Ph.D scholarship in Risk Assessment and Regulation of Mixture Toxicity

GESS - the Graduate Programme in Environmental Stress Studies - is
offering a Ph.D. scholarship to be affiliated with the Department of
Environmental, Social and Spatial Change (ENSPAC), Roskilde
University. The ph.d. is partly funded by the Velux foundation as it
is part of a larger project involving The Danish Ecological Council
and the Danish Technical University. The scholarship is for a period
of 3 years and shall be filled as soon as possible, within the area

Risk Assessment and Regulation of Mixture toxicity

The thesis should aim at addressing the implementation of mixture
toxicity into European chemicals regulation, with focus on REACH and
the Water Framework Directive.

In general, we have a good fundamental understanding of the
theoretical knowledge regarding how to access mixture effects, and two
well tested models are currently used within mixture toxicity
prediction namely Concentration Addition and Independent Action. These
models may possibly be used in a tiered manner with Concentration
Addition as the default prediction model. Some of the major persisting
knowledge gaps is concerned with i) how this knowledge can be applied
to real life mixture scenarios, ii) how it can be implemented in the
specific risk assessment scenarios that constitute the foundation of
the two above mentioned regulations and iii) what kind of information
is needed to reach this point. The focus of the thesis should address
these issues. This produced science shall subsequently be used by the
Danish Ecological Council both in order to improve the policy process
regarding the development of mixture toxicity regulation within EU and
for educational purposes.

The following tasks and questions will be addressed:

· Literature search on state-of-the-art of mixture toxicity
and risk assessment.
· Can recommendations be made on how to select chemicals for
specific mixture toxicity assessment?
· Can a general guideline for mixture toxicity assessment be
constructed, in order to facilitate a uniform and more comprehensive
implementation of mixture toxicity
· Is it possible to conduct mixture toxicity testing with
experimental design including limited replicates and where full dose
response curves might not be obtainable?
· Concentration Addition and Independent Action can in
principle by applied as soon as we have data for single chemical
toxicity. But how can they be applied in reality to the data that is
already present?
· Is it feasible to apply Concentration addition as a default
prediction model rather than evaluating both Concentration Addition
and Independent Action?

These questions should be addressed from a theoretical perspective,
and the study does thus not have an experimental dimension from the
start.

The successful candidate should have a natural scientific background
with experience regarding biology, and (eco)toxicology. Experience
with mixture toxicity assessment will be an advantage – but is not a
requirement. Furthermore it is recommended that the candidate has a
good flair regarding the implementation of science in regulation, and
a understanding of the use of models in science/regulation.

Further information can be obtained by contacting Ph.d. Secretary
Jytte Bach, tlf. 46 74 21 43, email: jyb@ruc.dk or GESS Director,
Assoc. Prof. Henriette Selck, tlf. 46 74 29 83, email: selck@ruc.dk.

Successful candidates will be enrolled in the Graduate Programme in
Environmental Stress Studies (GESS) in accordance with the rules
issued by the Ministry of Technology and Science and additional
regulations issued by Roskilde University. They will be employed in
accordance with the agreement between the Ministry of Finance and AC
(the Danish confederation of Professional Associations). Candidates
receiving GESS scholarships are automatically registered in the
school. They are expected to participate actively in relevant courses,
seminars and other activities arranged by GESS.

The application should include:

Project description of 4-6 pages
A time plan
Candidate certificate
Curriculum vitae
Letters of recommendation

The applicants are not requested to submit a budget, however any
extraordinary expenses associated with the project should be
indicated.

We must receive your application on or before Friday 10 June 2011.
We only accept applications through our electronic recruitment system.
To apply for the position you must go to the job advertisement on our
homepage: www.ruc.dk/job/phd/. Click on the button Apply for vacancy
here which appears immediately below the job advertisement. Then you
fill the application form and attach those in the job advertisement
mentioned documents. Finish by clicking Submit.

Roskilde University encourages all interested applicants, regardless
of age, sex, religious or ethnic background to apply.

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