Internships at the Department of Environmental Science

Student area Environmental Science

Below you will find an overview of Bachelor and Master projects that are offered by the Department of Environmental Science.

For the student’s convenience we have subdivided them in topics dealing with:
1. Biodiversity assessment: focuses on the responses of species and ecosystems to various anthropogenic pressures and changes in the environment;
2. Human and Ecological Risk Assessment (HERA): focuses on the emission, fate, accumulation and toxicity of chemicals;
3. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA): estimates the impacts of production and consumption on human health and biodiversity through various changes in the environment, including climate change, eutrophication, acidification, chemical pollution and land use changes.
4. Sustainability Transition Assessment (STA) relates to sustainability transitions in the industrial and energy sectors

This subdivision links up with the department’s research themes.

1. Biodiversity assessment

Topic

Level

Supervisor(s)

Do amphibian extinction rates surpass the planetary boundaries? (pdf, 72 kB) - MSc

Koen Kuipers
koen.kuipers@ru.nl

Can we derive potential natural mammal species ranges? (pdf, 118 kB) - MSc

Koen Kuipers
koen.kuipers@ru.nl
Jelle Hilbers
jelle.hilbers@ru.nl

What is the minimum viable population size of each mammal and bird species? (pdf, 88 kB) - MSc Koen Kuipers
koen.kuipers@ru.nl
Jelle Hilbers
jelle.hilbers@ru.nl
What are the effects of sulphur deposition on species abundance and species richness? (pdf, 208 kB) - MSc Koen Kuipers
koen.kuipers@ru.nl
Rosalie_van_Zelm
rosalie.vanzelm@ru.nl

How does area loss affect species richness? (pdf, 137 kB)

- MSc

Koen Kuipers
koen.kuipers@ru.nl

Environmentally driven changes in resource selection behaviour over time (pdf, 152 kB)

- MSc

Björn Franke
bjoern.franke@ru.nl
Marlee Tucker

Modelling the global distribution of mosquito-spread diseases (pdf, 186 kB)

- MSc

Floris Neijnens
floris.neijnens@ru.nl

Global impacts of deforestation and restoration in the Cerrado and Brazilian Amazon on plant diversity (pdf, 252 kB) - MSc

Hadassa_Moreira
h.moreira@science.ru.nl
Aafke Schipper
a.schipper@science.ru.nl

Understanding patterns and drivers of mammalian home ranges BSc MSc

Marlee_Tucker
M.Tucker@science.ru.nl

Maarten_Broekman
M.Broekman@science.ru.nl

Quantifying the impacts of human pressures on biodiversity at large scales
(general topic)
- MSc Hadassa_Moreira
h.moreira@science.ru.nl
Where to expand and establish new protected areas?
- MSc

Koen_Kuipers (koen.kuipers@ru.nl)
Marlee_Tucker (
marlee.tucker@ru.nl),
Aafke_Schipper (
a.schipper@science.ru.nl)

Cross-disciplinary scaling of hydrological, chemical, biological, medical and socio-economic quantities as function of molecular, catchment, organism or city size for fundamental understanding and environmental assessment (pdf, 80 kB) MSc

Jan Hendriks
jan.hendriks@ru.nl
& specific disciplinary experts

How does species richness change across spatial scales and geographic regions (pdf, 108 kB) - MSc

Koen_Kuipers
k.kuipers@science.ru.nl
Aafke_Schipper
a.schipper@science.ru.nl

How may agriculture benefit biodiversity? (pdf, 115 kB) MSc

Koen Kuipers
Koen.Kuipers@science.ru.nl
Jelle Hilbers
J.Hilbers@science.ru.nl
Aafke Schipper
A.Schipper@science.ru.nl

Clash of the titans:
The battle for dominance between European sturgeon and Atlantic sturgeon during the Holocene

- MSc

Rob Lenders
R.Lenders@science.ru.nl

Of mice and men: Tracing the global invasion history of the common house mouse (Mus musculus) (pdf, 157 kB)

