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Home Servizi Ricerche di Personale PhD student Health Impact Assessment of New Urban Water Concepts (Olanda)

PhD student Health Impact Assessment of New Urban Water Concepts (Olanda)

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KWR – NL
Watercycle Research Institute
KWR >> Over KWR For our fundamental research, we would like to add to our team an enthusiastic 
PhD student Health Impact Assessment of New Urban Water Concepts

Safe water systems are vital to everyone’s health. KWR Watercycle Research Institute formerly known as Kiwa) helps the water sector to identify the challenges it faces, and offers it the means and innovative strategies to meet these challenges successfully. 

KWR develops top knowledge and makes this available to the whole water sector – so that we can continue to have a relationship with water that is healthy, sustainable, advanced and efficient. Today and into the future! 

Water Quality & Health Research at KWR
The Water Quality & Health research group performs studies on pathogens and chemical contaminants in water and related matrices: origin, transport, behaviour/fate in water and soil environments and removal/inactivation/decomposition in water treatment processes. The studies provide essential elements to assess exposure of humans to pathogens and chemical contaminants via water, especially drinking water, and to perform health risk assessments. 

Microbiological Water Quality & Health
The focus of the research in the Microbiological Water Quality and Health team and the Laboratory for Microbiology is on impeccable drinking water quality and safe urban water systems. The Microbiology programme contains three themes 
•Microbial safety: to understand occurrence of pathogens in catchments, water systems and source waters, transport and fate of pathogens in the (water, air, soil) environment and in water treatment processes and recontamination of water systems. The objective is to provide a scientific basis for the prevention of the transmission of waterborne disease through water systems.
•Microbial activity: to understand the microbiological processes in treatment and distribution. The objective is to provide water utilities with the knowledge to optimise microbiological processes in the treatment process – e.g. nitrification, degradation of assimilable organic carbon - and in distribution - limit the formation of biofilm and growth of Legionella in water distribution networks and piping systems.
•Molecular methods: to develop and apply molecular methods for more rapid, more specific detection of target organisms (pathogens, indicators, amoebae) and for genotyping of functional groups of micro-organisms in the water cycle.The research is focused on water practice, has a strong experimental backbone and aims to implement innovations in the water sector.  Research is done in international collaboration with water utilities and universities. The programme contributes to leading research, e.g. in EU projects for microbial safety, and growth promotion by materials. 

Research
New water systems and concepts are introduced in the urban environment. Water systems for cooling of buildings are already well-established and spray parks, ponds, rain water harvesting systems, local grey water reuse systems, waste water reuse for irrigation or drinking water are introduced or considered by urban planners. Climate change increases the need for water storage and possibly cooling in the urban environment. These engineered water systems may also collect, harbour and promote growth of pathogens and the close proximity of humans may result in exposure to these pathogens; children playing in spray parks, ponds and WADIs, spraying of contaminated air droplets in urban areas etc.
To facilitate safe water systems in the urban environment, a method for health impact assessment has to be developed, based on quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA). To be able to conduct QMRA, knowledge on the (dynamics of the) presence of pathogens in these systems, their transport and fate in these systems and the exposure of humans to these systems is needed. 

The main research aims are: 
•to develop a health impact assessment method based on QMRA for urban water systems;
•to develop methods for detection of (viral) pathogens in urban water systems (water, air droplets);
•to study the (dynamics of) the presence of pathogens in urban water systems;
•to study fate (survival, transport, aerosolisation) of pathogens in these systems;
•to study (dynamics, demographics) of exposure of humans to these water systems;
•to combine the exposure assessment information into a health impact assessment of urban water systems (case studies).
Research will be conducted in the laboratory as well as with on-site pilot experiments. There will be close collaboration with a PhD student of the University of Utrecht (Institute of Risk Assessment Sciences) on the health risks of urban water systems who is focusing on the engineering aspects of these systems. Other national partners for collaboration are water utilities (Waternet), cities, Stowa (Foundation for applied water research), Delft University, Grontmij (an engineering consultant) and the RIVM (National Institute for Public Health and the Environment).
Results of the work should be presented at (inter)national conferences and published in international scientific journals, as well as presented to stakeholders of urban water systems. The research should accumulate in a PhD-thesis. It is expected that in the end of the project we have provided the scientific basis to evaluate the microbiological safety of a series of (planned) urban water systems. 

Your profile
You are graduated (MSc) in a microbiological, public health or environmental engineering discipline related to the topics of the proposed research. You have affinity for public health issues and engineered water systems. Communicating in English should not be a problem for you. You have a creative mindset and you are persistent. 

We offer
An attractive position in a growing, innovative and dynamic water research institute that positions itself as a developer of knowledge that is applicable by water utilities and other stakeholders. An informal work atmosphere characterized by motivated and enthusiastic colleagues. Very good research facilities. A large international network. There is lots of room for personal and professional development as well as a good balance between private life and work. Our employees are the success factor and the capital of KWR and are therefore central to our organization. KWR naturally offers an appropriate salary with good fringe benefits. We can help with finding a place to live. Is this position appealing to you? Then we look forward to receiving your application!Information and application

Detailed information about this position can be obtained from Gertjan Medema, Principal Scientific Researcher, phone +31 30 6069 653 / +31 62 5032 597 or Questo indirizzo e-mail è protetto dallo spam bot, abilitare Javascript per vederlo
Send your cover letter with a short introduction as to your motivation for application, along with your resume, to Sonja Mous: Questo indirizzo e-mail è protetto dallo spam bot, abilitare Javascript per vederlo