BelSU Workshop Reimagines River Waste as Agricultural Gold

Students and researchers at Belgorod National Research University (BelSU) have taken a hands-on step toward solving a pressing regional environmental problem, gathering for a workshop on transforming bottom sediments from local waterways into valuable organomineral fertilisers.

The educational event brought together students from ecology, biotechnology, biology, and chemistry programmes, as well as members of the university’s student scientific society. Its focus was the full development cycle of a new recycling technology – from laboratory analysis through to technical documentation.

Opening the session, Vice-Rector for Science-Intensive Production Ignat Ignatenko laid out the scale of the problem.

“We cannot continue to dump tons of sludge in landfills,” he said. “We need technological solutions that will turn waste into a sought-after agricultural product.” Ignatenko issued a direct invitation to students and young researchers to join the work, which falls under BelSU’s “Priority 2030” programme project, “Development of Technological Solutions to Ensure Environmental Well-Being.” The goal, he explained, is to create a replicable technology backed by a ready-made package of specifications and regulations.

Maria Rodionova, PhD in Geography, Associate Professor, and leader of the research group, then walked participants through early findings from analysis of bottom sediments collected from water bodies across the Belgorod Region. She noted that initial results have already revealed some intriguing gaps between theoretical expectations and practical application.

“First, we need to analyse the composition of samples from the Vezelka River using available research methods,” Rodionova explained. “Then we can look at enriching them with organic matter and adjusting the composition to meet the requirements of Russian National Standard GOST-R 50611-93 using corrective additives.”

The workshop underscored BelSU’s commitment to giving students a role in real, ongoing environmental research – the kind that could reshape how the region manages its natural resources.