Protecting freshwater ecosystem services from chemical pollution: linking ecology, ecotoxicology and culture.

Supervisors: Professor Lorraine Maltby & Dr Stuart Marshall
CASE partner: Unilever

Many household and personal care products contain chemicals that are released into the environment via drainage systems. Some of these ‘down the drain’ chemicals have the potential to adversely impact freshwater ecosystems and reduce the benefits (i.e. ecosystem services) they provide to people. These impacts may vary with region because, for example, developed regions tend to treat domestic waste waters more extensively than regions with less well developed infrastructure. People use freshwater ecosystems in many different ways. Fresh waters provide food and water is abstracted for drinking, irrigation, domestic and industrial processes, they provide a water source for livestock, an energy source, a means of navigation, a place for recreation and they may have spiritual significance. The interactions between people and water are dependent on socio-economic as well as environmental factors and what is valued – and therefore to be protected – differs between cultures. This project will take an ecosystem services approach to setting protection goals for freshwater ecosystems at risk from ‘down the drain’ chemicals. It will consider how protection goals vary in different geographic regions (e.g. Europe and Asia), identify key ecological components providing the services to be protected and investigate how these ecological components are affected by ‘down the drain’ chemicals.
Keywords: risk assessment, environmental protection, waste waters, personal care products, detergents

To apply, please complete an online application form which can be found at www.shef.ac.uk/postgraduate/research/apply/applying
The closing date is 15th January 2013