Water quality control and tools for iron transport management in urban and peatland landuses

Increased iron concentrations in surface waters have been observed in several studies during the last decades in the boreal zone. The excessive iron load has many effects on the aquatic ecosystem causing brownification with a direct impact on primary production and the entire food web, weakening the survival of fish and other aquatic organisms. The darkening of waters and the iron precipitation also affect the drainage infrastructure in rural and urban settings, and the recreational value of water bodies. Even though the processes of iron are rather well known, in a real situation identifying the sources of iron can be challenging and therefore spatial analysis is needed to identify iron sources, risk areas and possible reasons for leaching. Land type and land use are important factors affecting the mobilization of iron to the water bodies, but tools for catchment scale analysis are lacking. Also, knowledge about the effectiveness of natural water protection methods for iron retention is insufficient and more information is needed.

We are seeking a talented doctoral student with good knowledge of forest and urban hydrology and water quality. This PhD project aims to increase understanding of iron processes and ways to prevent iron leaching and transport to recipient catchments in boreal zone. The studied environments are 1) peatland- based forestry area and 2) urban stormwater areas in Oulu region.
The main study questions in the work will be 1) What are the source areas for leaching iron from in peatland-based forests and urban city area, 2) How to identify the areas where iron is leaching, and 3) how do natural water treatment structures effect on iron retention. The study will be done at University of Oulu in collaboration with Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) and City of Oulu. The candidate will be involved in data collection, treatment, and analysis, aiding in the development of guidelines to understand iron processes in catchment scale and possibilities to mitigate iron problems in recipient catchments.

The selected student should have a Master’s degree in environmental or civil engineering, water and sanitation engineering, water resources engineering, soil science. Due to the nature of the described PhD project, the candidate would benefit from the following skills: (1) The knowledge of the iron phenomenon in soil and water, (2) Good understanding of hydrological processes, (3) Basic understanding of passive nature-based purification systems and (4) willingness to work in field and laboratory conditions. We require good written and spoken English skills and driving license.

Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE)

Water, Energy and Environmental Engineering Research Unit/Faculty of Technology

Doc., Heini Postila

Ass. Prof., Pekka Rossi

PhD, Maria Kämäri

PhD, Maria Kämäri