Dr PRATAP Pullammanappalil is attempting to make a gigantic cow’s stomach to address our significant waste problems.

“Garbage that is landfilled can take up to 30 years to degrade. During this time, pollutants from the waste leach into the groundwater and harmful methane is released into the atmosphere as a by-product of degradation,” he said.

As a researcher at the recently established Centre for Organic Waste Management at Murdoch University, Dr Pullammanappalil is finding ways to speed up biological waste degradation and harness the methane by-product as an energy source.

His aim is to reduce the process to less than three years. As well as improving the design and modelling aspects of current biological treatments, he is searching for new ways to tackle waste problems.

The artificial rumen (a section of a cow’s stomach containing micro-organisms which break down cellulose) is one of these innovative projects, funded by a one-year Special Research Grant at Murdoch University.

“The rumen is very effective at breaking down cellulosic materials,” said Dr Pullammanappalil.

“Duplicating the species of micro-organisms, temperature and pH would create a very effective environment to process waste.”

Dr Pullammanappalil joined the Centre for Organic Waste Management at the end of last year after six years with the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Queensland.

“With a background in chemical engineering, I am able to work on issues that affect sustainable development, like cleaner production, waste management and pollution control,” he said.

In his new position he hopes to continue researching environmental remediation, solid waste management and waste water treatment.