PhD student position in Environmental Geochemistry of Thallium: Eawag, the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, is a Swiss-based and internationally networked aquatic research institute within the ETH domain (Swiss Federal Institute of Science and Technology).

It is committed to the ecologically, economically and socially responsible management of water resources and aquatic ecosystems. The Department of Water Resources and Drinking Water Treatment offers a PhD student position in Environmental Geochemistry of Thallium.

Thallium (Tl) is a highly toxic but poorly understood trace metal. The present PhD project funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation aims to advance the state of knowledge on the environmental behaviour of Tl. The project is a collaboration between Eawag (Molecular Environmental Geochemistry Group, Dr Andreas Voegelin) and the Paul Scherrer Institute, PSI (Clay Sorption Mechanisms Group, Dr Bart Baeyens).

The goals of this PhD student project are:

  • to study the extent and mechanisms of Tl sorption by key mineral sorbents in laboratory sorption experiments,
  • to determine the speciation and solubility of Tl in Tl-contaminated soils and sediments, and
  • to rationalize the experimental findings based on mechanistic sorption models. State-of-the-art analytical instrumentation, including X-ray absorption spectroscopy and mass spectrometry, will be used in combination with innovative experiments with radiothallium to assess Tl sorption processes and speciation. The results from this project are expected to provide essential new insight into the environmental geochemistry of an inorganic contaminant of high concern.

The duration of the position will be 3 years, with a potential one-year extension. Main workplace and employment will be at Eawag (Dübendorf near Zürich), but parts of the experimental work will be carried out at PSI (Villigen, AG). The candidate will be enrolled in the PhD student program of ETH Zurich. The student will be supervised by Dr Andreas Voegelin (Eawag), co-supervised by Dr Bart Baeyens (PSI), and advised by Prof Bernhard Wehrli (ETH Zurich, Eawag).

Requirements / qualifications – If you are excited about environmental geochemistry and about exploring chemical reactions at the solid-water interface that critically affect environmental quality, you are invited to apply. The successful candidate for this position is expected to hold an MSc degree in environmental sciences, geochemistry or closely related disciplines. Advanced knowledge of aquatic chemistry and/or mineralogy would be an asset. Excellent communication skills in English (and ideally also German) and willingness to work in a team are essential.

Deadline: Applications are reviewed until the position is filled. Project start is on 1 January 2016, or as soon as possible thereafter. For any further information, please contact Dr Andreas Voegelin (andreas.voegelin@eawag.ch).

How to Apply: We look forward to receiving your application which should include

  • a cover letter concisely describing your motivation for pursuing a PhD program,
  • a complete resume,
  • transcript of records, and
  • the names and contact information of two to three academic references. Copies of prior publications or theses will be considered if made available as PDF.

Please submit your application via the Eawag Jobs & Career webage, any other way of applying will not be considered. The link below will take you directly to the application form.

https://apply.refline.ch/673277/0398/pub/1/index.html