Launch week offerEnds in00h00m00s
annual Promonthly Pro
University of Exeter
Just Landed
New Today
PhD Studentship: From Catchment to Tap Tracing Contaminants of Emerging Concern through South West Drinking-water Sources University of Exeter in United Kingdom
Degree Level
PhD
Field of study
Chemistry
Funding
Available
Deadline
Jan 7, 2027
Country
United Kingdom
University
University of Exeter
Apply for this scholarship
Free with an ApplyKite account: the application link, the deadline in your tracker and a check of your fit.
Keywords
Suggested scholarships
About this position
This PhD studentship investigates how chemicals of emerging concern, especially PFAS, move from South West catchments into reservoirs and drinking water, and what happens to them along the way. The project asks which contaminants are present across catchments and reservoirs, how they partition and transform between water, sediment and reservoir systems, and which compounds escape removal during treatment such as granular activated carbon.
The Doctoral Researcher will design and carry out seasonal sampling from catchment to tap, including raw, in-process and treated waters at operational sites that are not publicly accessible. The research combines suspect and non-target screening using GC- and LC-Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry with targeted PFAS quantification to identify occurrence and likely sources. It also uses in vitro bioassays to connect chemical profiles with biological activity, alongside laboratory columns and full-scale works data to assess GAC removal and breakthrough.
The project is based at the University of Exeter, with support from CREWW and collaboration with the University of Bristol through Dr Charlotte Lloyd’s catchment contaminant expertise. A CASE partnership with South West Water gives access to reservoirs, treatment works, operational data and samples beyond publicly accessible locations, and places the work in a real water-utility setting. The student will be able to choose which catchments, contaminant classes, and project strand to prioritise, working with joint supervision across partners.
The project is designed around hands-on training in fieldwork design, HRMS data acquisition and processing, compound identification, cheminformatics, bioassay interpretation and sorption experiments, within a collaborative environmental and water-treatment research environment.
Funding details
Available
What's required
No specific entry requirements are stated in the advert. The project would suit a candidate interested in environmental chemistry, water quality, mass spectrometry, bioassays, cheminformatics (Python), and sorption experiments, with an interest in field sampling and water-treatment research.
How to apply
Apply via the University of Exeter funding application page. Review the studentship details and submit the application through the linked portal before the deadline.
Make your next move.
Prepare your application
Review drafts and confirm requirements with the provider.
Make your next move.
Prepare your application
Review drafts and confirm requirements with the provider.