North meets south as students from University of Limpopo visits the CSIR in Stellenbosch

An email addressed to CSIR senior researcher Dr Mpumi Mobe from a geography lecturer at the University of Limpopo (UL) made its request to the CSIR crystal clear: The students wanted to visit the CSIR to learn about the latest research in agriculture, water, climate change and remote sensing. With little time to spare, Mobe set about composing the perfect programme, to the delight of Frederick Mashao of the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies and the School of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at UL.

Following a long and arduous journey by road from Polokwane, on Tuesday, 4 July 2023, a medley of undergraduate and postgraduate students, accompanied by two lecturers, arrived in Stellenbosch and instantly set the usually subdued Stellenbosch site abuzz.

As programme director, senior researcher, Yolanda Tancu, officially welcomed the group.

Perfectly aligned with the tour activities planned for them, the scholars’ academic backgrounds are related to fields of geographic information systems, remote sensing, soil science and environmental sciences. Clad in white laboratory coats, the group set about to the various laboratories and facilities where they interacted with CSIR researchers and were exposed to various projects on water and engineering.

The UL students viewed the microbial laboratory

In true collaborative spirit, the CSIR’s Water Research Centre and Coastal Engineering and Port Infrastructure team members facilitated the guided tours. These consisted of visits to the microbial laboratory where the researchers demonstrated the methods used to detect microorganisms such as total coliforms and E. coli from different types of water and to test whether water treatment processes work. They also explained how microbes are used for assessing mutagenicity in water samples. Mutagenicity is a term used to describe the property of chemical agents or drug substances to induce genetic mutation, which is an indicator that the water might cause cancer over time. “We use this method to determine the suitability of reusing wastewater for drinking water, with ongoing projects in Beaufort West in the Western Cape, South Africa and Windhoek in Namibia,” explained Bettina Genthe. “I explained to the students how we look for endocrine-disrupting compounds using microbes (yeast cells) that have hormone receptors added to them to visualise this.” 

Researchers also detailed how algae can be used to treat water by removing contaminants such as pharmaceuticals and nutrients in wastewater.   

Forming part of her micrometeorological and eco-physiological research, Mobe demonstrated techniques used in the field to measure the water use of plants. “It is quite an intricate process and is set in motion when the heat pulse velocity sap flow technique essentially uses heat as a tracer of sap flow in the stems of woody plants (sap flow being synonymous with transpiration or water use),” she explained to the students. “Using these techniques in the agricultural sector will improve the efficiency of water use and free up water for other uses – a critical requirement in a water-competitive country such as South Africa.”

At the CSIR’s coastal systems environmental analytical laboratory, laboratory manager, Sebastian Brown, was joined by his team members who showcased equipment and its application in testing sampled water to manage the safety of treated water for human consumption. Groundwater monitoring was conducted at one of the boreholes and led by researcher Tebogo Madlala.

Port and coastal engineering intern, Lukhanyo Somlota, hosted the students at the coastal and hydraulic physical model hall. Activations of the 2D flume and wave makers kept the group intrigued as she explained the intricacies involved in what it takes to construct 3D physical scale models of actual or planned port and harbour facilities. 

Lukhanyo Somlata explaining the functional uses of armour units
used in port and coastal engineering

“We were very excited to host the UL students from the Turfloop campus,” says Mobe. “The excursion would have alerted them about the urgency of water research. It provided us with a platform to communicate the work we do with a broader audience.”

The UL students visited the Stellenbosch region for a field trip.