Position Details
College of Life and Environmental Sciences
Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK
Full time starting salary is normally in the range £33,348 to £43,155 with potential progression once in post to £45,737
Grade 7
Full Time, Fixed Term contract up to June 2027
Closing date: 18th May 2023
Background
The School of Geography Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Birmingham is a leading centre for the study of microplastics in freshwater environments. Our overall aim is to generate more mechanistic understanding of the fate and transport of microplastics in freshwaters, translating environmental science to support decision making. Within this project, the research fellow will contribute to the international PlasticUnderground Doctoral Network.
Project Title: Fate and transport of micro and nanoplastics in groundwater
Project supervision: Supervisors: Stefan Krause, Iseult Lynch, Sophie Comer-Warner (University of Birmingham, UK), Co-Supervisors: Antreas Afantitis, Georgia Melagrakis (NovaMechanics, Cyprus)
Project highlights
This PhD project is part of the PlasticUnderground Doctoral Network, providing the researcher with state-of-the-art training, attendance at a summer school to develop background knowledge and specific research skills, international experiments and networking opportunities. The project includes opportunities for international and inter-sectoral secondments to gain state-of-the-art training in novel areas of micro- and nanoplastics research.
Project Overview and Background
The PlasticUnderground Doctoral Network creates supra-disciplinary intersectoral capacity to analyse the fate, transport and impact of MnP in soils and groundwater to develop solutions for reducing their environmental and public health risks, supporting the EC’s circular plastic economy strategy.
MnP are now known to be omnipresent in the environment and have been detected in the world’s water bodies, sediments, soils and atmosphere. Despite this, our understanding of the sources, transport mechanisms, transformations and potential impacts of MnP in subsurface environments, including soils and groundwater aquifers, is critically limited. This risks severe consequences for environmental and public health. Observations of MnP transport and transformation in the subsurface are hampered by a lack of adequate methodologies, including modelling capacity, preventing urgently needed assessments of their impacts on crucial ecosystem functions such as soil fertility or the natural attenuation potential of pollutants in groundwater.
Role Summary
Given the emerging understanding of subsurface soil and groundwater ecosystems as long-term storage pools of MnP understanding and solutions to groundwater MnP pollution urgently needed to reduce health and environmental risks. To address these critical questions this PhD project will:
- Develop and apply mathematical modelling solutions for the simulation of MnP transport, transformation and additive leaching in soils and groundwater systems
- Establish particle breakthrough time series, residence time distributions and degradation rates for selected conventional and novel biodegradable MnP under different soil and groundwater conditions in column experiments
- Quantify MnP exposure risk of European groundwater aquifers for different exposure scenario based on simulations of the field validated numerical model
The project will combine cutting-edge analytical skills ranging from novel MnP sampling, extraction and separation techniques, advanced MnP identification tools such as fluorescent staining (Nile Red), digital imaging (fluorescent, confocal scanning and transmission electron microscopy fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy), technologies for MnP characterisation of MnP degradation (including hyphenated technology ThermoGravimetric-InfraRed-Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (TG-IR-GC/MS), Pyrolysis-gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (Py-GC/MS)) and single particle/single cell ICPMS. Particle property dependent MnP transport and transformation, including leaching of additives and co-pollutants will be tested in column experiments using the unique experimental infrastructure of the Birmingham EcoLaboratory EcoLaboratory Birmingham – University of Birmingham.
Interpretation, generalisation and upscaling of results will be grounded in process-based particle tracking and reactive transport models, advancing mechanistic understanding of the transport, fate and impact of MnP in soils and groundwater and enabling predictions that support subsurface risk assessments.
Training and skills:
The PlasticUnderground project provides excellent training, networking and collaboration opportunities including a Summer School at the start of the project (focussing on MnP knowledge, methodologies and initial networking opportunities), a number of Advanced Training Courses and two international, joint experiments. Advanced Training Courses will focus on both scientific and transferrable skills including Microplastic sampling and extraction techniques, Modelling MnP fate and transport in the subsurface, Measuring MnP uptake and propagation in groundwater foodwebs, Biomarkers and model organisms in MnP toxicity testing and New circular solutions and biodegradable plastics in agricultural systems, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Open Science and Public engagement and science communication.
Main Duties
The responsibilities may include some but not all the responsibilities outlined below.
- Generate, analyse, and interpret data
- Apply knowledge in a way which develops new intellectual understanding
- Disseminate research findings for publication, research seminars etc
- Contribute to developing new models, techniques, and methods
- Undertake management/administration arising from research
- Contribute to Departmental/School research-related activities and research-related administration
- Contribute to enterprise, business development and/or public engagement activities of manifest benefit to the College and the University, often under supervision of a project leader
- Collect research data; this may be through a variety of research methods, such as scientific experimentation, literature reviews, and research interviews
- Present research outputs, including drafting academic publications or parts thereof, for example at seminars and as posters
- Provide guidance, as required, to support staff and any students who may be assisting with the research
- Deal with problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines
- Promote equality and values diversity acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture.
Person Specification
The project encourages applications from individuals with an appetite for interdisciplinary research. Benefitting from the diverse background of the supervisory team at UoB and NovaMechanics as well as the project partners and vast team of scientists within the PlasticUnderground network, the doctoral researcher will receive tailored training in laboratory analytical skills for MnP identification and characterisation, particle tracking and tracer analysis, MnP reactive transport modelling as well as in the effective communication of research outputs with diverse end-user communities.
- University degree in environmental sciences, engineering, geography or earth sciences of other relevant discipline
- High level analytical and numerical, data analysis capability
- Ability to communicate complex information clearly
- Fluency in relevant models, techniques or methods and ability to contribute to developing new ones
- Ability to assess resource requirements and use resources effectively
- Understanding of and ability to contribute to broader management/administration processes
- Contribute to the planning and organising of the research programme and/or specific research project
- Co-ordinate own work with others to avoid conflict or duplication of effort
- Knowledge of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010, and how to actively ensure in day to day activity in own area that those with protected characteristics are treated equally and fairly
To be eligible for this role you must, on 1 September 2023 be in the first four years (full-time equivalent research experience) of your research career and have not been awarded a doctoral degree. On 1 September 2023 you must not have resided or carried out your main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the UK for more than 12 months in the preceding 3 years. Compulsory national service and/or short stays, such as holidays, are not considered.
Informal enquires to Liam Kelleher, email: l.kelleher@bham.ac.uk
Valuing excellence, sustaining investment
We value diversity and inclusion at the University of Birmingham and welcome applications from all sections of the community and are open to discussions around all forms of flexible working.
