1. Suction
controls in the engineering behavior of unsaturated clays
2. Geochemistry
of groundwater
3. Remediation of
contaminated groundwater
4. Hazardous
waste management
5. Remediation of
contaminated ground and problematic soils
|
Citation
Index http://scholar.google.co.in/citations?user=uJmPb68AAAAJ h-index:
31 i10-index:
60 |
Sponsored Research Projects:
|
Sl No. |
Title of
the Project |
Funding
Agency |
Duration |
|
1 |
Investigations on modified black cotton soils from Karnataka |
Karnataka State Council for Science and Technology |
3 Years w.e.f. June 98 |
|
2 |
Impact of agricultural operations on soil and water quality in
Bangalore District |
Karnataka State Council for Science and Technology |
3 years w.e.f. April 99 |
|
3 |
Environmental Impact of cyanide leached residues at K.G.F., Karnataka |
Department of Environment, Ecology, and Forests, Govt. of Karnataka |
2 years w.e.f. March 2000 |
|
4 |
Development of indigenous filters to treat fluoride contaminated
groundwater |
DST, Science and Society Division |
2 years w.e.f. May 2002 |
|
5 |
Behaviour of bentonite buffer under repository simulated conditions |
Bureau of Research in Nuclear Studies, BARC, Mumbai |
2 years w.e.f. April 2004 |
|
6 |
Environmentally safe use of arsenic and fluoride bearing sludge |
DST Science and Society Division |
3 years w.e.f. March 2005 |
|
7 |
Fluoride removal from drinking water by IISc method in Chitradurga and
Tumkur Districts of Karnataka |
Karnataka State Council for Science and Technology |
1 year w.e.f. February 2005 |
|
8 |
Pilot studies on defluoridation of water by IISc method |
CAPART, GOI |
2 years w.e.f. January 2007 |
|
9 |
Environmentally safe use of gypsum sludge |
Exide Industries Limited, Hosur Tamil Nadu |
2 years w.e.f. September 2006 |
|
10 |
Behaviour of bentonite buffer under repository simulated conditions-Phase
2 |
Bureau of Research in Nuclear Studies, BARC, Mumbai |
3 years w.e.f. February 2008-March 2011 |
|
11 |
Water quality management for Mulbagal town under the IUWM program in
TMC Mulbagal |
Arghyam Foundation, Bangalore |
2 year w.e.f. April 2009 |
|
12 |
Solidification/stabilization of heavy metals in solid wastes |
Central Pollution Control Board, New Delhi |
2 year, Feb 2010 to March 2012 |
|
13 |
Comparative studies on XRF &standard analytical procedures |
SNAM alloys Pvt. Ltd., Pondicherry |
1 year, Feb 2010 to Feb 2011 |
|
14 |
Development of domestic wastewater treatment technology |
Korea Institute of Science and Technology |
2 years, w.e.f. June 2010 |
|
15 |
Lysimeter based sub-surface investigations to assess transport of
contaminants in the vadoze zone surrounding the NSDF at Kalpakkam |
Atomic Energy Regulatory Board |
3.5 years, w.e.f. March 2011 |
|
16 |
Remediation of chromium contaminated groundwater using ferro-particles
based technology |
Ministry of Drinking Water & Sanitation, GOI |
2.5 years, w.e.f. April 2012 |
|
17 |
Hydrophobic sand applications such as barrier material for organic
pollutants |
Panasonic India, Corporation |
11 months, w.e.f. June 2012 |
|
18 |
Influence of seasonal variation on ground water quality at landfill
site in Goa |
NICOMET Industries, Goa |
12 months, w.e.f. May 2013 |
|
19 |
Setting up of Rajiv Gandhi Chair on WATSAN studies |
Ministry of Drinking Water & Sanitation, GOI |
60 months, w.e.f. July 2014 |
|
19 |
Characterization of Bengaluru groundwater for BTEX contamination and
development of procedures for remediation of BTEX contaminated groundwater |
CiSTUP, IISc |
24 months, w.e.f. August 2015 |
|
20 |
Prevention of nitrate contamination of groundwater in Mulbagal town
through use of bio-barrier at pit-toilet
locations |
Arghyam Foundation, Bangalore |
29 months, w.e.f.October 2015 |
|
21 |
Lakes of Bengaluru as drivers of an enriched blue-green cityscape |
Earthwatch Institute, India |
36 months w.e.f April 2018 |
Translational Research:
Fluoride removal from contaminated potable
water
Fluoride
contamination of groundwater from geochemical sources is a serious
environmental issue in India as 62 million people spread over 17 Indian states
is at risk from drinking fluoride-contaminated water. The Indian Standard for
drinking water prescribes 1.5 mg/L as the permissible limit for fluoride in
drinking water. Ingestion of fluoride-contaminated water can cause dental and
skeletal fluorosis. Fluoride build up in ground water are controlled by the
geology of host rocks, contact time with fluoride minerals, groundwater
chemical composition and climate. A new method based on use of magnesium oxide
(termed IISc method) has been developed for defluoridation of drinking water.
