CLEANSED: LIFE12 ENV/IT/ C. MACCI*, G. MASCIANDARO*, S. DONI*, C. GARCIA**, M.T. HERNANDEZ**, C. P. ROCCHIO***, M. LOSA*** *CNR, Institute of Ecosystem Study, Via Moruzzi 1, Pisa; Italy **CSIC, Centro de Edafologia y Biologia Aplicada del Segura, E Espinardo (Murcia), Spain ***University of Pisa, Department of Civil and Industrial Engineering (DICI), Pisa, Italy INNOVATIVE TECHNIQUE TO RECOVER CONTAMINATED RIVER SEDIMENTS (CLEANSED LIFE 12 ENV/IT/000652)

CLEANSED: LIFE12 ENV/IT/ The Strategy The Project The Problem 1 st Case 2 nd Case Layout Results Conclusions Outline Conclusions

CLEANSED: LIFE12 ENV/IT/ Innovative integrated methodology for the use of decontaminated river sediments in plant nursing and road building (CLEANSED LIFE 12 ENV/IT/000652) The Project Objective : The CLEANSED project will demonstrate, evaluate and disseminate an innovative, integrated, multisector approach for the smart and sustainable management of polluted dredged river sediments Objective : The CLEANSED project will demonstrate, evaluate and disseminate an innovative, integrated, multisector approach for the smart and sustainable management of polluted dredged river sediments

CLEANSED: LIFE12 ENV/IT/ Partnership National Research Council- Institute of Ecosystem Studies -Pisa(CNR-ISE) COORDINATOR Istitute of Biometeorology of the National Research Council, Firenze, Italy Spanish National Research Council–Centro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada del Segura-Murcia (CEBAS-CSICS) Department of Civil Engineering, University of Pisa Navicelli S.p.a. Pisa Department of Plant, Soil and Environmental Sciences, University of Firenze, Italy

CLEANSED: LIFE12 ENV/IT/  Every year in Europe million m 3 of polluted sediments are dredged and need to be disposed of in specific and expensive ways. The Problem  Similar problems are faced by the EU road building industry, whose yearly demand for sand, gravel and aggregates for stability and draining purposes is around 30 million m 3.  Every year 5.2 million m 3 of soil are removed from the ground due to plant nursery activities.

Post- Treatment Landfarming Sediment treated with AGRIPORT technology Fresh dredged Sediment Road construction Treatment Landfarming Nurseries CLEANSED: LIFE12 ENV/IT/ The Strategy a bioremediation technology in which contaminated sediment is spread on the upper soil zone or in biotreatment cells, mixed with nutrients and periodically irrigated and aerated

LIVORNO CLEANSED: LIFE12 ENV/IT/ Length: 17 km Width: 30 m Depth: 3 m Navicelli Canal (Pisa), a navigable canal that connects Pisa to Livorno and flows into the sea The Navicelli Canal

CLEANSED: LIFE12 ENV/IT/ The dredging of the Navicelli canal is aimed at allowing navigability Dredging About m 3 /year

CLEANSED: LIFE12 ENV/IT/  High fraction of fine particles  Unbalanced nutrient content  Sterile material (very low biological activity)  Slight contamination by heavy metals and a more significant contamination by organic pollutant compounds. The Sediments

Fresh dredged Sediment Road construction Treatment Landfarming CLEANSED: LIFE12 ENV/IT/ st Case Reduction in: -H2O -Organic matter -Organic contaminants Organic matter and contaminants are degraded by microorganisms and used as carbon source for growth and energy

CLEANSED: LIFE12 ENV/IT/ dewatering process ( 4 weeks) -sampling in 8 points in order to cover the overall surface About 800m 3 of sediments were dredged and disposed of in a proper basin located in Navicelli area 1 st Case: layout

CLEANSED: LIFE12 ENV/IT/ The landfarming treatment consisted in the periodical (once-twice per week) aeration by mechanically moving the sediment and turning it over -5 months of landfarming -Collection of the sediment: 2.5 months (T1) and 5 months (T2) 1 st Case: layout

CLEANSED: LIFE12 ENV/IT/ T0= landfarming Start T1= 2.5 months landfarming T2= 5 months landfarming T0= landfarming Start T1= 2.5 months landfarming T2= 5 months landfarming Variability in the chemical parameters between the 8 samples analyzed With the exception of points 4 and 8, good level of C, N and P, with a content higher than 1.5%, 0.15% and 0.6%, respectively C/N=8-13 good for microbial activity, responsable for organic substrate degradation Little decrease in organic carbon: under 2% (exception 1), optimum value for road construction 1 st Case: Results

CLEANSED: LIFE12 ENV/IT/ T0= landfarming Start T1= 2.5 months landfarming T2= 5 months landfarming T0= landfarming Start T1= 2.5 months landfarming T2= 5 months landfarming Variability in the biochemical parameters between the 8 samples analyzed High increase during the landfarming process Organic matter and organic contaminant degradation Indicator of the whole microbial activity in the substrate 1 st Case: Results

