Chair of Applied Ecology

General information

The chair was founded in 1995. The stages of its development are the following:

• 1992 – foundation of the "Environmental Protection" section.
• 1995 – the year of foundation of the chair "Applied Ecology and Vital Functions Safety
• 1996 –the first laboratory introduction.
• 1998 – the first graduation ecological engineers.
• 1999 – the first graduation of Bachelors and Masters.
• 2000 – renaming of the chair into "Applied Ecology"

Specialists’ training in the direction 0708 “Ecology” is oriented to their further work at industrial and building enterprises at educational establishments and so on. Besides, the programs of their training suggest bases, peculiarities, modern production technologies and nature management learning. That’s why it would be reasonable to go on with specialists of ecology and environmental protection training in the industrial and management sphere on the basis of the chair of "Applied Ecology" of Sumy State University which has the necessary materials and technical basis and skilled specialists. The oriented necessity in these specialists makes up 30 – 40 persons per year for the Sumy region in the period 1998 – 2000, since 2000 50 – 80 persons per year, including 30 – 50 holders of a Master's degree.

The training of specialists of the mentioned profile in Sumy State University will provide the skilled staff of the Sumy region, and also partly of other Ukrainian regions and also foreign countries.

The industrial and scientific potential of Sumy and the region ensure entirely going through the scientific and industrial practice. They may have practical training at joint enterprises, joint-stock companies, and also ensure students’ job placement.

The scientific process is based on close unification of the theoretical and practical material, mastering the main disciplines, modern computer engineering and equipment, a foreign language and ability to do well in the changeable market conditions. The offered system of education guarantees the acquirement of wide world outlook and better possibilities for adaptation in the future professional activity to its graduates.

The chair of “Applied Ecology and Vital Functions Safety” of the University has the complex of scientific and educational laboratories equipped with modern facilities and plants provided with computer equipment: - the laboratory of biochemical researches; - the laboratory of the micro-structural analysis of substances equipped with the microscopes PEM-100, REM-102C, VUP-5, mass-spectrometers MX 73-04-A; - the laboratory of multi-component mixtures equipped with laboratory rectificative columns; - the laboratory of the gas treating that are lost, equipped with stand plants; - computer basis consists of 5 pieces of IBM PC/AT. Besides, works at research and industrial plants and laboratories of open joint-stock company “Selmi”, Ukrainian Institution of Applied Physics of the National Academy of Sciences and also enterprises of Petroleum and Gas Industrial Administration “Achtyrkaneftegas” are carried out.

Students study at the chair branches at the main department of ecological security of the Sumy region, open joint-stock company “Selmi”, closed joint-stock company "Dempurg", open joint-stock company "Sumychimprom".

The chair has scientific laboratories: biochemical, laboratory of atomic absorptive analysis, hydro-geo-laboratory and ecological expert examination; lecture laboratory equipped with collections of minerals and rocks, insects and palaeontological patterns, didactical and distributing material. Besides, students study at chair branches under the department of ecological security of the Sumy region and the plant of electronic equipment “Selmi”.

The graduates of the chair can work at industrial enterprises, city services, departments and organizations in the membership of departments and services interwoven with the environmental protection. Besides, they work in the design and planning organizations, scientific-research establishments and academic institutions.

In the specialties "Ecology and the Environmental Protection" there have been worked out and introduced into the educational process summaries of lectures in the disciplines “Geology with rudiments of geomorphology”, “Modelling and forecasting of the condition of the environment”, “Economy of nature management”, methodical tips for the carrying of practical tasks in the courses "Radio-ecology", "The Reserved Affair", "Meteorology and Climatology", “Modelling and forecasting of the condition of the environment”, “Economy of nature management”, "Biology 1,2" for foreign students ("Nervous system", "Blood and Blood circulation" and others during the previous years.

Technical aids of education are widely spread at the chair.

There are 3 film rooms at the chair and 7 laboratories: the laboratory of bio-ecology, ecological analysis, general-technical, laboratory of working places research, labour protection and the research one.

There are collections of minerals, insects, herbarium, about 30 posters and maps, 80 pictures and schemes for better comprehension and visual demonstration and teaching of the educational material gathered at the chair.

