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Georgios Niarchos

Georgios Niarchos
My research focuses on contamination from per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS), placing emphasis on understanding their fate and transport in the environment, identifying relevant sources, as well as applying novel remediation techniques, primarily in water and soil.

Presentation

I am a postdoctoral researcher in environmental and analytical chemistry at SLU’s department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment. With a background in environmental engineering, my interests revolve around environmental contamination issues and how to mitigate them. In the past, I have worked on antimicrobial resistance gene transfer in aquatic matrices. In the last few years, I have shifted my focus to a group of emerging contaminants, PFAS, investigating their presence in the environment and ways to reduce it.

My specific research activities include but are not limited to:

  • Developing and applying remediation technologies for PFAS-contaminated soil and groundwater in the lab and in the field
  • Reactive transport modelling of contaminants in soil and groundwater
  • Using liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for target screening
  • Using high-resolution mass spectrometry for non-target screening and effect-based analysis
     

Research

PARC

The European Partnership for the Assessment of Risks from Chemicals (PARC) aims to advance research, share knowledge, and improve skills in chemical risk assessment. 

The PARC project

StopPFAS

The aim of this PhD project was to test and develop in-situ methods to efficiently sorb and immobilize all relevant PFASs in plumes in groundwater originating from hot spot areas.

The StopPFAS project

Cooperation

Stakeholders of my research include industry experts, policymakers, authorities, researchers, and the public at large. 

Background

Education

  • 2022. Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Hydrology (Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden)
  • 2018. Master of Science (MSc) in Environmental Engineering and Sustainable Infrastructure (KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden)
  • 2015. Master of Engineering (MEng) in Chemical and Environmental Engineering (Technical University of Crete, Chania, Greece)

Supervision

  • Emma Sissoko-Hurter
  • Emeline Ruin, MSc student (internship)
  • Linnea Georgii, MSc student (independent project, thesis)
  • Anna Merle Liebenehm-Axmann, MSc student (thesis)
  • Isak Nilsson, MSc student (internship, thesis)

Selected publications

  • Niarchos, G., Georgii, L., Ahrens, L., Kleja, D. B., & Fagerlund, F. (2023). A systematic study of the competitive sorption of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) on colloidal activated carbon. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 264, 115408.
  • Niarchos, G., Ahrens, L., Kleja, D. B., Leonard, G., Forde, J., Bergman, J., Ribeli, E., Schütz, M., Fagerlund, F. (2023). In-situ application of colloidal activated carbon for PFAS-contaminated soil and groundwater: A Swedish case study. Remediation Journal, 33(2), 101-110. doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/rem.21746

  • Niarchos, G., Ahrens, L., Kleja, D. B., & Fagerlund, F. (2022). Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) retention by colloidal activated carbon (CAC) using dynamic column experiments. Environmental Pollution, 308, 119667. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.ENVPOL.2022.119667

  • Niarchos, G., Sörengård, M., Fagerlund, F., & Ahrens, L. (2022). Electrokinetic remediation for removal of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) from contaminated soil. Chemosphere, 291, 133041. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.CHEMOSPHERE.2021.133041

  • Sörengård, M., Niarchos, G., Jensen, P. E., & Ahrens, L. (2019). Electrodialytic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) removal mechanism for contaminated soil. Chemosphere, 232, 224–231. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.05.088