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Innes Deans

Innes Deans

Profile

I am currently working towards gaining a PhD within the universitiy’s ‘Bio-Energy Centre for Doctoral Training’.  My background is Environmental Science and Engineering.

Prior to starting my research, I spent 10 years as an Environmental Consultant where I worked  on process technology appraisal and waste infrastructure procurement projects specialising in resource management, and in particular biological treatment processes for organic waste streams.   I was Technical Advisor to Central and Local Government bodies and held key positions on £billion public procurement projects under the UK’s Private Finance Initiate (PFI) programme which sought to divert organic waste from landfill on a national scale through developing major waste treatment facilities.  I was also key to delivery of the specialist support to Local Authorities under DEFRA’s ‘New Technology Support Programme’.  

I joined the university 2015 to work as a Researcher on a major international research project funded under EU Horizon 2020. The project – EWIT – focussed on the growing problems of electronic waste (‘E Waste’) management across Africa, the relationaship to european post-consumer re-use of products and the WEEE scheme, and strategy development within Africa at a national level.  The project involved international collboration between governement agencies, academia, and industry from several european and african nations.  

My PhD has a working title of “Bio-accumulation of Heavy Metals by Miscanthus grown on Contaminated Soils”.  The project focusses on the chemical characteristics of plants grown in contaminated environments and the extent to which the fuel value of the biomass crop is impacted. A key part of my research is the use of advanced synchrotron x-ray techniques, including x-ray spectroscopy (XANES, EXAFS), tomography and x-ray fluorescence microcopy.  

Research interests

  • Resource Management;
  • Technology appraisal; 
  • Bioenergy;
  • Bioenergy Crops – esp. Miscanthus;
  • Bioaccumulation of Heavy Metals;
  • Contaminated Land;
  • Phytoremediation;
  • X-Ray Spectroscopy; and
  • X-Ray Microscopy.  

Qualifications

  • BSc.(Hons) - Environmental Science
  • MSc. (Eng) - Sustainable Waste Management