Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences

The Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS) is a multidisciplinary research Centre committed to world-class research across the environment health sciences. These include environmental toxicology, epidemiology, microbiology, health risk assessment and communication, and state-of-the art monitoring and analytical technologies to quantify emerging environmental health risks.

QAEHS is funded by Queensland Health and The University of Queensland and works closely with Queensland Health to develop the Centre’s research directions. QAEHS pursues research excellence through competitively funded research, as well as government and industry consultancies, and has a successful track record in interdisciplinary collaborative research with international and other Australian institutions.

For more Information about QAEHS, please visit: qaehs.centre.uq.edu.au/

The award

This project develops new approaches for microplastics extraction, analysis and treatment technologies. Microplastics are tiny plastic particles, mostly in the size range from 1-2 mm to nearly 10 microns range. These particles are most commonly produced a result of natural degradation of larger plastic waste in water bodies. Microplastics pose potential harm to marine biota, but also, as many marine animals are on the higher end of the food chain, they are potentially consumed by humans resulting in several long term health issues.

The PhD candidate will play a key role in development of technologies to effectively extract the microplastics from water bodies followed by analysis to provide a detailed characterisation of the pollutants. This will help understand the extent of the problem present in various water bodies. The project will also investigate foaming technologies as a low cost remediation process to treat water bodies.

Selection criteria

The ideal candidate will have a Masters degree in Chemical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Physical Chemistry or similar background. The project will also be relevant to candidates who hold a 1st Class Honours or have significant industry experience in waste water treatment.

The selected student should be available to commence candidature at the start of research quarter 3 2020 (July 2020).

To be eligible to apply, you must also meet the entry requirements for Higher Degrees by Research at UQ. Please visit the Graduate School's website.

Remuneration

The 2020 Research Training Program (RTP) living allowance stipend rate is AUD$28,092 per annum (indexed annually), which is tax-free for three years with two possible extensions of up to 6 months each in approved circumstances (conditions apply). Click here further information on this scholarship.

Enquiries

For further information, please contact Dr Pradeep Shukla at pradeep.shukla@uq.edu.au.

How to apply

Please visit the advertisement on the Grad School website for information on how to apply. Please do not click the apply button.

Applications close 10 June 2020 at 11.00PM AEST.