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NRI Profile

• Brief Introduction of Center For Environmental Studies (CES), ANNA UNIVERSITY
• Lab Facilities for Research Works
• Recently Completed and Ongoing Research Projects
• Publications
• Research Team
• Curriculum Vitae of Kurian Joseph
• Contact Adress

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Brief Introduction of Center For Environmental Studies (CES), ANNA UNIVERSITY, Chennai, India.

 

Anna University was established in 1978 as a unitary type of University. It offers 33 undergraduate degree programmes and 47 Post-graduate degree programmes besides post-graduate diploma and M.Phil programmes in four disciplines. With the affiliation of all the Engineering Colleges in the State of Tamil Nadu to Anna University in 2002, it has now emerged the largest Technical University in the world.

 

The Department of Public Health Engineering of the University was established in the year 1955 with assistance from the World Health Organization (WHO) which was upgraded into Centre for Environmental Studies (CES) in 1982. CES offers three Master Degree programme of two years duration with specialization in Environmental Engineering, Environmental Management and Environmental Sciences. In addition, about 30 Ph.D scholars are working here in different areas of Environmental engineering/sciences disciplines. CES has been funded by various National/International Agencies for carrying out sponsored research activities. The sponsoring organizations include, GTZ, SIDA, BORDA, Ministry of Environment and Forests in the Government of India, University Grants Commission, All India Council for Technical education, Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board, Department of Science and Technology and Central Pollution Control Board.

 

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Lab Facilities for Research Works

The laboratory with an area of 280 m² consists of a Wet Chemistry Laboratory with an area of 140 m² and an Instrumental Laboratory with an area of 140 m². The Wet Chemistry Laboratory houses sample preparation equipment, BOD incubators, sample storage facilities and analytical apparatus. Major instruments available are: Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (AAS), DC Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometer, BOD analyzer, Mercury analyzer, Flame Photometer, TOC-analyzer, SO₂ and NO_x analyzers, Gas Chromatograph, Spectrophotometer, UV-VIS Spectrophotometer, Colorimeter, Ion Meter, field test apparatus, Methane Gas analyzer, Portable Gas monitors and precision balances. The entire physical/chemical analysis of water, wastewater and solid wastes can be performed in the laboratories.

 

The research laboratory houses equipments like Bioreactors, Anaerobic Glove - box, Lyophilizer, Refrigerated centrifuge, Autoclave, Glassware washing machine, Precision balances, Ovens, Electrophoresis unit and other routine instruments used for research work. The major equipment available in the microbiology laboratory are Phase contrast microscope, Stereo microscope, Scanning microscope, Projection microscope, Refrigerated centrifuge, Incubators, Deep freezer, Laminar flow chamber, Shaker, Constant temperature water-bath, Refrigerator, Colony counter, Ovens and Portable water analysis kits. Unit Operation Laboratory consists of Filter Press, Demineralization plant, Softening plant, Reverse Osmosis Unit, Photochemical Reactor, Sonicator, Ozonator, High Pressure Jet Impinger, High Speed Centrifuge, Glassware Washing Machines, Sieve shaker, Soil Samplers, Autoclave, Distillation unit, Rotary Vacuum Evaporator and Bench Scale treatment plant models. One of the Ph.D. researchers is currently working on “Landfill Mining” of Municipal Solid Wastes and another has initiated works related to “Landfill Bioreactor”.

Recently Completed and Ongoing Research Projects

 

The major research studies carried out by CES in the field of Solid Waste Management are listed below:

2001- 2003	Studies on Rehabilitation of Solid Waste dumpsites under ARRPET research project on Sustainable Landfill Management funded by SIDA.
2003	Modeling of ground water quality impacts around dump sites in Chennai
1996	Monitoring of ground water quality around a Solid Waste Dumping Site in Madras and characteristics of Leachate
1997	Effect of Calcium, phosphorus and Sulphur on biomethanation of vegetable wastes
1996	Studies on biomethanation of vegetable  wastes
1985	Use of system analysis technique in solid waste disposal for Madras City
1985	Solid waste management technique in Madras City
1987	A systems approach to solid waste management for Madras City
1982	Investigation on cost minimization of solid waste collection in Madras City
1980	Studies on utilization of municipal refuse as a solid fuel

Publications

1. Kurian Joseph (1999). “Siting of a Centralized Hazardous Waste Treatment Disposal facility (CHWTDF)” First International Seminar on Safety and Fire Engineering, Cochin, India November 24-26, 1999.

2. Kurian Joseph (2001). “Technologies for Sustainable Management of Solid Wastes”, Environment Conclave 2001, organized by Confederation of Indian Industry, 21-22, November 2001, Chennai

3. Kurian Joseph and R. Nagendran (2000), “Siting of Centralised Hazardous waste incineration facility” presented at International Conference on Hazardous waste management, CES, Anna University, Chennai 27-29 January 2000.

