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Universidade Nacional da Irlanda em Galway -- Ciência sem Fronteiras
PhD Project Template
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Use one form per project
Please complete & submit to international@nuigalway.ie as soon as possible, and by 27/11/2012
In your email, begin the subject line with [SWB] (be sure to use square brackets) to ensure that
your email is filed correctly. Emails will be automatically filed
PI name & contact details:
School:
Dr Mark Healy (NUI Galway)/ Dr Owen Fenton (Teagasc) / Dr
Tristan Ibrahim (Teagasc)
Engineering and Informatics
Has project been agreed with head (or
nominee) of proposed registration school?
Yes
Research Centre / group affiliation:
The Ryan Institute
Research group / centre website:
www.ryaninstitute.ie
PI website / link to CV:
http://www.nuigalway.ie/civileng/Staff/markhealy.html
Brief summary of PI research / research group / centre activity (2 or 3 lines max):
If you are already involved in relevant scholarly activities relating to Brazil, please mention them here.
The Geo-Environmental Research Group (GERG) at NUI Galway is led by Dr Mark Healy (NUI Galway)
and Dr Owen Fenton (Teagasc), and comprises statisticians, agronomists, and biologists. GERG’s
research focus is the study of the impact of engineering and agricultural activities on the soil,
environment and atmosphere.
Title & brief description of PhD project (suitable for publication on web):
The treatment of mixed agricultural contaminants using sequential denitrifying bioreactors filled
with different types of media.
This experiment would test nutrient and gas dynamics in soil and carbon media columns with
variable saturation levels and contaminant waste stream inputs (e.g. dairy dirty water and
contaminated drainage and groundwater). Experimental work would involve setting up replicated
saturated and unsaturated columns containing soil and soil + woodchip media. The columns would
be set up to elucidate denitrification potential at intervals along the columns while also allowing
dissolved gases and emissions from the top of the column to be taken. Tracer experiments would
elucidate breakthrough times and media properties. To test denitrification rates, different criteria
would be controlled within the columns e.g. temperature, dissolved oxygen, saturation changes
(watertable rise and fall) and hydraulic loading rate and permeability. A sequential biochar unit
would take the outflow of the columns and control any P or NH4 losses. Biochar also has the ability
to prevent gaseous losses.
The aim of the project would be test the full range of parameters that control denitrification in soil.
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Universidade Nacional da Irlanda em Galway -- Ciência sem Fronteiras
Such ranges have been documented in the literature but are changing constantly as new research is
conducted in different environments e.g. unsaturated zone. This laboratory scale experiment will be
fully replicated and at the end of the full operation columns will be destructed and analysed for a
variety of purposes e.g. microbiological and molecular analysis. In addition there would be an
opportunity to work at a pilot scale bioreactor facility and field bioreactors within Teagasc research
centres.
Tasks involved: Working as part of a research team. Literature search. Design, construction and
operation of the laboratory bioreactors. Testing of the bioreactors for a range of chemical
parameters (N2/Ar, N2O, N2, CH4, COD, BOD, nitrogen, phosphorus, etc.). Analysis, synthesis,
presentation and publication of results.
Unique selling points of PhD project in NUI Galway:
NUI Galway projects should emphasise features that are not typically available in Brazil – specific equipment,
multi-disciplinarity, aspects of structured programme, links with industry, placements, links with other research
groups etc.
This project would allow the successful candidate the opportunity to work as part a multidisciplinary
group within NUI Galway’s environmental engineering facility, which has links in Australia, USA,
Finland, France, the UK, and Brazil. The Civil and Environmental Engineering Laboratory, constructed
in 2011 at NUI Galway, is a state-of-the-art laboratory and is amongst the most pre-eminent
laboratories of its type in Ireland. It is located in the largest engineering building in Ireland. The
laboratory has state-of-the-art environmental water quality measurement, microbiological, and gas
measurement facilities. GERG is also closely affiliated with Teagasc, Johnstown Castle, which is
Ireland’s leading research institute on the rural environment, and which conducts both fundamental
and applied research on a wide range of subjects, e.g. nutrient efficiency, water quality.
Name & contact details for project queries, if different from PI named above:
Please indicate the graduates of which disciplines that should apply:
Graduates with a background in Civil/Environmental Engineering, or any natural science subject
(geology, chemistry, hydrogeology) should apply. Training will be provided by the project
supervisor.
Ciência sem Fronteiras / Science Without Borders Priority Area:
Please indicate the specific programme priority area under which the proposed PhD project fits- choose only
one (tick box):
Engineering and other technological areas
x
Please indicate which of the following applies to this project (referring to Science Without Borders
arrangements):
Suitable only as a Full PhD (Y/N): _ _Y___
Available to candidates seeking a Sandwich PhD arrangement (Y/N): _Y____
Suitable for either: __Y___