PhD: Real-time COD Monitoring for Sustainable Water Management

Overview

Open Positions

Time Span

01 Oct 2026 for 4 years

Application Deadline

01 Oct 2025

Financing

yes

Type of Position

Full PhD

Working Language

English

Required Degree

Master

Areas of study

Bioinformatics, Environmental Science, Sustainability Sciences (Ecological), Environmental Engineering, Environmental Protection Technology

Description

Reliable monitoring and control of water systems is essential to protect water
resources, ensure hygienic standards, and enable sustainable infrastructure
operation. As challenges evolve — including emerging contaminants like PFAS,
antibiotics, and micropollutants, along with climate-induced fluctuations and energy
efficiency demands — water technologies must become more adaptive and forward-
looking.
Sensor technology plays a key role in this transformation, enabling real-time
monitoring, automation, and intelligent decision-making.
Despite these needs, many water treatment processes still rely heavily on
centralized, time-consuming laboratory analyses and manual adjustments. This is
especially problematic for critical indicators such as Chemical Oxygen Demand
(COD), a key aggregate parameter that reflects the organic pollution load in water.
Current COD determination methods are often discontinuous or spectroscopic and
impractical for real-time application, limiting their utility in dynamic, data-driven
process control.
A central objective is the development and optimization of robust, low-maintenance,
and cost-effective sensor systems capable of continuously monitoring COD and other
key parameters in near real-time. This includes exploring and advancing
electrochemical sensor technologies.
The PhD project will lay the foundation for the digital transformation of water infrastructure,
enhancing resilience, efficiency, and sustainability. By integrating real-time COD
sensing into modern water management strategies, the initiative not only addresses
critical scientific challenges but also contributes to broader societal goals — ensuring
clean water, modernizing infrastructure, and supporting data-driven environmental
stewardship in the face of global change.

References:

Lambertz, S., Franke, M. Stelter, M., Braeutigam, P., Determination of Chemical
Oxygen Demand with electrochemical methods: A review, Chemical Engineering
Journal Advances, 2024, 18, 100615.
Lambertz, S., Franke, M. Stelter, M., Braeutigam, P., Sensing of chemical oxygen
demand (COD) by amperometric detection—dependence of current signal on
concentration and type of organic species, Environmental Monitoring and
Assessment, 2023, 195, 630
Dietrich, M., Franke, M., Stelter, M., Braeutigam, P., Degradation of endocrine
disruptor bisphenol A by ultrasound-assisted electrochemical oxidation in water,
Ultrasonics sonochemistry, 2017, 39, 741-749.