Water treatment, arsenic in the environment,water quality, metal polllution, metal speciation, biogeochemistry, biotechnology, sustainable development.

*PHD Students
Graduated
1. Alejandra Vega.
PhD Thesis:Experimental and mathematical modeling of arsenic speciation in porous media: application to saturated media enriched with iron and sulfur in redox gradients.
Conicyt scholarship
Background: Civil Engineer UC.
Defended: 2017.
Currently: postdoc FONDAP postdoc

2. Paula Guerra
PhD Thesis: Formation of reactive particles in fluvial confluences: Chemical, Hydrologic and Hydrodynamic interactions and the control of arsenic in rivers
Conicyt scholarship
Background: Chem. Eng. UTFSM.
Defended:2016.
Currently: Assistant professor, Faculty of Engineering, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Chile

3. Manuel Bugueño
PhD Thesis: Differential arsenic binding in the sediments of two sites in Chile’s lower Loa River basin Conicyt scholarship
Background: Biochemistry UC
Defended:2014
Currently: Fulbright Humphrey's scholar at UCLA, USA

4. Eduardo Leiva
PhD Thesis: Natural Attenuation Process by Microbial Oxidation of Arsenic in a High Andean Watershed Conicyt scholarship
Background: Biochemistry UC
Defended:2014
Currently: assistant professor, Faculty of Chemistry, PUC, Chile

5. Marco Alsina
PhD Thesis: Arsenic speciation in sinter mineralization from a hydrothermal channel of El Tatio geothermal field, Chile Conicyt scholarship
Background: BSc Engineering UC
Defended: 2014
Currently: assistant professor Universidad de Talca, Chile.

Current PhD students
1. Mauricio Montecinos
PhD Thesis: Enhanced attenuation of metals in areas of incomplete mixing: an alternative to the passive remediation of rivers impacted by acid mine drainage Conicyt scholarship
Background: BSc Engineering UC
Expected defense: Nov 2021

2. Alejandro Briso
PhD Thesis: Not defined yet
Conicyt scholarship
Background: BSc, MSc, Chemistry UCh
Starting: March 2018

*MSc Students
Jose Díaz
Modelación hidroquímica de metales y metaloides en el Río Elqui: hacia la protección y mejoramiento de servicios ecosistémicos en el marco de las normas secundarias de calidad de aguas
Defense:2021
Currently: research engineer

1. Lorena Silva
From residues to resources: leaching of metals from cement-based materials using mining residues BSc Engineering UC
Defense: 2017
Currently: industry

2. Pablo Moya Decoding metal associations in an arid urban environment with active and legacy mining: the case of Copiapó, Chile BSc Engineering UC
Defense: 7 March 2017
Currently: research associate CEDEUS

3. Guillermo Arce
The role of organic matter during neutralization of acid drainage in a stream confluence Background: Engineering UC
Defended: January 2017
Currently: research associate CEDEUS

4. María Abarca
Response of suspended sediment particle size distributions to changes in water chemistry at an Andean mountain stream confluence receiving arsenic rich acid drainage Background: Engineering UC
Defended: March 2016
Currently: industry

5. Magdalena Calcagni
Active and legacy mining in an arid urban environment: challenges and perspectives for Copiapó, Northern Chile Background: Engineering UC
Defended:2016 Cosuperv with prof Barton (Urban Planning Institute)
Currently: industry

6. Fredy Guzmán
Evaluation of the potential acid drainage potential at Peña Blanca, Chihuahua, Mexico Background: Biology (Mexico)
Graduated: 2013
Currently at Mexican Geological Service

7. Pamela Zenteno
Geochemical characterization of the Batuco wetland: distribution of metals in sediment cores Background: Biology
Defended: 2010
Currently: government

8. Alejandro Florenzano
Loa river geochemistry: Arsenic distribution in sediments Background: Engineering UC
Defended:2009
Currently: consulting

9. Patricio Walker
Evaluation of a moving bed biofilm reactor for the treatment of winery wastewater Background: Engineering UC
Defended:2008
Currently: government

10. Katherine Lizama
Sorption of protons and metals on biotic and abiotic manganese oxides: evaluation of conceptual and quantitative models Background: Engineering UC
Defended: 2007
Currently: Assistant Professor, Faculty of Engineering, University of Chile

11. Felipe Tarud
Advanced field evaluating techniques for wastewater sedimentation processes: Solids and hydraulic characterization Background: Engineering UC
Defended:2007
Currently: industry

12. Karina Valladares
Evaluation of sorbent coating methods with manganese oxides for arsenic removal from drinking water Background: Engineering (Perú)
Defended: 2007
Currently: industry

13. Catalina Marambio
Removal of arsenic and cations using biotic and abiotic manganese oxides under different pH and ionic strength Background: Engineering UC
Defended: 2006
Currently: postdoc, UCLA

14. Carlos Vasquez
Bidimensional modeling of water transport and reactive transport of dissolved species in salars: application to the Atacama Salt Flat Background: Engineering UC
Defended: 2006 Cosup. prof Muñoz, Engineering
Currently: consulting

15. Ignacio Toro
Hydrodynamic properties of suspended particles in stormwater in Santiago, Chile Background: Engineering UC
Defended: 2005 Cosup. prof Fernandez
Currently: industry, formerly national director of the National Service of Environmental Assessment

*Undergrad Engineering thesis

1. Marcelo Aybar
Fitting parameters for the sorption of metals to manganese oxides
Defended:2004
Background: BSc. Engineering UC
Currently: assistant professor, University of Concepción, Chile

2. Florian Fabacher
Benchmarking of Winery Wastewater
Defended:2010
Background: BSc. Engineering (France)
Dual degree Univ. Nantes, France

Patent application 2012-00965 to the National Institute for the Protection of Intellectual Property.
Aybar, Tarud, Acevedo, Pizarro and Pastén.
Synthesis of a sorbent media for the removal of arsenic and other metals dissolved in water using acrylic waste as sorbent support.