PhD Studentship in: Understanding risks from emerging contaminants (PFAS) to surface water resources

The University of Sheffield, Sheffield Water Centre in collaboration with the UK Water Sector and the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Water Infrastructure and Resilience.

PhD Studentship in: Understanding risks from emerging contaminants (PFAS) to surface water resources

Stipend: This post will fully cover university tuition and provide a tax-free stipend for Home and Overseas students of £24,000 per year.

Closing Date for Applications: 30th June 2024

Start Date: 30th September 2024 (contract duration 4 years)

In England and Wales, the majority of drinking water comes from surface waters. The resilience and security of this supply is being increasingly challenged by the combined effects of population growth, climate change and pollution. The National Infrastructure Commission, DEFRA, OFWAT and the EA have called for an increase in the resilience of water supply systems, and for an increasing focus on controlling public health risks from pollution at catchment level.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are considered to be ‘contaminants of emerging concern’ due to their environmental persistence and potential effects on human health. PFAS are frequently detected in various environmental media (including surface water and groundwater) and biological tissues. There is a therefore a need to develop the evidence base concerning the risks of PFAS to potable water systems in the UK. This includes developing a better understanding of potential sources of PFAS within catchments as well as accumulation and transport processes through the environment. A current lack of coordinated monitoring and modelling capabilities across the rural and urban raw water domains (and related scales) means that water quality risks to potable supply infrastructure systems are not currently well understood.

This project will utilise water industry and other environmental datasets to develop strategies to effectively evaluate risks to water supply systems from potential hazards in the South East of England. Working with the project team, this will involve collecting water quality samples, analysing environmental datasets and developing & testing modelling tools. There will be a specific focus on understanding acute water quality impacts from intermittent, rainfall driven sources such as urban drainage systems or diffuse runoff. The project outputs will include the development of operationally deployable tools to inform water abstraction operations of risks to water quality.

The research programme to be completed in this project will be undertaken as part of the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Water Infrastructure and Resilience (CDT WIRe). WIRe is a collaboration between the three leading UK Universities in water resilient infrastructure. Students will benefit from a bespoke training scheme delivered by world leading experts from academia and industry, access to world leading experimental and computational facilities as well as close and regular contact with industry and end user partners. WIRe is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive community, and offer a range of family friendly, inclusive employment policies. For further information on the WIRe scheme visit the web site at: https://cdtwire.com/

The project will be supervised by Dr. James Shucksmith and Prof. Steve Thornton in collaboration with water industry partners. The researcher will be mainly located in Sheffield, with periods of travel to sites in the South East of England when required. There will also be generous opportunities to travel to visit our academic and industry partners in both the UK and overseas.

Eligibility Criteria

This studentship is subject to standard RCUK eligibility criteria. It is open to all students with Home or Overseas residency (subject to a maximum quota of overseas students per training grant).

The selection criteria for the position are;

• A good honours degree (or equivalent experience) in Engineering, Physical/Environmental Science, Mathematics, Computer Science or a related subject.

• Enthusiasm for research and collaboration with industry

• Good level of written and oral communication skills, as appropriate for disseminating research and communicating with project partners.

• Willingness to collaborate with other researchers, industry and end-users.

• Aptitude for research in a relevant area (e.g. water quality modelling, sensing and monitoring systems, data analysis) as evidenced by previous experience.

How to apply

Interested candidates should email a covering letter and their Curriculum

Vitae to Miss Lindsay Hopcroft ([email protected]). For information and informal enquiries please contact: Dr. James Shucksmith, [email protected]