Nowadays we are surrounded by plasticmaterials, as more than 370 million tonnes of plastics were produced in 2023and this amount is expected to grow every year. Small microplastics (MPs) andnanoplastics (NPs) have been found everywhere. The aim of this PhD project isto better understand the impact of small MP and NP pollution on freshwaters andwastewater, which will be obtained through the following objectives:

a) to evaluate the ability of MPs andNPs to release chemicals, that are present as additives or derived fromdegradation of the polymer skeleton, and assess the interaction between plasticparticles and organic pollutants. This will help to evaluate the impact of MPsand NPs on freshwaters and elucidate their role in the transport ofcontaminants.

b) to understand the effect of MPsand NPs on wastewater treatments, and particularly the Advanced OxidationProcesses (AOP), to see whether plastic particles can compromise the removal oforganic pollutants and contribute to the occurrence of toxic compounds intreated waters.

c) to sample and measure NPs andsmall MPs in freshwaters and wastewaters to assess their presence andconcentration. A method to detect these particles will be developed andoptimised, and its application will provide useful data on the concentration andtype of MPs and NPs in natural samples and wastewaters.

Theproject will be carried out in the framework of the project NATtA - Aninvestigation on the impact of nanoplastics on freshwater and wastewatertreatments (MIUR Call FARE project CUP R20T85832Z).

The candidate should be fluent in English and havecommunication, organization, and interpersonal skills. Applicants should have abackground in environmental chemistry and/or analytical chemistry. The candidate should have basic knowledgeon photochemistry, kinetic competition methods and kinetic simulations, onadvanced oxydation processes, polymers, radical chemistry and environmentaldegradation.

The project will be carried out at the Department ofChemistry of UNITO (which is one of the Department of Excellence 2023-2027selected by MUR), in the Chemistry Energy and Environment (CEA) research group.CEA group has a long history in studying processes and mechanisms that definethe chemistry of surface waters, and the mechanisms involved in the advancedoxidation processes (AOP). The Department of Chemistry and the CEA group have awide range of instrumentation for simulating AOP and environmental-likeconditions (reactors, lamps, etc…), and for the analysis of liquid and particlephase. The research environment is dynamic and stimulating, suitable forcarrying out this PhD project.