Assistant Professor
Alá Salem Alnaimat

Curriculum Vitae

Alá Salem Alnaimat received his Bachelor's degree in Science - Chemistry from Al-Hussein Bin Talal University, Jordan in 2008, his first Master degree in Chemistry from Mutah University, Jordan in 2014, and his second Master degree in Chemical Research and Industrial Chemistry from the University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain in 2016. In 2020, he recieved his Ph.D. Chemistry in the Department of Analytical Chemistry, Nutrition, and Bromatology, at the University of Santiago de Compostela. His research interests are directed to develop new analytical methods for assessing  trace elements and organometallic species, organic compounds of toxicological interests, and microplastics in environmental samples. 

·       Development of new methods for the determination of toxic materials in food and beverages using spectrometric techniques
    Analysis of elements in Food, drinks, and Environmental matrices
Assessment of Microplastics and Environmental pollutants

Determination of bisphenol A in tea samples by solid phase extraction and liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry
  • Research Summary
  • A simple, fast, sensitive and selective method for the extraction of Bisphenol A (BPA) from tea samples has been developed. Due to the low concentration of the analyte, sample preparation using Solid Phase Extraction (SPE) with a Molecularly Imprinted Polymer (MIP) as a sorbent was used to preconcentrate BPA from samples. The MIP was synthesized by the precipitation polymerization using BPA as a template, methacrylic acid (MAA) as a monomer, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EDMA) as a crosslinking agent, 2,2′-azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as an initiator, and acetonitrile as a solvent. The optimized SPE process was applied loading 100 mL of the sample through the MIP sorbent at a flow rate of 1.0 mL min−1. The retained BPA was then eluted with 4 mL of methanol. Finally, the extract was analysed by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Electrospray Ionization Coupled to a Mass Spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS) working in negative mode. The method showed good recovery and precision (% RSD of 7.3). The limits of detection and quantification were 0.072 μg L−1 and 0.24 μg L−1, respectively. The optimized method was applied to BPA determination in several commercial tea samples.
  • Research link
  • key words
    Molecularly imprinted polymer, Solid-phase extraction, Bisphenol A, Tea, High-performance liquid chromatography
Development of a sensitive method for the analysis of four phthalates in tea samples: Tea bag contribution to the total amount in tea infusion
  • Research Summary
  • A sensitive, precise and selective method for the analysis of butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), and dimethyl phthalate (DMP) in tea samples has been applied. Molecularly Imprinted Polymer-Solid Phase Extraction (MIP-SPE) has been used for the separation and preconcentration of these compounds. Phthalates extracted by SPE were analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionisation-mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS). The method was sensitive (LOD < 2 µg L−1), precise (RSD <10%) and accurate with recovery percentages ranging from 84% to 97%. Finally, the developed method was applied for the analysis of these phthalates in several tea samples marketed in bags. Migration studies were also performed to evaluate the concentration of phthalates released from the bags into the infusions, and teabag filters were analysed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The migration study shows that tea filter bags contribute to the total phthalates concentration in tea infusion, and this contribution varies between 1.8 to 93.5 % of the total phthalates’ concentrations. Tea filter bags release higher DBP than BBP, DMP, and DEP.
  • Research link
  • key words
    Phthalates, tea, Fourier-Transform infrared spectroscopy, Solid-phase extraction molecularly imprinted polymer, high-performance liquid chromatography
In vitro assessment of major and trace element bioaccessibility in tea samples
  • Research Summary
  • Bioaccessibility of trace elements (Li, Be, Ti, Ga, Cu, Ag, Hg, Cd, Cs, Pt, Tl, Pb, As, Cr, Co, Ni, V, Se, Sn and Sb) and major elements (Rb, Ba, Al, Fe, Zn, Si, Ca, Mg, Mn, Mo, Sr, P and K) in tea infusions has been assessed using an in vitro dialyzability protocol. Gastric simulation (using pepsin solution) and intestinal simulation (using pancreatin and bile salts) were used to perform the in vitro digestion. ICP-MS, ICP-OES and FAES were used for elements determination in digested tea leaves, their infusions and the dialyzate fractions from tea infusions. Microwaves assisted acid digestion was used for the total element determination in tea leaves, while tea infusions were prepared by brewing tea leaves for 5 min in boiling water. The LODs for elements determined in tea leaves were in the range of 0.11–656 ng g−1 and 0.02–145.6 μg g−1 for trace and major elements, respectively. For elements’ determination in tea infusions, the LODs were ranged between 0.23 and 399.9 ng L−1 for trace elements and 0.2–1248 μg L−1 for major elements. The LODs for the elements in the dialyzable fraction varied from 0.018 to 142 μg L−1. The accuracy of the total element determination was evaluated using certified reference materials (Tea Leaves INCT-TL-1 and Rye Grass). The analytical recoveries were also assessed for analyzed elements in digested tea leaves (95–114%) and their infusions (92–115%), showing good recoveries. Among the studied elements, K was the most abundant element in tea leaves and tea infusions in almost all samples, followed by Ca, Mg, and P. Zn, Cs, and K showed the highest dialyzability percentages up to 84%, 76%, and 54%, respectively, followed by Si and Ca and K that show moderate to high dialyzability percentages. The accuracy of the dialysis process was evaluated using a mass-balance study.
  • Research link
  • key words
    Tea, Essential and toxic elements, In-vitro bioavailability, ICP-MS, ICP-OES

