Deakin-Coventry Cotutelle:  Microplastics and chemical additives from polyethylene terephthalate packaging

Project supervisor

A/Prof Svetlana Stevanovic

Additional supervisors

A/Prof Matthew McKenzie
Dr Aaron Schultz
Dr Anna Bogush (Coventry)

Deakin faculty and school

Faculty of f Science, Engineering and Built Environment
School of Engineering

Location

Coventry University (United Kingdom) and Deakin Waurn Ponds Campus (Australia)

This scholarship is available over three years and offers:

• a stipend of £21,805 (UKRI) per annum (2026 - 2027 rate)
• a relocation allowance of $500–1,500 (for single to family) for students moving from interstate.

• at least 12 months of the total period of the program at Coventry University.
• students will be enrolled at their home institution and at their host institution and will receive a Doctoral degree from Coventry University and Deakin University.
  

For international students, the awardee will also receive:

• tuition fees offset for the duration of four years
• single Overseas Student Health Cover policy for the duration of the student visa.

Join cutting-edge research investigating the hidden risks of recycled plastics in bottled drinking water.

Plastic pollution, particularly microplastics (MPs), has emerged as a global environmental and public health concern. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), widely used in bottled water packaging, has been identified as a major source of micoplastics in bottled drinking water. The presence of micoplastics in bottled water raises concerns about direct human exposure through daily consumption. With increasing emphasis on circular economy strategies, there is a growing shift from virgin PET (vPET) to recycled PET (rPET). However, concerns have been raised regarding the safety of rPET due to potential contamination and material degradation during recycling processes, which may increase the release of MPs and associated chemical additives. Despite widespread adoption, there remains a significant knowledge gap regarding the comparative release of contaminants from vPET and rPET and their associated risks.

This project addresses these critical gaps by integrating environmental analysis, toxicology, and social science approaches to better understand both the risks and public perception of PET-based packaging.

This PhD project is part of the Cotutelle arrangement between Coventry University, UK and Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia. The supervision team will be drawn from the two universities.

This interdisciplinary project is organised into three interlinked Work Packages (WPs), which will combine laboratory experiments and social study.

• WP 1: Comparative analysis of leachability of MPs and chemical additives from vPET and rPET. (year 1 at Coventry University, UK)
• WP2: Investigate the toxicity of MPs and chemical additives on human health. (year 2 at Deakin University, Australia)
• WP3: Social study to understand consumers’ perceptions of risks associated with vPET and rPET packaging. (year 3 at Coventry University, UK).

To be eligible you must:

• be a domestic or international candidate. Domestic includes candidates with Australian Citizenship, Australian Permanent Residency or New Zealand Citizenship
• meet the PhD entry requirements of both Deakin University and Coventry University, including equivalence and English language proficiency criteria

• enrol full time

• be able to physically locate to both Coventry University (United Kingdom) and Deakin University (Australia).

Additional criteria:

• a master’s or undergraduate degree in chemistry or environmental chemistry
• experience in laboratory work and instrumental analysis (e.g., FTIR, Raman, LC-MS, GC-MS)
• strong interest in interdisciplinary research
• knowledge of statistics and data analysis
• ability to work independently and in a team
• effective time management and organisation skills

Please refer to the research degree entry requirements page and Coventry University's research entry criteria page for further information.