• Ecotoxicological effects of synthetic hydrophilic polymers in riparian ecosystems
• Plant–microbe interactions and microbial dynamics in contaminated soils
• Greenhouse gas emissions and soil biogeochemical processes

Synthetic hydrophilic polymers (SHPs), widely applied in household, agriculture and industry, are emerging as potential environmental contaminants, yet with its negative impacts on ecosystems understudied so far. Their persistence, mobility, and interactivities with water raise urgent concerns regarding their ecological impacts. Riparian ecosystems, interfaces between terrestrial and aquatic environments, are particularly vulnerable, as they receive continuous inputs of anthropogenic materials through surface runoff, wastewater discharge, and groundwater exchange. Yet, little is known about how SHPs affect riparian vegetation, soil microbial communities and functions, and the associated biogeochemical processes, particularly those linked to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

My project aims to provide the first systematic evaluation of SHP ecotoxicity in riparian ecosystems. Specifically, I will (1) investigate the effects of SHPs on riparian plant physiology and growth, (2) assess their influence on soil microbial community compositions and functional activities, and (3) quantify how SHP-induced changes in plant–microbe interactions alter greenhouse gas fluxes (CO₂, CH₄, N₂O). Controlled mesocosm experiments will be combined with ecotoxicological assays, microbial omics approaches, soil chemistry analyses, optode imgaings and gas flux measurements.

This postdoc is funded through a Humboldt Research Fellowship from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.