Environmental Research Ideas & Topics

I our day to day report writing and in conversations with clients, we hear of topics for which we then subsequently find gaps in available data. We have listed these Environmental Research Ideas & Topics below. So if you are conducting research at any level, and in any part of the world you might pick one, and advance our understanding.

We will update this post with new topics as we think of them.

5 – Over Application of Nutrients (Added October 2024)

We have heard in some instances that industrial farms (in this case in the UK) are over applying nutrients to Farmland. The example we heard about was a poultry farm where the volumes of poultry manure being produced were very large and these were then being spread to surrounding Farmland without following the guidance on nutrient balancing as provided in our RB209 for example and this is lead to in effect sterility in the land owning to an over concentration of macaroni nutrients this is entirely unsubstantiated claim coming from a phone call but it might be that there is some truth in there somewhere.

4 – Suitability of Compost Regulation in the UK (Added October 2024)

Regulations relating to composting i the UK and very confused. This comes from the waste / non- waste split. Which some producers manage to avoid, and others not so. This can lead to huge commercial enterprising circumnavigating requirements for an environmental permit, and then small farm sized operations requiring very complicated environmental permits.

3 – Export vs Recycling vs Incineration Rates for Plastic (Added October 2024)

Every week we hear of wildly differing claims with regards to “recycling” rates. The recent lawsuit between California and ExxonMobil, aims to provide that recycling has been pushed by producers as a “cure-all” for plastic waste. When in fact no more than 9% is recycled.

And that basis there is plenty of research to be done in your area to see what happens to plastic wastes. Do they get recycled or not. Where do they go. In the Uk we saw how our segregated (not recycled) waste gets exported to countries where it is not recycled.

2 –  Microplastics from Sewage Sludge (Added October 2024)

When sewage is treated at a sewage treatment works, or a smaller treatment system, a sludge is created. How much microplastic is in this sludge? And what happens to it? WHich types of treatment create the most, and is ther a way of reducing it?

1 – Microplastics from Car Tyres (Added October 2024)

Over the lifetime of a tire, whilst is wears down, it loses about 30% of its weight. These tiny abraded particles end up where? What is there volume? Where can we do to stop this? Are there additional materials that we could use that are better than materials at present?