CLEANSED: LIFE12 ENV/IT/ T0= landfarming Start T1= 2.5 months landfarming T2= 5 months landfarming T0= landfarming Start T1= 2.5 months landfarming T2= 5 months landfarming Decrease in all sampling points Still too high for reuse of sediment in road construction: optimum value 15-20% T2= under 0.5 mg kg -1 (limit of quantification) in all sampling points Water content at the end of landfarming process : 40% Addition of 15% lime 1 st Case: Results

CLEANSED: LIFE12 ENV/IT/ Landfarming for:  Reduction in water  Reduction in organic matter  Reduction in the organic contamination Matrix suitable for road construction activity Not enough 100m road 1 st Case: Conclusions

Post- Treatment Landfarming Sediment treated with AGRIPORT technology Nurseries CLEANSED: LIFE12 ENV/IT/ nd Case -homogenize the substrate -increase the biological activities and as, a consequence, -further reduce the organic contamination.

CLEANSED: LIFE12 ENV/IT/ Exploitation of phytoremediation* as a sustainable reclamation technology for turning slightly-polluted brackish and marine dredged sediments into an agronomic substrate, which can be used as a "techno-soil”. Agricultural Reuse of Polluted Dredged Sediments No. ECO/08/239065/S *plant-based technologies to degrade/remove pollutants from dredged sediments The previous European project: Agriport

CLEANSED: LIFE12 ENV/IT/ A high quality compost was mixed with the sediment at surface level (4kg m -2 ) gravel-sand drainage plastic network soil-sediment 30% T REATMENTS : 12 Containers of about 1m 3 : 1.Nerium oleander l. + Paspalum v. 2.Tamarix gallica + Paspalum v. 3.Spartium junceum + Paspalum v. 4.Phragmites australis 5.Paspalum v. 6.Control High adaptability to water stress and survival in presence of pollutants Paspalum vaginatumTamarix Gallica Spartium JunceumNerium oleanderPhragmites australis Agriport layout

CLEANSED: LIFE12 ENV/IT/ Decontamination  The decrease in the heavy metals (20%) and total petroleum hydrocarbons (50-60%) indicated the efficiency of the AGRIPORT phytoremediation technology. Agronomical recovery  The improvement of the chemical- nutritional properties (nutrient balance) of the treated sediments indicated the activation of the nutrient cycle and then the recovery of the agronomic fertility. Ecological-Functional Recovery  The stimulation of the biological parameters contributed to create a functional “soil ecosystem“. Agriport-Achievements Phragmites reached 60% of plant cover Paspalum reached 100% of plant cover in all the treatments PlantationTwo years

CLEANSED: LIFE12 ENV/IT/ Removal of plants -Periodically turning over of the sediments inside each containers (12) -3 months of landfarming -Collection of the sediment: 1.5 months (T1) and 3 months (T2) -homogenize the substrate -increase the biological activities -further reduce the organic contamination Landfarming: 2 nd Case: Layout

CLEANSED: LIFE12 ENV/IT/ Further significant decrease in the organic contaminants PV= Paspalum C=Control TP= Tamarix+Paspalum SP= Spartium+Paspalum P= Phragmites OP= Oleander +Paspalum PV= Paspalum C=Control TP= Tamarix+Paspalum SP= Spartium+Paspalum P= Phragmites OP= Oleander +Paspalum 14%23% 17% 2 nd Case: Results T0= landfarming Start T1= 1.5 months landfarming T2= 3 months landfarming T0= landfarming Start T1= 1.5 months landfarming T2= 3 months landfarming

CLEANSED: LIFE12 ENV/IT/ PV= Paspalum C=Control TP= Tamarix+Paspalum SP= Spartium+Paspalum P= Phragmites OP= Oleander +Paspalum PV= Paspalum C=Control TP= Tamarix+Paspalum SP= Spartium+Paspalum P= Phragmites OP= Oleander +Paspalum Indicator of whole microbial activity in the substrate Lower enzyme activities in the control and in the Oleander treatment Increase during time. Similar trend for the others enzymatic activities related to C and N cycles:  -glucosidase and phosphatase Lower contaminant reduction 2 nd Case: Results T0= landfarming Start T1= 1.5 months landfarming T2= 3 months landfarming T0= landfarming Start T1= 1.5 months landfarming T2= 3 months landfarming

CLEANSED: LIFE12 ENV/IT/ Landfarming for:  Homogenize the substrate  Increase the biological activities  Further reduce the organic contamination Matrix suitable for nursery activity Treatments: due to the lower nutrient content and water holding capacity: mix with agronomic soil 50:50 – 33:66 – 0:100 Plants: 3 ornamental species: Viburnum tinus L. (1) Eleagnus macrophylla L. (2), Photinia x fraseri var. Red Robin (3) nd Case: Conclusions

CLEANSED: LIFE12 ENV/IT/ The strategy: Conclusions Principal components analysis (PCA) Phytoremediated sediments Fresh sediments Landfarming: rapid and low cost-effective technology to turn polluted sediments into matrices suitable for environmental purposes PC1: Enzyme activities PC2: Nutrients

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