The fate of microplastics accumulating at groundwater-surface water interfaces at University of Birmingham on FindAPhD.com

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Prof S Krause, Dr Iseult Lynch No more applications being accepted Competition Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)

Birmingham United Kingdom

About the Project

Despite reasonable progress in understanding the transport and fate of microplastics in the worlds oceans, the sources, transport and fate of microplastics in freshwater environments are still critically under-researched.

In particular, the mechanisms controlling the transport and accumulation of different types of plastics are still unknown. This knowledge gap has critical consequences also for understanding how plasticisers such as Bisphenol-A (BPA) can be released from decaying microplastics in accumulation hotspots such as streambed sediments. BPA, as an endocrine disrupting substance is posing a severe thread to environmental and public health.

This project will pioneer investigations into the accummulation of microplastics at terrestrial - aquatic interfaces such as streambed environments.

It will investigate the mechanisms of potential BPA release during the physical and chemical breakdown of microplastics in freshwater environments and develop urgently needed understanding of the patterns and dynamics of microplastic accumulation and decay hotspots in freshwater systems.

The project will combine a unique portfolio of in-situ monitoring and sampling technologies with cutting-edge manipulation experiments within the University of Birmingham ECOLAB facility.

In-situ monitoring at selected urban river observatories (embedded within international monitoring programmes and potential for fieldwork in the UK and India) will provide crucial baseline data of microplastics distributions and composition in streambed environments. This information will be used to design physical scenarios for analysing the impact of multiple drivers and controls on microplastics accumulation in streambed environments as well as their potential decay and BPA release.

In addition to cutting-edge in-situ sensing technologies, the project will develop and use a wide range of analytical facilities, both, at UoB and BGS which include excitation emission spectroscopy, raman spectroscopy, as well as particle size analysis.

Funding Notes

In addition to completing an online application form, you will also need to complete and submit the CENTA studentship application form available from www.centa.org.uk.
CENTA studentships are for 3.5 years and are funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). In addition to the full payment of their tuition fees, successful candidates will received the following financial support.
Annual stipend, set as £14,553 for 2017/18
Research training support grant (RTSG) of £8,000
CENTA students are required to undertake 45 days training throughout their PhD including a 10 day placement.

References

Rachid Dris, Hannes Imhof, Wilfried Sanchez, Johnny Gasperi, Francois Galgani, Bruno Tassin, Christian Laforsch. Beyond the ocean: contamination of freshwater ecosystems with (micro-)plastic particles. Environ. Chem. 12, 539 (2015).

Karen Duis, Anja Coors. Microplastics in the aquatic and terrestrial environment: sources (with a specific focus on personal care products) fate and effects. Environ Sci Eur 28 (2016).

Dafne Eerkes-Medrano, Richard C. Thompson, David C. Aldridge. Microplastics in freshwater systems: A review of the emerging threats identification of knowledge gaps and prioritisation of research needs. Water Research 75, 63–82 (2015).

S Klein, E Worch, TP Knepper. Occurrence and Spatial Distribution of Microplastics in River Shore Sediments of the Rhine-Main Area in Germany.. Environ Sci Technol49, 6070-6 (2015).

Scott Lambert, Martin Wagner. Exploring the effects of microplastics in freshwater environments. Integr Environ Assess Manag 12, 404–405 (2016).

Where will I study?

University of Birmingham

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The fate of microplastics accumulating at groundwater-surface water interfaces

University of Birmingham School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences