Sara Peixoto

Dr. Sara Peixoto is a Research Fellow at the Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena, affiliated with the School of Agricultural Engineering in the Department of Environmental Soil Science, Chemistry and Agricultural Technology. Her research focuses on soil science, environmental microbiology, and the ecological impacts of nanoparticles, particularly silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and silver sulfide nanoparticles (Ag2S-NPs). She examines how these nanomaterials affect soil microbial communities, soil health, and ecological risk assessment frameworks.

Education:

• PhD in Biology and Ecology of Global Changes

Research Interests: Her work bridges environmental chemistry and microbiology, exploring nanoparticle toxicity, soil functional parameters, and phytoremediation strategies for polluted soils. Recent studies include long-term effects of Cu(OH)₂ nanopesticides and the use of terrestrial isopods as bioindicators for exposure monitoring.

Recent Publications Trends: Her articles investigate nanoparticle impacts on soil microbiomes, functional soil parameters in mine tailings, and novel methods for assessing environmental contamination (e.g., flow cytometry for bacterioplankton analysis). Themes of ecological risk assessment and sustainable nanotechnology applications recur in her work.

Grants & Projects:

• Warming simulation in metal mine tailings soils (SIMULATE; PID2023-147960OB-I00)
• Response of mine tailing soils to climate change (21994/PI/22)

Labs/Teams: Her research is embedded within the Environmental Soil Science group, collaborating on interdisciplinary projects involving soil chemistry, microbial ecology, and nanotechnology applications.