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Project

Risk based soil reclamation in the Kempen through the reduction of the mobility and bioavailability of heavy metals in the soil. (R-1391)

In situ immobilization of metals, using metal immobilized soil additives, is a potential remediation strategy for metal polluted soils. Various mechanisms such as sorption and (co) precipitationreactions, induced by adding an additive to the soil may cause a reduction of the bioavailability of metals and hence the risks associated with contamination. Mainly for large-scale diffuse pollution, as in the Belgian (and Dutch) Kempen, this technique, by its relatively low cost and little significant impact on the environment, is an attractive option. Many different products have been investigated as potential soil additives in this context, but compare the efficiency of the different soil additives through the numerous studies on metalimmobilization, thus achieving a selection of 'the best' additive or coming to a ranking by increasing immobilizationcapacity is not obvious or even impossible. This difficulty is mainly due to the fact that different research groups often use different assessment methods, but it appears that the effect of soil additives is also soil dependent. A thorough literature study thus provides no ready solution for the 700 cunic metres of contaminated soils in the Kempen. The project seeks a risk-based soil in the Kempen, based on the reduction of the mobility and bioavailability of heavy metals in the soil. The project comprises 2 components: (i) the development of an optimized and standardized evaluation protocol with a physicochemical (UGent), environmental organic (UHasselt) and exotoxicological component(PHL), and (ii) the suitability ananlysis of a number of potential metal immobilized soil additives and their commercialization .Finally results from this study are checked against the principles of risk-based remediation in close consultation with OVAM.
Date:1 Oct 2008 →  30 Sep 2010
Keywords:BIOAVAILABILITY, ECOTOXICOLOGY, HEAVY METALS, RISK BASED, SOIL SANITATION
Disciplines:Biological sciences, Mechanical and manufacturing engineering, (Bio)chemical engineering