UCD School of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering

GIS for Biodegradable Municipal Waste (BMW) Management

Funding Agency: Environmental Protection Agency

Principal Investigator: Dr. William Magette

PhD Researcher: Ms. Mary Purcell

Brief Description: An integral part of Government's National Strategy for Biodegradable Waste (DEHLG, 2004) is, after waste prevention / minimisation, source separation followed by collection and biological treatment of BMW. This approach is reflected in the Dublin Region's recently developed Draft Replacement Waste Management Plan (DCC, 2005). However, except for limited green waste management facilities, and programmes for recycling paper and cardboard, most local authorities in Ireland lack the infrastructure and procedures for addressing the majority of biodegradable municipal waste (BMW) that is generated. The novel/innovative aspect of this research lies in the premise that socio-economic factors can no longer be ignored in either the strategic (one or more years planning horizon) or tactical (day-to-day) management of waste. This is because individual citizens and commercial establishments must become more intimately involved in waste management on a daily basis if the BMW management targets in Ireland and in the Dublin region are to be achieved. In a novel way, this research postulates that BMW is generated within a diverse "landscape" of residential areas, as well as from a variety of point sources that are commercial establishments. GIS technology is the ideal tool with which to integrate the variety of factors affecting waste generation. Working from analogous concepts in diffuse pollution abatement, GIS technology will be used in this project to:

• Analyse and characterise BMW generation according to socio-economic and other factors;
• Develop algorithms to optimise collections of BMW;
• Delineate areas in which targeted intervention strategies should be implemented for maximum effectiveness in diverting waste

Management System for Dirty Water on Farms

Principal Investigator: Dr. William Magette

MEngSc Researcher: Ms. Emer McGann

Brief Description: "Dirty water" is washings from milking parlours on dairy farms together with contaminated runoff from farmyard areas to which animals have had access. Phosphorous (P) from agricultural sources accounts for over 70% of the total anthropogenic load to freshwaters in Ireland (EPA 2004), and dirty water from dairy farms accounts for approximately 30% of the agricultural organic waste managed in Ireland (EPA, 2004). Although no definitive data exist to apportion losses of P from agriculture between diffuse and point sources, there is a widespread belief that point source losses of P from farmyards is significant (perhaps as much as 50%).

The novelty of this research lies primarily in the examination of what promises to be a simple, low-cost and robust means of recovering P from dirty water and converting it to a semi-solid form that would facilitate its reuse. If demonstrated to be effective in this research, the technique could become another tool by which dirty water can be managed on farms, and more generically by which P can be removed from dilute effluents of any origin. In addition, a serious analytical examination of the extent of dirty water generation will allow a better assessment of the magnitude of the problem on a regional and national basis, highlighting geographic areas to which resources for dirty water management should be directed to achieve greatest cost effectiveness. Results will lead to science-based management advice prepared expressly for the farming audience.

Hierarchy for Land as a Receptor of Organic Wastes

Funding Agency: Environmental Protection Agency

Principal Investigator: Dr. William Magette

PhD Researcher: To Be Appointed

Brief Description: "The land", of which soil is the fundamental component, has a multi-functional role in society. For example, soil serves as a medium for food production, but also can serve as a receptor for organic wastes (e.g., animal manure, wastewater biosolids, biodegradable municipal wastes). The use of soil as a food producing medium and organic waste receptor may not always be compatible, however. The project will examine possible conflicts between these two seemingly divergent uses to develop a hierarchy for the use of land as a waste receptor. This project is NOT about determining what is required for the "safe" application of organic wastes to land. Rather, this research will provide a critical and strategic analysis of the use of soil for the recycling of organic wastes. This research will provide a detailed examination not only from a technical standpoint, but also from a socio-economic perspective to develop a hierarchy for using land as an organic waste receptor.