Posted on behalf of Dr. Paul Schofield (E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]) Natural History Museum, London, England. ====================================================== ====================================================== The Natural History Museum require two Research Assistants to carry out work related to a project investigating heavy metal stabilisation via insoluble phosphate formation in soils. Project description The remediation of metal contaminated soils and waste ground is of growing importance due to both government pressure for the re-use of brown field sites and concerns about the environmental effects of concentrations of potentially toxic metals. At present the most common way of remediating metal contaminated sites is either to cap the site or to excavate and dump the contaminated soil elsewhere. However, neither of these two practices actually renders the contaminated soil safe, but simply bypasses the problem by erecting some form of barrier between the contaminated soil and the biosphere. An alternative chemical / mineralogical method of rendering metals immobile and non-bioavailable in situ focuses on converting the metals present in the soil into metal phosphates. Metal phosphates are highly insoluble and are stable over almost the entire range of Eh and pH encountered in the natural environment. In principal once metal phosphates form, the metals are "locked up" in situ and are no longer able to interact with the environment. Thus the metals no longer pose a pollution threat. The research will build on work previously carried out at The Natural History Museum testing a new process. The two vacancies will further this work by improving our ability to detect the newly formed metal phosphates in soil (Job 1); and by carrying out field trials, using the new method (Job 2). The work will be carried out in collaboration with Dr. Mark Hodson (PRIS, Reading University) and Dr. Janet Cotter-Howells (Aberdeen University). Job description Job 1 will focus on synthesising and characterising (by X-Ray Diffraction, micro-Raman spectroscopy and Electron Microscopy) a range of metal phosphates, as analogues to those forming in treated soils. Job 2 will involve setting up field and lab experiments, using the new method, followed by monitoring changes in the contaminated soils, using ICP-AES, X-Ray Diffraction and Electron Microscopy. The two contracts are both for one year and may suit persons who have recently completed a MSc or PhD in the field of earth, soil, environmental sciences or chemistry/chemical engineering. Salary is in the range £16,000 to £21,000, subject to age and qualifications. Starting date: May 1st, 2000, or as soon as possible after that. For more information or an informal discussion please contact: Job 1: Dr. Paul Schofield on 0207 942 5184, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Job 2: Dr Eva Valsami-Jones on 0207 942 5334, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ====================================================== ======================================================
