ModelProbe Model Driven Soil Probing, Site Assessment and Evaluation
Country: EU Projects
Start Date:   1/6/2008         Duration: 46 months         Project Type: RTD
Contract Number: ModelProbe
Organisation Type:  EC Project
Topics: 
Contaminated land-->Risk management-->Monitoring and aftercare
Contaminated land-->Site investigation-->Methods
Contaminated land-->Soil and groundwater processes-->Contaminant hydrology
Contaminated land-->Soil and groundwater processes-->Ecotoxicology
Contaminated land-->Soil and groundwater processes-->Geochemistry
Contaminated land-->Soil and groundwater processes-->Hydrogeology
Contaminated land-->Soil and groundwater processes-->Soil and groundwater processes overview
Soil-->Processes
Project objectives: 
To develop and improve a set of new, relatively simple-to-use and minimally or non-invasive methods for the assessment of contaminated soils in the framework 
of the soil thematic strategy. This set of methods will provide a toolbox for future application in the planned “Soil Framework directive” for the general purpose 
of contaminated site characterisation and monitoring of remediation progress. The following specific purposes will be addressed:   
  
■general site characterisation and (hydro-)geology (vegetation analysis, geophysics, and direct push)  
■analysis of biogeochemical conditions (direct push with new approaches)  
■analysis of contaminants (plant based primary assessment or monitoring, direct push with new approaches, isotope analysis)  
■assessment of ecotoxicology (passive samplers, toxicity testing, effect based analysis)  
■analysis of sources (isotope analysis with environmental forensics)  
■assessment of microbial degradation activity and contaminant bioavailability (compounds specific stable isotope fractionation analysis [CSIA], 
insitu microcosms [BACTRAP, fuel cell meter])  
2  
To evaluate the methods against conventional technologies at fully characterised sites (Zeitz, Bitterfeld,Leuna - Germany; SAP-Czech Republic; Trecate 
and Rho- Italy, Møringa, Horten- Norway, Aznalcollar, Doñana- Spain)  
3  
To evaluate the methods as appropriate information sources for long term monitoring purposes (and to assist Monitored Natural Attenuation measures at 
the Zeitz site)  
4  
To provide additional modeling tools for integrative assessment.  
5  
To provide guidelines for applying the new tools in order to instruct decision makers, consultants and user with the chances and limitation of the new tools
Project Summary: 
Conventional techniques for site characterization are time consuming, cost intensive, and do not often effectively support decision making towards sustainable 
remediation. Therefore, new techniques for step by step site characterization strategy with smart feed back loops are necessary and have to be developed. 
  
  
The ModelPROBE approach relies on the combination of advanced geophysical site characterization techniques with new types of vegetation analysis. Based 
on these non-invasive surveys, the exact location and extension of sources, contamination levels (THP, BTEX, PAH, CHC, explosives, and heavy metals) and 
soil heterogeneities will be localized first. Hot spots will then be investigated by new direct push probing systems combined with geophysical & hydrogeological 
methods and with chemical & isotopic analysis for source localization and identification (environmental forensics). The actually occurring bioprocesses, 
such as contaminant degradation or precipitation/mobilization processes, will be assessed using biosensors, in situ microcosms, and stable isotope and 
biomarker analysis. These new techniques and tools will be evaluated against best practice of conventional methods. ModelPROBE offers the unique possibility 
to test, optimize and demonstrate the proposed approach and the developed tools at fully equipped and characterized European reference sites available in 
the project. Integrated statistical analysis and modelling at different stages of the step by step approach will result in an improved view of soil and subsurface 
contamination and will provide a sound basis for risk assessment and for the decision on the most appropriate sustainable remediation strategy.
Achieved Objectives:
Product Descriptions:
Additional Information:
Project Resources:
Weblink:
http://www.modelprobe.ufz.de/index.php?en=18269
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?  05/05/2010 00:43:00