- MSc

Rob Lenders
R.Lenders@science.ru.nl

Iconic predators of Europe: What can we learn from the history of large predatory mammals distribution in Europe during the Holocene? (pdf, 230 kB)

- MSc

Rob Lenders
R.Lenders@science.ru.nl

Species occurrence and species richness–phosphorus relationships for lakes and streams worldwide (pdf, 28 kB)

BSc MSc

Rosalie_van_Zelm Rosalie.vanZelm@ru.nl

Seagrass ecology, brown tides, invasive species, connectivity, restoration, ecosystem services and sea turtle grazing in the Dutch Caribben (pdf, 319 kB) (ppt)

- MSc Marieke_van_Katwijk
M.vanKatwijk@science.ru.nl
Tjeerd Bouma
Marjolijn Christianen
Tjisse_van_der_Heide
Brigitta_van_Tussenbroek
Historical references for fish in the Rhine and Meuse catchment area (pdf, 129 kB) - MSc Rob Lenders
R.Lenders@science.ru.nl

2. Human and Ecological Risk Assessment (HERA)

Topic Level Supervisor(s)
Quantitative studies to facilitate nanoparticle risk assessment to humans (pdf, 208 kB) MSc Bingqing Lu
bingqing.lu@ru.nl
Methods matter: variability in riverine plastic characteristics collected using various nets (pdf, 539 kB) BSc MSc Stephanie_Oswald
Frank Collas
frank.collas@ru.nl

Pulling plastic apart: force needed to break riverine plastics (pdf, 539 kB)

BSc MSc Stephanie_Oswald
Frank Collas
frank.collas@ru.nl

Towards animal-free testing in risk assessment (pdf, 11 kB)

BSc MSc

Jan Hendriks
jan.hendriks@ru.nl

Development of QSAR model to predict biodegradation of pharmaceuticals (pdf, 133 kB)

BSc MSc Tolga Ayeri
tolga.ayeri@ru.nl

Assessing environmental impacts of chemical BSc MSc

Fiona Wang
jiaqi.wang@ru.nl

Exploring the impact of pharmaceuticals on the aquatic environment (pdf, 147 kB) BSc MSc

Cristiana_Cannata
cristiana.cannata@ru.nl

Big brown data: analyzing field data on chemicals of emerging concern in wastewater from
Nijmegen
- MSc

Caterina Zillien
caterina.zillien@ru.nl
Ad Ragas

Food chain accumulation of Persistent Organic Pollutants in the Arctic: warm-blooded species including humans (pdf, 76 kB) - MSc Jan Hendriks
jan.hendriks@ru.nl
Fiona Wang
Renske_Hoondert (KWR)
Cross-disciplinary scaling of hydrological, chemical, biological, medical and socio-economic quantities as function of molecular, catchment, organism or city size for fundamental understanding and environmental assessment (pdf, 80 kB) - MSc

Jan Hendriks
jan.hendriks@ru.nl
& specific disciplinary experts

PFAS risk assessment: Picking up the pieces (pdf, 78 kB) - MSc

Jan Hendriks
jan.hendriks@ru.nl
& specific experts (e.g. from RIVM)

Field data driven model of macro- and mesoplastic dynamics on river bank (pdf, 396 kB)

BSc MSc

Stephanie Oswald &
Frank Collas
f.collas@science.ru.nl

Mechanical degradation of riverine plastics in the water column (pdf, 78 kB)

BSc MSc

Stephanie Oswald &
Frank Collas
f.collas@science.ru.nl

Plastic from the river Rhine: what does it weigh? (pdf, 79 kB)

BSc MSc Stephanie Oswald &
Frank Collas
f.collas@science.ru.nl

Modelling ethanol exposure of health workers from disinfectants (pdf, 114 kB)

- MSc Ad Ragas
ad.ragas@ru.nl
Fiona Wang
Paul Scheepers

Optimizing a generic fish PBK model for pharmaceuticals (pdf, 514 kB)

