Project objectives:
The project’s objective is to make the required breakthrough in in-situ (bio)chemical remediation for organic contaminants, by developing robust technologies
for fast, cost-effective, integrated source zone and plume treatment that result in both allowable (risk) levels and maximal use of the natural soil rehabilitation
potential at a longer term.
This will be achieved by the smart coupling of technologies and the development of new frontier technologies, whereby:
soil structure, properties and functions are integral factors in selecting the type of remedial treatment,
side-effects of treatment, for example at multi-contaminant sites, on overall risk are taken into account,
active remediation (chemical or biological) is designed in such a way that the natural attenuation potential is fully utilized and stimulated,
the injected remedial agent is better targeted at the location/distribution of the contaminant within the soil,
modelling and dynamic monitoring of the remediation progress are used in realtime to allow feed-back driven remediation,
reactant species are developed that are more selective towards the contaminant and less degrading towards the soil matrix,
indicators are developed that diagnose whether viable microbial soil populations are present and that microbial dynamics are such that the natural attenuation
capacity of the soil has been restored.
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Project
Summary:
UPSOIL aims to achieve a breakthrough in in-situ remediation through an innovative technological perspective taking into account the physical properties
and the biogeochemical reactivity of the soil as well as the contaminants.
UPSOIL will develop robust technologies for fast, cost-effective, integrated source zone and plume treatment. These are designed to result both in timely
reached restored soil functions and associated risk levels, and a maximal use of the natural soil rehabilitation potential at a longer term. UPSOIL thus supports
soil function preservation and faster restoration and sustainable redevelopment of European regions and cities that carry the burden of historical soil
contamination.
The effort aims additionally at broadening the market of soil remediation for SMEs and to build confidence with regulators in adopting sustainable in-situ
remediation as the preferable approach for soil restoration.
UPSOIL focuses on soils with organic contaminants while addressing effects on metal mobilization, aiding in the remediation of the most pressing soil pollution
cases in Europe.
Within the UPSOIL perspective, smart coupling of technologies is one approach to optimise remediation with respect to cost, time and soil sustainability.
In addition, highly innovative techniques (to be patented) will be developed. These include the automatic targeting of the injection of the remedial agent,
and the use of specifically developed selective remedial agents that preferably react with the contaminant and not with the soil matrix.
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Professor Paul Bardos