CRETUS STAFF

SARAH FIOL LÓPEZ

Professor
Department: Department of Physical Chemistry
Center: CRETUS
Research Group: Soil and landscape mapping, physico-chemical, soil and water degradation and recovery (AMBIOSOL)
Tel .: +34 8818 16042
Email: sarah.fiol@usc.es
Group Web: AMBIOSOL| Grupos de investigación – USC

   
   

Professor Sarah Fiol holds a PhD in Chemistry from the University of A Coruña in 1994. During her predoctoral period, she spent a research stay at the Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earch Science at the University of Miami, under the supervision of Professor Frank J. Millero, and participated in the WOCE/92 oceanographic campaign, as part of the World Climate Research Program, on board the Oceanographic Vessel Hespérides. Her doctoral thesis was supervised by Professor Manuel E. Sastre de Vicente and she received an extraordinary award from the University of A Coruña.

Since October 1995, she is part of the teaching staff of the University of Santiago de Compostela, occupying various teaching positions. Since 2021, she has held the position of Professor in the Department of Physical Chemistry at USC. Her teaching activity takes place in the Faculties of Chemistry, Biology, Pharmacy and the Higher Technical School of Engineering at USC.

In the research field, she was the Coordinator of the Environmental Physical Chemistry Research Group (GI-2588) between 2009 and 2018 and is currently a member of the Soil and Landscape Cartography, Physical Chemistry, Soil and Water Degradation and Recovery Group (AMBIOSOL- GI1245). She has published more than 80 scientific articles and participated in many national and international conferences, as well as in the direction of 4 doctoral theses and numerous TFG and TFM. She has been Principal Investigator in 8 national and international projects and participated as a researcher in more than 15 projects related to environmental topics: retention of organic (pesticides, dyes…) and inorganic contaminants on surfaces of environmental interest capable of attenuating as natural pollution attenuators; chemical speciation in contaminated waters and soils, study of surface complexation models for the simulation of contaminant retention processes in natural systems; characterization and valorization of waste (biochar, compost, industrial waste, etc.); study of the quality of water and sediments in rivers in Galicia. He has participated in the REGATA and NAIADE research networks and in CRETUS Strategic Partnership since 2015. She is responsible of research contracts with companies to carry out quality studies on oils, food products and water. He maintains international collaborations with researchers from the Universidade do Minho, Technological University of Luleå, University of Leeds, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, or Universidad Nacional del Sur, among others.

Research Lines

• Comprehensive study and monitoring of surface and groundwater quality
• Chemical speciation in aquatic systems and contaminated soils
• Study of sediment quality: analysis of physical-chemical parameters
• Study of the reactivity of the organo-mineral components of the soil
• Development and application of surface complexation models for the simulation of adsorption/retention processes in natural systems
• Use of natural mineral nanoparticles to mitigate contamination
• Development of water and soil remediation methods based on waste valorisation.