Miss Ana García Herrera
PhD Student
Summary
I joined Brunel University of London in October of 2024, supported by the London NERC Doctoral Training Partnership. Prior to embarking on my PhD journey, I completed an MSc on Environmental Engineering, wherein I focused on surface water quality and pollution, specifically As and F.
My PhD project is titled "Developing a Comprehensive Management Approach to PFAS". It is focused on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which are a class of synthetic chemicals known for their persistence and linked to significant environmental and human health risks.Within my project, I've investigated the presence and fate of PFAS within the urban water cycle, specifically on England's wastewater systems. Building on this, I seek to develop a holistic understanding of treatment alternatives. Ultimately, the project aims to translate these findings into a practical framework that allows the decoupling of PFAS inputs from the urban water cycle.
Dr. Theodoros Giakoumis and Dr. Eleni Iacovidou comprise my supervisory team.
Publications
García Herrera, A., Iacovidou, E., & Giakoumis, T. (2026). Mapping per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances contamination in England’s surface waterbodies: Urban water cycle pathways and governance challenges. The Science of the Total Environment, 1030, 181779. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2026.181779