1. The Composting
Unit
A pilot scale
composting unit has been established, since 1990, on
a 0.8 hectare site on the Wye College estate approximately
one kilometre from the main campus. The unit operates
as a technical consultancy and training centre offering
expertise on the recycling of organic wastes utilizing
the process of high temperature composting. This is
offered to the farming community, industry and local
government authorities with organic waste disposal
problems.
The site is
used as a test bed centre processing pilot scale (10
tonnes) quantities of wastes in order to determine
mixing ratios, leachate losses, air flow rates and
quality of the final compost product. Organic wastes
examined range from seaweed and sewage sludges to farm
and fermentation wastes. The units's expertise is based
upon more than twelve years of composting research
studies.
The site is
fully concreted with sixteen bays available (each with
a capacity of 10 tonnes) for composting. Materials
handling equipment includes two tractors with bucket
and fork loaders, two trailers and a manure spreading
machine which has been modified for mixing and turning
the wastes. Automatic temperature feedback aeration
equipment is also avaiable for Rutgers or Beltsville
composting technology. A large portakabin with fully
equipped offices and a basic laboratory is available
on the site.
Trainees, postgraduates
and postdoctoral students are expected to use all the
materials handling equipment, if necessary for their
course of study; the ability to drive is obviously
necessary for this. If this is a problem the unit has
a fulltime technician who can assist with the pilot
scale operations and tractor driving.
A weighbridge
on the College farm is used for large scale weight
loss determinations at the pilot scale level. The unit
is currently composting on a regular basis all of the
solid manure wastes from the College's large dairy
unit (300 ) and this material forms the main feedstock
for training and research purposes. Other organic wastes
can be obtained for specific waste composting studies.
The pilot scale composting can be complemented with
laboratory based studies including the use of an in-
house designed and constructed bench scale composting
simulator which allows for 'compostability' studies
of organic wastes or mixtures utilising as little as
1 kilogram of waste. The simulator is based at the
composting unit site thereby confining the 'dirty'
studies to the unit itself. Small samples ready for
analysis are then brought to the College main campus
laboratories for 'clean' studies in fully equipped
and modernised laboratories.
2. Main Laboratory
Facilities
Two lab facilities
are available, if required, for trainees and researchers.
Following the appointment of a new Professor of Food
and Environmental Microbiology in the Dept of Biological
Sciences the laboratories are currently being redesigned
for 'clean' biochemical and microbiological analyses.
'Composters' wishing to investigate microbiological
or biochemical aspects of the composting process or
the compost product will have access to this laboratory.
An analytical laboratory, which operates as a centralised
facility for all departments, is available for analysis
of organic wastes and composts covering all the major
analyses required in composting - from C and N through
all the major plant nutrients and heavy metal analysis.
The analytical laboratory is run by highly experienced
and extremely helpful staff.
3. Horticultural
Facilities
For researchers
wishing to study, or include in their studies an evaluation
of a compost product, facilities are available for
plant growth trials either under glasshouse conditions
with plants grown in pots or alternatively or additionally
in small field plots. The College has an excellent
range of modern glasshouses with individual growing
cubicles for research studies.
4. Agricultural
Facilities
The Composting
Unit being based on the Wye College estate has close
links with the College farm and with the Dept of Agriculture.
There are currently three research postgraduates (PhD)
from Brazil completing their studies of the agronomic
use of composted organic wastes (manure,separated urban
organic waste, pharmaceutical fermentation wastes)
utilising large scale field plots with a range of cereals
and vegetable crops as test plants (supervised jointly
with the Agric Dept).
5. Training
and Research Opportunities
This falls into
three main categories:
i) Training
in composting technology
ii) Postgraduate research in composting and composts
iii) Postdoctoral studies
i) Training
in composting technology.
A course of
study, designed for the individuals needs, as an introduction
to the process of composting and the application of
composting technology. This is based upon a very practical
project study approach combined with guided reading
,and NOT around formalised lectures and seminars; although
these will be used as deemed necessary or useful to
the trainee.
Based around
the feedstock of animal manure the trainee will compare
composting technology (windrowing; Beltsville; Rutgers
- forced aeration with temperature feedback control
etc) on losses of moisture,dry matter, weight, volume
etc and changes in all the major parameters during
composting at both the pilot scale and small scale
simulation levels. Visits to large scale composting
operations in the UK will be included.
The level of
training reached will of course depend on the duration
of the course and this is entirely up to the trainee
and his/her needs and other constraints such as financial
support. The unit is prepared to give training in composting
of ANY DURATION from a minimum of one month upwards.
An ideal period of study, in order to fully evaluate
and appreciate the changes in the organic wastes following
completion of composting, would be THREE MONTHS. To
incorporate a period to evaluate plant growth in the
composts produced a four to six month period would
be advisable. Please note that the period of training
is entirely negotiable and is offered to suit the individuals
requirements - it is completely flexible.
Please note
that this is an introductory training course and does
NOT lead to a College or University of London qualification.
The College will supply a certificate of attendance
and succesful completion of the course.
The costs of
this course are charged at the rate of stlg750/month.
Further details on estimated subsistence costs in the
UK are given below in the section on Wye College.
ii) Postgraduate
research in composting and composts.
As a constituent
College of the federal University of London we are
able to offer postgraduate research training leading
to the award of a Master of Philosophy (2 years minimum
study) or a Doctor of Philosophy (minimum 3 years).
