PRABHAKAR SHARMA

Assistant Professor, School of Ecology and Environment Studies

Nalanda University, Rajgir, Nalanda, Bihar 803116 India
Phone: +91-7033698509; E-mail: psharma@nalandauniv.edu.in;
Web: http://www.nalandauniv.edu.in/schools/faculty/sees/prabhakar-sharma/

Professional Experience
From Oct 2014 Assistant Professor: School of Ecology and Environment Studies, Nalanda
University, Rajgir, Nalanda, Bihar, India.
Feb 2011–Sept Assistant Professor: Geohydrology Section, Department of Earth Sciences,
2014
Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
Feb 2010–Jan 2011 Postdoctoral Research: RESTORE Group, Civil and Environmental Engi-
neering, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
Feb 2008–Jan 2010 Postdoctoral Research: Section of Environmental Engineering, Department
of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Aalborg Uni-
versity, Aalborg, Denmark.

Education
2004–2007 Ph.D. Biological Systems Engineering, Washington State University, Pullman,
USA. Title: Effect of Centrifugal and Interfacial Forces on Colloid Trans-
port and Mobilization (Advisor: Dr. Markus Flury).
2002–2004 M.S. Water Resources Engineering and Management, Institute of Hydraulic En-
gineering, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany.
2000–2002 M.Tech. Aquacultural Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India.
1995–2000 B.Tech. Agricultural Engineering, Rajendra Agricultural University, Pusa, Bihar,
India.

Research Interests
• Transport and retention of engineered nanoparticles in porous media.
• Transport and leakage of CO2 gas through heterogeneous subsurface system.
• Flowing fluid electric conductivity logging of deep borehole.
• Colloid and colloid-facilitated contaminant transport.

Sponsored Projects
• Linnaeus-Palme exchange programme, International programme of higher education Sweden,
2012–2014, P. Sharma (475 kSEK).
• Transport and remobilization of multi-walled carbon nanotubes in porous media during
dynamic saturation change, Travel Grant for EGU, FORMAS, 2012, P. Sharma (24 kSEK)
• Transport and leakage of CO2 gas through heterogeneous porous media, Department of
Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, 2011–2015, P. Sharma (2394 kSEK).

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 • Gas transport mechanisms in porous media, Villum Kann Rasmussen Foundation scholar-
ship, Denmark, 2008–2010, P. Sharma (1188 kDKK).
• Transport of colloids in soils studied by geocentrifuge techniques, U.S. Geological Survey
and National Institutes for Water Resources, 2006–2007, M. Flury and P. Sharma (24,000
US$).
• Studying colloid transport in porous media with geocentrifuges, The Inland Northwest Re-
search Alliance, 2004–2006, P. Sharma and M. Flury (60,000 US$).

