Hattie Brunning
PhD Student

Profile

Biography

Hattie is a PhD student whose research focusses on environmental fate, exposure and risk of polymers. She has worked on development of an exposure assessment framework for polymers in the environment as well as an emissions-based exposure model for polymers in current use. She is also working on characterisation of polymer environmental fate in the lab and spatial fate and exposure modelling. 

Before starting her PhD, Hattie completed an integrated masters in chemistry (MChem) at the University of York. She researched amino acid racemisation in subfossil corals for her master’s dissertation, before shifting focus to contemporary issues surrounding environmental contamination and regulation for her PhD.

Career

2019-present: PhD in Environmental Science, Department of Environment and Geography, University of York

2015-2019: MChem in Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of York

Research

Projects

Polymers have been previously exempt from many regulatory initiatives, such as REACH. Recently, given their widespread usage and potential ecological hazards of some polymer groups, there have been moves to incorporate some polymers into chemical regulation. However, the unique properties of polymers and relative lack of previous research has led to difficulties in developing methodologies for characterisation and risk assessment of polymers. This PhD project focusses on potential methods for addressing these knowledge gaps, as well as assessment of environmental exposure to polymers given the current limited knowledge of their presence in the environment. The project involves use of laboratory fate data and computational modelling to characterise polymer environmental fate and exposure, and includes collaboration with industry partners given the multi-stakeholder aspects of polymer regulation.

Supervisors at York

1. Alistair Boxall, Dr. J. Brett Sallach

Funding

Project funded by the UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) as part of the Adapting to the Challenges of a Changing Environment Doctoral Training Partnership (ACCE DTP).