Application Deadline: 9/13/2024 3:00:00 PM Eastern Time Zone
Reference Code: EPA-ORD-CESER-BIL-2024-03
Research Project: Consumption of contaminated drinking water is one of the most common routes of human exposure to environmental pollutants. As a result, evaluating the effective removal and/or degradation of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) – which include perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS), pesticides, cyanobacterial toxins – in water treatment processes is of great interest to the EPA. In practice, this entails interest in monitoring for disappearance of known CECs, potential formation of new transformation by-products, or identification of novel contaminants which are not being removed through treatment processes. This is a challenge for targeted analytical workflows, because while monitoring for disappearance of known contaminants is straightforward, identifying either unknown contaminants or formation of novel by-products is not feasible. The use of non-targeted chemical analysis (NTA) enabled by high resolution mass spectrometric (HRMS) instrumentation is an ideal tool for this application, as it collects data without a need for specific standards or structural knowledge in advance. For PFAS characterization, in addition to NTA, other analytical techniques include targeted analysis, suspect screening, and novel methodologies such as the total oxidizable precursor (TOP) assay and total organofluorine (TOF). The research participant will be part of a team within EPA and one or more drinking water utilities aimed at using non-targeted analysis to evaluate the effect of various drinking water treatment processes on the removal and/or transformation of PFAS and other CECs.
Under the guidance of the mentor, research activities may include:
- Computer programming (Python and/or R) to develop tools for data processing and analysis.
- Data interpretation from the application of existing analytical methods for non-targeted analysis of environmentally relevant samples using mass spectrometry.
Learning Objectives: A variety of skills will be developed and used in the pursuit of the overall research objectives in this project. Because of the complexity of non-targeted data, identification of chemical features of interest in analytical outputs is extremely complex and predicated on the use of a wide range of tools, including predictive models, machine learning techniques, statistical analysis, and fragmentation analysis to better characterize species being identified. There will also be opportunities to explore the use of theoretical modeling techniques including quantum chemical simulations to explore the underlying mechanisms and pathways for treatability/transformation of chemicals of interest in conjunction with experimentally obtained data. Further, the research participant will collaborate with an interdisciplinary team of scientists to obtain a more holistic understanding of the underlying challenges and solutions to complex environmental problems. Under the guidance of a mentor, the research participant will have also freedom to pursue additional research objectives within the study areas as their own interests direct.
Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Toby Sanan (sanan.toby@epa.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor.
Anticipated Appointment Start Date: July 1, 2024. All start dates are flexible and vary depending on numerous factors. Click here for detailed information about start dates.
Appointment Length: The appointment will initially be for one year and may be renewed three to four additional years upon EPA recommendation and subject to availability of funding.
Level of Participation: The appointment is full-time.
Participant Stipend: The participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience. Click here for detailed information about full-time stipends.
EPA Security Clearance: Completion of a successful background investigation by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is required for an applicant to be on-boarded at EPA.
ORISE Information: This program, administered by ORAU through its contract with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to manage the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), was established through an interagency agreement between DOE and EPA. Participants do not become employees of EPA, DOE or the program administrator, and there are no employment-related benefits. Proof of health insurance is required for participation in this program. Health insurance can be obtained through ORISE.
ORISE offers all ORISE EPA graduate students and Postdocs a free 5-year membership to the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA).
The successful applicant(s) will be required to comply with Environmental, Safety and Health (ES&H) requirements of the hosting facility, including but not limited to, COVID-19 requirements (e.g. facial covering, physical distancing, testing, vaccination).
Questions: Please see the FAQ section of our website. After reading, if you have additional questions about the application process, please email ORISE.EPA.ORD@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.
See the application page for Qualifications and Application information