| Ref.No: | 61517600 |
| Start date: | 17.07.2024 |
| End date: | 16.07.2026 |
| Approval date: | 10.07.2024 |
| Department: | MINING AND METALLURGICAL ENGINEERING |
| Sector: | GEOLOGICAL SCIENCES |
| Financier: | 5η ΠΡΟΚΗΡΥΞΗ ΕΛΙΔΕΚ Υ.Δ., ELIDEK |
| Budget: | 21.600,00 € |
| Public key: | 90Ο646ΨΖΣ4-1ΝΔ |
| Scientific Responsible: | Prof. PERRAKI |
| Email: | maria@metal.ntua.gr |
| Description: | ARSENIC (AS) IS A POTENTIALLY TOXIC ELEMENT (PTE). AS BIOACCUMULATION CAN BE DANGEROUS FOR HUMAN HEALTH, SINCE IT CAN BE TRANSFERRED UP THE FOOD CHAIN THROUGH SOILS, PLANTS AND WATER. ARSENIC IS THE ONLY METALLOID THAT FORMS OXYANIONS AND IS MOBILIZED IN THE TYPICAL GROUNDWATER PH RANGE (6.5–8.5) UNDER BOTH OXIDIZING AND REDUCING GEOCHEMICAL CONDITIONS. ELEVATED DRINKING WATER CONCENTRATION OF AS HAVE BEEN REPORTED GLOBALLY AND ARE ATTRIBUTED TO GEOGENIC AND ANTHROPOGENIC CAUSES. THE OBJECTIVE OF THE PHD THESIS IS TO DETERMINE THE MOBILIZATION MECHANISMS OF PTES, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON AS, IN ENVIRONMENTS WHERE AN ACTIVE GEOTHERMAL FIELD COEXISTS WITH ULTRAMAFIC ROCKS ENRICHED IN PTES, AS IS THE CASE OF THE ALMOPIA BASIN. THE PRESENT RESEARCH ASPIRES TO CONTRIBUTE TO A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE OCCURRENCE, MOBILITY AND RELEASE MECHANISM OF PTES AND PARTICULARLY AS IN THE ENVIRONMENT, ATTRACTING THE ATTENTION OF THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY AND POLICY MAKERS TO FORMULATE STRATEGIES ADEQUATELY FORMULATED TO ENSURE THE PROTECTION OF PUBLIC HEALTH. THE TIMELINE OF THE PROPOSAL WILL BE IMPLEMENTED IN A TOTAL DURATION OF 24 MONTHS. THE ACTIVITIES WILL BE CARRIED OUT DURING THE FUNDING PERIOD ARE: LITERATURE REVIEW, WATER-ROCK-SOIL SAMPLING CAMPAIGNS, ANALYTICAL MINERALOGICAL/MINEROCHEMICAL STUDY OF ROCK AND SOIL SAMPLES (I.E. XRD, OPTICAL MICROSCOPY, SEM), DETERMINATION OF AS SPECIATION IN LIQUID AND SOLID PHASE (I.E. AS SPECIATION CARTRIDGES, XAFS), ANALYSIS OF PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PARAMETERS OF WATER AND SOLID SAMPLES (I.E. ICP-OES/MS, AAS, XRF), CLASSICAL AND MULTIVARIATE STATISTICAL ANALYSIS (SPEARMAN/PEARSON CORRELATION COEFFICIENTS, FA, PFM, HCA), GEOCHEMICAL MODELING (I.E. CREATING SCENARIOS WITH PHREEQC), APPLICATION OF GEO-ENVIRONMENTAL INDICES FOR WATER AND SOIL QUALITY AND CREATION OF THEMATIC MAPS. |
