About the Project
The discharge of organic contaminants such as pharmaceuticals and PFAS “forever chemicals” from urban and rural areas into the water environment can result in a wide range of impacts for aquatic life and human health. Wastewater treatment plants are unable to fully remove organic contaminants from wastewater before it is discharged into receiving surface water. In the UK, the water sector now faces mounting pressures to deliver environmental sustainability targets, reduce costs, and comply with evolving regulations for contaminants removal, including through the revised EU Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive and Environmental Quality Standards Directive. This legislation designates priority substance status to several pharmaceuticals, industrial chemicals, and PFAS for monitoring and mitigation measures in wastewaters and surface waters. However, knowledge gaps exist on the presence, transport, and effects of these contaminants in the water environment, and particularly the connectivity between freshwater and marine environments.
This project will investigate the sources, occurrence, and potential risks of contaminants of environmental and regulatory concern in aquatic environments in Scotland. It will undertake environmental monitoring and modelling to improve understanding of contaminant pathways from source to sea. The studentship will work with an interdisciplinary team and stakeholders from two newly funded UKRI research programmes to identify potential mitigation strategies for high-risk contaminants.
The research will focus on:
- Prioritisation of contaminants most likely to accumulate in Scottish freshwaters and coastal environments (e.g., pharmaceuticals, industrial chemicals, and PFAS) using Scottish Environmental Protection Agency resources and EU regulatory frameworks.
- Development of standardised methods for contaminants analysis using analytical techniques (e.g., solid phase extraction, high performance liquid chromatography – tandem mass spectrometry).
- Fieldwork to monitor contaminants in a target catchment encompassing freshwater and coastal environments to determine distribution across environmental compartments (e.g., water, sediment, biota).
- Application of environmental models to assess contaminant pathways, fate, and potential risks based on physico-chemical properties, environmental factors, predicted no-effect concentrations, and contaminant exposure.
- Engagement with interdisciplinary research programmes and stakeholder representatives to assess potential mitigation and intervention strategies.
Why This Matters
Pharmaceuticals, PFAS, and other organic contaminants are increasingly detected in rivers, lakes, and coastal waters, yet major knowledge gaps remain about how they move through Scottish aquatic environments and potentially affect ecosystem and human health. This interdisciplinary PhD will generate new evidence on contaminant sources and pathways from source to sea, and work with two UKRI research programmes to support policy, regulation, and practical solutions to protect water quality, biodiversity, and public health.
How to apply:
Please see this link for details on how to apply.
Enquiries:
Please get in touch with Lydia Niemi (lydia.niemi@uhi.ac.uk) with informal enquiries.