     VII Encontro da Mocidade Investigadora, Santiago de Compostela, (Spain) 27th - 29th May, 201

   International conference of Mission 10 000 Conferencia Internacional Nanogateway "Nanotecnología: Un facilitador para la Bioeconomía”, Braga, (Portugal), 17th October 2018

   19th Biennial National Atomic Spectroscopy Symposium (BNASS 2018), St Mary’s University, Strawberry Hill, Twickenham, (UK) 2nd– 4th July 2018

      19th International Symposium of Advanced in Extraction Technologies (ExTech 2017), University of Santiago de Compostela, (Spain) 27th - 30th of June 2017

  Simposio: Nuevos retos en el desarrollo y aplicación de tecnologías ambientales, Santiago de Compostela, (Spain) 27th April 2017

6. XX Reunión de la Sociedad Española de Química Analítica (SEQA 2015). Santiago de Compostela, (Spain) 1st - 3ed July 2015

دورة تعريفية عن التبادل الأكاديمي مع الجامعات الأوروبية  24/05/2021 - جامعة الحسين بن طلال، معان - الأردن
دورة في أساسيات ضمان الجودة الأكاديمي 6-7 / 2021/4  جامعة الحسين بن طلال، معان - الأردن
في دورة توثيق المصادر و تنظيمها ببرمجية الاندنوت 31/5 و 1/6 - 2021 جامعة الحسين بن طلال، معان - الأردن

Ministry of Education Grant

Grant from the Ministry of High Education (Jordan) for studying B.Sc in Chemistry at Al-Hussein Bin Talal University (Jordan) 2005 - 2008


Erasmus Mundus Grant

Grant from Erasmus Mundus project for studying Master in Chemical

Investigation Research and Industrial Chemistry, University of Santiago de

Compostela (Spain) 2014 - 2016


Al-Hussein Bin Tala University Grant

Grant from Al-Hussein Bin Talal University for studying PhD in Analytical Chemistry at the University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain) 2017- 2020

BNASS 2018 student Bursary

BNASS 2018 student Bursary, The Royal Society of Chemistry, St Mary’s

University, Strawberry Hill, Twickenham, (UK).

General Chemistry (Chem 101)

General Chemistry Lab (Chem 103)

Analytical Chemistry Lab (Chem 212)


Academic qualifications and certificates

Ph.D. Analytical Chemistry, University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain

M.Sc.  Analytical Chemistry, University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain

M.Sc.  Chemistry, Mutah University, Al-Karak,  Jordan

B.Sc.  Chemistry, Al-Hussein Bin Talal University, Ma′an, Jordan

office hours

 Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday  12:00 -1:00