ISOSoil Contaminant specific isotope analyses as sharp environmental forensics tools for site characterisation, monitoring and source apportionment of pollutants in soil

Country: EU Projects
Start Date:   1/1/2009         Duration: 38 months         Project Type: RTD
Contract Number: 212781
Organisation Type:  EC Project
Topics: 
Contaminated land-->Site investigation-->Methods
Soil-->Processes
Project objectives:
Objectives in the laboratories:  
  
•Development of compound-specific isotope analyses (CSIA) of 3C/12C, 2H/1H, 15N/14N, and 37Cl/35Cl as powerful novel tools for improved site-specific 
characterization and monitoring of microbial and abiotic degradation •Establishment of generally applicable isotope enrichment factors for common soil contaminants and their microbial and abiotic degradation reactions
•Development of new analytical methods for higher throughput in CSIA of 37Cl/35Cl and 81Br/79Br Theoretical objectives •Development of a theoretical framework for general use of isotope fractionation factors for specific reactions, i.e. conversion between different reactions
•Development of web-based commercial software for end-user interpretation of CSIA results for “degradation monitoring” •Development of web-based commercial software for end-user interpretation of CSIA results for “source apportionment” •Development of statistically optimized spatially-integrated sampling tailored for CSIA assessment of both soil in situ remediation capacity and source
apportionment •Development of web-based commercial software for end-user guidance for CSIA-geared sampling Objectives in the field: •Application of CSIA “isotopic fingerprinting” (14C/12C, 2H/1H, 37Cl/35Cl, 81Br/79Br) in source apportionment of both regional diffuse and local contamination
scenarios •Application of the isoSoil concept at a demonstration field site Dissemination of knowledge •Top-Down approach: Communicate to established contact points at the EU Environment Directorate and National Protection Agencies how the CSIA tool can
significantly contribute to two important component needs identified in the Soil Thematic Stratregy; the “Soil Status Report” and “National Remediation
Strategies” •Bottom-Up approach: Involvement of enterprises and local authorities that manage field sites will anchor the concepts of isoSoil at the level of actual
soil managers and end users. This enables further dissemination by word-of-mouth communication •The compilation of user-friendly software to evaluate CSIA data will further ease the dissemination of the isoSoil concept •Development of web-based commercial software for end-user interpretation of CSIA results for “degradation monitoring” •Development of web-based commercial software for end-user interpretation of CSIA results for “source apportionment” •Development of statistically optimized spatially-integrated sampling tailored for CSIA assessment of both soil in situ remediation capacity and source
apportionment •Development of web-based commercial software for end-user guidance for CSIA-geared sampling
Project Summary:
CSIA has high potential as a complementary method next to standard concentration measurement and monitoring. The main advantages are higher accuracy in the 
site characterization, deeper insight in site-specific processes, and quicker conclusions regarding the sites reaction kinetics (e.g. degradation rates
for contaminants). isoSoil aims to present a complete package of solutions to make CSIA accessible for environmental consultants and others working with CSIA, such as scientists
or enterprises offering analytical services. The final package will cover the complete analytical chain from planning and sampling, sample analysis and interpretation of data. This is disseminated
as guidelines and commercially available software, due for release in 2012.
Achieved Objectives:

            
Product Descriptions:

            
Additional Information:
  
            
Project Resources:
Weblink:
http://isosoil.eu/Soilcontamination/Default.aspx
Funding Programme(s): 
EC FP7: Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development.
Link to Organisations:
Submitted by: EUGRIS Team Professor Paul Bardos  Who does what?  03/09/2012 21:36:00