Internship: Environmental and financial impact of locally made bio-conditioners (4 months)

Fecal sludge that is emptied from on-site sanitation systems needs to be treated to protect public and environmental health. Since fecal sludge generally consists for more than 90% of water, dewatering is an essential treatment step. However, its heterogeneous nature makes predicting dewatering performance difficult. It is one of the key focus areas of research in the Management of Excreta, Wastewater and Sludge (MEWS) group at Sandec to understand and improve dewatering of fecal sludge. Using conditioners (flocculants and coagulants) could improve dewatering efficiency significantly. However, commercially available conditioners are expensive, need to be imported, and could potentially harm the environment. Previous MEWS research has focused on addressing these issues by exploring production of bio-based conditioners locally, for example modified cellulose from corn cobs or chitosan from shrimp waste.

The goal of this 4-month internship is to assess the environmental impact of the production process and assess the financial feasibility of producing bio-based conditioners locally. Both should be compared to currently available commercial alternatives, such as polyacrylamide-based conditioners or commercially available chitosan. The results are key in helping us determine if locally produced bio-based conditioners are a viable option for use in resource-limited settings.

Objectives & responsibilities: 

• Decide which methodology to use to assess environmental impact
• Conduct environmental impact assessment for locally produced modified cellulose and chitosan conditioners, comparing them to currently available alternatives
• Calculate costs of the full production process, including disposal, and comparing these to commercially available alternatives
• Communicate with sector experts 
• Provide advice on future research direction based on research findings
• Write up results in a report

Candidates for this position should have the following qualifications: 

• Holds a BSc in environmental sciences, life sciences, environmental engineering, or similar
• Enrolled in a university as a MSc student for the entire duration of the internship
• An interest in wastewater treatment
• Experience with Environmental Impact Assessments is strongly desired
• Ability to work independently, manage own time, and take own initiative
• Fluency in English (spoken and written)

Internship duration and reimbursement 

Four months, starting date in March 2025, based on mutual agreement. Sandec will provide an intern salary. 

Place of work 

This internship will take place at Eawag in Dübendorf, Switzerland. 

Supervision 

Ms Nienke Andriessen and Dr Linda Strande.

Contact 

For more information, contact E-Mail schreiben. To apply, please submit a cover letter and CV via the Eawag Jobs & Career webpage by 11 February 2025.