Student Supervision
• Abenezer Mekonen (M.Sc), 2012. Transport and mobilization of multi-walled carbon nan-
otubes in quartz sands under varying saturation, Uppsala University. (main supervisor)
• Daxio Bao (M.Sc), 2012. Transport of Multi-walled Carbon Nanotubes in the Saturated
Porous Media, Uppsala University. (main supervisor)
• Nahal Faramazi (M.Sc), 2012. Agricultural water use in Lake Urmia Basin, Iran: An ap-
proach to adaptive policies and transition to sustainable irrigation water use, Uppsala Uni-
versity. (Evaluator)
• Muhammad Asif (M.Sc), 2013. Climatic change, irrigation water crisis and food security in
Pakistan, Uppsala University. (Evaluator)
• Ulrika Iverfelt (M.Sc), 2014. Partikelspridning i mark- och grundvatten vid slackning av
brander, Uppsala University. (main supervisor)
• Maryeh Hedayati (M.Sc), 2014. Transport of natural and manufactured carbon based
nanoparticles on transport through saturated porous media, Uppsala University. (main
supervisor)
• Albin Nordstrom (M.Sc), 2014. Denitrifying bioreactor in a low temperature environment
– Laboratory column studies, Uppsala University. (Reviewer)
• Deeksha Katyal (Post Doc), 2014. Surface water quality and vulnerability assessment using
index mapping, Uppsala University. (main supervisor)
• Amanda Eskebaek (Diploma), 2015. Spridning av slackvattenpartiklar – En studie pa sprid-
ning av partiklar genererade fran brand, Uppsala University. (main supervisor)
• Tsegay Mengestab (M.Sc), 2015. Fate and transport of Nano-TiO2 in unsaturated porous
media: Effect of water content and transient flow condition, Uppsala University. (main
supervisor)
• Farzad Basirat (PhD), 2016. Transport and leakage of CO2 from heterogeneous subsurface
systems, Uppsala University. (main supervisor)
• Jyothirmayee Kandula (M.Sc), 2016. Estimation of soil erosion properties of Rajgir hill for
appropriate soil and water management practices, Nalanda University. (main supervisor)
• Arun Gandhi (M.Sc), 2016. Actors in the wheat supply chain for post harvest losses in East
Champaran District, Nalanda University. (main supervisor)
• Ranjit Kumar (M.Sc), 2016. Fluoride and other groundwater quality mapping of Nalanda
district, Nalanda University. (co- supervisor)
• Abinash Mohanty (M.Sc), 2017. Comparison of nanocomposites and nanofabric filters,
Nalanda University. (main supervisor)

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 • Anurag Verma (M.Sc), 2017. Flowing fluid electrical conductivity profiling of shallow aquifer
of Rajgir, Nalanda University. (main supervisor)
• Nabprabhat Paul (M.Sc), 2017. Temporal variation in groundwater table for pumping water
estimation of Rajgir, Nalanda University. (main supervisor)
• Oindrila Ghosh (M.Sc), 2017. Synthesis, Characterization and Determination of Fate and
Transport of Nanoparticles in soil and groundwater, Nalanda University. (main supervisor)

Teacher Training (pedagogic)

• DiaNa Supervisor course, Oral presentation – in theory and practice, Uppsala University
(2.5 days)
• Supervising PhD students, Division for Teaching and Learning, Uppsala University (3 weeks)
• Scholarly teaching in science and technology, Council for Educational Development at the
Faculty of Science and Technology, Uppsala University (2 weeks)
• Doctoral supervisor training within the faculty of Science and Technology, Division for
Teaching and Learning, Uppsala University (2 days)
• Teaching assistant training program, Teaching Support Center, The University of Western
Ontario, Canada (2 weeks)
• Communication in the Canadian classroom, Teaching Support Center, The University of
Western Ontario, Canada (2 days)

Teaching / Educational Development Activities

• Chair of curriculum development committee of two years master’s program in School of
Ecology and Environment Studies at newly established Nalanda University.
• Development and teaching of Geohydrology, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Nanomate-
rials in the Environment, Research in Ecology and Environment Studies, Research Methods
in Natural Sciences, and Hydrological Processes at Nalanda University.
• Established an environmental teaching laboratory for basic soil, water and air parameter
analysis at Uppsala and Nalanda University.
• Taught two courses (every Fall semester), Global Hydrology and Groundwater and Runoff
Modelling at Uppsala University.
• Implemented DiaNa system of giving and receiving feedback from students to each others
on written reports, group discussion, and oral presentation (adopted in Global Hydrology,
1HY115).
• Modified and created a new field course (Groundwater and Runoff Modelling, 1HY000) at
Uppsala University.
• Organized JSUS (Joint Stockholm-Uppsala Seminar) seminar series for the big audience of
Geohydrology group in Sweden.
• Organized departmental seminar by inviting eminent speaker in our area of the department.
• Involved in the faculty committee for modification of M.Sc program in Hydrology at the
department of Earth Sciences.

