Description

This project forms part of Nantes University’s ‘Ouverture’ Project and, more specifically, the Open Innovation Collective on Sustainable Water Management – which aims to study pollution caused by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the Pays de la Loire region, within its wider scope, and to foster a cross-cutting, interdisciplinary approach to this issue at regional level. In this context, the research proposed here will aim to identify and quantify the main short- and long-chain PFAS in various environmental matrices (air, water, soil) and food matrices (drinking water, marine biota), in order to determine their sources and fate.

The first stage will involve to develop a sampling strategy to characterise the sources of exposure to these molecules, in different contexts and at different spatial scales. To this end, various compartments (air, water, soil, sediment) will be investigated, at the scale of a university campus (Tertre) and a municipality (Pornic).

The Tertre campus, with 16,000 users, represents an urban setting where users’ exposure to PFAS via drinking water, the atmosphere and soil can be characterised in parallel with a sociological study of risk perception and awareness (another doctoral project being conducted in parallel). The town of Pornic offers a more rural study site, including a catchment point for drinking water production, and relatively simple distribution and treatment facilities, which facilitate measurements and the deployment of any sampling equipment. The bioaccumulation of PFAS by local wild and/or farmed marine species will also be investigated.

In a second stage, various analytical strategies will be implemented to identify and quantify the compounds present. Conventional methods, based on the targeted analysis of around twenty compounds listed in the Water Framework Directive, will be supplemented by non-targeted screening analyses using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry and a non-specific method, such as the determination of total oxidisable precursors (TOP), to characterise the total PFAS load.

All of these methods will have been validated in advance for the various environmental matrices. The results of this project will be shared with the private and industrial sectors, as well as amongst institutional stakeholders, in order to accelerate innovation for the optimisation of emissions and fate management within the region.

• Duration of contract : 18 months
• Salary : € 2.800 gross per month

Requirements

• Research Field: Chemistry » Analytical chemistry / Environmental science
• Education Level: PhD or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

• PhD in analytical chemistry or environmental science and technology, specialising in chemistry
• Knowledge and expertise in analytical development. Thorough understanding of the principles of extraction, the quantification of organic compounds using internal standards, and method validation. Experience in environmental sampling and in both targeted (suspect screening ; SS) and non-targeted screening (NTS) analysis would be an advantage.

Languages

• FRENCH: Level good
• ENGLISH: Level Good

Years of Research Experience: 1 – 4

Additional Information

Benefits

• An unprecedented model in France combining a university, a university hospital (CHU de Nantes), a technological research institute (IRT Jules Verne), a national research organization (Inserm) and the Grandes Écoles (Centrale Nantes, École des Beaux-arts Nantes Saint-Nazaire, Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Nantes)
• Commitment to professional equality, diversity and inclusion and addressing gender-based and sexual violence
• Membership in the EUniWell European Alliance committed to wellness
• Certified HR Excellence in Research since 2022 as part of the HRS4R strategy
• Transport subscription up to 75 % supported
• Sustainable mobility package, in line with the institution’s commitment to sustainable development
• Access to university restaurants with a preferential rate
• Access to sports, university libraries and other activities on campus

Eligibility criteria

The candidate must send a CV and a cover letter before September 30th 2026.