Civil Engineering PhD student wins award at national research conference
Civil Engineering 3rd year PhD student Ikpe Ibanga has won the Outstanding Junior Scientist Oral Presentation award by the Aerosol Society, during the Aerosol Society Focus Meeting – 10 Bioaerosols.
Ikpe Ibanga’s research focuses on improving the performance of biofilters for bioaerosols and odour control in waste management facilities. Ikpe holds a bachelor’s degree in Zoology (with first class honours) from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, and a master’s degree in Environmental Engineering and Project Management (with distinction) from the University of Leeds.
His MSc dissertation focused on assessing the health risks of bioaerosol emissions from materials recovery facilities in the UK, and was awarded the 2013 D-Waste Award for outstanding performance in solid waste management related dissertation. He was also awarded the best graduating student on the MSc Environmental Engineering and Project Management course for the same year.
Ikpe’s research aims to improve environmentally sound and cost-efficient containment and abatement systems to adequately control all emissions (including odour and bioaerosols) for the biowaste treatment industry. Particular emphasis is placed on the development of a better understanding of biofilter designs and effective performance monitoring techniques which are vital especially if biofilters are to continue to control all emissions and achieve their full potential.
The awarded study involved pilot scale biofilter experiments conducted in a material recovery facility (MRF), based in Leeds, to evaluate the performance in terms of simultaneous bioaerosols and odour removal efficiencies under optimum and ‘abnormal’ operating conditions.
Other Awards Received by Ikpe Ibanga for his research:
• Civil Engineering Postgraduate Conference Prize for Best Oral Presentation 30/31 March, 2017
• D-Waste Award for outstanding performance in solid waste management related dissertation, 2013
• Best graduating student, Environmental Engineering and Project Management, School of Civil Engineering, University of Leeds, 2013
