PhD Studentship: Unveiling and Enhancing Nature-based Solutions for Mitigating Emerging Micropollutants

Research Project Title: Unveiling and enhancing nature-based solutions for mitigating emerging micropollutants 

Application closing date: 17/07/2024 

Start date: 30/09/2024   

Studentship funding 

Sponsored by EPSRC, the Water Research Centre (WRc), and four UK water utilities, this studentship will provide a bursary of £24,000 per year with fees paid. All training and placement (overseas/industry) costs will also be covered, subject to supervisor approval.            

Type of opportunity 

Fully-funded studentship

Eligibility & Related Project Details 

Type of studentship: Other (WIRe CDT, with industrial top-up)

Fee status of eligible applicants: UK and International 

Duration of Award if full time preferred*: 4 years 

1^st Supervisor: Dr Tao Lyu    

2^nd Supervisor: Dr Gabriela Dotro

Opportunity Reference No: SWEE0258 

This exciting fully funded PhD, with an enhanced stipend of £24,000 per annum (with fees covered), will deliver a comprehensive understanding of micropollutant removal in different types of nature-based solutions (NbS) for water and wastewater treatment. The research will explore sustainable engineering strategies to boost their performance to deliver benefits for the environment and society. The outputs of this work will support practitioners in making informed investment decisions for resilient infrastructure that can ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and meets societal expectations.

Nature-based solutions (NbS) have gained increasing attention in recent years, with the UK at the forefront of deploying NbS to address various environmental challenges. Water Utilities have implemented NbS including treatment wetlands (TWs) and sustainable drainage systems (SuDs) at water recycling centres and within individual surface water catchment areas, respectively. These systems offer significant benefits, such as nutrient removal, flood attenuation, and biodiversity enhancement. However, there remains a gap in the assessment of emerging contaminants, such as pharmaceuticals, microplastics, and PFAS pollutants.

Despite substantial investments in assessing micropollutant removal through the UK Chemical Investigation Programmes (CIP), TWs, which are often employed as the final treatment to safeguard surface water, have been overlooked in previous CIP 2&3 assessments. In addition to statutory Environmental Quality Standards (EQS), the Environment Agency has published the Prioritisation and Early Warning System (PEWS) to highlight the risks posed by priority chemicals in surface water.

The aims of this project are therefore to 1) benchmark the long-term performance of NbS (e.g. treatment wetlands and SuDs) through site surveys, 2) explore sustainable intensification strategies, including advanced media and engineering biology approaches, to enhance treatment performance, and 3) to conduct cost-benefits analyses and ecosystem assessments to support the application of intensified NbS strategies.

Entry requirements

Applicants should have a minimum equivalent to a UK upper second class degree (2.1) and preferably an MSc in a relevant subject such as Environmental Engineering, Environmental Chemistry, Environmental Science, or Chemical Engineering. It is essential that the candidate has experience and/or an understanding of analytical chemistry and biological wastewater treatment

Funding

The studentship is open to UK and international students (including EU countries) however due to funding rules, no more than 30% of the projects in this cohort can be allocated to international students.

How to apply  

For further information please contact:      
Name: Dr Tao Lyu and Dr Gabriela Dotro
Email:  t.lyu@cranfield.ac.uk (T.L.), g.c.dotro@cranfield.ac.uk (G.D.)
Phone: +44(0) 1234 754504  

Keywords

Constructed wetland, emerging contaminant, nature-based solutions, water and wastewater treatment, sustainability, engineering biology, environment chemistry

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