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Professional Services & Extra-curricular Activities
• Editorial Board Member: Frontiers in Environmental Science; Current World Environment.
• Reviewer of several leading journal: Environmental Science & Technology, Journal of Phys-
ical Chemistry, Journal of Hydrology, Water Resources Research, etc.
• Senator: Graduate and Professional Students Association, Washington State University
(2006–2007).
• Treasurer: Indian Students Association Pullman, Washington State University (2005–2006).
• Activity Coordinator: International Association of Hydraulic Engineering and Research,
Student Chapter Stuttgart (IAHR-SCS), Stuttgart, Germany (2003–2004).

Awards and Honors

2004 – 2006 Subsurface Science Graduate Research Fellowship, Inland Northwest Research
Alliance (INRA).
2000 – 2002 Graduate Aptitude Test Examination (GATE) Fellowship, Ministry of Human
Resources, Government of India.
1996 – 2000 MERIT Scholarship for the outstanding academic performance during the un-
dergraduate program.

Membership of Academic Societies

2012 – present European Geophysical Union.
2007 – present American Geophysical Union.
2016 – present Indian Geophysical Union.
2016 – present Association of Hydrologist of India.

Training and skills in following experimental and modeling techniques

• Field work skills: Geophysical logging, pumping test, slug test, groundwater sampling,
groundwater remediation, weather monitoring station.
• Experimental skills: High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), gas chromatogra-
phy, electron and confocal microscopy, FTIR and UV/VIS spectrophotometry, dynamic light
scattering, surface potential analysis, surface and colloid chemistry (surface tension, inter-
facial tension, contact angle), geocentrifuge, column and sandbox transport experiments
(saturated and unsaturated).
• Computer Modeling skills: LATEX, Fortran 90, C, MatLab, HYDRUS-1D, CXTFIT, familiar
with ENVI (GIS), HEC-HMS, SAS, ImageJ, MODFLOW, MUFTE UG.
• Language skills: Hindi (Native language); English (Fluent in writing and speaking); Swedish
(completed Hermods SFI level C & D, Swedex A); Danish, and German (basic).

Peer-Review Publications
See also at: verb+http://www.researcherid.com/rid/C-2133-2009+ or verb+http://orcid.org/0000-
0003-0894-0809+

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 1. Tsang, C.F., J.E. Rosberg, P. Sharma, C. Juhlin, and A. Niemi. 2016. Hydrologic testing
during drilling: application of the flowing fluid electric conductivity (FFEC) logging method
to drilling of a deep borehole. Hydrogeology J. 24: 1333–1341.

2. Hedayati, M., P. Sharma, D. Katyal, and F. Fagerlund. 2016. Transport and retention
of carbon-based engineered and natural nanoparticles through saturated porous media. J.
Nanoparticle Res. 18(3):1–11.

3. Sharma, P., F. Fagerlund, U. Iverfeldt, and A. Eskebaek. 2016. Fate and transport of fire-
born particles in subsurface systems. Technologies 4, 2, doi:10.3390/technologies4010002.

4. Sharma, P., C.F. Tsang, I.T. Kukkonen, and A. Niemi. 2016. Analysis of six-year fluid electric
conductivity logs to evaluate the hydraulic structure of the deep drill hole at Outokumpu,
Finland. Int. J. Earth Sci. 105:1549–1562.

5. Sharma, P. 2015. Let’s put food safety on the table now: from consumers about the hazardous
effects of nanotechnology on edibles and other consumer products. Hindustan Times 25th
August, page 8.

6. Sharma, P. 2015. Nanomaterials from food packaging and commercial products into ecolog-
ical and soil environment. Current Sci. 109:1223–1224.

7. Basirat, F., P. Sharma, F. Fagerlund, and A. Niemi. 2015. Experimental and modelling
investigation of CO2 flow and transport in a coupled domain of porous media and free flow.
Int. J. Greenhouse Gas Control. 42:461–470.

8. Sharma, P. and F. Fagerlund. 2015. Transport of surface-modified carbon nanotubes through

a soil column. J. Vis. Exp. 98, doi:10.3791/52634.

9. Sharma, P., G. Goel, S.M. Ashekuzzaman, G. Saini, and R. Singh. 2014. Groundwater arsenic
in south-east Asia: extent, effects and solutions. Asian Journal of Water, Environment and
Pollution 11:1–11.