For the next academic year it has been planned to acquire the VCR at the chair and a TV-set with the purpose of showing the students films in the basic ecological disciplines (available show-material).

The chair has a lecture room, group and laboratory rooms with the floor area of 607,4 square meters. The scientific and laboratory basis of the chair consists of two lecture rooms: 7 laboratories: the laboratory of bio-ecology, ecological analysis, general-technical, laboratory of the research of working places, labour protection and the research one with the total area of 585 square meters. Besides, the chair branches at open joint-stock company "Sumykhimprom" and at the department of ecology and natural resources in the Sumy region have educational-laboratory facilities with the area of 400 square meters.

It’s a long time since the chair of "Applied Ecology" has been co-operating well with its branches: Management of ecology and natural resources in the Sumy region, joint-stock company “Selmi”, open joint-stock company "Sumykhimprom", closed joint-stock company ”Dempurg”. The provision of these branches let students revise acquired theiretical knowledge, raise their level by mastering modern methods of ecological control of environmental condition at practice (control over the atmosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere pollution), rules, means and methods of carrying out of the tax ecological control over industrial goods and foodstuff, skills at making ecological examination of enterprises, ecological audit and management and practical appliance of legal regulations of ecological legislation of Ukraine, become acquainted with the necessary equipment for carrying out laboratory works at enterprises. The university and chair management of "Applied Ecology" gathered groups of highly qualified teachers in learning the basic disciplines of preparation, organized scientific-laboratory and industrial bases for practice of the future specialists. There is a library of scientific-methodical and scientific literature. There is planned training of specialists on the basis of daily and extra-mural forms of education with the term of education according to the State standard.

The aim of educational process in the mentioned specialty is the training of highly-qualified specialists that possess the theory and the practice of environmental protection well, effective and rational usage of natural resources at enterprises of different forms of property, knowledge, that give an opportunity to do well at industrial enterprises.

The scientific process was built on the basis of acquiring by the students a wide circle of fundamental and special disciplines that define special direction. These are: “Energy-Efficient technologies”, “Main problems of life support of city and industrial zones”, “Technological bases of plants”, “Automatic control and methods of measuring of environmental parameters”, “International and national environmental regulations”, “Ecological meliorations”, “Ecological projection”, “Low-wasted technologies’ bases of making up”, “Utilization of waste of chemical enterprises”, “Technology of inorganic substances” and so on and also a wide circle of disciplines for choice that ensure an individual profound training of students in the chosen specialty and at enterprises’ order.

Educational-professional programs of training of bachelors, specialists, holders of a master's degree are worked up in accordance with the State standards of specialists of training in the professional direction “Ecology and environmental protection”, and also taking into account the experience of the leading home and foreign institutes of higher education.

The level of methodical, material-technical, scientific, lectures at the chair of "Applied Ecology" of the SSU ensure training of specialists of the mentioned profile at the corresponding level according to the State standards’ demands.

Together with the traditional forms of education: lectures, practical classes, seminars and laboratory classes a great attention is spared to the independent work of students, different forms of testing, including the use of computers, natural situations’ modelling and so on.

Practices are carried out with the purpose of practical securing of the studied material industrial and preparing a diploma paper. After the graduation students make ready graduation theses.

In Ukraine like in many other countries the overwhelming majority of enterprises need ensuring of ecological accompaniment that includes a wide complex of technical and engineering means, methods and ways of their realization. All these favour the choice of directions of specialists training.

The demands for professional qualities of specialists have been formed during the decades. Nowadays in the century of active rise of the level of technical achievements and more often occurring ecological damages and calamities of man-caused character, an ecologist must possess a wide spectrum of academic, engineering and professional knowledge. The flow of scientific-technical information rises on a large scale, and to get it into the time-limited frames of education is very difficult. Our point of view tries to unite as much as possible the integrated perception of the objects of study – the condition of the environment, technologies of the main industrial processes, their design and projection, and also the highest possible width of information that is given about special knowledge necessary for an ecological engineers. The association of these demands is defined as follows:

• fundamental knowledge in physics, chemistry, biology of natural events, global eco-systems (atmosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere) and outer space;
• technology and equipment and the ability of their dynamic development, forming of engineering knowledge;
• ability of individual forming and solving engineering tasks, forecasting ecological situations with the aim of decreasing the negative influence upon the environment, natural cataclysms upon the vital activity of a man and of anthropogenic catastrophes on the environment;
• The use of measuring informational systems, creation and monitoring systems maintance of monitoring and control of environmental parameters.

