Research

 

BIOGRAPHY

I hold a BSc and PhD, both in environmental science, from University College Cork. At iCRAG, I am involved in research into the public perception and understanding of geosciences. 

 

RESEARCH INTERESTS

In 2016 I completed my PhD entitled "Towards the development of a novel zero-discharge willow wastewater system". My primary research interests lie in environmental sustainability, principally environmentally sustainable solutions to current problems. My research falls under the broad umbrella of phytoremediation/phytofiltration. This is the use of plants as a means to clean up environmentally degraded soils or waters. Many species of plants possess the ability to hyper-accumulate pollutants e.g. heavy metals, in their biomass. When grown on contaminated soils these plants uptake the metals leading to a reduction in the amount of pollutants in the soil. Plants can also be used for wastewater treatment. In wetlands, the combination of plant transpiration, soil evaporation and microbial breakdown can lead to highly efficient BOD, suspended solids, nitrate and phosphate removal.

 

The aim of my research is to fine-tune the novel on-site zero-discharge wastewater treatment system for domestic wastewater which is popular in Scandinavia and adapt the system to Irish climatic conditions. The research is driven by the urgent national imperative to comply with the Water Framework Directive and the Waste Directive. This system is highly relevant given the implementation of the Water Services (Amendment) Act 2012 and the need for all homeowners to have efficient wastewater treatment systems. Emphasis has been placed on developing a sustainable system with minimal energy inputs.

 

There are a number of central research objectives:

• Evaluation of the efficiency of the covered wetland treatment system including the potential to combine secondary and tertiary treatment in one stage and the removal of a plant-based stage.

• Assessment of soil type, planting density, coppicing regime and plant management techniques for optimum system performance using willow trees.

• The novel combination of summer active and winter active species to achieve year round high evapotranspiration rates. The current industry standard uses only summer active species which limits the annual wastewater treatment.

• The development and use of willow specific mycorrhizal inoculum for wastewater treatment systems.

 

Research is being carried out in two main ways. Firstly, a minimal energy-input field site in Cloyne, east Cork is used to trial the wastewater treatment system on a large scale. Secondly, small-scale trials are taking place in UCC to look at various aspects of the large-scale system in greater detail. By combining the results of the large-scale and small-scale trials, a complete and in-depth understanding of the system can be obtained. These results can then be compiled into a set of guidelines for the operation of the system.