10. Sharma, P., D. Bao, and F. Fagerlund. 2014. Deposition and mobilization of functional-
ized multiwall carbon nanotubes under varying porous media sizes and solution chemistry.
Environ. Earth Sci. 72:3025–3035.

11. Kocur, C., A. Chowdhury, N. Sakulchaicharoen, H. Boparai, K. Weber, P. Sharma, M. Krol,

L. Austrins, C. Peace, B. Sleep, D.M. O’Carroll. 2014. Characterization of nZVI mobility in
a field scale test, Environ. Sci. Technol. 48:2862–2869.

12. Mekonen, A,. P. Sharma, and F. Fagerlund. 2014. Transport and mobilization of multiwall
carbon nanotubes in quartz sand under varying saturation. Environ. Earth. Sci. 71:3751–
3760.

13. Goel, G., P. Sharma, R. Singh, B. Setia. 2013. Optimal use of surface drains for enhancing
ground water recharge. Journal of Indian Water Resources Society 33:43–52.

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 14. Basirat, F., A. Niemi, H. Perroud, J. Lofi, N. Denchik, G. Lods, P. Pezard, P. Sharma,
and F. Fagerlund. 2013. Modeling gas transport in the shallow subsurface in the Maguelone
field experiment. Energy Procedia 40:337–345.

15. Poulsen T.G. and P. Sharma. 2011. Apparent porous media gas dispersion in response to
rapid pressure fluctuations. Soil Sci. 176:635–641.

16. Sharma, P. and G. Goel. 2010. Nuclear power for energy production and hazardous waste
regulations in India, Current Sci. 99, 993–993.

17. Sharma, P. and T.G. Poulsen. 2010. Gas dispersion and immobile gas content in granular
porous media: Effect of particle size non-uniformity. Soil Sci. 175:426–431.

18. Sharma, P. and T.G. Poulsen. 2010. Gas dispersion and immobile gas volume in solid and
porous particle biofilter materials at low air flow velocities, J. Air & Waste Manage. Assoc.
60:830–837.

19. Sharma, P. and K.A. Sharma. 2009. Implications of hiring diverse faculty for higher education
in India, Current Sci. 97:1399–1399.

20. Sharma, P. and T.G. Poulsen. 2009. Gas phase dispersion in compost as a function of different
water contents and air flow rates, J. Contam. Hydrol. 107:101–107.

21. Sharma, P., T.G. Poulsen and P.N.V. Kalluri. 2009. Gaseous oxygen uptake in porous media
at different moisture contents and air flow velocities, J. Air & Waste Manage. Assoc. 59:676–
682.

22. Sharma, P., M. Flury and J. Zhou. 2008. Detachment of colloids from a solid surface by a
moving air-water interface, J. Colloid Interface Sci. 326:143–150.

23. Sharma, P., H.M. Abdou, and M. Flury. 2008. Effect of the lower boundary condition and
flotation on colloid mobilization in unsaturated sandy sediments, Vadose Zone J. 7:930–940.

24. Sharma, P., M. Flury, and E.D. Mattson. 2008. Studying colloid transport in porous media
using a geocentrifuge, Water Resour. Res. 44, W07407, doi:10.1029/2007WR006456.

25. Sharma, P. and A. Mitra. 2008. Integrated aquaculture-hydroponics system with paddy
nursery on aquaculture pond, Asian Journal of Water, Environment and Pollution 5:65–72.

26. Sharma, P. 2006. Influence of the intrinsic permeability and the van Genuchten parameters
on small-scale simulation results, Journal of the Institutions of Engineers (India): Civil
Engineering Division 87:40-46.

Book Chapters
1. Sharma, P., C.F. Tsang, C. Doughty, A. Niemi, and J. Bensabat. 2015. Feasibility of long-
term passive monitoring of deep hydrogeology with flowing fluid electric conductivity logging
method. in Fluid Dynamics in Complex Fractured-Porous Systems, Geophysical Monograph
210, edited by B. Faybishenko, J. Gale, and S. Benson, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 53–62,
ISBN: 978-1-118-87720-3.

