Natural Environment

Harmful algal blooms are a global environmental problem that affects public health, water quality, ecological function services and local industries. It is a very difficult problem to tackle worldwide and there is a great need for novel technologies that can control HABs in a cost-effective and environmentally friendly way.

Emeritus Professor Gang Pan and his team have developed a novel technique that can use modified local soil (MLS technology) to remove algae, improve water quality, remediate polluted sediment, reduce internal loads and make the excess harmful nutrients in eutrophic water a resources for aquatic ecological restoration and biodiversity conservation. Impacts include local government policy and industrial application for water protection in China and in New Zealand.

Peatlands provide a range of valuable ecosystem services and are priority habitats under the UK Biodiversity Action Framework. Much of our peatland has been damaged by drainage for agriculture or forestry and mining for horticulture or fuel. The Environment Team at the School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences (ARES) has been involved in a range of research related to the functioning, management and restoration of peatlands (both lowland raised bogs and upland blanket bogs).

Research focuses on hydrology in relation to the preservation and restoration of peatland habitats and the impact of drainage on habitat conservation and human water supplies. Several UK water companies have become increasingly concerned about rising levels of water colour (associated with dissolved organic carbon from upland peat) being experienced at their water treatment works. Dr Labadz and Dr Clutterbuck have undertaken a variety of research projects on the potential impact of land management on biodiversity and resultant water quality within related catchment areas.