Dr Baptiste Poursat
- Research Associate (Infrastructure & Environment)
email:
Baptiste.Poursat@glasgow.ac.uk
pronouns:
He/him/his
Biography
I’m a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Glasgow, where I’ve been based since 2022. I work on decentralised water technologies within the Water and Environment group. My background is in environmental chemistry and microbiology, and I hold a PhD from the University of Amsterdam. I’m particularly interested in how advanced analytical tools can help us better understand and protect water systems.
Currently, my research focuses on two main areas: detecting organic micropollutants (OMPs) in drinking water and wastewater using high-resolution mass spectrometry, and developing novel methods to measure microbial metabolic activity in wastewater through volatile organic compounds profiling. These approaches support improved pollution tracking, treatment assessment, and the design of smarter monitoring strategies.
I collaborate on the development of nano-plasmonic sensors for real-time water quality monitoring. This collaborative project brings together chemistry, environmental science, and sensor technology to create tools that can be deployed in both large-scale utilities and decentralised settings.
My research vision is to make invisible water contaminants visible, whether through sensors, chemical fingerprints, or metabolomic analysis, and to contribute to more sustainable, resilient, and accessible water monitoring and treatment systems.
Qualifications:
- PhD in environmental chemistry from the University of Amsterdam (2020)
- MsC in ecotoxociology and environmental chemistry from the University of Bordeaux (2014)
- BsC in ecology and environmental biology from the University of Bordeaux (2012)
Research interests
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Advanced environmental analytics using TD-GC-MS and LC-MS/MS to profile volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and micropollutants (pesticides, pharmaceuticals, PFAs) in complex water matrices.
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Development of decentralised water monitoring tools, including passive sampling and nano-plasmonic sensors, for application in both high-resource and low-resource settings.
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Organic carbon characterisation in surface water and drinking water using fluorescence and FEEM analysis.
- Bioreactors to study the co-metabolic biodegradation of organic micropollutants in surface water and groundwater treatment work.