Defining the primary direction from all mentioned is almost impossible as they are all important in their value. That’s why the preparation of a ecologist-specialist lays foundation in the enumerated directions.

The university gives to the specialties an important role in the preparation of specialist-ecologists the choice, which is defined by individual contracts of industrial enterprises and ecological services. Methodical provision and the worked up courses let the chair lead the preparation of students in the following directions:

• Urbo-ecology;
• Ecology of chemical enterprises;
• Ecology and the environmental protection;
• Frontier ecological control.

Considerable attention is given to the training of a ecologist-specialist. It is devoted to the acutest problems that are set before the mankind, first of all it is engineering ecology that confirms once more the necessity of a separate specialty "Engineering Ecology" introduction:

• creation of freons of the third generation;
• creation of new kinds of energy sources, cheaper and pollution-free;
• design of water-regeneration, protection from pollution of the freshwater eco-systems technologies;
• creation of a new generation of methods and ways of ecological monitoring, operational control of environmental parametres.

Chair Staff

3 professors and 11 candidates of sciences, assistant professors and senior teachers work at the chair of "Applied Ecology" of the SSU. 25 University chairs take an active part in the training of highly qualified specialists . The teaching staff counts 150 people, including 30 Doctors of Science (20%) and 80 candidates of science (53,33%).

General training of students, improvement of their intellectual level is ensured by the pedagogic staff of the University in humanitarian, social and economical, fundamental, professional-oriented disciplines. The training is carried out according to the approved curricula and programs. The teachers of these chairs take an active part in the international, inter-colleges conferences, seminars, have and establish further friendly and working relationships with the countries of the Near and Far abroad countries, publish their works in the international publishing houses. All this influences well both the rise of the level of Sumy State University and training of ecological students in particular.

Head of the Chair

LEONID DMITRIEVICH PLYATSUK Professor, Doctor of Technical Sciences, academician of Ukrainian Engineering Academy of Science phone +380 542 331205 E-mail address:pri_ecol@sumdu.edu.ua Deputy of the head of the chairf: V. О. Solyanik Candidate of Technical Sciences, senior lecturer T. D. Udaltsova secretary

Scientific-research activity

According to university plans on the whole and the chair of "Applied Ecology" in particular, scientific-research work is carried out. Themes of scientific investigations are approved at the meetings of academic council of the university the chair "Applied Ecology".

The main scientific directions of the "Applied Ecology" chair work are:

