The Biogeoscience Group in Earth and Ocean Sciences at NUI Galway (www.nuigalway.ie/biogeoscience/griffith/welcome.html) seeks a PhD student to expand its research in marine geoscience. The research programme targets national priorities of providing added-value geoscience research based on databases at the Geological Survey of Ireland (GSI) and the Marine Institute (MI) in support of the optimum use of natural resources. The Biogeoscience Group works closely with the GSI and the MI (based in Galway) and has many existing international collaborations. The group is now in a position to recruit a person for a 4-year structured funded PhD programmes in the following area:

The presence of elevated concentrations of arsenic and metals from natural and anthropogenic sources limits the availability of safe potable water supplies globally. The consumption of contaminated waters over a long time has resulted in many severe health problems. Arsenic is considered a class 1 carcinogen (IARC- International Agency for Research on Cancer) and the presence of As contamination in groundwater is considered a major global environmental hazard. Recently, it has emerged that certain groundwater systems in Ireland may contain elevated levels of metals, in excess of regulatory standards and "maximum allowable concentrations" for metallic contaminants in drinking water, including groundwater. Therefore it is imperative to provide a scientific basis for understanding the source and mobilisation of metals in Irish groundwaters. This will contribute to the management and use of drinking water supplies and assist discrimination between anthropogenic and natural influences.

This PhD research programme aims to determine the distribution of As and other metals in groundwaters in Ireland and the main geochemical controls on aqueous As concentrations in local systems. Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) - coupled with hyphenated techniques, e.g. High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) will be used to quantify the relevant forms of dissolved As (and other metals if relevant/possible) in the systems, providing an assessment of bioavailability and toxicity.

The successful candidate will have at least an upper Second Class Honours degree and a Master's degree with a good fundamental knowledge of environmental and instrumental analytical chemistry (ideally with practical experience in chromatography and/or inductively coupled mass spectrometry), and experience in hydrogeology, geology, environmental geochemistry and/or a related field. They should enjoy fieldwork and analytical method development and will have access to state-of-the-art clean room and instrumentation facilities at the Chemical Monitoring Facility in NUI Galway. They will have the opportunity to work as part of an inter-disciplinary team consisting of several academic researchers, government agency scientists (especially in the Geological Survey of Ireland) and local authority representatives.

For further information and to apply, please send an electronic application via e-mail to Dr. Liam Morrison (liam.morrison@nuigalway.ie) including a CV with details of previous degrees awarded and specific courses taken, statement of research goals, list of publications (if any) and the contact information for 2 referees. Please use the subject line 'Griffith Award Application Galway' and cc to barbara.petrunic@nuigalway.ie

The closing date for the applications is 17.00 on 28^th October 2011.