Alumnus testimonial
Alumni Ellen Fest - MSc Earth and Environment
When Ellen studied in Wageningen, she chose to specialise in soil chemistry and soil contamination.
I have studied the possibilities of capturing heavy metals for a location abroad.
Study
"During my studies, I never consciously thought about a research job; I mainly focused on the practice of soil research. However, during my first graduation research project, I became fascinated with studying processes in soil. Conducting
experiments, deriving parameters and trying to explain the results. I became
absorbed in the research, which eventually led to my first scientific publication."
Job
After obtaining her master's degree, she started a PhD research project at Wageningen University on the subject of 'Proton buffering and mobility of metals in Dutch sandy soils'.
Since April 2007 Ellen has been working at Witteveen+Bos in the Sustainable Land Use team. Witteveen+Bos provides consultancy and engineering services for projects in the field of water, environment, infrastructure and construction, both in the Netherlands and abroad. As a soil chemist Ellen is involved in various projects. An example of a project where the soil chemistry knowledge comes in handy is an inventory of the possibilities for sequestering heavy metals in a reactive barrier. "For a location abroad, I studied the possibilities of sequestering heavy metals in a reactive zone. Geochemical knowledge is necessary for this. An initial quick scan does not rule out this application, but a feasibility study will have to show whether it is practicable".
In addition to these specialist projects, Ellen also participates in the "standard" work within the soil department. An example of this is an updating study on a former gasworks site "Gasworks sites are often heavily polluted with PAH (polycyclic hydrocarbons) and cyanide due to activities carried out in the past. In preparation for the remediation of the site, the contamination identified in the past must be updated so that a sound remediation plan can be drawn up. Carrying out such an investigation means that, first you determine where extra drillings and monitoring wells must be placed. Then you coordinate the fieldwork and inform the lab which samples need to be analysed. Finally, you report the findings, and the project can continue with the aim of remediating the site.