The IISc method was successfully implemented at selected households from 2005
to 2008 with support from various funding agencies in Kolar District, Karnataka
by us. The IISc method was implemented by NGO (VEDS) in Pavagada District of
Karnataka from 2009 to 2011 with DST support. The method is being currently
implemented in Lakshmangarh District, Rajasthan with DST support and in
Anantpur District, Andhra Pradesh with community participatory based approach.
A patent has been awarded for this process (India Patent number: 227176) titled
"De-fluoridation of water by IISc method". The inventors are Prof.
Sudhakar M. Rao, Dr. P. Mamatha, and Prof. B. V. Venkatarama Reddy.
Prevention of Nitrate Contamination through Use of Bio-Barriers at
Pit Toilet Locations
Located in the Kolar district of
Karnataka, Mulbagal is about 95 km away from Bangalore. The town is dependent
on groundwater for domestic purposes, and there is currently no sewerage system
for wastewater disposal. Previous studies conducted by the Author and Arghyam
Foundation had revealed the presence of e-coli pathogens and nitrate ions
(beyond permissible limits) within the town boundaries of Mulbagal, attributed
to the leachate infiltration from the pit latrines. The efficacy of bio-barriers to remove nitrates from pit-toilet leachate
in Mulbagal town, and to arrive at a design of bio-barriers to be installed in
pit toilets was investigated. Laboratory studies aided the design of an
improved pit toilet with combined anaerobic, aerobic and bio-barrier (A2B)
system, which is capable of removing nitrates from its leachate in a three-step
process. The first step, served by the anaerobic chamber, reduces organic
carbon in faecal sludge to levels that are favourable for ammonium oxidation.
Second step, fulfilled by the aerobic chamber, facilitates oxidation of treated
sewage to convert ammonium to nitrate by microbial mass. Air-exchange is
facilitated in the upper half of second pit by leaving the upper surface open
to the atmosphere and by installing a water circulation pump. The upper surface
of the aerobic chamber is covered by a strong wire mesh. Third step, carried
out by the bio-barrier, involves the removal of nitrates by denitrification
reactions. Mixture of air-dried cattle manure, sand and gravel is used as
bio-barrier media for nitrate reduction. Cattle manure serves as affordable
organic source; sand particles act as media for attached bacterial growth,
while gravel improves the permeability of the barrier. The Combined anaerobic,
aerobic and bio-barrier (A2B) system was implemented in a household setting in
Mulbagal town and the quality of field samples was monitored for over 300 days.
It was observed that anaerobic, aerobic and bio barrier treatment reduced COD
of faecal sludge by 90-95 per cent. The faecal coliform count was reduced by
2.5 log cycles. Nitrates produced in the aerobic chamber are removed by
denitrification reactions on passage of the aerated liquid through the
bio-barrier.
Research guidance
Ph.D. Awarded
1.