- MSc

Ad Ragas
ad.ragas@ru.nl
Fiona Wang

Explaining high dioxin levels in large grazers (pdf, 82 kB)

BSc -

Ad Ragas
ad.ragas@ru.nl

A holistic framework for integrated sustainability assessment of pharmaceuticals (pdf, 81 kB)

BSc MSc Ad Ragas
ad.ragas@ru.nl

The removal of pharmaceutical compounds in advanced wastewater treatments

- MSc Francesco_Bregoli
f.bregoli@science.ru.nl
Ad Ragas
ad.ragas@ru.nl

Pharmaceuticals in the environment: secondary poisoning modelling in freshwater and terrestrial compartments (pdf, 610 kB)

- MSc Ad Ragas
a.ragas@fnwi.ru.nl
Francesco_Bregoli
f.bregoli@science.ru.nl
Jan Hendriks
Screening ‘green’ substances via species sensitivity distributions (pdf, 416 kB) BSc MSc

Leo_Posthuma
L.Posthuma@sciece.ru.nl
Jan Hendriks
A.J.Hendriks@science.ru.nl

Analysis of molecular target sequences for explaining differences in toxic sensitivity between species (pdf, 181 kB) - MSc

Ad Ragas
A.Ragas@science.ru.nl

The influence of enviro-chemical characteristics on ecosystem exposure to ionizable organic compounds (pdf, 139 kB) BSc MSc

Ad Ragas
A.Ragas@science.ru.nl

Effect factors for saltwater toxicity compared to freshwater toxicity and its statistical uncertainties (pdf, 81 kB) BSc MSc

Rosalie_van_Zelm
Rosalie.vanZelm@ru.nl

To model or not to model: applying the parsimony principle in fate and effect modelling of chemicals (pdf, 70 kB) - MSc

Rosalie_van_Zelm
Rosalie.vanZelm@ru.nl

Explaining species sensitivity to toxic chemicals (pdf, 65 kB) - MSc Ad Ragas
A.Ragas@science.ru.nl
How to protect polar regions: Fate and accumulation of persistent organic pollutants in the warming Arctic (pdf, 18 kB) MSc

Jan Hendriks
A.J.Hendriks@science.ru.nl

A quantitative comparison of ecological cycles and circular economy in environmental problems and sustainable solutions (pdf, 12 kB) MSc Jan Hendriks
A.J.Hendriks@science.ru.nl

3. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

Topic Level Supervisor(s)

Variability in atmospheric chemistry modeling of primary and secondary particles for application in environmental footprint calculations (pdf, 170 kB)

- MSc

Rosalie_van_Zelm (Rosalie.vanZelm@ru.nl), Janot Tokaya (Janot.tokaya@tno.nl)                             Mara Hauck (mara.hauck@tno.nl)

Estimating the environmental impacts of EU’s consumption from the global bioeconomy (pdf, 140 kB)

- MSc

Jetashree
jetashree.jetashree@ru.nl
Birka Wicke
birka.wicke@ru.nl

The Carbon footprint of NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) conferences (pdf, 94 kB)

- MSc

Mark_Huijbregts
M.Huijbregts@science.ru.nl
Arno_Kentgens_(NMR)
A.Kentgens@nmr.ru.nl

Environmental benefits of utilising Azolla biomass from nature-based
wastewater treatmen
t

- MSc

Steef Hanssen
Steef.Hanssen@ru.nl
Lisanne_Hendriks
(Aq._Ecol._&_Env._Biology)

Carbon offsetting. Quantifying the role of offsetting in corporate emission reduction targets. (docx, 22 kB)

BSc MSc

Carlijn_Hendriks
carlijn.hendriks@ru.nl
Birka Wicke 
birka.wicke@ru.nl

Carbon offsetting. Analysing the quality of carbon offsets certification schemes. (docx, 22 kB)

BSc MSc Carlijn_Hendriks
carlijn.hendriks@ru.nl
Birka Wicke 
birka.wicke@ru.nl
Variability in atmospheric chemistry modeling of primary and secondary particles for application in environmental footprint calculations (pdf, 200 kB) - MSc

