Postdoctoral Researcher - Hemp-Based Phytoremediation for Safe Recycling of Lake Sediments

Postdoctoral Researcher - Hemp-Based Phytoremediation for Safe Recycling of Lake Sediments

SDU - University of Southern Denmark

Odense, Denmark

As a postdoctoral researcher, you will investigate how phytoremediation can be used to remove, immobilize, or transform contaminants in sediment and how these processes affect the environmental fate and agricultural safety of the treated material.

Your role

You will design and conduct experiments to investigate the interactions between lake sediments, contaminants, and hemp plants. The work will include controlled plant-growth experiments on agricultural fields and in the laboratory, sediment and plant sampling, chemical analysis, and assessment of contaminant fate and transformation.

Key research activities will include:

• Designing and conducting experiments to grow e.g., hemp under controlled experimental conditions using contaminated lake sediments;
• Sampling and analysing different plant parts and sediments over time;
• Investigating the uptake, translocation, accumulation, degradation, and removal of heavy metals and PFAS;
• Evaluating how phytoremediation affects the chemical properties and agricultural suitability of lake sediments;
• Contributing to the development of guidelines and scientifically based criteria for the safe reuse of treated lake sediments as fertilizers or soil improvers;
• Publishing results in high-quality international peer-reviewed journals and presenting findings at scientific conferences.

The project will involve collaboration across environmental chemistry, plant science, soil science, and sustainable nutrient management, in close collaboration with companies and farmers, providing an opportunity to work in a highly transdisciplinary research environment.

Candidate profile

We are looking for an enthusiastic, self-driven and ambitious researcher with a PhD in environmental science, environmental chemistry, plant science, soil science, agronomy, biotechnology, or a related field. The candidate should be able to work independently and to communicate fluently in English, have good writing skills as well as possess good interpersonal skills.

We particularly welcome candidates with experience in one or more of the following areas:

• Plant cultivation and controlled plant-growth experiments;
• Phytoremediation or plant–soil interactions;
• Collection and preparation of plant and environmental samples;
• PFAS analysis and data interpretation;
• PFAS degradation, transformation, transport, and fate in the environment;
• Sediment or soil remediation and contaminant risk assessment;
• Experience with hemp cultivation is an advantage but is not essential. More important is a strong interest in using plants to address environmental contamination and resource-recovery challenges;
• Driving license (category B) is a must.

You should have a demonstrated ability to independently plan and conduct scientific experiments, analyse and interpret complex datasets, and communicate research findings through scientific publications and presentations.