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Biological degradation of TAR related chemicals in a Constructed Wetland

HMVT, Ede. The Netherlands

Initial note

We invite students to apply for this very interesting internship. Please note that we do not provide housing as part of the internship. We operate mostly in The Netherlands. So, communication for projects will be mainly in Dutch. All of our staff however are fluent in English.

Who are we?

HMVT is an environmental contractor specializing in complex and innovative projects. We have a hands-on culture and strive to quickly apply (new) technologies in practice. We specialize in a wide range of techniques for in-situ remediation of soil, water- and air treatment.

Our network consists of industrial partners for whom we carry out many projects, mainly in the Benelux-region, but also in other countries of Europe.

The challenge

We are continuously improving the sustainability of our technologies. That is why we have been investing the last 8 years in nature-based remediations. An example is the further development of constructed wetland technology. Since 2016 we design and operate constructed wetlands for the treatment of contaminated water.

Constructed wetland systems mimic natural wetland systems, where physical (e.g. flocculation), chemical (e.g. adsorption), and biological processes (e.g. microbial degradation, plant uptake) occur to break down complex molecules.

These wetlands have proven useful for the breakdown of many chemical contaminants, due to the many different reaction mechanisms that occur within the soil matrix.

We are now involved in a project in which constructed wetland technology is tested for a new range of chemicals. In the project, we will investigate the possibility of treating a water flow contaminated with high levels of tar related chemicals such as mineral oil, BTEX, PAH. Individually, these type of chemicals have been treated with success in previous constructed wetlands projects. However, for this test we will use the technology for a mixture of these chemicals in very high levels. That is the challenge !

The constructed wetland has been realized in the autumn of 2023 and is now running for more than 6 months. We are following the progress with a very detailled monitoring scheme. In this scheme we also use state of the art Sensoring technologies.

How can you help us?

As an intern you will be part of the project team. You will participate in meetings, the field test program and gain practical experience with field sampling of water quality parameters (RedOx, pH, O₂, Ec), as well as the chemical composition of the water.

We want to fully understand the possible biological degradation mechanisms and, of course, whether a constructed wetland can be a possible solution for the degradation of tar chemicals. You will also be involved in our consultations, and do work at the project location.

Apart from this project, you will be invited to visit many other HMVT-projects. This will help you to get a general understanding of environmental remediation and treatment technologies.

General remarks on the internship

We think we offer a great internship. Why?:

• It is a good opportunity for building your network within the world of environmental research, remediation and consultancy.
• Gain experience working in the field of environmental services.
• Creativity. Given the nature of the assignment, you have a lot of freedom and can influence your own workload.
• Innovation. You will learn many technologies within the remediation world, which will be useful for your further career.
• Variety. Our work contains a lot of variety; think of field work, meetings with clients, experimenting in the workshop, reporting.

Finally. Be part of a nice team with people with very much experience !

As part of the internship you will receive a financial compensation. Compensation of travel costs to the projects also applies.

Your capabilities

You are pursuing a higher professional education (HBO) or university degree in which you have taken at least one of the following subjects: biochemistry, soil science related to soil contamination, soil biology, geochemistry, environmental technology.

We are looking for a person that:

• Enjoys to work in a team but also can work independently.
• Enjoys discussing, participating, contributing to the projects with his/her ideas.
• Has knowledge and is interested in technology (environmental, biotechnological, process engineering, hydrological know-how). Microbial knowledge is a plus.

Enjoys working both in the office and in the field.

Duration of the internship

The internship has a period of 4 - 6 months. Location of the internship will be at our office in Ede (The Netherlands).

For more information on the internship or any questions you might have, please contact us.