Sadaf Naseem
- Country of Origin: Pakistan
- Home University: University of Karachi
- Host University & Country: University College London (UCL) - United Kingdom
- PhD Title: Evaluation of patchy distribution of arsenic using palaeosol model in the Holocene aquifers of Indus deltaic plain, Pakistan.
- Year of Completion: 2019
PhD Overview
My postdoctoral research study focused on subsurface sedimentology and the characteristics (grain size, grain shape) of aquifer sediments in Tando Allahyar area of Sindh Province of Pakistan to assess the relationships of high arsenic concentration in groundwater and its leaching from aquifer sediments. In rural areas of Tando Allahyar surface water is highly polluted and inadequate, while municipal supply water is only available in urban localities. Therefore, people mainly used groundwater for irrigation and drinking which is highly saline and contaminated with high concentration of arsenic. I investigated that how biotite weathering from Himalayas provided a source material for arsenic pollution in the aquifers of the Indus Plain. Detailed geochemical analyses of water and sediment samples revealed that microbiodegradation of organic matter led to reductive dissolution of arsenic in the aquifers of the Indus Plain. Findings of this research are used to evaluate how horizontal and vertical distribution of arsenic in the aquifer sediments and groundwater can be helpful to delineate arsenic polluted and arsenic safe areas and initiate action plan for the protection of groundwater and to choose a location for safe aquifer sites.
Sustainability Goals
- Clean Water and Sanitation
- Good Health and Well-being
- No Poverty
About Me
Currently I am working as Assistant Professor at Department of Geology, University of Karachi My research interest is mainly related with hydrogeochemistry and focused on groundwater pollution. I utilize conventional and modern tools and techniques to interpret water quality and borehole sediment data and investigate how mobililisation/immobilisation of different pollutants is controlled by mineralogical and elemental composition of the aquifers. I have also worked in multidimensional aspects of ground water quality issues including seawater intrusion, Holocene sea level rise, Last Glacial Maximum, impact of past climate change on groundwater resources, groundwater salinization, ion exchange and arsenic mobilization mechanism.
I aim to build my expertise in groundwater modeling and interested to expand my research into groundwater pollution forecasting and integrating chemical, hydrological, sedimentological, hydroinformatics, machine learning and geospatial approaches. The main goal of my future research is to develop predictive models for water quality under continuously rising global climate extreme, which will be helpful for resilience and sustainable water management globally.