- KarstenPedersenE-Mail
- Göteborg UniversityDepartment of Cell and Molecular BiologyGöteborgSweden
Members:
- DamiàBarcelóE-Mail
- IDAEADept. of Environmental ChemistryCentro de Investigacion y Desarrollo-CSICBarcelonaSpain
- GeorgiaDestouniE-Mail
- Royal Institute of TechnologyDepartment of Land and Water Resources EngineeringStockholmSweden
- WalterGlaesserE-Mail
- UFZ-Centre for Environmental ResearchDepartment of HydrogeologyHalle/S.Germany
- MilenaHorvatE-Mail
- Institut Jozef StefanDepartment of Environmental SciencesLjubljanaSlovenia
- Joao Paulo C.Lobo-FerreiraE-Mail
- Dept. Hydraulica-GIASLaboratorio Nacional de Engenharia CivilLisboaPortugal
- MirjaSalkinoja-SalonenE-Mail
- University of Helsinki - College of Agriculture and ForestryDept. of Applied Chemistry and MicrobiologyHelsinkiFinland
- PhilippeVan CappellenE-Mail
- Universiteit UtrechtDepartment of Earth SciencesUtrechtNetherlands
- WillyVerstraeteE-Mail
- University of GentFaculty of Bioscience EngineeringDepartment of Biochemical and Microbial TechnologyLaboratory Microbial Ecology and Technology (LabMET)GhentBelgium
GPoll-SC members
The GPoll Steering Committee is composed of representatives from each of the participating countries:
Chair:
Karsten Pedersen
Microbiology, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology
Göteborg University, Box 462, SE-405 30 Göteborg
Karsten Pedersen took his PhD exam in Microbiology in 1982 at Göteborg University on microbial biofilms in marine environments. He is professor of Microbiology and has been working at Göteborg University since then with teaching and research. He has taught more than 3000 lectures for students on basic and advanced courses in microbiology and related topics and was director of studies at the department for seven years. He has also performed a 3 year science education research project concerning the relation between examination and learning. He has supervised many students for their practical examination tasks and been supervisor for several PhD students. He has presently published 50 papers in peer-reviewed international journals and has written many reports for national research agencies. He is engaged as author and expert in Microbiology for the Swedish National Encyclopaedia from 1990 to present. He is on the editorial board for Microbial Ecology and is managing editor in geomicrobiology for Earth Science Reviews, he is editor for Europe for Geomicrobiology Journal and ad hoc reviewer for many different international science journals, including Nature and Science, and research agencies such as U.S. National Science Foundation. Karsten Pedersen is principal investigator for several research projects, of which the most important are: Exploration of the intra-terrestrial biosphere; Investigations of subterranean bacteria - Their importance for performance assessment of radioactive waste disposal; Analysis, detection and microbial degradation of diesel and gasoline in hard rock aquifers. You can read more at his homepage: http://www.cmb.gu.se/gmm/groups/pedersen/index.html
Belgium:
Willy Verstraete
University of Ghent, Faculty of Agriculture & Applied Biological Sciences
Laboratory for Microbial Ecology, Coupure L 653, BE-9000 Ghent
The Laboratory of Microbial Ecology has studied over the last decade several aspects with respect to groundwater. The removal of nitrate by active denitrification with respectively hydrogen and methanol has been studied in detail and a full scale treatment plant has been realised recently. The removal of manganese by means of micro-organisms has been examined under laboratory conditions. Finally, work has been going on with respect to the desinfective power of ferrous iron in groundwater towards hygienic indicator organisms. About these topics, publications are available.
Kristine Walraevens (alternate to Willy Verstraete)
University of Ghent, Faculty of Agriculture & Applied Biological Sciences
Laboratory for Microbial Ecology, Coupure L 653, BE-9000 Ghent
Kristine Walraevens is Senior Research Associate at the Fund for Scientific Research - Flanders and professor of hydrogeology and hydrogeochemistry at the Laboratory for Applied Geology and Hydrogeology at the University of Ghent. She also teaches courses on Geophysical Investigations and Remote Sensing (partim Aerial Photographs). Her research deals mainly with the hydrogeology and hydrogeochemistry of the regional semi-confined aquifers in Flanders, both in Tertiary unconsolidated sediments and in the consolidated Paleozoic basement complex. She is also investigating the salinization of coastal aquifers, both in Flanders and in Northern Africa. Apart from that, she deals with groundwater pollution, both by industrial activities and by agricultural practices. In the latter field, she is studying the pollution of groundwater by nitrates and by pesticides. She is coordinating the EC project "Development of water resource management tools for problems of seawater intrusion and contamination of fresh-water resources in coastal aquifers", in the framework of the AVICENNA initiative of the EC. This project focuses on aquifers along the Mediterranean coast, with partners from Belgium, Italy, Tunisia, Morocco and Israel. She is a partner in the PALAEAUX project "Management of coastal aquifers in Europe: Palaeowater, natural controls and human influence", coordinated by the British Geological Survey, in the framework of the EC Environment and Climate Programme. In the same framework, she is involved in the project: "Mobility and removal of nitrate and their relationship to groundwater protection zones". Walraevens is a member of the Management Committee of COST-67: "Chemodynamics and water quality protection in natural porous media". She has been managing the EC educational projects ERASMUS ICP-B-1183 and MEDCAMPUS-277. She is the promoter of many MSc and PhD theses and the author of numerous publications.
