PhD Studentship: Environmental Fate of Radioactive ‘Hot Particles’ in Marine and Terrestrial Systems: A Biogeochemical

This is a 3.5 year PhD Studentship  which will cover fees and stipend of £18,622 in academic year 2023/2024.

Applicants should have or expect to achieve at least a 2.1 honours degree in Chemistry, Environmental Science/Engineering or Geological Science.

The UK has a legacy of radioactive “hot particles” in the environment which were released into the sea via historic discharge (e.g. via pipeline discharge) from various sites (e.g. Sellafield and Dounreay). The presence of these particles in the marine environment is a potential risk to local ecosystems and humans, therefore it is critical to understand their behaviour and fate. The aim of this study will be to perform experiments on synthetic nuclear fuel particles which mimic the marine and terrestrial environment to understand how these particles breakdown in seawater and sediments. In addition, legacy particles from the environment will be collected. A range of state-of-the-art techniques, including radiological analysis and advanced electron/X-ray microscopy (e.g., Diamond synchrotron https://www.diamond.ac.uk) will then be used to understand the breakdown processes of these particles. This information will allow prediction of particle lifetime and detailed understanding of radionuclide release mechanism(s). This approach will provide a nanoscale understanding of the breakdown processes to inform site scale understanding of risk. Overall, this will help to develop strategies for management of the particle environmental/ecological impact and allow the development of surveillance and remediation strategies at UK nuclear licensed sites.

This project will develop a range of research skills including synthetic fuel particle synthesis, biogeochemical experimental design, and field sampling/analysis. In addition, the researcher will develop comprehensive skills in project planning, with communication across a multidisciplinary team. The researcher will be hosted in the NNUF RADER and SIMFUEL and Alpha-Active Material Manufacturing and Characterisation facilities (http://www.nnuf.ac.uk) with a community of 25+ researchers working on nuclear decommissioning. The researcher will also attend national and international conferences/workshops in the area providing a professional framework for scientific exchange. Overall, the researcher will develop a detailed understanding of nuclear decommissioning challenges and how research results can be implemented to meet these.

Equality, diversity and inclusion is fundamental to the success of The University of Manchester and is at the heart of all of our activities. We know that diversity strengthens our research community, leading to enhanced research creativity, productivity and quality, and societal and economic impact.

We actively encourage applicants from diverse career paths and backgrounds and from all sections of the community, regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation and transgender status. 

We also support applications from those returning from a career break or other roles. We consider offering flexible study arrangements (including part-time: 50%, 60% or 80%, depending on the project/funder). 

Advert information