Rosalie_van_Zelm
Rosalie.vanZelm@ru.nl
(in_collaboration_with TNO Utrecht)

CO2 footprint of Astronomical Instrumentation and the Astronomical community worldwide - MSc

Mark_Huijbregts
M.Huijbregts@science.ru.nl
(Environmental_Science) Gijs_Nelemans
nelemans@astro.ru.nl
(Astrophysics)

How does the environmental footprint of food vary between diets and individuals? (pdf, 159 kB) - MSc

Rosalie_van_Zelm
Rosalie.vanZelm@ru.nl

Assessing the effect of feeding regime on the nitrogen and greenhouse gas footprint of fish production in recirculating aquaculture systems

S._Lücker/M._van_Kessel (Microbiology)
Mark_Huijbregts (Environmental_Science)
Contact: Maartje.vanKessel@science.ru.nl

Comparing greenhouse gas emissions for different nitrogen removal technologies in wastewater treatment - MSc

S._Lücker/M._van_Kessel
(Microbiology)
Mark_Huijbregts
(Environmental_Science)
Contact: Maartje.vanKessel@science.ru.nl

Assessing the carbon footprint of a European-African collaborative malaria clinical trial (pdf, 596 kB) MSc

Steef Hanssen
s.hanssen@science.ru.nl,
Teun Bousema
(Radboud_UMC)
teun.bousema@radboudumc.nl

How to protect polar regions: Fate and accumulation of persistent organic pollutants in the warming Arctic (pdf, 18 kB) MSc

Jan Hendriks
A.J.Hendriks@science.ru.nl

Understanding environmental problems and identifying sustainable solutions by scaling of water, carbon, mineral and material flows in catchments, ecosystems and societies (pdf, 12 kB)

MSc Jan Hendriks
A.J.Hendriks@science.ru.nl

How can we use learning curves to predict future environmental impacts of new technologies? (pdf, 121 kB)

BSc MSc Mitchell_van_der_Hulst
mitchell.vanderhulst@ru.nl
Mark_Huijbregts
M.Huijbregts@science.ru.nl

Estimating life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions based on (technical) characteristics of PV panels (pdf, 376 kB)

MSc Tine Dammeier
L.Dammeier@science.ru.nl
Mark_Huijbregts
M.Huijbregts@science.ru.nl

Emission of pollutants: From understanding time trends and regional patterns to predicting the future (pdf, 16 kB)

MSc

Jan Hendriks
A.J.Hendriks@science.ru.nl

A quantitative comparison of ecological cycles and circular economy in environmental problems and sustainable solutions (pdf, 12 kB)

MSc

Jan Hendriks
A.J.Hendriks@science.ru.nl
Rosalie_van_Zelm
Rosalie.vanZelm@ru.nl

Can we mitigate climate change by replacing fossil fuels with bioenergy? (pdf, 229 kB)

BSc MSc

Steef_Hanssen
S.Hanssen@science.ru.nl

Update fate, exposure and effects model USES-LCA with latest research and perform model calculations (pdf, 146 kB)

BSc MSc

Rosalie_van_Zelm
Rosalie.vanZelm@ru.nl

Health damage due to microbes: developing characterization factors for use in life cycle impact assessment (pdf, 78 kB) - MSc

Rosalie_van_Zelm
Rosalie.vanZelm@ru.nl

To model or not to model: applying the parsimony principle in fate and effect modelling of chemicals (pdf, 70 kB) - MSc

Rosalie_van_Zelm
Rosalie.vanZelm@ru.nl

Effect factors for saltwater toxicity compared to freshwater toxicity and its statistical uncertainties (pdf, 81 kB) BSc MSc

Rosalie_van_Zelm
Rosalie.vanZelm@ru.nl

Green chemistry, cradle to grave, or circular economy (pdf, 100 kB) - MSc

Rosalie_van_Zelm
Rosalie.vanZelm@ru.nl

4. Sustainability Transition Assessment (STA)


Last update: 19 March 2024