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 2. Sharma, P. 2012. Geological Disposal of Nuclear Waste: Fate and Transport of Radioactive
Materials, in Nuclear Power – Practical Aspects, edited by Wael Ahmed, ISBN: 978-953-51-
0778-1, InTech, DOI: 10.5772/50391.

Guest Lectures
• Feb 10-11, 2017. Human impact on water resources: nanomaterials in the environment,
Assam University, Silcher, India.
• April 29, 2016. Nanomaterials in soil environment, Indian Institute of Science Education
and Research, Mohali, India.
• March 21, 2015. Shared water resources: Conflicts and cooperation, Radha Shanta College,
Tilothu, Bihar, India.
• Dec 7, 2014. College of Agricultural Engineering, Rajendra Agricultural University, Pusa,
Samastipur, Bihar, India.
• Nov 24, 2014. Fate and transport of contaminant in subsurface system, Indian Institute of
Science Education and Research, Bhopal, India.
• Nov 7, 2014. Fate and transport of contaminant in subsurface system, Indian Institute of
Technology, Gandhinagar, India.
• Aug 1, 2014. Department of Environmental Engineering, Guru Govind Singh Indra Prastha
University, New Delhi, India.
• Jun 25, 2014. Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Patna, India.
• Feb 18, 2013. Center of Nanotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, India.
• Feb 14, 2013. Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras,
Chennai, India.
• Feb 12, 2013. Department of Geology, Anna University, Chennai, India.
• Feb 11, 2013. Department of Civil Engineering, GITAM University, Hyderabad, India.

Non-Peer Review Publications and Presentations (recent)

1. Sharma, P. 2016. Hydrogeologic testing during drilling of deep borehole: application of FFEC
logging method, Federation of Indian Geosciences Associations, ISM Dhanbad, India.

2. Sharma, P. 2016. Nanomaterials in the environment, EMN Meeting on Nanoparticles, Sin-

gapore.

3. Fagerlund, F., M. Hedayati, J. M. Mayotte, and P. Sharma. 2015. Transport of nanoparti-

cles with groundwater affected by soil- and dissolved organic matter, Grundvattendagarna,
Swedish Geological Survey, Stockholm, Sweden.

4. Fagerlund, F., M. Hedayati, J. M. Mayotte, and P. Sharma. 2015. Effect of organic matter
on the transport and retention of TiO2 nanoparticles in saturated porous media, InterPore,
International Society of Porous Media, Padova, 2.040.

5. Basirat, F., H. Perroud, J. Lofi, N. Denchik, G. Lods, F. Fagerlund, P. Sharma, P. Pezard,

and A. Niemi. 2015. Viability of modelling gas transport in shallow injection-monitoring

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 experiment field at Maguelone, France. EGU General Assembly, Vienna, Austria, ERE5.2,
EGU2015-15224.

6. Fagerlund, F, M. Hedayati P. Sharma, and D. Katyal. 2015. Transport of carbon-based

nanoparticles in saturated porous media. EGU General Assembly, Vienna, Austria, HS8.1.6,
EGU2015-10731.

7. Tsang, C.F, J.E. Rosberg P. Sharma, A. Niemi, and C. Juhlin. 2015. Hydrogeologic testing
during drilling of COSC-1 borehole: Application of FFEC logging method. EGU General
Assembly, Vienna, Austria, ERE1.6, EGU2015-4414.

8. Iverfelt, U, P. Sharma, and F. Fagerlund. 2014. Fate and transport of fire-born particles
in subsurface systems. EGU General Assembly, Vienna, Austria, ERE2.5, vol 16, EGU2014-
5115.

9. Basirat, F., P. Sharma, A. Niemi, and F. Fagerlund. 2014. Experimental study of advective-
diffusive gaseous CO2 transport through porous media. EGU General Assembly, Vienna,
Austria, ERE2.5, vol 16, EGU2014-12853.