Nitish MV (2019). Fate and remediation of ammonium-N in pit toilet blackwater
2. Monica R (2019). Role of physico-chemical
processes and micro-structural features in influencing moisture loss and
engineering properties of compacted residual soils exposed to environmental
relative humidity.
3. G. B.
Deepak (2017): Influence of chemo-mechanical factors on compression and
undrained strengths of soft kaolinites prepared using synthetic seawater.
4. P.
Raghuveer Rao (2015). Factors influencing contaminant transport in vadose zone
of near surface radioactive waste disposal facility.
5. R. Malini
(2015). Granular media supported microbial remediation of nitrate contaminated
drinking water.
6. Indra
Prasad Acharya (2015). Synthesis and characterization of geopolymers as
construction materials.
7. S. Shashidhar
(2013). Influence of permeation of synthetic groundwater solutions on the
hydro-mechanical properties of Barmer bentonite
8. K. Ravi
(2013). Hydro mechanical behaviour of compacted bentonite sand mix for use in
deep geological repositories to store high level nuclear wastes.
9. S.
Sivachidambaram (2012). Studies on modified clay additives to impart iodide
sorption capacity to bentonite in the context of safe disposal of high level
nuclear waste.
10. K. Asha
(2012). Activation of fly ash-lime reactions by curing at elevated temperature
and by addition of phosphogysum.
11. Sarita
Dhawan (2011). Effect of pore water salinity and heating on swell behavior of
bentonite-sand mix in the context of nuclear waste repositories.
12. P. Mamatha
(2009). A magnesia based sustainable method for de-fluoridation of contaminated
groundwater.
13. G. C. Raju
(2008). Characterization and re-use of lead contaminated gypsum sludge.
14. T.
Thyagaraj (2007). Influence of osmotic suction on the swell and compression
behaviour of compacted expansive clays.
15. B.
Shivanand (2004). Role of lime-soil reactions and environmental factors in the
engineering behaviour of lime-amended expansive clays.
16. M.
Muttharam (2001). Engineering behaviour of wood ash modified soils from
Karnataka.
17. K.
Revansiddappa (2000). Collapse behaviour of residual red soils from Bangalore
District.
18. S.
Gangadhara (1998). Cyclic swell- shrink behaviour of laboratory compacted
expansive soils.
19. P. Mohan
Rami Reddy (1997). Role of physico-chemical factors in the heave and collapse
behaviour of laboratory desiccated soils.
20. K.
P.Ramanath (1994). Influence of iron oxides on the physical and engineering
behaviour of kaolinite.
21. K. S.
Jayasimha. (1992 ). Permeability and contaminant retention characteristics of
soils and soil-fly ash systems.
22. S. Chandrakaran
(1990). Mechanisms controlling the engineering behaviour of bentonites exposed
to sea water and smectite rich natural marine clays.
In progress:
23. U. Deepti.
Characterization of moisture and contaminant transport in vadose zone soil from
laboratory and field studies
24. E. Rita.
Characterization and remediation of BTEX contaminated groundwater
25. S. Reshma.
Role of microbial-cementation in improving soil properties
M.Sc. (Engg) - Awarded:
1.
Teddy Kizza (2013). Modeling salinity impact
on groundwater irrigated turmeric crop.
2. Kumar
Gaurave (2010). Characterization and lime stabilization studies on artificially
lead contaminated soils.
3. Sarita
Dhawan (2004). An experimental study on shrinkage behaviour and SWCC relations
of clays.
4. P. Mamatha
(2003). Laboratory studies on use of mineral filters to treat fluoride
contaminated water.
5. T.
Thyagaraj (2002). Laboratory studies on in-situ chemical stabilization of black
cotton H. N.
6. B.
Venkataswamy (2001). Stabilization of black cotton soils by lime piles.
7. H. N.
Dwarkanath (1989). Bentonite-kaolinite- sand mixtures as backfill materials for
nuclear fuel waste disposal vaults.