The 75th Ph.D. from Aquatic Sciences and Assessment

The Department of Environmental Assessment was formed in 1994 by a fusion of the Unit of Environmental Monitoring, had been transferred to SLU from the Swedish EPA some years earlier, and the Pesticide Unit at the Swedish National Laboratory for Agricultural Chemistry. In 2008, the department got its current name, the Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment.

The first dissertation was defended in 1997 by Tomas Berglöf and focused on the analysis of pesticides. The first years approximately one person per year defended their thesis. After that, the number of dissertations has increased and now approximately three to four persons per year defend their theses. The gender balance between the 75 Ph.D.’s is equal, 39 women and 36 men.

Removal and analysis of organic pollutants been the focus of several during the last years and the dissertation by Oscar Liljeström is one of them. His dissertation has focused on ways to remove PFAS from groundwater and leachate from a landfill. Recently also dissertations about spreading of antibiotic-resistant genes and microplastics have been published. 

Apart from pesticides, drinking water and PFAS the dissertations have been about environmental problems such as acidification, mercury and invasive species. Other dissertations have focused on improving the knowledge about chemical, hydrological and ecological processes in and close to streams and lakes. In their research, many of the Ph.D. students have used the chemical and biological data that the department is managing through the data host mission.

Currently the department has 20 Ph.D. students. Thus, in some years from now, we are looking forward to celebrate the 100th Ph.D. from the department. 

Here is a list with all 75 theses from the Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment together with links to each thesis.