10. Niemi, A., J. Bansabat, K. Edlmann, P. Pezard, P. Gouze, T. Lange, M. Ask, S. Benson, F.
Hingl, C.F. Tsang, P. Sharma, M. Sauter, A. Tatomir, J. Ghergut, J. Carrera, F. Fagerlund,
K. Rasmusson, M. Rasmusson, and V. Shtivelman. 2013. Pre-injection characterization tests
of Heletz (Israel) site in preparation of small-scale CO2 injection experiments. Trondheim
CCS Conference, Trondheim, Norway.

11. de Boer, C. V., P. Sharma, and D.M. O’Carroll, 2013. Transport of multi-walled carbon
nanotubes in partially saturated porous media. Gordon Research Conference - Environmen-
tal Nanotechnology Stowe, Vermont, USA.

12. Sharma, P., R.S. Pandian, and I.S. Nair. 2013. Retention and transport of multi-walled
carbon nanotubes in saturated porous media: Effect of inflow concentration and solution
chemistry. EGU General Assembly, Vienna, Austria, HS8.1.6, EGU2013-7069.

13. Sharma, P., C.F. Tsang, and A. Niemi. 2013. Use of FFEC logging for long-term monitoring
of regional flow in multi-layer aquifer system. EGU General Assembly, Vienna, Austria,
HS2.3, EGU2013-7025.

14. Bensabat, J., A. Niemi, C.F. Tsang, P. Sharma, J. Carrera, M. Sauter, A. Tatomir, J.
Ghergut, P. Pezard, K. Edlman, and R. Brauchler. 2013. Hydrogeological characterization
of the Heletz sands reservoir, Heletz (Israel) as a preliminary step towards CO2 injection
experiments. EGU General Assembly, Vienna, Austria, ERE2.2, EGU2013-8857.

15. Basirat, F., A. Niemi, H. Perroud, J. Lofi, N. Denchik, G. Lods, P. Pezard, P. Sharma and
F. Fagerlund. 2013. Modeling gas transport in the shallow subsurface in the Maguelone field
experiment. EGU General Assembly, Vienna, Austria, ERE2.2, EGU2013-11569.

16. Sharma, P., F. Basirat, A. Niemi, and F. Fagerlund. 2012. Small scale experiment design to
study CO2 leakage through a shallow subsurface system. AGU Fall Meeting, San Francisco,
CA.

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17. Basirat, F., P. Sharma, A. Niemi, and F. Fagerlund. 2012. Small scale laboratory design
investigation of leakage of gaseous CO2 through heterogeneous subsurface system. EGU
General Assembly, Vienna, Austria, ERE2.1, EGU2012-8450.

18. Sharma, P., C.F. Tsang, A. Niemi, and J. Bensabat. 2012. Flowing Fluid Electrical Con-
ductivity Logging at the Heletz Site for Detailed Hydraulic Information for CO2 injection.
EGU General Assembly, Vienna, Austria, ERE2.2, EGU2012-4640.

19. Sharma, P. 2012. Transport and remobilization of multi-walled carbon nanotubes in porous
media during dynamic saturation change. EGU General Assembly, Vienna, Austria, HS8.1.5,
EGU2012-4676.

20. Sharma, P. and D.M. O’Carroll, 2011. Mobilization of multi-walled carbon nanotubes in
consecutive imbibition and drainage events. Goldschmidt, Prague, Czech Republic, Session
16e:2006.

21. Sharma, P., A. Niemi, C. Tsang, J. Bensabat, P. Pezard, and F. Fagerlund. 2011. Flowing
fluid electric conductivity logging method as a tool to characterize the hydraulic conductivity
structure of a target layer for CO2 injection. EGU General Assembly, Vienna, Austria,
ERE2.5, EGU2011-11802.

22. Sharma, P. and D.M. O’Carroll, 2011. Mobilization of multi-walled carbon nanotubes in par-
tially saturated porous media. EGU General Assembly, Vienna, Austria, HS8.3.6, EGU2011-
4233.