Davies, G.R. [Promotor]Middelburg, J.B.M. [Promotor]Os, B.J. van [Copromotor]Klaver, G.T.H. [Copromotor

Walraven, N.

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Curriculum Vitae 
 
 
 
Nikolaj Walraven was born on April 8th 1972 in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands. In 
1990, he graduated from Maurick College in Vught, and went to study geology at Utrecht 
University (UU). After obtaining a BSc in geology in 1991, he decided to continue with 
environmental geochemistry at the UU. In 1996, he obtained his MSc in geochemistry. It was 
in the last year of his masters’ that he had the opportunity to conduct an internship at the 
Geological Survey of the Netherlands (RGD). This internship concerned the analytical 
method development and use of stable lead isotopes to determine anthropogenic lead sources 
in lead polluted soils. It was at the RGD that the seed was planted for his later PhD-research. 
Following the completion of his masters, Nikolaj Walraven worked between 1996 and 
2000 for short periods of time as an environmental field worker for Geofox and De Straat in 
The Netherlands, as a scientific researcher for the Department of Quaternary Geology at the 
Vrije Universiteit (VU) in Amsterdam and as a researcher on manure technology – 
developing on-site sampling and measuring techniques – for IMAG-DLO in Wageningen, 
The Netherlands. 
In 2000, Nikolaj Walraven returned to the RGD, which at that time was merged with TNO 
and became TNO-NITG. Between 2000 and 2004 he conducted several projects for TNO-
NITG in the field of applied environmental geochemistry, including several fingerprinting 
studies using stable lead isotopes, development of analytical applications for on-site 
environmental measurements and participation in European soil surveys (FOREGS). In this 
period he (unofficially) started with his PhD thesis ‘Lead in rural and urban soils in The 
Netherlands: background, pollution, sources and mobility’.  
It was in 2004 that UU offered him the opportunity to finish his PhD thesis as a PhD 
student at the UU. This was a part-time position that he combined with environmental 
consultancy work for his own company GeoConnect which was founded in 2004. 
Unfortunately Nikolaj Walraven was unable to complete his PhD research at the UU. 
Between 2006 and 2011 he worked solely for GeoConnect where he performed various 
projects in the field of soil and (ground)water pollution and remediation, analytical method 
development for on-site and in-situ analysis of heavy metals in soil, drinking water and gas 
production equipment.  
In 2011 VU and UU offered Nikolaj Walraven the possibility to finish his PhD thesis on a no 
cure no pay basis. The PhD research became a GeoConnect project which was finalized in 
2014. Currently he is solely working for GeoConnect in various challenging project. In 
addition to his professional interest in analytical and environmental geochemistry, he is a 
caring father and husband who enjoys playing rugby in the weekend and loves to go on 
holiday with his family to exotic and adventurous destinations. 
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Lead in rural and urban soils in the Netherlands: background, pollution, sources and mobility

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Lead in rural and urban soils in the Netherlands: background, pollution, sources and mobility

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