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2017

Taking the P in the future: new technologies for phosphorus capture from wastewater

Taking the P in the future: new technologies for phosphorus capture from wastewater

Phosphorus is an element at the heart of globally-significant challenges, in particular the need to identify sustainable approaches that are able to reduce nutrient enrichment within aquatic ecosystems. In this project, you will develop new technologies in order to reduce the financial and environmental costs associated with removing phosphorus from wastewater. Working with a range […]

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Sunny waters: meeting our energy, water and climate mitigation needs with floating solar

Sunny waters - meeting our energy, water and climate mitigation needs with floating solar

By SolarWriter (Own work), cropped [CC BY-SA 3.0] What it’s about? Supplying sufficient energy to meet rising demands whilst transitioning to low carbon sources to avoid dangerous climate change is a global grand challenge. Solar photovoltaics (PV), deployed in various ways, will significantly contribute to future low carbon energy supply. Floating solar, or floatovoltaics, is […]

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Developing environmentally sustainable forestry value chains

Developing environmentally sustainable forestry value chains

Forests play a key role in climate regulation, water purification and biodiversity conservation, whilst providing renewable wood-based resources critical for the circular economy. Forest cover in the UK is one third of the European average, and possible post-Brexit reform of agricultural subsidies could create substantial impetus for forestry expansion. There remains an incomplete evidence base […]

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Exploring the ecology of airborne pollen biodiversity using environmental DNA analysis and identifying links to hay fever

Misc pollen colorized

In addition to providing benefits to society, biodiversity also brings costs. The aerial biosphere includes ecologically complex mixtures of pollens that negatively affect human health. Almost a quarter of people display allergic reactions to tree and grass pollen, causing symptoms ranging from hay fever to asthma, with associated socio-economic costs. Identifying tree pollens can be […]

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Measuring and modelling the dermal bioavailability of organic soil contaminants for human health risk assessment of contaminated land

Measuring and modelling the dermal bioavailability of organic soil contaminants for human health risk assessment of contaminated land

This industrial CASE studentship is a unique opportunity to develop innovative science in the field of organic geochemistry and risk-based land management of post-industrial brownfield sites affected by contamination. The CASE studentship attracts an increased stipend and expenses for laboratory equipment, consumables, travel and conference attendance. You will be working with a supervisory team of […]

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Widening our view of the reef: the landscape ecology of disturbance and recovery on Pacific coral reefs

Widening our view of the reef the landscape ecology of disturbance and recovery on Pacific coral reefs

Satellites and other high-resolution imaging techniques have enabled landscape ecologists to explore the spatial ecology of terrestrial biological communities, such as forests, for decades. The same opportunity has not existed in the sub-tidal marine environment, except for habitat mapping at course taxonomic resolutions. With the development of high-resolution underwater imaging, landscape-scale spatial data sets at […]

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Using environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis to explore aerial pollen communities and identify links to hay fever

Using environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis to explore aerial pollen communities and identify links to hay fever

Bioaerosols consist of biota such as pollen, fungal spores, bacteria and viruses and include plant allergens that negatively affect human health. Almost a quarter of people display allergic reactions to combinations of tree and grass pollen causing symptoms ranging from hay fever to asthma, with associated socio-economic costs to society and health services. Identifying pollen […]

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Understanding long term climate and atmospheric composition change over Antarctica

Understanding long term climate and atmospheric composition change over Antarctica

Air bubbles trapped in the ice of the Earth’s cold regions provide a unique, fascinating and long term record of atmospheric composition. Ice-core records of reactive gases are a relatively recent innovation, and potentially offer constraints on aspects of the past ~10000 years where there is little consensus (or investigation) with climate models. In this […]

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Understanding coastal vulnerability in an uncertain world

Understanding coastal vulnerability in an uncertain world

Sea-level rise and enhanced storminess, driven by climate change, is greatly increasing coastal vulnerability and the impacts of coastal recession worldwide. Although coastal cliffs provide valuable natural protection, they also present rockfall and landslide hazards; thus, understanding the processes involved in coastal recession is vital in order to implement appropriate sustainable management strategies to carefully […]

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