Student papers win awards at Environmental Science and Technology Conference 29 November 2010

Student papers win awards at Environmental Science and Technology Conference

29 November 2010

Two PhD students of the Geotechnical & Environmental Group, Claudiane Ouellet-Plamondon and Reginald Kogbara were among seven recipients of the Outstanding Student Paper Awards at the 5th International Conference on Environmental Science and Technology, organised by the American Academy of Sciences, and held in Houston, Texas, USA.

Claudiane and Reginald's PhD studies are part of an extensive research programme led by Dr Abir Al-Tabbaa into cost-effective, efficient and sustainable remediation of contaminated land. The team has been investigating a range of novel materials, processes and technologies, some as part of two large TSB funded projects: Soil Mix Remediation Technology (SMiRT) and Process Envelopes for Cement-Based Stabilisation/Solidification (ProCeSS). Field trials of those developments, the largest associated with any research project in the UK to date, will take place in the new year on a former chemical site in West Yorkshire.

Claudiane, in her third year of study, received first prize for her paper entitled: Metal Retention Experiments for the Design of Soil Mix Technology Permeable Reactive Barriers. The paper provides engineering implications of mixing granular clinoptilolite with a model clayey sandy soil to remediate metal in polluted groundwater according to sorption isotherms, reaction kinetics and mass balance.

Reginald, in his forth year of study, received second prize for his paper entitled: Process Envelopes for Stabilised/Solidified Contaminated Soils: Initiation Work. Reginald's research revolves around stabilisation/solidification (S/S) treatment technology, which involves the application of cement-based binders to hazardous wastes to bring about chemical fixation and immobilisation of contaminants within the binders. The paper specifically dealt with developing the range of operating conditions that result in acceptable performance of S/S treated contaminated soils thereby minimising leaching of contaminants and improving geotechnical properties. Hence, the treated soils could be put to beneficial uses, like redevelopment for housing purposes or as fill material in road construction.

Both pictured here with the Conference Chair, Professor George Sorial of the University of Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. The conference provided a major interdisciplinary forum for presenting new approaches from relevant areas of environmental science and engineering, to foster integration of the latest developments in scientific research into engineering applications, and to facilitate technology transfer from well-tested ideas into practical products, waste management, remedial processes, and ecosystem restoration.