Photo of David Bastviken

David Bastviken

Professor

I am interested in greenhouse gas fluxes and their regulation across scales, elemental cycling of chlorine, carbon and other nutrients, and how to generate safe drinking water. I also value method development in overall environmental research.  

Environmental science for better understanding of the life zone on Earth

The life zone is forming a thin membrane surrounding the Earth. To better understand the present and future fundamental conditions and constraints for life and societies I am interested in the physical, chemical and biological processes, i.e. the biogeochemistry, in the life zone on our planet.

Some of my research focuses on carbon cycling including organic matter production and degradation under different conditions. A related topic is greenhouse gas dynamics and emissions to the atmosphere at various scales ranging from local habitats to whole landscapes and global budgets. I also try to develop new improved methods for greenhouse gas measurements.

Chlorine cycling in nature and society is another interest, including the fates of chorine in terrestrial systems to better understand both its ecological importance and how to improve the risk assessments associated with the radioactive chlorine in nuclear waste. Another focus is the formation of potentially harmful byproducts when disinfecting drinking water, and how we can map this very diverse group of compounds better to minimize human exposure.

Publications

2024

Ana Maria Roxana Petrescu, Glen P. Peters, Richard Engelen, Sander Houweling, Dominik Brunner, Aki Tsuruta, Bradley Matthews, Prabir K. Patra, Dmitry Belikov, Rona L. Thompson, Lena Hoeglund-Isaksson, Wenxin Zhang, Arjo J. Segers, Giuseppe Etiope, Giancarlo Ciotoli, Philippe Peylin, Frederic Chevallier, Tuula Aalto, Robbie M. Andrew, David Bastviken, Antoine Berchet, Gregoire Broquet, Giulia Conchedda, Stijn N. C. Dellaert, Hugo Denier van der Gon, Johannes Guetschow, Jean-Matthieu Haussaire, Ronny Lauerwald, Tiina Markkanen, Jacob C. A. van Peet, Isabelle Pison, Pierre Regnier, Espen Solum, Marko Scholze, Maria Tenkanen, Francesco N. Tubiello, Guido R. van der Werf, John R. Worden (2024) Comparison of observation- and inventory-based methane emissions for eight large global emitters Earth System Science Data, Vol. 16, p. 4325-4350 (Article, review/survey) Continue to DOI
Sivakiruthika Balathandayuthabani, Balathandayuthabani Panneer Selvam, Magnus Gålfalk, P. Saetre, S. Peura, U. Kautsky, L. Klemedtsson, L. Arunachalam, G. Vellingiri, David Bastviken (2024) Methane in Two Stream Networks: Similar Contributions From Groundwater and Local Sediments While Oxidation Was a Large Sink Controlling Atmospheric Emissions Journal of Geophysical Research - Biogeosciences, Vol. 129, Article e2023JG007836 (Article in journal) Continue to DOI
Kleiton R. de Araujo, Henrique Sawakuchi, Dailson J. Bertassoli Jr, David Bastviken, Tatiana S. Pereira, Andre O. Sawakuchi (2024) Operational effects on aquatic carbon dioxide and methane emissions from the Belo Monte hydropower plant in the Xingu River, eastern Amazonia Science of the Total Environment, Vol. 946, Article 174100 (Article in journal) Continue to DOI
Anna Andersson, Leanne Powers, Mourad Harir, Michael Gonsior, Norbert Hertkorn, Philippe Schmitt-Kopplin, Henrik Kylin, Daniel Hellstrom, Amma Pettersson, David Bastviken (2024) Molecular level seasonality of dissolved organic matter in freshwater and its impact on drinking water treatment Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology, Vol. 10, p. 1964-1981 (Article in journal) Continue to DOI
Vincent Gauci, Sunitha Rao Pangala, Alexander Shenkin, Josep Barba, David Bastviken, Viviane Figueiredo, Carla Gomez, Alex Enrich Prast, Emma Sayer, Taina Stauffer, Bertie Welch, Dafydd Elias, Niall McNamara, Myles Allen, Yadvinder Malhi (2024) Global atmospheric methane uptake by upland tree woody surfaces Nature, Vol. 631 (Article in journal) Continue to DOI

Research

A camera for visualizing methane sources

The greenhouse gas methane is more powerful than carbon dioxide and has large effects on the climate. It is not clear where all methane emissions occur and how big they are. This could be changed with a sensitive infra red camera.

Bilden visar vattenkran. The picture shows water tap

Drinking Water Disinfection By-products

Disinfection of drinking water is necessary in order to reduce the risk of disease transmission, but instead it provides byproducts that can be toxic and carcinogenic. With new analytical methods, the production of such byproducts can be examined.

Bild på när koldioxidhalter kartläggs

Greenhouse gas sensors for the future

In the project we developing, small power and cost-effective greenhouse gas sensors for use in sensor networks in all types of environments.

News

Alex Enrich Prast in Amazon forest.

Woody surfaces of trees remove methane from the atmosphere

It is well-known that trees help the climate by taking carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. But it is now clear that trees have another important role to play.

Decomposed leaf.

The reaction explaining large carbon sinks

A mystery has finally been solved. Researchers from LiU and Helmholtz Munich have discovered that a certain type of chemical reaction can explain why organic matter found in rivers and lakes is so resistant to degradation.

Two women in the laboratory.

New lab, but still the same

Following a fire, the lab at TEMAM has been under restoration since 2020. Now that it is finished, most of it looks the same as before, as nobody could think of any changes they would like to make to the premises.

Apply for a job

How to join our research group

If you want to apply for a job, please visit https://liu.se/jobba-pa-liu/lediga-jobbAll open positions are announced there and applications should follow the instructions provided.

If you have your own funding, please contact David Bastviken directly.

About the department