November 2013
ENVIRONMENTAL
TECHNOLOGY AND
MANAGEMENT
ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY
RESEARCH GROUP (ETRG)
Examples of our research
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November 2013
Contents
1.
Phytoremediation of Contaminated Soils and Sediments
3
2.
Investigations into Sustainable Drainage Systems
5
3.
Evaluation of Novel Package Sewage Treatment Systems
7
4.
Fate of Pharmaceuticals in Wastewater Processing
8
5.
Contact
9
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Phytoremediation of Contaminated Soils and
Sediments
The Environmental Technology Research Group (ETRG) has undertaken several studies into the
potential of wetland plants for remediation of pollutants in wastewaters through the use of constructed
wetlands. Wetland plants have the ability to maintain oxidised conditions in their rhizospheres which,
combined with relatively fast growth of underground tissues, also make them ideal plants for
phytoremediation of soils and sediments. Studies have considered the engineering design of
remediation strategies in conjunction with detailed studies of treatment mechanism and microbial
ecology of reed rhizospheres.
Horsea Lagoon Study
Horsea Lagoon is a semi-saline close to Portsmouth; it is approximately 75 m long and 25 m wide. It
received runoff from a naval fire training facility for over 50-years and has subsequently been isolated
using a sheet pile dam. It has a legacy of contamination with petroleum hydrocarbons and levels of
over 100,000 mg/Kg DW Diesel Range Organics have been recorded in the sediment deposits which
are over 1 m deep.
The MoD funded a 3-year PhD study to assess if phytoremediation with wetland plants was a viable
option for cleaning up the site.
Horsea Lagoon
Growth Trials of Phragmites Australis in Horsea Sediments
Various studies, both in-situ and in microcosms, have demonstrated the ability of Phragmites and
Typha sp. to grow in the sediment and promote populations of microorganisms that breakdown
hydrocarbons. However chemical investigations suggest that the pollutant levels may be too high for
phytoremediation to be an effective solution for this site.
The PhD resulting from this project has been submitted and is awaiting examination.
PhD Student:
Pinchin
Supervisors: Williams, May, Mant
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PhD Theses
Pinchin, H. 2012. Investigations on The Feasibility of Using Phytoremediation for Treatment of
Hydrocarbon - Contaminated Sediments at Horsea Lagoon. PhD Thesis (submitted). University of
Portsmouth.
Ongoing Studies
Two PhD students started in 2011/12 examining how phytoremediation may be extended to similar
problems in other parts of the world:
•
•
Phytoremedation of Contaminated Soils in the Niger Delta (PhD Student: Shuaibu;
Supervisors: Williams, Watts, Mant)
Phytoremedation of Contaminated Oil Lakes in Kuwait (PhD Student: Almutairi; Supervisors:
Ali, Mant, Williams)
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November 2013
Investigations into Sustainable Drainage Systems
The Environmental Technology Research Group (ETRG) has been involved in SUDs research for many
years following on from studies into using ponds and wetland plants for wastewater treatment. The
detention ponds on the A34 Newbury Bypass were monitored for 5-years after the road opened, in
collaboration with Mott McDonald and the Highways Agency. More recently the Group has been active
in investigating the application of SUDs for housing developments and has revisited the A34 sites to
assess the long term build up of pollutants.
Newlands MDA – KTP Mayer Brown Ltd
Newlands is a planned development of 2550 homes by Grainger PLC at Waterlooville, about 10 miles
north of Portsmouth. The ETRG have worked closely with the Environment Agency and Mayer Brown,
the infrastructure designers for the site, to evaluate the baseline conditions of local water course and
undertake studies of the SUDs installed for the access roads.
This has included hydrological instrumentation (rainfall, inflow and outflow) being installed on a
detention pond and water/sediment quality being assessment. This was funded by a Business+ and
TSB Knowledge Transfer Partnership and culminated in a dissemination event attended by 90 SUDs
related professionals. As the development was delayed by the downturn in the housing market this
project finished before the construction of houses began, however there are plans to continue the
monitoring through the initial construction and occupancy stages of the site.
