Alexandros Stefanakis
Assistant Professor, Water and Wastewater process engineering

Environmental Engineering and Management Laboratory
Division II: Process Development, Analysis and Design

Extended CV (pdf)

Contact

  • Office Hours: Daily 11:00-13:00

Education

  • 2011: Doctor of Philosophy, Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Democritus University of Thrace.
  • 2007: Master in Science, Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Democritus University of Thrace.
  • 2005: Diploma of Environmental Engineer, Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Democritus University of Thrace.

 

Research Interests

  • Water and wastewater treatment processes
  • Natural Wastewater Treatment Systems with focus on Constructed Wetlands for municipal and industrial wastewater
  • Sludge dewatering and drying
  • Recycling and reuse of treated effluents
  • Nature-Based Solutions and green infrastructure for water management in the urban and rural context
  • Circular Economy and Sustainability

Participation in Research Programs and Projects

  • Fellowships of Excellence for Postgraduate Studies in Greece – Siemens Programme, «Development of an innovative Constructed Wetland for the treatment of agro-industrial wastewater», Funding State Scholarship Foundation – IKY 2014 – 2016
  • Research Investment Scheme – SETRIF, «Wastewater treatment as a barrier to excreta-borne disease: removal of pathogens and novel indicator organisms in trickling filters and aerated reed beds», Funded by School of Environment and Technology, University of Brighton, Brighton, UK, 2015.
  • «Wetland Systems for wastewater treatment: Performance evaluation of constructed wetlands treating water contaminated with phenol and m-cresol», Research project funded by British Petroleum.  Department of Environmental Microbiology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, Leipzig, Germany, 2012 – 2014.
  • Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology and the European Regional Development Fund, «Integrated treatment of cork processing wastewaters for potential reuse», Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Department of Chemistry, University of Beira Interior, Covilha, Portugal, 2012 – 2014
  • GSRT – Third Community Support Framework 2000-2006, O.P. Eastern Macedonia – Thrace, «Integrated Management of Wastewater Sludge from Wastewater Treatment Plants and Wastewater Treatment with Natural Systems». Department of Environmental Engineering, Democritus University of Thrace, Xanthi, Greece, 2007-2008

Distinctions and Awards

  • Included in the list of ‘World’s Top 2% Scientists’ of Stanford University (USA) for 2021
  • European Climate Pact Ambassador, European Commission (2021-current)
  • National Research Award 2021, The Research Council, Sultanate of Oman
  • Editor-in-Chief, Springer journal “Circular Economy and Sustainability” and Springer Book Series “Circular Economy and Sustainability” (2021-current)
  • Associate Editor, Ecological Engineering (Elsevier journal) and Environmental Science and Pollution Research (Springer journal)

Recent Publications

  • Oral, H.V., Radinja, M., Rizzo, A., Kearney, K., Andersen, T.R., Krzeminski, P., Buttiglieri, G., Ayral-Cinar, D., Comas, J., Gajewska, M., Hartl, M., Finger, D.C., Kazak, J.K., Mattila, H., Vieira, P., Piro, P., Palermo, S.A., Turco, M., Pirouz, B., Stefanakis, A.I., Regelsberger, M., Ursino, N., Carvalho, P.N., 2021. Management of Urban Waters with Nature-Based Solutions in Circular Cities - Exemplified through Seven Urban Circularity Challenges. Water 13(23), 3334; https://doi.org/10.3390/w13233334.
  • Stefanakis, A.I. and Nikolaou, I., 2021. Circular Economy and Sustainability - Management and Policy, Volume I & ΙΙ. Elsevier Publishing, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, September.
  • Mozaffari, M.H., Shafiepour, E., Mirbagheri, S.A., Rakhshandehroo, G., Wallace, S., Stefanakis, A.I., 2021. Hydraulic characterization and removal of metals and nutrients in an aerated horizontal subsurface flow “racetrack” wetland treating oil industry effluent. Water Research 200, 117220. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2021.117220
  • Al-Wahaibi, B., Jafary, T., Al-Mamun, A., Baawain, M.S., Aghbashio, M., Tabatabaei, M., Stefanakis, A.I., 2021. Operational modifications of a full-scale experimental vertical flow constructed wetland with effluent recirculation to optimize total nitrogen removal. Journal of Cleaner Production 296, 126558, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021. 126558.
  • Stefanakis, A.I., Calheiros, CSC, Nikolaou, I., 2021. Nature-Based Solutions as a Tool in the New Circular Economic Model for Climate Change Adaptation. Circular Economy and Sustainability 1, 303-318, https://doi.org/10.1007/s43615-021-00022-3.
  • Gomes, A.C., Silva, L., Albuquerque, A., Simões, R., Stefanakis, A.I., 2020. Treatment of cork boiling wastewater using a horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetland combined with ozonation. Chemosphere, 260, 127598. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.127598
  • Stefanakis, A.I., 2020. Constructed Wetlands for Sustainable Wastewater Treatment in Hot and Arid Climates: Opportunities, Challenges and Case Studies in the Middle East. Water 12(6), 1665. https://doi.org/10.3390/w12061665
  • Stefanakis, A.I., Bardiau, M., Silva, D., Taylor, H., 2019. Presence of bacteria and bacteriophages in full-scale trickling filters and an aerated constructed wetland. Science of the Total Environment 659, 1135–1145. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.12.415
  • Stefanakis, A.I., 2018. Constructed Wetlands for industrial wastewater treatment, first ed. John Wiley & Sons Ltd, Chichester, UK. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119268376 
  • Stefanakis, A.I., Seeger, E., Dorer, C., Sinke, A., Thullner, M., 2016. Performance of pilot-scale horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands treating groundwater contaminated with phenols and petroleum derivatives. Ecological Engineering 95. 514-526. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2016.06.105