https://ir.kdu.ac.lk/handle/345/4440 2026-05-04T13:35:20Z https://ir.kdu.ac.lk/handle/345/4452 Investigating the Possibility of Mixing Food and Yard Waste for an Effective Compost Product at an Existing Pilot-scale Composting Plant Samarasinghe, RP; Gamanayaka, NY; Samarakoon, MB Composting is a natural biological process that reduces the waste stream into a product that can be used as a conditioner. The existing Pilot-Scale composting plant at General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University (KDU) totally utilizes yard waste for its function. However, a large amount of food waste is also being generated from the kitchen of the University. The main objective of this research was to investigate the possibility of mixing food and yard wastes in the process of composting to determine the optimum ratio between food and yard waste for an effective compost product. In addition, the effect of certain parameters on the effectiveness of composting process, sand content, particle size, and the weight and volume reduction during the composting process was investigated. The research was conducted at the existing Pilot-Scale composting plant at KDU premises. Different ratios of yard and food waste were mixed together to determine the most appropriate ratio between yard and food waste for effective compost product. The results of the study revealed that the parameters measured during the research were within the standard range when the percentage of food waste varies between 0% and 30% by volume. The most effective ratio between food and yard are 83% and 87%, respectively. Therefore, the existing Pilot-Scale composting plant at KDU can be modified by utilizing a mixture of food and yard waste to produce effective compost product. Article Full Text 2018-01-01T00:00:00Z https://ir.kdu.ac.lk/handle/345/4451 Naipaul, Postcolonial Identity Politics and Totalitarianism: Zizekian Re-reading of the Novel, a Bend in the River Hapugoda, M Based on the fictional evidence in the novel A Bend in the River by V.S. Naipaul, this essay examines how the ‘totalitarian symptoms’ are sustained within the identity politics in the postcolonial world. This interpretation uses the theoretical insight developed in the Zizekian school of thought on totalitarianism as well as the literary evidence given through the observatory eyes of an insideoutsider, namely the main character Salim in the above novel. It then suggests that ‘the Big Man’ (presumably Mobutu in Zaire) displays totalitarian potential when he gradually exploits the fragile nationalism and identity politics inspired by the fantasy of the bush, void of the river and the forest in this imaginary African country for his steady ascend to power. He manipulates the ‘refined’ symbolic background to elevate himself to be an agent-instrument of historical Will, absorbing all the rational content constructed under postcolonial liberalism. The presentation of the totalitarian ‘kingship’ in his regime is such that its unconditional authority demands nothing but submission to its irrational order that ‘externalizes’ the social Other; ‘the foreigners’ and ‘the whites’. The totalitarian madness in the Big Man allows all sorts of irrational violence, murders and plunders performed by his political followers who seek some obscene jouissance that is derived through the violation of symbolic Law. Within the above context, through a critical hermeneutic analysis of this novel, this essay concludes that the ‘fantasy of the bush’ that alienates the social/ethnic Other eventually leads to hysterical rise of totalitarianism that destroys the whole symbolic life in this imaginary African country. The final exodus of the main character Salim indicates that the multi-ethnic composition of the former colonial setting is drastically transforming into something dangerous for traders of foreign origin and is gradually replaced with a monolithic and totalized African hegemony that takes over the life-world in the Bend. Article Full Text 2018-01-01T00:00:00Z https://ir.kdu.ac.lk/handle/345/4450 Social and Economic Factors Affecting Ethnic Fertility Differentials in Sri Lanka In the Sri Lankan context, society consists of different ethnic groups with distinctive languages, cultures, values and norms, and the behavior of people in many ethnic groups is attached to their ethnicity. Further at present Sri Lankan society has also changed with the influence of various economic and political policies. Especially modern economic and political policies influenced on Family, the bottom of the society pyramid among different ethnic groups. Therefore, the main objective of the study is to identify the impact of ethnic differentials on fertility. This study used secondary data from the Sri Lanka Demographic and Health Survey (SLDHS) conducted in 2006/2007 by the Department of Census and Statistics. 13753 currently married women aged 15-49 years were used to identify their fertility behavior by study. Poisson regression model was used for analysis. The study found that after controlling for demographic and socio economic variables, Tamil and Muslim women are statistically significant and show a positive relationship with number of children. Considering the socio economic and demographic factor variations which affect fertility among ethnic groups, age at marriage, partners’ and women’s education negatively effect on all ethnic groups. All ethnic groups show a positive relationship between number of children ever born and number of children preferred. Wealth status of household and age difference between spouses show a negative relationship with fertility. “There is a positive relationship between the number of women who have not been frequently exposed to the media and the number of children born. Article Full Text 2018-01-01T00:00:00Z https://ir.kdu.ac.lk/handle/345/4449 Chemical Evaluation of Some Selected Metal Composition in Edible Salt De Zoysa, HPE; Mahatantila, K; Chinthaka, SDM; Mubarak, MNA It is important to assess the quality of salt as salt is the most used food additive worldwide. Determination of metallic elements of salt samples which were purchased from retail outlets of Ambalangoda were done by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry. All the samples complied with SLS 79: 2014 (Food Grade Salt Granular Form) and SLS 80: 2014 (Food Grade Salt powdered Form) with respect to arsenic, cadmium and copper as arsenic and cadmium levels were lesser than 0.5 mg/kg and copper levels of samples were lesser than 2.0 mg/kg. However, two samples did not comply with above standards as lead content was greater than the maximum limit (2.0 mg/kg). One sample contained 0.4 mg/kg of mercury content which was four times greater than maxim limit for mercury (0.1 mg/kg). Beryllium, Cobalt, Selenium, Silver, Rubidium, Cesium, Thallium, Uranium, Vanadium, Zinc and Gallium were lesser than 0.1mg/kg in salt samples that were tested. Concentration of Aluminum, Manganese, Strontium, Barium and Nickel varies from <0.1 to 18.7, <0.1to 4.8, <0.1to 45.3, <0.1 to14.6 and <0.1to2.9 mg/kg consecutively. Although exact reason is not clear,all samples except one sample contained a higher amount of strontium content with respect to that of other metals. Even though minute in quantity, chromium is available in 82% of the samples which were tested. Helium mode of ICP MS seems to be a reliable method to analyze metals in salt as percentage of recovery is in between 80% to 120% for most of the metals Article Full Text 2018-01-01T00:00:00Z