4. Kurian Joseph, Nagendran, R., Palanivelu, P., and Thayumanavan, S., (2001). “Landfill Mining”,  presented at Seminar on Solid Waste Management,  organized by University of Peradeniya, 27^th August 2001, Colombo, Sri Lanka

5. Kurian Joseph, Nagendran, R., Palanivelu, P., and Thayumanavan, S., (2001). “ Rehabilitation of municipal solid waste dumpsites” 17th National convention of Environmental Engineers, The institution of Engineers (I), held at Trivandrum , 23-25 November 2001

6. Nagendran, R., (1999). Removal of Nitrogen and Phosphorous from aquaculture wastewater through soil – algae system. Proc. of 4th International Conference on Managing Wastewater Resource – Ecological Engineering for Wastewater Treatment June 7 – 11.

7. Rajkumar, M., and Nagendran, R., (1999) “Studies on the effects of Chromium Stress on the germination and Growth of Phaseolus mungo – Influence of Chromium Resistant Pseudomonad”, Journal of Environmental Science and Health A.35,4.

8. Rao, M.N., Suresh, E.S.M., and Usha Natesan (1998). Assessing site suitability conditions for waste disposal facilities using GIS for Chennai City, 14th International Conference on Solid Waste Management” 1998.

9. Schindler, F., Nagendran, R., and Kurian Joseph., (2001). “Economics of membrane Technologies for water and wastewater reclamation”, Proceedings Seminar on Membrane Technologies for Water and wastewater Reclamation, CES, Anna University, 15-16 February 2001

Research Team

Dr. K.Thanasekaran	Director and Professor of Environmental Engineering
Dr. Kurian Joseph	Assistant Professor in Environmental Engineering and Principal Investigator
Dr. R.Nagendran	Professor  of Environmental Sciences and Co-Investigator
Dr. K.Palanivelu	Assistant Professor in Environmental Chemistry and Co Investigator

Curriculum Vitae:  

KURIAN JOSEPH

Dr. KURIAN JOSEPH is currently Assistant Professor at Centre for Environmental Studies, Anna University, Chennai, India. He received his B.Tech. Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Calicut, M.Tech. in Environmental Engineering from the University of Kerala and Ph.D in Environmental Engineering from the Anna University, India.  The main areas of his research interest include Municipal Solid Waste Management, Cleaner Production, Industrial and Hazardous Waste Treatment and Environmental Impact Assessment. He started his professional career as a Project Engineer in a Chennai based Indo- Italian Consultancy Company in the field of water and wastewater treatment. He teaches Environmental Engineering and Management related courses to Post Graduate and Graduate programmes of Anna University and is actively involved in number of Consultancy works. Dr. Kurian has organized a number of training programmes and seminars for the benefit of practicing Engineers and Professionals. He is a life member of five Professional Associations in the country, author of several technical papers and a consultant on environmental matters. He received the “Kriton Curi” award for the best paper in waste management from developing countries in Sardinia 2003, – IX International Waste Management and Landfill Symposium Sardinia, Italy, October 2003.   He is an author of the Book titled “Essentials of Environmental Studies” published by Pearson Education, Singapore

Education

Professional experience

Recent Publications 

1. Kurian Joseph (2006). Stakeholder Participation in Municipal solid waste management Habitat International, Elsever Publications, Vol.30, pp 863-871

2. R. Nagendran , A. Selvam, Kurian Joseph, Chart Chiemchaisri (2006), “Phyto-remediation and rehabilitation of municipal solid waste landfills and dumpsites: A brief review”, Waste Management 26 (2006) 1357–1369

3. Shobana Ramesh and Kurian Joseph (2006), “ Electronic waste generation and management in an Indian city”, Journal of Indian Assoc. for Environmental Management, Vol. 33, No.2, pp 100-105

4. Kurian Joseph (2006) .Technological options for Waste management in Asian cities”, International Interdisciplinary conference on Sustainable Technologies for Environmental protection”, Coimbatore Institute of Technology, 7-9 January 2006

5. Kurian Joseph, R. Nagendran and Obuli. P. Karthikeyan (2006). Stabilization of wastes from dumpsite in leachate recirculation and flushing bioreactors  - Procs. Asia Pacific Landfill Symposium APLAS –IV, Shanghai, China, November 2006.

6. Swati. M and Kurian Joseph, (2006) “Accelerated degradation of organic fraction of solid waste in tropical environment by leachate recirculation”, Proceedings of ORBIT 2006, V International Conference on Biological Waste Management, Weimar, Germany, Sept 13-15, 2006, Part 4, pp 1247- 1254.

7. Kurian Joseph, R. Nagendran and C. Visvanathan (2005). Sustainable Approach for Management of Dumpsites in Asia, Twentieth International Conference on “Solid Waste Technology and Management”, Philadelphia, PA, USA, April 3-6, 2005.

8. Kurian Joseph and Nagendran R (2005), Dumpsite rehabilitation and sustainable landfilling, National workshop on “Incineration and Solid Waste Management” held at Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, Chennai during 29-30, April 2005.

9. Kurian Joseph, S. esakku, K. Palanivelu and A. selvam (2003). Studies on Landfill Mining at solid waste dumpsites in India, Sardinia 2003, Ninth international waste management and landfill symposium, Italy, 6-10 October 2003. This paper was awarded“Kriton Curi” award for the best paper in developing Countries.

10. Kurian Joseph (2001). Technologies for Sustainable Management of Solid Wastes, Environment Conclave 2001, organized by Confederation of Indian Industry, 21-22, November 2001, Chennai

Contact address:

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