Researchers may have found a secret weapon to break down pulp waste from local wood processing firms - feed it to worms.
Much of the waste from wood pulping contains resin acids - a natural wood protector that stops it from breaking down easily. At present pulp mills dispose of
the residue by simply dumping it in landfills.
However, Waikato University student Nick Shannon says feeding the waste to worms could break the residue down faster, and produce healthy soil.
He's now working at Rotorua's Crown Research Institute Scion to bring the idea to life.
"My project is exploring a new way of accelerating the breakdown of resin acids in these landfills and potentially converting the waste into useful soil," Mr Shannon said.
A study by Landcare scientists confirmed worms can effectively reduce the levels of resin acids present in pulp mill waste - all Mr Shannon has to do is work out how they do it.
"We're not sure whether worms help the breakdown by aerating the soil, whether there is some kind of organism in their gut that does the job, or if they just accumulate the chemical in their tissue," he said. "This is a very simple idea that is worth exploring, because simple solutions are often the best."
Coming from a farming background in the Tirau area, Mr Shannon said he had a deep-seated interest in the soil and environmental protection.
His interest in applied science led him to a Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in Technology, at the University of Waikato. He is now completing his Masters' degree while based at Scion's Eco-Smart Technologies group in Rotorua.
He will soon be taking delivery of a worm shipment, which he will use in lab-scale experiments before conducting field trials.
"I never imagined that I would get into worm farming, but there's no telling where an interest in science will lead you."
