Compound-specific stable carbon isotope analysis of parent PAHs and OPAHs across Soil Horizons

Research topic/area

environmental chemistry, stable isotope analysis, organic pollutants

Type of thesis

Master

Start time

02.11.2026

Application deadline

01.12.2026

Duration of the thesis

-

Description

Oxygenated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (OPAHs) are derivatives of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that originate either from primary combustion sources or through the microbial and photochemical transformation of parent PAHs. OPAHs are of particular concern due to their greater toxicity, persistence, and bioavailability than their parent PAHs.
Soil is the major sink of PAHs and OPAHs. During their residence in soil, these compounds undergo transport, sorption, degradation, and transformation processes that alter their concentrations. These processes are likely to affect the carbon isotope signatures (δ¹³C), but how they do so remains unclear. This master's thesis provides an opportunity to investigate δ¹³C of PAHs and OPAHs in mineral soil horizons (A and B) from soils, addressing the following main research question:

Do parent PAHs and their oxygenated derivatives exhibit systematic differences in concentration and compound-specific δ¹³C signatures between A and B soil horizons?

Requirement

Requirements for students

• PAHs and OPAHs will be extracted from soil using an ASE 350, followed by cleanup, fractionation, and GC-MS analysis to determine compound concentrations. Based on concentration data, the two most abundant parent–OPAH pairs (9-Fluorenone and 9,10-Anthraquinone) will be selected for δ¹³C analysis using GC-C-IRMS (Thermo Scientific TRACE™ 1310 GC coupled to a Delta V™ Plus IRMS).

Faculty departments

• Natural sciences and Technology
  Geoecology
• Other e.g. teaching degrees
  Chemistry
  Natural sciences and Technology

Supervision

Title, first name, last name

Dr. Nuria Basdediós

Organizational unit

Institute of Geography and Geoecology (IFGG)

Email address

nuria.basdedios@kit.edu

Link to personal homepage/personal page

Website

Application via email

Application documents

• Cover letter
• Curriculum vitae

E-Mail Address for application
Senden Sie die oben genannten Bewerbungsunterlagen bitte per Mail an nuria.basdedios@kit.edu


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