Postgraduate Opportunities
Newcastle University
Supervisor: Dr Paul Sallis
Institute(s): School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences and AstraZeneca
Duration: 4 years from June 2008 (although start date could be delayed until end of September 2008)
Introduction
A collaborative four-year BBSRC CASE funded PhD (Doctoral Training Award) is available to study the anaerobic biodegradation of pharmaceuticals. The research will be based at AstraZeneca’s Brixham Environmental Laboratory in Devon with periods of time at the School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences at Newcastle University.
The Research Project
This project will investigate the hypothesis that pharmaceutical compounds which adsorb to biomass during the aerobic sewage treatment may subsequently biodegrade during post-treatment of the waste activated sludge by anaerobic digestion, prior to the ultimate disposal of digested sludge on agricultural land. As anaerobic digestion is currently not included in the environmental risk assessment, it may mean that the terrestrial predicted environmental concentration (PECsoil) is currently being over-estimated, leading to unnecessary testing and potential regulatory concern. Since anaerobic digestion can recover useful energy from waste materials, it is likely to be used increasingly in the future for the treatment of sewage sludge and pharmaceutical wastewaters, thereby increasing the need for a detailed understanding of the fate of pharmaceutical compounds during anaerobic treatment.
The research project will identify the appropriate chemicals and pharmaceuticals from recent sludge adsorption data in published literature; develop the methodology to study anaerobic degradation of low concentrations (µg L-1 in the aqueous phase) of (14C) substances; assess rates and routes of degradation; use the data to assess the impact of the results in suitable risk assessments and make recommendations regarding the use of anaerobic degradation data in risk assessment.
The Brixham Environmental Laboratory is located in Devon, South West England and supports chemical and related businesses with assessments of the environmental safety of new and existing products, and of the manufacturing processes they operate. There are about 100 full-time staff in the laboratory covering a wide range of scientific disciplines.
Person Specification
Applicants should have a strong interest in environmental microbiology and chemistry. Applicants should hold or expect to obtain a first-class or upper-second-class Honours degree in chemistry, biochemistry, microbiology, environmental engineering or a related subject.
Value of the Award
Applicants must comply with the eligibility requirements specified by the BBSRC. All UK citizens are eligible. Some EU and international applicants may also be eligible if they have been resident in the UK for the past three years. Individuals from the EU or overseas who have resided outside the UK at any time during the past 36 months should not apply as they will not meet the eligibility criteria.
Eligible applicants (according to the outline definition above) should confirm their eligibility by checking the detailed eligibility definition of the BBSRC. (http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk/funding/studentships/studentship_eligibility.pdf)
The full award covers tuition and registration fees; provides an annual stipend in excess of £16,000 per annum; and includes additional expenses for travelling between Devon and Newcastle.
How to Apply
Please e-mail a copy of your CV to Dr Paul Sallis, p.j.sallis@ncl.ac.uk, using CI228 as the message subject or call him on +44 (0) 191 222 5735 for an informal discussion. If Dr Sallis is unavailable, please contact Rachel Scott +44 (0)191 222 7931 or Melissa Ware +44 (0)191 222 6445.
Closing date: 31 May 2008
Funding information
- Funding applies to:
- Open to applicants from a range of countries
