Job offer

Organisation/Company: UNIVERSITÉ DE REIMS CHAMPAGNE-ARDENNE

Research Field: Chemistry Environmental science » Ecology

Researcher Profile: Recognised Researcher (R2), Leading Researcher (R4), First Stage Researcher (R1), Established Researcher (R3)

Country: France

Application Deadline: 14 Apr 2025 - 22:00 (UTC)

Type of Contract: Temporary

Job Status: Full-time

Offer Starting Date: 1 Oct 2025

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

Microplastics (MPs), defined as plastic particles less than 5 mm in size, have become a major environmental concern because of their ubiquity and their potential impact on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Furthermore, these particles can accumulate numerous contaminants on their surface (adsorption processes) and transport them over long distances, in different environmental compartments and over the long term. The combined effects of MPs and the contaminants they transport by adsorption are still poorly understood, but are suspected of having more toxic effects on ecosystems.

Digestates from methanization produced by an anaerobic degradation process of organic matter, are a source of MPs in soils. These organic wastes are rich in organic matter and nutrients, and are therefore often used as organic soil amendment and fertilizers in agriculture. However, in addition to MPs, these digestates can also contain metal contaminants and pharmaceuticals (particularly antibiotics). This mixture of contaminants can then reach the soil receiving the digestate as amendment. This co-presence can therefore influence the mobility in soil and the environmental fate of both MPs and other contaminants due to their mutual interactions.

This project aims to get a better insight into the interactions between MPs and other contaminants in agricultural soils after amendment. The different stages of the project will be:

1. Identification and quantification of the MPs present in digestates and soils.
2. Interactions between MPs and contaminants (adsorption/desorption).
3. Impact of the anaerobic digestion process on the potential MPs alteration and antibiotics degradation, and on the interactions between MPs and the other contaminants.

The project PLASTICONSOL is part of the MERGE Industrial Chair of the Grand Est Region (Méthanisation En Région Grand Est). The work will be conducted at the Molecular Chemistry Institute of Reims (ICMR UMR CNRS 7312) at the University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne, in partnership with the ENSAIA Agrometha Chair at the University of Lorraine (experiments in pilot digesters near Nancy). A few months' international mobility (Montreal, Canada) will also be planned.

Requirements

1. You completed a MSc study program in environmental chemistry and/or geosciences.
2. General skills in analytical chemistry and chemistry at interfaces are needed. Additional skills in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) would be appreciated.
3. You are able to analyze and synthesize data.
4. You are rigorous, motivated, organized, able to manage your time and have teamwork and communication abilities.
5. You should have good English language skills.