Project title: Microplastics in the Citarum River System: Occurrence and Fate/Transport Mechanisms
Eligibility: Indonesian nationals
Duration: Full-Time – between three and four years
Start date: September 2026
For further details contact:
- CU DoS: Associate Professor Anna Bogush (CAWR, CU, UK)
- ITB DoS: Prof. Dwina Roosmini (ITB, Indonesia)
Introduction
Microplastic (MP) pollution in freshwater systems has emerged as a critical global environmental and public health concern. The Citarum River (Indonesia), one of the most polluted rivers in the world, represents an urgent and understudied case. Serving as a primary water source for approximately 28 million people and supporting extensive agricultural and aquacultural activities, the Citarum River is subject to intensive plastic waste inputs from domestic, industrial, and agricultural sources. Despite growing international concern, systematic empirical data on MP occurrence, distribution, and fate/transport dynamics in the Citarum River system remain critically limited. This project will generate a comprehensive, spatially resolved dataset on MP contamination across the Citarum River basin, integrating advanced analytical chemistry with hydrological modelling to identify MP emission sources and to understand how MPs are transported, deposited, and accumulated across different river compartments (water column, sediment, etc.). The findings will directly inform Indonesian national policy on plastic pollution management and contribute to the evidence base for the UN Global Plastics Treaty.
Main goal
To characterise the emission, occurrence, spatial distribution, and fate/transport mechanisms of MPs across the Citarum River system, and to identify key pollution hotspots and pathways driving MP contamination in water, sediment, and biota.
Objectives
- To determine the emission, occurrence, abundance, size distribution, morphology, and polymer composition of MPs across multiple sampling sites along the Citarum River using µFTIR and Raman microscopy/spectroscopy.
- To investigate the fate and transport of MPs across river compartments (surface water, bottom sediment, biota) under contrasting hydrological conditions (dry and wet seasons), linking MP distribution to hydrodynamic and physicochemical variables.
- To develop and validate a spatially explicit fate/transport model for MPs in the Citarum River basin, identifying key sources, sinks, and pathways of MP accumulation.
- To assess MP uptake in sentinel aquatic organisms (e.g., fish and macroinvertebrates) collected at key sites, providing preliminary exposure data relevant to human dietary risk.
Applicant can apply for tuition fees and bursarys to Program Doktor untuk Dosen Indonesia or PDDI Double Degree.
Benefits
One successful candidate will receive comprehensive research training including technical, personal, and professional skills. All researchers at Coventry University (from PhD to Professor) are part of the Doctoral and Researcher College, which provides support with high-quality training and career development activities.
Entry requirements
- A minimum of a 2:1 first degree in a relevant discipline/subject area with a minimum 60% mark in the project element or equivalent with a minimum 60% overall module average.
- ITB requirements listed in admission.itb.ac.id
PLUS
- The potential to engage in innovative research and to complete the PhD within 3.5 years.
- A minimum of English language proficiency (IELTS) academic overall minimum score of 7.0.
Timeline
- Registration at ITB: 22-29 June 2026
- Study Program Selection: 2-3 July 2026
- LoA issued: 8 July 2026
- PDDI Scholarship Registration: Until 9 July 2026
Admin contact info: Mimin (+62 821-2686-0061)
