The Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) is a member of the Helmholtz Association (HGF) and funded by federal and state government. AWI focuses on polar and marine research in a variety of disciplines such as biology, oceanography, geology, geochemistry and geophysics thus allowing multidisciplinary approaches to scientific goals.
Master thesis: Microplastics in the urban water management of Schleswig-Holstein
Background
Schleswig-Holstein is the northernmost federate state of Germany and strongly influenced by the North and Baltic Sea as well as many freshwater bodies.
Within the framework of the project MikroStrat-SH2 freshwater sediment and sewage sludge will be analyzed for microplastics (plastic particles smaller than 5 mm). The goal is to get an overview of microplastic concentrations in urban water management (such as sewage sludge) in Schleswig-Holstein.
Tasks
In theframework of the Master thesis, efficient methods for the extraction of microplasticsfrom aquatic sediment and sewage sludge will be developed and samples will beanalyzed for microplastics. Samples will be extracted & purified andfinally analyzed by ATR-FTIR- or micro FTIR spectroscopy.
Requirements
We arelooking for Master students in chemistry or environmental sciences.
Further Information
Where: Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Division “Biosciences”, Section Shelf Sea System Ecology on Helgoland.
Start: March / April 2025
You are interested?
Then please send us your application with Cover letter and CV (with all documents merged into one PDF file) by e-mail to: Dr. Gunnar Gerdts (Gunnar.Gerdts@awi.de) or Dr. Sebastian Primpke (sebastian.primpke@awi.de) or Dr. Sonja Ehlers (sonja.ehlers@awi.de).
For further information please contact Dr. Gunnar Gerdts (Gunnar.Gerdts@awi.de), +49(4725)819-3245.