M72
ENEA Technology
BIOREMEDIATION: DESIGN OF "MADE TO MEASURE" INSTRUMENTS
Technology Readiness Level (TRL)
6
Innovations and Benefits
The bioremediation, considering all its variants, is the only technology today capable to transform the pollutants contained in the components to be treated without altering their functions, especially as regards soil and water environment. However it is not always applicable and its feasibility is to be verified. Innovative approaches, developed in compliance with ecological principles, open the way to effective solutions. It is possible to effectively steer the remediation process by enhancing the metabolic functions connected to the transformation of the target pollutants, through the selection and bioaugmentation of key spontaneous microorganisms, either present in the system or inserted into it. Original microbial formulas have been successfully tested on tannery waste as well as soils co-contaminated with petroleum and heavy metals. Regarding mine soils, a process of phytoextraction/phytostabilisation has been set up in order to enhance the establishment and growth of pioneer plants by way of their treatment with microorganism (bacteria-assisted phytoremediation).
Use
• Microbiological indication of water, sediments and soil;
• development of microbial formulas for waste water and sediments as well as soils that are contaminated and co-contaminated by organic pollutants and heavy metals;
• development of toolboxes for assisted phytoremediation in mining sites;
• feasibility studies of phytoremediation through the adoption of model-systems directly allowing the scale-up from laboratory to fields preventing mistakes and failures in the scale-up transition process.
Applications and ongoing Activities
• Development of microorganism-assisted phytoremediation strategies with “proof of concept” in on-field trials held in the former mining site of Ingurtosu in Sardinia (European and Regional projects 2009 - ongoing);
• development of guidelines for phytoremediation of sites contaminated by metals and low concentration of radionuclides [FP7-ENV- “UMBRELLA];
• development of bioremediation strategies of waters, soil, sediments, through specific microbial formulas.
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