Europe and Asia, providing technical advice on incidents involving a range of pollutants and sensitive environments. She leads ITOPF’s Waste Management working group, is a member of the HNS working group, and regularly delivers training and workshops worldwide. Her technical interests include HNS, alternative fuels, environmental monitoring and waste management, particularly in remote and logistically challenging locations.

In 2024, Angela was seconded to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) as a Technical Expert within the Marine Environment Division, working on oil and HNS preparedness and response.

Prior to joining ITOPF, Angela worked on projects focused on detoxifying oil refining effluents and exploring chemical diversity in marine organisms. Her experience also includes contributing to coral population recovery in the Caribbean as a park ranger and providing scientific translation services.

Languages

English (Fluent)

Spanish (Native)

ITOPF Working Groups

Angela is a member of the HNS Working Group and the Waste Management Working Group.

Published papers

Hunt, A; Pinzón-Espinosa, A.; Campion, D. 2024. International assistance: Sharing the load or muddying the waters? International Oil Spill Conference Proceedings. 

Pinzón-Espinosa, A.; Therrien, A. 2024. Understanding culture in the context of emergencies: a step towards a more effective international spill response. International Oil Spill Conference Proceedings. 

Pinzón-Espinosa, A. 2023. Lecciones aprendidas del derrame de petróleo en el Perú en 2022: el rol de la planeación y la cultura en una gestión efectiva. País de Mares (14), pp 28 - 33.

Pinzón-Espinosa, A.; Collins, T.J.; Kanda, R. 2021. Detoxification of oil refining effluents by oxidation of naphthenic acids using TAML catalysts. Science of the Total Environment (784): 147148

Pinzón-Espinosa, A., Kanda, R. 2020. Naphthenic acids are key contributors to toxicity of heavy oil refining effluents. Science of the Total Environment (729): 138119.

Pinzón-Espinosa, A.; Martínez-Matamoros, D.; Castellanos, L.; Duque, C.; Rodríguez, J.; Jiménez, C.; Ramos, F. 2017. Cereusitin A, a cyclic tetrapeptide from a Bacillus cereus strain isolated from the soft coral Antillogorgia (syn. Pseudopterogorgia) elisabethae. Tetrahedron Letters, 58(7), pp 634 – 637.