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Dr Ikpe Ibanga

Course Director

Ikpe is the Course Director for Health and Safety here at the School of Health, Leeds Beckett University. He is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) and a member of the Institution of Environmental Sciences.

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About

Ikpe is the Course Director for Health and Safety here at the School of Health, Leeds Beckett University. He is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) and a member of the Institution of Environmental Sciences.

Ikpe is the Course Director for Health and Safety here at the School of Health, Leeds Beckett University. He is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) and a member of the Institution of Environmental Sciences.

Ikpe joined Leeds in May 2022 and prior to this he was the Programme Leader for the Health, Safety and Environmental Management programmes at the University of Greenwich (2019 - 2022). Ikpe completed his PhD study at the School of Civil Engineering, University of Leeds (March 2019). His PhD research focused on improving the performance of biofilters for bioaerosols and odour control in waste management facilities. Ikpe was awarded the Outstanding Junior Scientist Oral Presentation award for this study during the Aerosol Society Focus Meeting on Bioaerosols which held at the University of Bristol in June 2017.

Ikpe also holds an MSc in Environmental Engineering and Project Management from the University of Leeds (2013). His MSc dissertation project assessed the health risks of bioaerosol emissions from materials recovery facilities in the UK and was awarded the 2013 D-Waste Award for outstanding performance in solid waste management related dissertation. He also holds the NEBOSH National Diploma for Occupational Health and Safety Management Professionals (DipNEBOSH) and is a PRINCE2 Project Management Practitioner.

Academic positions

  • Course Director
    Leeds Beckett University, School of Health, Leeds, United Kingdom | 02 May 2022 - present

Degrees

  • PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering
    University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom | 01 January 2015 - 05 March 2019

  • MSc Environmental Engineering and Project Management
    University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom | 09 September 2012 - 31 August 2013

  • BSc Zoology
    University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria | 01 May 2005 - 13 November 2009

  • NEBOSH NEBOSH National Diploma for Occupational Health and Safety Management Professionals
    RRC International, London, United Kingdom | 01 September 2020 - 24 April 2022

Postgraduate training

  • Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education (PgCert HE)
    University of Greenwich, London, United Kingdom

Languages

  • English
    Can read, write, speak, understand and peer review

Related links

School of Health

Research interests

Ikpe's research interests include:

  • Air Pollution Control at Waste Management Facilities
  • Bioaerosol Emissions from Waste Management
  • Health, Safety and Occupational Hygiene Management
  • Construction and Demolition Waste Management
  • Modelling Circular Economy Cycles in Global South
  • Materials and Energy Recovery from Waste
  • Environmental Engineering and Management

Publications (4)

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Journal article

Pilot-scale biofiltration at a materials recovery facility: The impact on bioaerosol control

Featured October 2018 Waste Management80:154-167 Elsevier BV
AuthorsIbanga IE, Fletcher LA, Noakes CJ, King MF, Steinberg D

This study investigated the performance of four pilot-scale biofilters for the removal of bioaerosols from waste airstreams in a materials recovery facility (MRF) based in Leeds, UK. A six-stage Andersen sampler was used to measure the concentrations of four groups of bioaerosols (Aspergillus fumigatus, total fungi, total mesophilic bacteria and Gram negative bacteria) in the airstream before and after passing through the biofilters over a period of 11 months. The biofilters achieved average removal efficiency (RE) of 70% (35 to 97%) for A. fumigatus, 71% (35 to 94%) for total fungi, 68% (47 to 86%) for total mesophilic bacteria and 50% (-4 to 85%) for Gram negative bacteria, provided that the inlet concentration was high (103-105 cfu m-3), which is the case for most waste treatment facilities. The performance was highly variable at low inlet concentration with some cases showing an increase in outlet concentrations, suggesting that biofilters had the potential to be net emitters of bioaerosols. The gas phase residence time did not appear to have any statistically significant impact on bioaerosol removal efficiency. Particle size distribution varied between the inlet and outlet air, with the outlet having a greater proportion of smaller sized particles that represent a greater human health risk as they can penetrate deep into the respiratory system where gaseous exchange occurs. However, the outlet concentrations were low and would further be diluted by wind in full scale applications. In conclusion, this study shows that biofilters designed and operated for odour degradation can also achieve significant bioaerosol control in waste gas.

