PhD: 2025-W6 The environmental persistence of PFAS ‘forever chemicals’

Project highlights

PFAS are ubiquitous environmental contaminants of huge concern
You will investigate patterns of river pollution with PFAS across an urban-rural gradient
The importance of microbes as degraders of PFAS in the environment will be assessed
The project brings together advanced chemical analysis techniques to characterise complex PFAS mixtures with molecular approaches to investigate the diversity and functioning of microbial communities

Overview

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a diverse group of synthetic chemicals that have been widely used in industrial applications and consumer products such as non-stick cookware, water repellent clothing and fire-fighting foams. As a result, these compounds have been widely released into the environment and are of increasing concern because of their ubiquitous detection in water and soils. Their strong carbon-fluorine bonds make PFAS resistant to biodegradation, and as a result they are highly persistent in the environment and liable to bioaccumulation. Furthermore, exposure of humans and wildlife to PFAS poses a risk because of their endocrine disrupting characteristics.

PFAS have been termed ‘forever chemicals’ because of their apparent resilience to degradation and their toxicity. However, evidence for microbial transformation and biodegradation of some classes of PFAS is emerging. In this project you will investigate PFAS contamination of river systems and the extent to which different PFAS classes are liable to microbial transformation and biodegradation.

Host

University of Warwick

Supervisors

Project investigator

Gary Bending, University of Warwick, Gary.Bending@warwick.ac.uk

Co-investigators

Lijiang Song, University of Warwick, Lijiang.song@warwick.ac.uk
Mark Barrow, University of Warwick, M.P.Barrow@warwick.ac.uk
Hendrik Schafer, University of Warwick, H.Schaefer@warwick.ac.uk

How to apply

Each host has a slightly different application process.
Find out how to apply for this studentship.
All applications must include the CENTA application form.
Choose your application route

Methodology

You will investigate spatial and temporal patterns of PFAS contamination of river water and river sediment and the potential importance of point sources of contamination such as wastewater treatment plants. Samples will be collected regularly from the river Sowe in Coventry, across a rural-urban gradient. You will use Liquid-chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) to investigate the abundance and diversity of PFAS contaminants. You will investigate the potential for biodegradation and transformation of PFAS in river water and sediment in laboratory–based experiments under a range of environmental conditions, such as oxygen availability, pre-exposure to PFAS, and availability of carbon substrates. These studies will investigate the effects of PFAS on microbial communities using culture independent sequencing approaches and determine the extent to which communities and specific microbial taxa play a role in dissipation. There is potential to use a range of techniques including DNA and RNA sequencing and proteomic analysis to investigate mechanisms associated with transformation. These studies will also make use of advanced Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICR MS) for fine scale resolution of changes in complex PFAS signatures as indicators of transformation.

Training and skills

DRs will be awarded CENTA Training Credits (CTCs) for participation in CENTA-provided and ‘free choice’ external training. One CTC can be earned per 3 hours training, and DRs must accrue 100 CTCs across the three and a half years of their PhD.

Training will be provided by the supervisory team in a wide range of environmental science approaches and techniques including advanced chemical analysis (LC-MS and FTICR MS), and techniques to profile microbial communities and investigate their functional roles (eg 16S amplicon sequencing, metagenome and genome sequencing, proteomic analysis and bioinformatics).

Further details

For any enquiries related to this project please contact Gary Bending, School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick gary.bending@warwick.ac.uk. 

To apply to this project: 

You must include a CENTA studentship application form, downloadable from: CENTA Studentship Application Form 2025. 
You must include a CV with the names of at least two referees (preferably three) who can comment on your academic abilities. 
Please submit your application and complete the host institution application process via: https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/lifesci/study/pgr/studentships/nerccenta/ University of Warwick projects will be added here: https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/lifesci/study/pgr/studentships/nerccenta/studentships/ and application guidance is at the bottom of this page. Complete the online application form – selecting course code P-C1PB (Life Sciences PhD); from here you will be taken through to another screen where you can select your desired project. Please enter “NERC studentship” in the Finance section and add Nikki Glover, phd.lifesciences@warwick.ac.uk as the scholarship contact. Please also complete the CENTA Studentship Application Form 2025 and submit via email to phd.lifesciences@warwick.ac.uk. Please quote CENTA 2025-W6 when completing the application form.

 Applications must be submitted by 23:59 GMT on Wednesday 8th January 2025. 

Possible timeline

Year 1

Spatial and temporal analysis of PFAS contamination of river water and sediment in the river Sowe along a rural to urban transition (continues across the 3 years).

Year 2

Experiments to investigate microbial transformation of PFAS in environmental materials, including the role of key variables such as oxygen availability, pre-exposure to PFAS, and carbon availability in determining biodegradation patterns.

Year 3

Molecular analysis of microbial transformation pathways.