We are offering a master thesis investigating ecotoxicological responses of aquatic invertebrates to wastewater treated with different technologies.

Municipal wastewater treatment plant in Regensdorf CH (photo by A. Dabrunz)

As part of wastewater, humans release a broad range of organic micropollutants into the aquatic environment, which can induce negative effects in freshwater ecosystems. Through collaboration with Danish colleagues, we have the possibility to test the ecotoxicological potential of wastewater sampled prior to and following different wastewater treatment steps. Treatment technologies to be assessed include biomembrane reactors and ozonation. It is planned to employ feeding activity assays with the leaf shredding organism Gammarus fossarum, an experimental design which has proven its sensitivity and thus suitability for this investigation in earlier projects.

The project is planned after summer 2018, but the start date is rather flexible. Prior knowledge is not expected and required.

If you are interested, please contact Mirco Bundschuh (bundschuh@uni-landau.de).