A PhD student’s tale by Jennine Evans: A new and muddy beginning

After enrolling as a Geomorphology PhD student on the 30th May 2014 I was whisked away on the 2nd June to perform field work for four days… into the deep end I go! Only knowing a vague amount about the project from the job description and the research I’d performed for the interview, I found myself stumbling though the South Downs National Park in search of the River Rother. The river is suffering sediment accumulation and my job is to assess the source of erosion and then to help solve this problem through the suggestion of mitigation options. The first site we visited was in fact, not the River Rother itself but Furnace Pond which is part of a tributary stream called the Hammer Stream. These are so named due to the historical purpose of the man-made lake to build iron goods such as cannons.

The flapjack-stealing fiend!

As we set up ready for our sampling I was introduced to some interesting, some basic and some ancient (but effective!) equipment to take aboard our inflatable boats. Our voyages of the first day were very successful, gaining five substantial cores (yes substantial - I’m now finding out how much lab work these create!) which will be valuable in determining the historical sedimentation rate of the lake. I also learnt a very valuable lesson in not trusting strange farm dogs who easily befriend you. This particular red furred beauty charmed his way into the group only to steal our lovely flap jacks! The fiend!

Recording the location before coring

Anyway back to more professional matters… The rest of the trip was a success and could not have gone any better! We had fantastic weather which allowed us to gain more cores from the dried up Mill Pond, whose dam broke in the winter floods, took sediment samples from strategic locations along the Hammer Stream and Lod Stream, and sediment from nearby fields and roads. These samples are now giving me plenty to be getting on with in the lab and soon we will know what valuable information our venture has brought!

So ultimately the field trip has been the best start to this PhD that I could wish for. I have visited all the areas I will be studying, have seen the land use issues for myself and have now been left pondering over many questions which will hopefully begin to be answered by my muddy samples in the labs! Although to be honest I think they may just raise more questions… But more than all of that, I’ve been able to work closely with my new team and built up some good working relationships already… over a cheeky pint or three!

Successful coring team with the cores

Jennine’s PhD is funded jointly by the South Downs National Park and the University of Northampton.

Health care waste management in Nigeria

Chinedum Okezie, postgraduate researcher

My research Investigates Health care waste management systems in Abuja Nigeria, using the World Health Organization’s best practice guidance as a catalyst for sustainable development. This research aims to examine the factors that might contribute to public health risks, their pathways and identify strategies to reduce the health implications in the case study area, to critically analyse current policies and practices for managing health care waste and develop a governance framework for improved practice in Abuja, Nigeria in the management of healthcare waste. Health care wastes (HCW) are ‘by-products of health care that include sharp non-sharps, blood, body parts, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, medical devices and radioactive materials’ (WHO, 2011).

According to WHO (2011) HCW is divided into two, namely the healthcare general waste which is 75% of healthcare waste, this includes plastic packaging, paper and food waste etc; and the healthcare risk waste which is 25% of HCW. These two types of health care waste should be separated properly to avoid any form of contamination, the whole health care wastes are considered infectious as a precautionary measure. HCW like sharps produced in lesser quantities are highly infectious. When poorly managed they expose waste scavengers, waste handlers, health care workers and the community at large to infections. An important threat is contaminated needles and syringes which may be scavenged from open dump sites and waste areas and re-used (Ogbonna, 2011). A fact sheet published by WHO (2011) in developing countries stated that injections with contaminated syringes caused 21 million hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections (32% of all new infections), 21 million hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections (40% of all new infections), and 260 000 HIV infections (5% of all new infections).

Waste scavenging in Nigeria

Chinyere Abaneme, postgraduate researcher

My research aims to examine the environmental and socio-economic impacts of scavenging on communities and households by the informal waste sector in a chosen case study area in my home country Nigeria. Waste scavenging with the aim of selling recyclables for recycling and reuse in Nigeria over time is increasingly becoming an income generating activity, with little or no recognisable economic or environmental benefits due to limited observational research. Nevertheless, most developed countries have understood the essence of effective waste management and through many years of research and active practice, have uncovered that it is crucial in economic development and environmental sustainability as well as reduces natural resource use and aids climate change mitigation.

Therefore, my research will review the key environmental policies and legal framework relating to waste management in my case study area among other objectives in order to develop best practice guidelines for the informal sector. Qualitative methods will be employed.

So far, the support with research and academics accorded to me by the University is phenomenal. I have attended several advanced trainings and skills acquisition programmes which have helped broaden my horizon and the experience has been invaluable. My supervisors and mentor as well have been very helpful in ensuring that I keep track on the goings-on in the waste industry globally.

Nene Valley Nature Improvement Area: Pollination Project

Kat Harrold, PhD Student

As part of my PhD at the University of Northampton I am investigating insect pollinators, specifically bees, butterflies and hoverflies in the Nene Valley Nature Improvement Area (NIA).  I am working on producing a model within ArcGIS which will create a map showing areas of high and low pollinator diversity and abundance. 

To make this model I am collecting information on different factors such as availability of natural habitats, water and differing agri-environment schemes, to see how they affect the insects.  The intention of the model is to inform groups such as conservation organisations or the planning sector, how land-use change may positively or negatively affect pollinators.  

In 2013 I assessed the diversity and abundance of insect pollinators on 14 grassland sites, a mixture of private and public sites including Summerleys and Stanwick Lakes.  In total 737 insects were recorded; 219 bees, 152 hoverflies and 366 butterflies.  It is interesting to note that of this 737 recorded insect pollinators only 5 were honey bees, highlighting the importance of wild pollinators!

Here is a habitat diversity map I have produce for the NIA, based on Shannon-Wiener diversity index, red areas show where there are areas of many differing types of habitat whilst blue areas are those which may contain only singular or few habitat types.  

Nene Valley Nature Improvement Area Habitat Diversity Map