Gardens with remediated soils: hazard mitigation + safe food
Abstract
Although usually out of our sight, everything in our lives is underpinned by soil – our homes, the food we eat, the water we drink. Across all socioeconomic groups and around the world, initiatives for sustainable use of soil, such as urban farming, are on the rise. These approaches to land use often undermine the fact that soils are the most complex natural system, and that their present vulnerability is unprecedented. Land contamination exists in most industrialized countries and is a growing problem in emerging economies. Particularly alarming is the presence of toxic metals, which are persistent in the soil and difficult to remove. As human population and pressure on limited soil resources are continuously growing, more and more metal contaminated land is expected to be put under agricultural production in a delicate balance of needs, social & economic benefits and health risks. We are in contact with soils in our everyday life and this proximity increases the probability that soil pollutants may be carried into the human body. Soil remediation & reuse is a solution, and most EU Member States have made the clean-up and restoration of the land a priority. However, historical excavation to landfill (dig & dump) wastes soil, while soil-sustainable remedial options are currently not applied beyond the scale of pilot, experimental studies. As a consequence, inhabitants can typically not avoid living in contaminated areas. Furthermore, studies of attitudes to soil contamination and remediation show that persons in contact with contaminated soil, such as urban gardeners, often ignore the risk they are exposing themselves too, preferring to focus on the benefits of green, sustainable and local food production. While the increasing demand for food is threatening to reduce health, soil and food quality standards, the problem of soil contamination remains on the margins of scientific debates. Therefore a gentle soil washing technique – developed by the University of Ljubljana – will be applied on garden soils in Slovenia and in Austria, and together with the BOKU University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences soil functionality will be improved and enhanced. The overall aim of this project is to research the environmental, agronomic, social & economic potential of this unique, cost-effective soil remediation technology. The internationally patented technological innovation not only removes Pb and other toxic metals from soil by efficient chemical mean (complexation with strong chelating agent EDTA) but also preserves soil as a natural resource. For farming on reclaimed land experimental gardens will be constructed in Slovenia (Meza Valley) and in Austria (Arnoldstein). Both sites were exposed to Pb mining/smelting and are co-contaminated with Zn and Cd. The combination of the patented washing technique (UNI Ljubljana) and the improving and investigating of soil functionality (BOKU) will gain a win-win situation.
keywords soil washing heavy metals soil functions stable isotope
Publikationen
The Influence of EDTA-Soil Washing and Post Treatment on the Bioavailability of Trace Metals and Plant Growth
Autoren: Noller, C; Friesl-Hanl, W; Hood-Nowotny, R; Lestan, D; Puschenreiter, M; Watzinger, A Jahr: 2018
Conference & Workshop proceedings, paper, abstract
Remediation and Revitalization of Trace Metal Contaminated Garden Soils Using a Sustainable EDTA Washing Technique
Autoren: Noller, C; Friesl-Hanl, W; Hood-Nowotny, R; Lestan, D; Puschenreiter, M; Watzinger, A Jahr: 2018
Conference & Workshop proceedings, paper, abstract
Impact of EDTA washing of heavy metal-contaminated soil on microbial life and ecosystem functions - a 13C and 15N stable isotopes labelling approach
Autoren: Eichinger, C; Noller, C; Friesl-Hanl, W.; Hood-Nowotny, R.; Watzinger, A Jahr: 2021
Conference & Workshop proceedings, paper, abstract
Effect of Chelant-Based Soil Washing and Post-Treatment on Pb, Cd, and Zn Bioavailability and Plant Uptake
Autoren: Noller, C; Friesl-Hanl, W; Hood-Nowotny, R; Puschenreiter, M; Watzinger, A Jahr: 2021
Journal articles
Assessing the effect of EDTA soil washing on mesofauna using stable carbon isotope labeling
Autoren: Noller, C; Wissuwa, J; Hood-Nowotny, R; Friesl-Hanl, W; Watzinger, A Jahr: 2021
Conference & Workshop proceedings, paper, abstract
Project staff
Andrea Watzinger
Priv.-Doz. Mag.rer.nat. Dr.rer.nat. Andrea Watzinger
andrea.watzinger@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-91175
Project Leader
26.01.2018 - 04.08.2021
Rebecca Hood-Nowotny
Priv.-Doz. Rebecca Hood-Nowotny MBA Ph.D.
rebecca.hood@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-91176
Project Staff
05.06.2017 - 04.08.2021
BOKU partners
External partners
University of Ljubljana
Lestan Domen
partner