PhD – Development of regenerable zeolite adsorbent materials for the decontamination of groundwater contaminated by Oxygenated Polycyclic Aromatic compounds (CAP-O)

Job title:

PhD – Development of regenerable zeolite adsorbent materials for the decontamination of groundwater contaminated by Oxygenated Polycyclic Aromatic compounds (CAP-O)

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Job description

Offer DescriptionEnvironmental context and scientific issuesIn countries with a strong industrial tradition, many sites have soils polluted by Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), organic compounds known for their deleterious effects on human health (systemic, carcinogenic, mutagenic effects) and on the environment. Sixteen of these have been classified as priority pollutants by the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) since 1976, and are currently monitored as part of diagnostic and monitoring programs, due to their occurrence, high toxicity and ease of quantification. However, these 16 PAHs are not the only contaminants present on these sites, and other families of aromatic compounds, in particular Oxygenated Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds (CAP-O), can also contribute to the impact and hence the risks for Man and the Environment. Indeed, O-PACs are present in pollution sources in the same way as PAHs, and are also products of PAH degradation (by photooxidation, chemical oxidation or oxidation by bacteria). As they are more polar than PAHs, they are more soluble in water, which means they are more mobile in soils than PAHs, leading to the formation of more extensive contamination plumes. In view of their potentially higher toxicity than PAHs, coupled with their potential migration into groundwater over significant distances downstream of a site, it is therefore necessary to eliminate O-PACs present on polluted sites, in the same way as PAHs. At present, there are a number of remediation methods for removing PAHs, but some of them, such as in situ chemical oxidation or treatments based on the biodegradation of PAHs, lead to the formation of O-PACs.The aim of this thesis project is to develop a new, economically viable and high-performance remediation process, both for the treatment of PAHs and for the elimination of O-PACs present in groundwater. The route envisaged to achieve this objective is the use of regenerable porous mineral adsorbents to trap organic pollutants present in water. This will enable us to validate a depollution method, a crucial step prior to any industrialization of the technology. At present, the most commonly used adsorbents are carbon matrices (activated carbons, biochar, nanotubes, etc.), which are highly effective in trapping many organic pollutants. However, these sometimes very expensive materials are not easily regenerated. The solution envisaged for this project is the use of zeolites, porous aluminosilicates that are highly thermally stable, and whose regeneration by simple heat treatment under air to eliminate organic pollutants in gaseous form (CO2,H2O) would therefore be easier. Zeolites are considered competitive materials in terms of cost, shape selectivity and adsorption efficiency. Thanks to their organized crystalline structure and high thermal stability coupled with intrinsic Bronsted acidity, they are known for their high adsorption potential towards trace organic molecules. LGRE and IS2M are proposing a thesis (scheduled to start in October 2024) that will be co-financed by UHA’s Mat-Light 4.0 program. This thesis is also part of a larger program funded by ADEME (Agence de la transition écologique), which will also co-finance the thesis and which focuses on the decontamination of CAP-O-polluted water via the use of porous mineral materials. It will start in 2024, as part of a consortium involving LGRE, teams from IS2M and LIMA (Laboratoire d’Innovation Moléculaire et Applications) at UHA, Ineris (Institut National de l’Environnement Industriel et des Risques) and VALGO, an industrial company specializing in the decontamination of polluted sites and soils.

Research will focus on the following areas of development:

• synthesis and characterization (by X-ray diffraction, diazote physisorption, electron microscopy) of zeolite materials with different structures. – study of the adsorption performance of organic pollutants in static (batch) tests on synthetic waters, with analysis of pollutant concentrations in solution, using HPLC/UV visible/fluorescence. A parametric study will optimize the depollution stage, by adjusting the nature and initial concentration of pollutants, the adsorbent content, the pH of the solution and the ionic strength.
• characterization and quantification of CAP-O/HAP sorption phenomena within the zeolite, using UV-visible, FTIR, Raman and fluorescence spectroscopic techniques. This information will contribute to the optimization of the adsorbent.
• the shaping of zeolites into beads, a necessary step for industrial applications.
• regeneration of zeolites by thermal treatment on two scales: thermogravimetry and through-flow fixed bed, with analysis of the gases emitted. The regenerated zeolites will again be tested for CAP-O/HAP adsorption.
• Replication of pilot-scale clean-up tests on the most efficient material, under conditions closer to those in the field, on polluted groundwater, at VALGO.

Skills required: Chemistry, Materials Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Environmental ChemistryApplication: A CV, a covering letter justifying the skills required and all semester transcripts for the last two academic years [M1 (S1 and S2) and M2 (S3 and S4, or only S3 if S4 in progress)] or 2nd and 3rd years of the engineering cycle [S3, S4, S5 with S6 if already completed] should be sent by e-mail to Sophie Dorge, Gwenaëlle Trouvé, Angélique Simon-Masseron and Habiba Nouali ( ; ; ; ).
Applications with missing documents will not be considered.RequirementsResearch Field Engineering Education Level Master Degree or equivalentLanguages FRENCH Level GoodLanguages ENGLISH Level ExcellentAdditional InformationWork Location(s)Number of offers available 1 Company/Institute Laboratoire Gestion des Risques et Environnement (LGRE) Country France City MULHOUSE Postal Code 68093 Street 3b Rue Alfred Werner GeofieldWhere to apply E-mailgwenaelle.trouve@uha.frContact CityMulhouse WebsiteStreet2 rue des frères lumières Postal Code68093STATUS: EXPIRED

Expected salary

Location

Mulhouse, Haut-Rhin

Job date

Fri, 19 Apr 2024 04:53:08 GMT

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