Finland:
Mirja Salkinoja-Salonen
University of Helsinki, Dept. of Applied Chemistry and Microbiology, College of
Agriculture & Forestry, Biocenter, PO Box 56, FI-000140 University of Helsinki
M. Salkinoja-Salonen took her PhD in chemistry in 1971 on microbial biochemistry at the Free University of Amsterdam. Following several years of research at the Medical College of the Free University, she was appointed Professor in general microbiology at the University of Helsinki in 1974. In the 1980’s she worked full time in industry on environmental and process hygienic problems of paper and pulp manufacture, and as project leader to generate an environmental research unit at Lahti City, in affiliation to the University of Helsinki. Since 1992, M. Salkinoja-Salonen is the Professor and Chair of the College of Agriculture and Forestry at Helsinki University. She has authored over 100 published papers in peer reviewed journals, supervised 19 PhD completed theses and acted as invited opponent at PhD defendings, both in Finland and abroad. M. Salkinoja-Salonen leads several research projects in areas of biofocusing, bioconversions, microbiological transformations of organic matter in soil, water and industrial processes. She is member of CSTEE (Scientific Committee for Toxicology, Environment and Ecotoxicology) of the European Commission DGXII. She has received national and international awards and prizes in the areas of environmental inventions, education and application-oriented research.
Germany:
Walter Glaesser
UFZ-Centre for Environmental Research
Sektion Hydrogeologie, Theodor-Lieser-Str. 4, DE-06120 Halle/S.
Walter Glaesser (Gläßer) is professor in Hydrogeology at the University of Leipzig and the Head of the Department of Hydrogeology in the Centre for Environmental Research Leipzig - Halle. Glaesser’s work has focused on investigations of hydrogeochemical processes in lignite mining areas and in coppershale mining areas, the long time pollution of groundwater in different depth in industrial regions and in-situ groundwater regeneration. The system-analytical works covers chemical and isotopical analysises and the microbiological influence (Microbiology of the groundwater) on velocity of reactions in the nature and in the simulation lab. The results will be integrated in hydraulic and reaction models as help in other regions of the world. The results of the investigation of the Department of Hydrogeology was documented in national and international journals, book chapters and proceedings. Glaesser is reviewer for some international and national science journals and consult and in environmental questions by the BMBF (Ministry of Research, Education and Sciences), UBA (Ministry of Environment) and federal Ministries of Environment in questions of mining and military damages.
The Netherlands:
Philippe van Cappellen
University of Utrecht, Geochemie
Budapestlaan 4, 3584 CD Utrecht, The Netherlands
Portugal:
João Paulo C. Lobo-Ferreira
Laboratorio Nacional de Engenharia Civil
Av. do Brasil 101, PT-1799 Lisboa Codex
João Lobo-Ferreira obtained his degree in Civil Engineering at the Technical University of Lisbon in 1975. He qualified as Doktor-Ingenieur (Dr.-Ing.) at the Technische Universität Berlin in 1986. J. Lobo-Ferreira is currently Senior Research Officer and Head of the Groundwater Research Group at the National Laboratory of Civil Engineering (LNEC) in Lisbon. His areas of interest include: Water resources in general, with special interest in groundwater; mathematical modelling of flow and transport of pollutants in groundwater; thematical modelling of water balances, including groundwater recharge assessment; and geographical zoning for groundwater resources protection. J. Lobo-Ferreira has acted as United Nations Consultant at the Department for Technical Cooperation for Development in New York; as EC DGXII Consultant for the project "Mapping of the Groundwater of the EC"; as the Portuguese expert on the Water Resources Steering Committee of the International Water Supply Association. He is currently President of the General Assembly and of the General-Council Board of the Portuguese Water Resources Association (APRH) and delegate to the EC/DGXII/JRC Task Force "Environment-Water". He is also member of the Contact Group EU-China on Environment (EC/DGXII).
Slovenia:
Milena Horvat
Institut Jozef Stefan
Jamova 39, SI-1000 Ljubljana
Milena Horvat took her PhD in Environmental Analytical Chemistry at the University of Ljubljana in 1989. She is currently Head of the Department of Environmental Studies of the Jozef Stefan Institute in Ljubljana. The department is involved in several EU funded projects and its principal task is to monitor sources, concentrations, pathways and effects of pollutants (radioactivity, trace and major elements, persistent organic pollutants) and to understand and assess their effects in man and his environment. M. Horvat also coordinates a number of projects related to mercury research including biogeochemical cycling and modelling in the environment and collaborates in health related studies. M. Horvat is the representative of Slovenia in CEN/STAR, Brussels, is member of the ISO/REMCO, of the New York Academy of Science, and is the European Chairperson for the organisation of the 5th International Conference "Mercury as a Global Pollutant" to be held in May 1999 in Rio de Janeiro.
