Richard Warren

Richard Warren

Profile

I recently completed an integrated master’s in Environmental Science at the University of East Anglia.

My main research aspirations are to contribute to improving the management of water resources to ensure that water is of high quality throughout its cycle and is used sustainably.

I am particularly interested in anthropogenic impacts on the aquatic environment, and how these impacts may be mitigated. For example, my undergraduate project investigated the impact physical river habitat modifications have on aquatic plant distribution and abundance. Furthermore, my master’s project evaluated the impacts of contrasting sewage treatment methods on nutrient dynamics in the River Wensum.

Richard Warren

PhD title: Can integrated constructed wetlands provide a sustainable alternative to conventional wastewater treatment?

This project investigates the potential of integrated constructed wetlands to provide an environmentally and economically sustainable alternative to conventional wastewater treatment technologies for the reduction of nutrients, plasticizers and microplastic fibres in sewage effluent.

Sewage effluent is a major global driver of freshwater pollution, but conventional treatment technologies to mitigate sewage pollution are energy intensive, expensive and frequently provide sub-optimal pollutant removal performance. In this regard, integrated constructed wetlands have emerged as a potential alternative, cost-effective, natural treatment for sewage effluent. However, major questions remain about their seasonal effectiveness and long-term ability to capture, retain and cycle nutrients with sufficient efficiency to reliably replace conventional treatment technologies. Furthermore, there is growing environmental concern regarding the inability of conventional treatment process to remove endocrine disrupting plasticizers and laundry microplastic fibres, and research is required to assess whether ICWs have increased potential to mitigate these plastic pollutants.

Publications

    Cooper, R.J., Warren, R.J., Clarke, S.J. and Hiscock, K.M. (2022). Evaluating the impacts of contrasting sewage treatment methods on nutrient dynamics across the River Wensum catchment, UK. Science of The Total Environment, 804. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150146

ORCiD

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2385-3511