Journal article

Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment (QMRA) of Workers Exposure to Bioaerosols at MSW Open Dumpsites

Featured October 2021 Risk Analysis41(10):1911-1924 Wiley
AuthorsAkpeimeh GF, Fletcher LA, Evans BE, Ibanga IE

Abstract

The bioaerosol exposure data from the study by Akpeimeh, Fletcher, and Evans (2019) was used to compute the risk of infection from the exposure of dumpsite workers to Aspergillus fumigatus and Escherichia coli O157:H7. A stochastic (Markov Chain) model was used to model the transport of the inhaled dose though the human respiratory system and then integrated into the beta‐Poisson dose–response model to estimate workers risks of respiratory and gastrointestinal (GI) infection. The infection risk was computed based on workers exposure to E. coli O157:H7 at 10–50% pathogen ingestion rate and pathogen‐indicator ratio (P:I) of 1:103 and 1:104, while exposure to A. fumigatus was based solely on the average initial exposure dose. The results showed that after 11 hours of exposure, workers engaged in scavenging, waste sorting, and site monitoring were at risk of respiratory and GI infection in the magnitude of 10−1. However, the risk estimates associated with specific areas of the dumpsite showed that, the risk of GI infection at the active area ranged between 3.23 × 10−3–1.56 × 10−2 and 3.25 × 10−4–1.62 × 10−3; dormant area 2.06 × 10−3–1.01 × 10−2 and 2.09 × 10−4–1.04 × 10−3; entrance 1.85 × 10−3–9.09 × 10−3 and 1.87 × 10−4–9.27 × 10−4; boundary 1.82 × 10−3–8.82 × 10−3 and 2.09 × 10−4–8.94 × 10−4 for P:I = 1:103 and 1:104 respectively, while the risk of respiratory infection risks were in the magnitude of 10−1 for all four locations. The estimated risk of workers developing respiratory and gastrointestinal infections were high for all activities assessed at the dumpsite.

Chapter

Fast Fashion and Circular Economy: Insights from Corporate Social Responsibility Report Evaluation

Featured 22 October 2024 Circular Economy and Sustainable Development A Necessary Nexus for a Sustainable Future Springer Nature
AuthorsAuthors: Koutserouk C, Ibanga I, Evangelinos K, Editors: Stefanakis, AI, Nikolaou IE

This book will highlight the role of CE in the sustainability field as it is expressed in the various fields and disciplines and its contribution to building a sustainable society by providing a better understanding of the relevant social ...

Presentation

REASSESSING DISSERTATION MODELS IN BUILT ENVIRONMENT PEDAGOGY IN THE ERA OF GENERATIVE AI

Featured 28 November 2025 Nottingham Trent University

The relevance of traditional dissertation models is increasingly being challenged by the rapid evolution of generative AI technologies such as ChatGPT and similar tools. This study explores the implications of these technologies for dissertation practice within built environment pedagogy. Specifically, it examines the positive and negative impacts of generative AI on students’ dissertation work and the influence of these technologies on dissertation assessment processes. Dissertation or thesis writing remains a core requirement for degree completion at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, serving as evidence of students’ academic competence and disciplinary understanding. Within built environment disciplines, the dissertation has long been a key component of pedagogical practice. However, the emergence of generative AI necessitates a critical reassessment of how dissertations are conceptualised, undertaken, and evaluated. This study aims to: 1. Evaluate existing models for assessing dissertations within built environment pedagogy; 2. Examine the potential impacts of generative AI on the quality and authenticity of dissertations; 3. Investigate the influence of generative AI on dissertation assessment practices; and 4. Propose revised assessment models suited to the evolving educational landscape. Using a focus group research approach involving selected undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as academics in the built environment disciplines, initial findings highlight the urgent need to reconsider and adapt dissertation assessment frameworks in response to the transformative effects of generative AI. The study underscores the need to rethink dissertation supervision and assessment within built environment pedagogy. It calls for the development of ethical and process-oriented assessment frameworks. These insights aim to guide the evolution of dissertation practices that remain both relevant and credible in the AI era. Keywords: Built environment pedagogy, AI, dissertation, assessment

Current teaching

  • BSc Safety, Health and Environmental Management
  • PG Diploma/MSc Health and Safety

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Dr Ikpe Ibanga
27654