Sonja Lojen (alternate to Milena Horvat)
Institut Jozef Stefan
Jamova 39, SI-1000 Ljubljana
Sonja Lojen is a research assistant at the Department of Environmental Sciences at "J. Stefan" Institute, Ljubljana (Slovenia). She took her Ph.D. exam in Geology (isotope geochemistry) at the University in Ljubljana. Her work is focused on (i) stable isotope geochemistry and biogeochemical cycles of light elements such as C and N in recent marine and lacustrine sediments and soils, (ii) modeling of fluxes and sources of nutrient fluxes at the sediment/water interface using isotope techniques, (iii) early diagenesis of marine and lacustrine sediments, (iv) the use of stable isotope techniques in groundwater pollution studies, i.e. determination of sources of nitrates and studies of nitrification/denitrification processes in field and laboratory conditions and (v) environmental impact assessment. Sonja Lojen is presently working on several research projects, among which the Geochemistry of the supergene zone in Slovenia - Isotope geochemistry of aquatic environments, Development of a Treat Management System - Industrial, Urban and Agricultural Dispersed and Point-sources, Health Aspects of Soea River Pollution", Slovene Alpine Lakes - Palaeolimnology and Palaeoecology and two bilateral projects (Slovene-Croatian Biogeochemical Processes, Elemental and Isotopic Composition in the Adriatic Sea and Slovene-Polish Incubation studies on methane formation and oxidation as a potential step to substantial revision of the world tropospheric methane sources and isotopic budget). She is an active member of the European Society of Isotope Research.
Spain:
Damià Barceló
Centro de Investigación y Desarrrollo - CSIC
c/ Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
Damià Barceló obtained his PhD in Analytical Chemistry in October 1984 from the University of Barcelona. He has had posts in Holland and Portugal and now works as a Full Research Professor at the CSIC’s Department of Environmental Chemistry in Barcelona. Since 1990 he has been Secretary of the International Association of Environmental Analytical Chemistry, which is based in Allschwil, Switzerland. Barceló has edited a number of international publications in the field of analytical chemistry, including a number of publications of the European Commission and four environmental analytical books in Elsevier (Amsterdam, NL). In 1995 he was awarded a Certificate of Merit from the American Chemical Society. His research interests include analysis and fate of organic pollutants, surface and ground water, coastal water and wastewater characterisation, endocrine disrupting compounds and biosensors for toxicity assessment.
Sweden:
Georgia Destouni
Royal Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Water Resources Engineering, Brinellv. 32, SE-100 44 Stockholm
Georgia Destouni is professor (Swe: bitr. professor) in Engineering Hydrology at the Division of Water Resources Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm. G. Destouni’s work has focused on the development of methods and tools (models) for predicting water quality changes in different soil and water environments. She has specialised on:
a) stochastic transport modelling, to account for inherent fluctuations and prediction uncertainties in characterising flow and solute transport through heterogeneous subsurface systems;
b) quantitative coupling between interacting hydrological and biogeochemical processes that affect reactive contaminant transport; and
c) use of transport modelling as a tool for process identification in field and laboratory transport experiments/observations. She has documented her work in numerous peer-reviewed publications in international journals and book chapters, technical reports and popular G. Destouni is a reviewer for various international science journals, and national and international research funding agencies.
United Kingdom:
Chris Knowles
Oxford Centre for Environmental Biotechnology, Dept. of
Engineering Sciences, Parks Road, UK- Oxford OX1 3PJ
Chris Knowles took his PhD in Biochemistry at the University of Leicester in 1967. From 1967 to 1997 he worked at the Dartmouth Medical School (USA), the University of Warwick, the McGill University (Canada), the Harvard Medical School (USA) and held the position of Professor of Microbial Biochemistry at the University of Kent at Canterbury (1984-1997). He is currently Director of the Oxford Centre for Environmental Biotechnology within the Department of Engineering Sciences at the University of Oxford. His research interests are: Bioremediation of contaminated land and water, end-of-pipe effluent treatment; biocatalysis. Particular topics of interest include: bioremediation/hybrid remediation processes for PCBs; cyanide and metallo-cyanide biodegradation; bioelectrokinesis; biotransformations to form enantiospecific lactones; biotransformation of nitriles; Taq CAN polymerase; environmental molecular probes.
European Science Foundation:
Martina Hildebrandt
Senior Scientific Secretary
Joanne Dalton Goetz
Administrative Assistant
European Science Foundation (ESF)
1 quai Lezay Marnésia, F-67080 Strasbourg Cedex
Phone: +33 (0)3 88 76 71 22
Fax: +33 (0)3 88 37 05 32