Newlands Access Road Detention Pond under Construction
Newlands Access Road Detention Pond after One Year
Ongoing Studies
The KTP with Mayer Brown has lead to two PhD studies into specific aspects of SUDs technology:
1. CFD Modelling of Sediment Behaviour in Vegetated Detention Ponds
The monitoring of sediment characteristics and water quantity has continued on the instrumented pond
at Waterlooville. This is providing data to develop a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model of the
water velocity profiles in the pond, taking into account the effect of emergent wetland vegetation. This
will be combined with a model of the sediment settling characteristics. A validated model will then allow
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November 2013
various pond geometries and planting patterns to be investigated to improve designs for pollutant
removal.
CFD Velocity Profiles in the Newlands Pond
PhD Student: Tsavdaris
Supervisors: Williams, Mitchell, Mant
2. Comparison of TPH and PAHs in Source and Non-Source Control SUDs Systems
Source control is one of the main tenents of SUDs philosophy, however the contribution this makes to
the pollution control aspects of SUDs has received limited study. This project has matched source
control and non-source control SUDs sites serving housing developments, car parks and the trunk road
network and will monitor the levels of Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons and Poly-Aromatic Hydrocarbons
(PAHs) in the water and soil/sediments over two years.
PAH in Soils of a Domestic SUDs Swale and Detention Pond System
PhD Student:
Roinas
Supervisors:
Williams, Mant
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November 2013
Evaluation of Novel Package Sewage Treatment
Systems
Dr John Williams, Dr Eric May, Dr Catherine Mant, Dr Joy Watts
The facilities at the Centre for Environmental Technology allow full pilot scale evaluation of pilot sewage
treatment systems with real sewage to be undertaken at on site laboratories. This has been attractive to
companies developing novel and package sewage treatment systems. The Environmentals Technology
Research Group (ETRG) have worked with a number of companies and have recently had two PhD
completions in the fields of wastewater process analysis.
KTP WPL Ltd
WPL Ltd and the ETRG at the University of Portsmouth have worked together for over 18 years on a
range of projects. This ongoing relationship has seen the award of four PhDs and numerous
publications. A recent TSB Knowledge Transfer Partnership has examined novel treatment systems for
sewage and sludge with 3 x 2 year KTP associates working on the project.
This has seen the characterisation and evaluation of two new technologies. One of which has seen
commercial exploitation. The commercial benefits have been matched by the academic outcomes with
several papers and student projects resulting from the work.
Six Replicate Prototype Wastewater Treatment Systems at the CET
Associates:
Sherlock, Costa-Fox, Watkins
Supervisors: Williams, May, Mant
PhD Theses
•
•
Sherlock, N. 2009. An Evaluation of the Robust Aerobic Digestion System. PhD Thesis.
University of Portsmouth.
Watkins, S. 2011. Physico-chemical and Microbial Factors Affecting the Operation of a
Package Wastewater Treatment. PhD Thesis. University of Portsmouth.
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Fate of Pharmaceuticals in Wastewater
Processing
Waste water processing is a potential pathway for pharmaceuticals to enter aquatic ecosystems or
return to the agricultural food chain. The insidious impact of these xenobiotic compounds poses a major
environmental hazard.
The Environmental Technology Research Group (ETRG) have previously examined the fate of
plasticiser phthalates in waste waters and this has extended into considering the fate of
pharmaceuticals. Currently the ETRG has EPSRC and BBSRC (based in Biological Sciences) Industrial
CASE PhD students working with Astra Zeneca to examine the fate of common pharmaceuticals in
Biological Nutrient Removal Wastewater Process and anaerobic sludge treatment followed by
agricultural land disposal.
Pharmaceuticals in Biological Nutrient Removal (BNR) Wastewater Process
BNR systems involve the cycling of sewage between aerobic and anoxic zones to promote
denitrification and phosphorous uptake, although the latter is more often removed by chemical dosing.
This study is examining the effect these changing environmental conditions have on the fate of a range
of common pharmaceuticals (e.g. carbamazpine, caffeine, salicylic acid propranolol, diclofenac) found
in wastewater. A laboratory model rig of a Sequencing Batch Reactor in BNR mode has been
developed for studies on C14 radio-labelled compounds. This is being supplemented with studies of
these compounds in BNR plants.
Lab Scale BNR Sequencing Batch Reactor
Fate of Propranolol during an SBR Cycle
PhD Student: Popple
Supervisors: Williams, May, Mills
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Contact
Dr John Williams
Research and Knowledge Transfer Coordinator
[email protected]
School of Civil Engineering and Surveying
University of Portsmouth
Portland Building
Portland Street
Portsmouth (UK)
PO1 3AH
www.port.ac.uk/sces
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