This can be carried out on any aspect of composting
research or evaluation of composts of interest to the
applicant. A list of projects that have formed the
basis of several dissertations is given in the section
on Dr Lopez-Real (the Unit director). The research
range available is almost unlimited from biochemical,
microbiological to pilot scale technology to growth
trials - or a combination of any or all of these. Interested
persons should write to Dr J M Lopez-Real, Biological
Sciences Dept, Wye College, University of Lodon, Wye,
Ashford, Kent, TN25 5AH, United Kingdom - requesting
an offical application form for postgraduate studies
together with an outline of proposed research area.
The current
rates for fees for postgraduate research at the University
are stlg8520 per year. Suggested susbsistence fees
are included below in the section on Wye College. All
postgraduates are initially enrolled as MPhil students
and with satisfactory progress are transferred to PhD
status at the end of the first year of study. Successful
students receive an MPhil or PhD of the prestigious
University of London.
iii) Postdoctoral
Studies.
The unit welcomes
persons interested in carrying out research studies
at the postdoctoral level. This is generally aimed
at researchers with experience or a background in composting
technology wishing to carry out further studies or
develop new ideas or learn about Western European approaches
to composting and its application to societal organic
wastes. The topic of study is flexible and open for
negotiation. The period of study is normally twelve
months but can be of ANY duration required by the applicant.
Persons with doctoral experience in other areas wishing
to move into composting research are also welcome.
The costs of postdoctoral studies is stlg750/month, subsistence costs are
listed in the Wye College section.
All of the above
research and training elements are designed for the
needs of the individual applying and are not therefore
part of the mainstream lecturing/seminar courses. Researchrs/trainees
will of course be encouraged to attend any lectures
or seminars recommended by the unit or of personal
interest.
6) Dr J M Lopez-Real
- Director of the Unit
All training
and research will be under the guidance and supervision
of Dr J Lopez-Real. The nature of the work however
involves considerable scope and opportunity for independent
activity and this will be encouraged. Tuition on theoretical
aspects of composting will be generally on a one-to-one
basis togther with a considerable reading list of research
papers and textbooks. Training in analytical and materials
handling methods will be provided by appropriate specialist
staff.
Research into
composting has been carried out at Wye College over
the last fifteen years. The unit facilities were established
five years ago with generous financial support from
Shell UK Ltd. Dr Lopez-Real is a recognised research
expert in composting in the United Kingdom and in Western
Europe with many publicatons in accredited journals
and symposia on composting. Since 1980 over 18 research
postgraduates from a range of countries (UK, Brazil,
Malaysia, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka Lebanon, Venezuela, Sudan
etc) have been supervised on a wide range of topics
such as:
- nitrogen
losses during the composting process
- control of
moisture during composting process
- composting
of animal slurries by the Rutgers method
- biological
control using organic compost ammendments
- studies on
decomposition of seaweed in soil
- agronomic
evlauation of composted societal wastes
- studies on
the microbiology of composting.
In 1986 Dr Lopez-Real
was awarded a UK Government Pollution Abatement award
for work on the composting of sewage sludge and straw.
He is a member of the EU Composting Co-ordination group,
a member of EU COST 48 Working Party on marine biomass
pollution (composting advisor) and has acted as a UN
FAO consultant on composting on a mission to Lebanon(1994)-
Beirut composting plant. He is currently Senior Lecturer
in the Dept of Biological Sciences at Wye College.
In addition to research and training duties listed
above Dr Lopez-Real teaches introductory microbiology,
environmental microbiology and assists in a range of
other courses at the undergraduate level. He is co-ordinator
for the Masters degree in Applied Plant Science and
coordinator for the Colleges Diploma in Crop Science.
7. Wye College-
University of London
The College
is an international centre of excellence engaged in
research and graduate education relating the natural
and social sciences to agriculture, the rural environment
and the food industry. Most of the postgraduate programmes
involve interdiscplinary collaboration, cooperation
with governemnt research centres, industrial organisations
and academic institutions in the UK and abroad.
At Wye, within
a total of 900, there are 300 postgraduates working
for MPhil or PhD research degrees or following taught
MSc or Diploma programmes, and an additional 350 professonals
in mid-career attend continuing education short courses
each year. Degrees are awarded by by London University
and diplomas by the College. There are approx 110 staff;
70 divide their time equally between teaching and research,
and 40 are mainly engaged in research. The teaching
facilities and research labs within the College are
up to date and include a well equipped radioactive
tracer unit, electronmicroscope unit and field labs.
Library and computer facilities are excellent and readily
accessible.
The College
estate of 400 ha provides extensive facilities for
experimetnation on animals, crops and the natural environment.
On the College farm of 300 ha there are 200ha of arable
crops and 100 ha of grassland. There is amilking herd
of 140 cows in a dairy unit with an associated ruminant
research lab. There is also a sheep breeding unit and
a pig research centre.
Wye is situated
in an 'Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty' in the south-east
of England. It is located between the cathedral city
of Canterbury and the rapidly growing town of Ashford,
less than 100km from London by motorway and 30km from
the channel ferry and tunnel terminals. It has rail
links to London and continental Europe and is easily
accessible from international airports at Gatwick and
Heathrow Wye College was originally founded in 1447
as a seminary for priests. In 1894 it became the reginal
centre for agricultural training. It has been part
of the university of London since 1900. Wye College
is one of the largest University Schools of Agriculture
in the UK with a distinctive international reputation.
Maintenance
expenses: It is important that an applicant should
be aware of the cost of living in the United Kingdom.
It should be assumed that postgrads/trainees admited
from October 1996 need financial support (in addition
to tuition fees quoted above) in accordance with rates
based upon British Council evaluation of an annual
amount of stlg7000.
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