Soil and Water Quality in the Environment (SWQ)

The Soil and Water Quality in the Environment group addresses the assessment of environmental contamination in the soil and water compartments, and the adaptation of nature-based solutions to treat contaminated water:

  • Adaptation and improvement of unconventional treatment technologies based on natural attenuation processes.
  • Transfer and interaction between chemicals in multiple scenarios by developing specifically designed experiments and reactive transport models.
  • Bioavailability of contaminants in soils through the use of bioindicators and the study of their transfer to the food chain through the consumption of crops
  • Quantity and quality of water resources through hydrogeological studies based on the application of multiple tools (numerical, hydrochemical and hydrogeochemical models).

What do we do?

In 2015, world leaders adopted a set of global goals to eradicate poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity.

Our project is part of several of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Research team

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Dra. Raffaella Meffe

Deputy director

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Dr. Lucila Candela Lledó

Expert researcher in hydrogeology

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Raúl Jerónimo Pradana Yuste

Predoctoral researcher. Grupo EULEN

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Lucía Barbero Morales

Research Assistant

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Sara Martínez Pérez

Predoctoral researcher

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Gloria Teijón Ávila

Research Assistant

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Cynthia Rieckhof Rivas

Predoctoral researcher

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Lesly Ayala Cabana

Predoctoral researcher

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Ana García Arcos

Research Assistant

Projects

  • AddiPlaS

    2023 - 2027

    Liberación de aditivos químicos procedentes de desechos plásticos y su movilidad en el suelo agrícola

  • Nat4Health

    2021 - 2025

    Antibiotics, hormones, persistent and mobile organic contaminants and pathogens, the complex mixture in agriculture and livestock scenario. Risk to health or natural attenuation?

  • PAPILLONS

    2021 - 2025

    Plastic in Agricultural Production: Impacts, Lifecycles and LONg-term Sustainability

  • CLEAN-CM

    2021 - 2022

    Control and elimination of biological and chemical risks in the water cycle

  • µNanoCare

    2020 - 2023

    Quantification of micronanoplastics in reclaimed water and agricultural ecosystems. Environmental risk assessment

  • BIOARBIO

    2020 - 2023

    Generating biomass with reclaimed water: opportunity for the circular bioeconomy

  • FatePharM

    2018 - 2021

    Irrigation of crops with surface water contaminated with pharmaceuticals and trace metals: natural attenuation or health risk?

  • FILVER+

    2016 - 2020

    Water reclamation by using a new concept of land application systems

  • TALE

    2015 - 2018

    Towards multifunctional agricultural landscapes in Europe: Assessing and governing synergies between food production, biodiversity and ecosystem services

  • SMART-HYDRO

    2014 - 2017

    Intelligent system to optimize the use of water in agriculture

  • TRAGUANET

    2014 - 2017

    Red Consolider Tragua

  • REAGUA2

    2013 - 2015

    Reclamation of water: beyond the Royal Decree 1620/2007

  • 2011 - 2012

    Installation of the first laboratory attached to the National System of Protected Areas (SNAP) managed by the Center for Environmental Research and Services (Ecovida)

  • REAGUAM

    2010 - 2012

    Reuse of treated urban wastewaters for environmental uses: aquifer recharge through permeable reactive beds and forestry for power production

  • 2009 - 2010

    Regeneration of purified water by means of passive techniques in situ: Reuse for irrigation and recharge

  • CONSOLIDER TRAGUA

    2006 - 2012

    Treatment and Reuse of Waste water for Sustainable Management

Contracts

  • Sustainable Desert Ecosystem Management with Use of Treated Waste Water for Forage Irrigation in Kuwait

    2019 - 2022

  • Studies for the removal of sulfates in mining waters

    2019

  • Lake Chad Basin Groundwater Information

    2017 - 2019

  • Water regeneration study through vegetation filters: removal of nutrients and emerging contaminants

    2018 - 2019

  • Writing a report "Critical design review"

    2018

  • Evaluation of the hydric resources of the Campus of the University of Alcalá and study of solutions for its integral use

    2016

  • Development of innovative tertiary wastewater treatment technology based on vegetation filters

    2014 - 2017

  • Research project for the development of innovative solutions in the management of brine discharges from desalination plants

    2010