Postdoctoral researcher on phasing out non-essential uses of PFAS in healthcare

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are heavy environmental polluters due to their minimal environmental degradation. Phasing out these ‘forever chemicals’ is therefore a key priority for human and planetary health. It is estimated that around one-third (~37%) of total PFAS load to the environment originates from the medical sector. This is at odds with the (public) health goals that the healthcare system pursues. Therefore, reducing PFAS in healthcare should be a top priority, despite regulatory pressure targeting primarily other sectors.

Given the widespread use in healthcare, but lack of precise knowledge about the where, when and how, this co-created and interdisciplinary project will use Amsterdam UMC as a ‘living lab’ to identify PFAS-containing products/applications, assess (non-)essential uses, and substitutability by safe-and-sustainable by design (SSbD) alternatives. It also explores the effect of such replacements on lowering the environmental burden, and sketch implications beyond Amsterdam UMC, such as other healthcare organizations and actors in the medical sector and supply chains.

The main responsibilities of this position entail:

• Inventorization of PFAS use in healthcare delivery at Amsterdam UMC using a combination of desk-research and interviews within different hospital departments;
• In-depth assessment of selected case studies to identify viable non-PFAS alternatives and exploring trade-offs between environmental/health benefits of substitution and costs/ease/acceptance of a transition;
• Engage with an interdisciplinary project team and participate in research meetings and seminars across different University of Amsterdam Faculties (Faculty of Medicine, Amsterdam Business School, Faculty of Science, Faculty of Dentistry);
• Disseminate results through scientific publications, reports and presentations at (inter)national conferences;
• Explore future funding opportunities.

• A PhD degree (or a master degree AND several years of professional experience) in a field relevant to the project. This can be in the direction of healthcare (e.g. medicine, healthcare management, heath economics, healthcare innovation) or sustainability (e.g. industrial ecology, environmental sciences, green chemistry, earth sciences, sustainable business, environmental economics);
• A strong affinity for and experience in working in interdisciplinary projects;
• A strong interest in sustainability and healthcare;
• Experience in performing literature reviews, working with databases, preferably related to chemical/safety data;
• Strong analytical skills to understand complex issues and their interconnectedness (systems thinking);
• Ability and willingness to work independently, but with regular exchanges with a team of supervisors and external advisory board;
• Strong English skills (written and spoken) and the ability to write and present scientific results to different audiences. Dutch skills are an asset but not a requirement.