• Under the supervision of L.D. Plyatsuk, head of the "Applied Ecology" сhair, Doctor of Technical Sciences, professor:
  • intensification of the processes of carbohydrate components division;
  • working up the methods of intensification and rise of the efficacy of the processes and devices for the clarification of the industrial gas-dust discharges from the gas-like dirt and superfine particles with the purpose of environmental protection;
  • modelling of the main regularities of mass-transfer processes, coagulation, subdivision, concretion of aerosol particles and drops of moisture in vortical gas-dispersed flows and taking into account pulsating movement of phases;
  • rational use of carbohydrate raw stock.
• Under the supervision of Budenniy О.P, assistant professor, Candidate of Chemical Sciences: Resources-saving technologies , utilization of waste:
  • production of phosphorous fertilizers;
  • production of dioxide titanium;
  • hydrolytic production;
  • founding production.
• Under the supervision of L.А. Gladkaya, assistant professor, Candidate of Technical Sciences:
  • equipment and technologies reliability;
  • numerical analysis of risk at the enterprise.
• Under the supervision of V.V. Streltsov, сhair professor, Doctor of Technical Sciences. – Processes of chemical technologies participation of granular materials:
  • crystallization;
  • solution;
  • filtering;
  • drying;
  • desublimation;
  • chemical reaction "gas – solid".
• Under the supervision of L.G. Filatov, professor, Doctor of Technical Sciences:
  • Ecological science of materials;
  • Processes and engineering provision of the technology of material production with the use of industrial waste;
  • environmental technologies of the agro-industrial complex.
• Under the supervision of S.М. Shevchenko, assistant professor, Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences – Methodology of biology teaching;
• Under the supervision of V.О.Tyuleneva, assistant professor, Candidate of Geographical Sciences:
  • Studying of ecological conditions of the corresponding reserved objects and exposure of the areas for their further reserving;
  • Ecological conditions studying in the city environment, in particular the polluted water objects study.
• Under the supervision of А.F. Denisenko, assistant professor, Candidate of Technical Sciences: ecological and economical aspects of ensuring of vital functions safety of industrial enterprises workers, in particular:
  • Research of the dependence of the level of industrial injuries on the condition of environment, places of living of workers taking into account factors of production that influence the size of economical losses;
  • Working out the methods of economic waste reducing on the level of vital functions safety;
  • Use of the notion "traumatism" for the natural expression of enterprise economic waste and its presentation in the form of cost that comprises 2 parts: waste that is caused by the influence of social-economic and hygienic factors of the industrial sphere and waste because of industrial injuries determined by the pollution of atmosphere air by the injurious discharge of the industrial enterprises.
• Under the supervision of О.Е. Averkova, assistant professor, Candidate of Chemical Sciences:
  • Inspection certification of the foodstuff and ration raw stuff.
• Under the supervision of V. О. Solyanik, assistant professor, Candidate of Technical Sciences:
  • Efficacy rise of waterworks of enterprises of cold and hot water with the purpose of energetical goods and resources reducing;
  • Ecological aspects of industrial technologies;
  • Problems of hydrotransport of moistures with hard dirt;
• Under the supervision of O.O. Rybalova, assistant professor, Candidate of Ecological Sciences:
  • Person's health;
  • The condition of the environment quality;
  • Economy of nature management.

A considerable part of the above-mentioned work is carried out with the participation of the chair students that conduct both theoretical and practical (research) parts of the work.

The amount of students that take an active part in the scientific-research work annually rises.

Questions in the scientific-research work are constantly discussed and corrected at the meetings of the "Applied Ecology" chair.

Post-Graduate Study

Training of candidate of technical sciences is carried out in the specialty 21.06.01. "Man-caused security of State" opened in 1999.

Supervisions of dissertation research

• "The efficacy criteria definition of contact methods of mass-transfer apparatus"
• "intensification of mass transfer processes in a descending line of interacting phases"
• "working out and research of compact apparatuses for the processes rectification"
• "Water quality rating. Bioindication" Ekaterina Pavlovna Khomenko, scientific adviser L.D. Plyatsuk.
• "decontamination reservoir water from radioactive pollution" Elvira Nurulievna Osadchaya, scientific adviser L.D. Plyatsuk.
• "Man-caused influence upon the environment with working up of African phosphorites under the conditions of industrial joint-stock company "Sumykhimprom". Inna Alexandrovna Trunova, scientific adviser V.V.Streltsov.
• "Modelling of man-caused influence upon the environment with mining carbonic raw stock" Sergey Vladimirovich Lipoviy, scientific adviser L.D. Plyatsuk.
• "Man-caused security of preparation and transportation of carbonic raw stock" Vladimir Valerievich Michailichenko, scientific adviser L.D. Plyatsuk.
• "Man-caused influence upon the environment with ignition at industrial enterprises and their evaluation" Elena Nikkolaevna Yachnenko, scientific adviser V.V.Streltsov.
• "Environmental protection from the influence of man-caused discharge with work up of African phosphorites" Natalya Vladimirovna Rab, scientific adviser V.V.Streltsov.

International Educational and Scientific Links

Teachers, scientific workers and post-graduates of the chair of «Applied Ecology» take an active part in international conferences and symposia:

• 1998, 12th International Congress of Chemical and Process Engineering, Praha, Czech Republic (Plyatsuk L.D., Gurets L.L.) – 2002. 3rd International Symposium on Geotechnics related to European Environment, Berlin (Plyatsuk L D., Plyatsuk D.L.)
• 2002, 14th International Congress of Chemical and Process Engineering, Praha, Czech Republic (Plyatsuk L.D., Gurets L.L., Laznenko D.А., Vaskin R.А., Smirnov V.А.)

