PhD student position - risk assessment of fluorinated textile chemicals

The Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering promotes research and education for sustainable development, for improved health and quality of life. Our research ranges from natural science and bioscience, applied chemistry and biotechnology to chemical engineering. Our educational programs are characterized by technological solutions for improving people’s everyday life, and are continuously developed for meeting and promoting societal and industrial development.

We have approximately 380 employees, divided into five research divisions and one administrative unit. We are situated at campus Johanneberg.

Our department is characterized by stimulation of world leading research, in an environment where people develop and create new knowledge.The division
Chemical Environmental Science is a growing research group with the overarching goals of improving sustainability assessment methodologies used in product and process design and extending their use into new fields. Two Associate Professors and six doctoral candidates deliver projects primarily associated with the following industries:
• textiles
• agriculture
• water cycle management
• forest products.

The job
With our partners we won funds to find sustainable alternatives for water- and dirt repellent textiles. Lately, shorter-chained fluorinated molecules are being brought into use for this purpose, but their environmental characteristics are largely unknown. The overall project will (1) test the hypothesis that emission of persistent fluorochemicals are generated from textiles, (2) consider properties of fluorinated substances and prioritise substances and products, and (3) evaluate substitutes from a life cycle perspective. The aim is to promote substitution by the clothing industry towards the most sustainable alternatives.

Practically, the position at Chalmers primarily involves dialogue with stakeholders (for example, in the textile and wastewater industries) and desktop analysis of the transport and fate of chemicals in engineered systems and the environment using mathematics and computer simulation. Methodological questions around the relationship between environmental life cycle assessment and quantitative chemical risk assessment will be examined. The researcher will write articles for peer review in appropriate scientific journals. The researcher will also contribute 10-20% of their time to teaching activities related to the work.

Position summary
Full-time temporary employment limited to a maximum of five years.

Qualifications
Mandatory:

• An education equivalent to a Swedish masters degree in engineering or science. Ability to speak in English with clarity in personal encounters and presentations.
• Ability to understand complex written language and produce high-quality technical documents.
• Ability to understand and solve numerical problems.
• Ability to analyse and break down problems into their constituent parts

Useful:

• Training or experience in the application of LCA
• Training or experience in the application of risk assessment
• Knowledge of natural environmental processes
• Knowledge of chemistry

Our undergraduates are normally taught in Swedish, although graduate level teaching is in English. All applicants should be able to teach in Swedish after two years of employment.

Application procedure
The application should be marked with Ref 20130165 and written in English. It should be sent electronically via Chalmers webpage.

Deadline: 2013-07-02

For questions, contact:

Docent Greg Peters, petersg at chalmers . se, +46 31-7723003



Chalmers University of Technology conducts research and education in engineering sciences, architecture, technology-related mathematical sciences, natural and nautical sciences, working in close collaboration with industry and society.

The strategy for scientific excellence focuses on our eight Areas of Advance; Built Environment, Energy, Information & Communication Technology, Life Science, Materials Science, Nanoscience & Nanotechnology, Production and Transport. The aim is to make an active contribution to a sustainable future using the basic sciences as a foundation and innovation and entrepreneurship as the central driving forces. Chalmers has around 10,000 students and 2,900 employees. New knowledge and improved technology have characterised Chalmers since its foundation in 1829, completely in accordance with the will of William Chalmers and his motto: Avancez!