Internship | Mapping metal behavior in Dutch peatlands

About this position

Peat soils cover 9% of the Netherlands and are essential for climate regulation, and resilient landscapes. They also bind toxic metals. However, climate change, land subsidence, and shifting water management alter geochemical conditions, which impacts how metals are stored or released into groundwater and surface waters. In this internship, you will help uncover how metals are stored and transformed in Dutch peatlands using a variety of laboratory techniques. Your work will support the identification of areas at risk of future contamination and inform strategies to protect water resources.

What will be your role?

You will take the lead in characterizing peat soils collected from different regions of the Netherlands. Your focus will be to determine how trace metals are bound within these soils. You will also perform soil-column experiments that stimulate changes in the water table, allowing you to study how drainage...