Pesticides and their transformation products are often detected in surface and groundwater, potentially posing a major threat to public health and ecosystems. Most studies on their presence, transformation or toxicity have focused on herbicides, while fungicides receive less attention. Yet the latter are regularly applied to crops and detected in water, raising questions about their potential toxic risk. One of the main current gaps in the assessment of the extent of exposure to fungicides and their effects is the understanding of the transport and transformation of these substances in the environment (soil, surface and ground water). The overall aim of this project is to gain a better understanding of the environmental fate of selected fungicides in laboratory and field studies, and the associated ecotoxicological risks.
Degradation processes in environmental compartments are often difficult to identify by measuring concentrations alone. A decrease in concentration is not necessarily linked to the destruction of the compound but can also be caused by non-destructive processes (leaching, dilution, volatilization, sorption). New approaches are needed, such as isotopic analysis on specific compounds, which provides information on degradation processes and the mechanisms involved.
The overall aim of this project is to gain a better understanding of the environmental fate of selected fungicides in laboratory and field studies, and the associated ecotoxicological risks. The specific objectives are: 1) to develop multi-element (C, N, Cl when relevant) isotopic approaches for the compounds identified, 2) to conduct laboratory experiments to identify degradation pathways and associated ecotoxicological risks by combining monitoring of transformation products, isotopic tracing of degradation and ecotoxicological tests, and 3) to bring these approaches to the field.
Collaborative project between Violaine Ponsin, Professor of Hydrogeochemistry (Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, UQAM), Maikel Rosabal, Professor of Ecotoxicology (Department of Biological Sciences, UQAM) and Matthieu Moingt, Associate Professor of Environmental Sciences (UQAM).
Requirements:
- Master's degree (MSc) in environment, chemistry, or relevant discipline (Registration for PhD in chemistry).
- Available to start project in September 2025.
- Very good English writing and communication skills.
- Field and laboratory work.
Assets:
- Knowledge of isotope geochemistry and/or ecotoxicology.
Scholarship: $23,000/year for 3 years
Duration: 3 years, possible funding for a 4th year
The student will be a member of the EcotoQ (https://ecotoq.ca) and Geotop (https://www.geotop.ca/index.php/fr) research centers, which offer a stimulating working environment including access to additional funding, state-of-the-art equipment, courses and seminars. The student will also have access to the analytical platform of the Laboratoire d'Analyses Environnementales of the Institut des Sciences de l'Environnement (https://lae-ise.uqam.ca).
Applications should include 1) a concise statement describing the motivation to work on his research project, 2) a resume, 3) copies of academic qualifications (including ademic transcripts) and 4) names of two referees. The application should be submitted as one PDF file to ponsin.violaine [at] uqam.ca.
Applications from under-represented groups, including women, minorities, and Indigenous people, are strongly encouraged.