PhD Researcher in PSOL PhD-Cohort (f/m/x): PFAS removal in stormwater management systems

PhD Researcher in PSOL PhD-Cohort (f/m/x): PFAS removal in stormwater management systems

Place of work

Leipzig

Working time

65 % (25,35 h / week)

Contract limitations

Limited contract / 36 months

Salary

Remuneration according to the TVöD public‑sector up to pay grade 13 including attractive public‑sector social security benefits.

Contact

Your contact for any questions you may have about the job:
Dr. Ariette
Dr. Haibing

Your application

Please submit your application via our online portal with your cover letter, CV (please omit your photo , age, or marital status) and relevant attachments.

Diversity and Inclusion

The UFZ has a strong commitment to diversity and actively supports equal opportunities for all employees regardless of their origin, religion, ideology, disability, age or sexual identity. We look forward to applications from people who are open‑minded and enjoy working in diverse teams.

The UFZ

The Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) with its 1,100 employees has gained an excellent reputation as an international competence centre for environmental sciences. We are part of the largest scientific organisation in Germany, the Helmholtz association. Our mission: Our research seeks to find a balance between social development and the long‑term protection of our natural resources.

The job

Per‑and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) represent a diverse class of ubiquitous, co‑occurring environmental pollutants. While a limited number of well‑known PFAS have been banned from use in the EU, all compartments in the environment remain contaminated and, based on the levels of PFAS detected in rainwater, surface water and soils exceeding proposed regulatory guideline levels, it has been proposed that the planetary boundary for PFAS pollution has been breached. There is a global lack of solutions for the removal of PFAS contamination from the environment, including from highly exposed human populations.

This PhD position is part of the newly funded UFZ PhD College PSOL project “Solutions for exceeded planetary boundaries: Novel technologies to remove PFAS from the environment”. The candidate will join three other PhD students, co‑mentored by an interdisciplinary team of chemists, toxicologists, engineers, and social scientists. The research will develop and evaluate design strategies for adsorbent‑amended soils and soil retention filters to effectively remove PFAS in stormwater management. Beyond that, the research will refine and validate suitable models to predict the lifetime of such PFAS barrier systems. The PhD project is hosted in the Department Technical Biogeochemistry and will be co‑supervised by Dr. Ariette Schierz, Dr. Haibing Shoa and Dr. Anett Georgi.

Your tasks

• Select and evaluate eco‑compatible carbon adsorbents (e.g. biochar, activated carbon) for PFAS removal in stormwater management systems.
• Conduct column experiments to study the distribution of granular and colloidal activated carbon (CAC) in soils and stormwater management systems.
• Investigate PFAS retention in substrate compositions under different hydrological conditions.
• Construct, parameterize and calibrate a reactive transport model with OpenGeos and other software.
• Validate results in the field through PFAS analyses at existing pilot‑scale soil retention systems and predict long‑term performance.
• Present research findings and prepare scientific publications.

We offer

• Excellent supervision and optimal professional and interdisciplinary qualification through our HIGRADE graduate programme.
• The freedom to master even the most demanding challenges between basic research and practical application.
• The opportunity to work in interdisciplinary, international teams and benefit from a wide range of perspectives.
• First‑class integration into national and international research networks to work together on global challenges.
• Excellent research infrastructure and research data management to optimally support your work.
• A wide range of options for balancing care responsibilities and work through our family office.
• Competent support and advice for international colleagues arriving at the UFZ from the “International Office”.
• A workplace in a vibrant region with a high life quality and social and cultural diversity.

Your profile

Required

• Completed Master’s degree in chemistry, environmental engineering, environmental sciences, geoecology, or a related field.
• Strong interest in water chemistry, stormwater management, soil processes, sorption, and reactive transport.
• Willingness to engage in experimental laboratory work and numerical modeling.
• Ability to work in a team and strong motivation for interdisciplinary collaboration.
• Experience with column experiments, adsorption studies, or modeling.
• Knowledge of PFAS analytics or working with activated carbon materials.
• Basic knowledge of OpenGeoSys or comparable modeling environments.

Desirable

• Experience with column experiments, adsorption studies, or modeling.
• Knowledge of PFAS analytics or working with activated carbon materials.
• Basic knowledge of OpenGeoSys or comparable modeling environments.