The work carried out in the university makes its way in the supervision of the international co-operation and in spite of material hardships does not stop at the reached level.

Two citizens from abroad studied at the chair:

• A citizen from the Kingdom of Nepal – Rokaya Каl Bachadur,
• A citizen of Jordan – Osama Ketanech Mostafa Machmud.

In the nearest plans there is organization of the educational and industrial practices in foreign organizations and enterprises on the exchange basis.

Methodical Activity of the Chair

Chair methodical provision is at high level. During the last time there have been worked up and introduced 3 textbooks, 5 summaries of lectures on the main economical disciplines, 20 methodical tips for carrying out of practical, laboratory works, carrying out of compulsory homework, term papers, graduating work (project) and business games.

Disciplines

The list of disciplines in the specialty "Ecology and Environmental Protection"

• The structure of the educational-professional training programme for Master's degree
• The structure of the educational-professional training programme for Bachelor's degree

Practical Training

There exist 3 kinds of practical training to the educational plans of students training in the supervision of «Ecology»: field, industrial and pre-diploma.

Field Practice

Field practice is carried out after the second year of study. It is necessary for improving and extending of knowledge, acquired in the process of studying of theoretical courses of ecology, hydrology, landscape ecology, pedology, geology and geomorphology. During the practice students get acquainted with different processes and events that take place within the borders of eco-systems of the Sumy Prydneprovye, gain skills of the field research, study environmental areas (reserves and dendrological parks). Field practice is carried out by means of traveling according to certain routes.

Industrial Practice

Industrial practice is carried out according to the order of the Ministry of Education of Ukraine («About the approval of the statute of conducting the practice for students of higher educational estabkishments of Ukraine» №93 from 08.04.1993) in the 6th term for a period of 6 weeks.

The purpose of the industrial practice is to form professional habits and skills of making independent solutions about a certain part of work in a future ecological engineers in real industrial conditions.

The tasks of industrial practice include:

1. Improvement of theoretical knowledge acquired in the process of education, in the academic process;
2. Study of the enterprise work and institution work and their special subdivisions;
3. Acquisition of practical skills and mastering of the advanced different spheres ecological defence methods among geo-systems;
4. Getting the material of practical work, own experiments for performing term papers and graduating papers and projects in the future.

The students have practical training at enterprises with which contracts and agreements for job placements after graduating from the higher educational establishment are concluded.

Practice supervisors are the most experienced teachers (assistant professor and senior lecturers) of the chair «Applied Ecology». Practice supervisors are also appointed by the enterprise where a student does his practical work. A person whose post is not lower than the chief of a department, assistant of chief of a workshop and so on may be appointed to this post. Doing practical work at city and regional enterprises, at inspecting enterprises, gives a student a possibility to master received knowledge about technological processes at enterprises, about the ways of gas, water, soil, enterprises waste purification, to learn devices for control over the environmental condition, to gain skills of work with them and gain experimental materials with their help.

The practical training at industrial enterprises and at enterprises of ecological control over the environmental condition let a student determine the theme of a future graduation paper, that would observe and help to solve problems of ecological security of a customer enterprise.

The results of students doing industrial practical work and further conditions of its carrying out are systematically discussed and corrected at the engineering chair and academic councils’ meetings.

Pre-Diploma Practice

According to the educational plan of specialists training of Master's educational level in ecology on the basis of bachelor and specialist degrees there is a pre-diploma practice in the 10th term for a period of 8weeks. Pre-diploma practice is carried out with the purpose of systematization and practical use of theoretical knowledge for the solution of the scientific-ecological task set in the theme of graduation project, development of the independent scientific, engineering and ecological work skills and habits.

Scientific research of a concrete ecological task is accompanied by a scientific or ecological-engineering working up, for example, in the form of national nature management task solution or problem solution of the environmental protection from man-caused influence, use of certain purifying equipment, creation and working up of pollution-free technologies and so on.

The bases of practical training are enterprises and organizations of Sumy and Sumy region as well.