Enhanced and Innovative in situ biotechnologies for contaminated land remediation (EiCLaR)

In this international project funded by EU and China, we investigate the possibility of simultaneously immobilising metal(loid)s in situ and degrading organic contaminants (PAH) in soil using plants, mycorrhiza and electrochemistry.

On the 1st of January, 2021, the project EiCLaR was launched. This €6.7 million project funded by the EU and China is composed of 13 EU and 5 Chinese partners, co-ordinated by the Ecole Centrale de Lyon in France. EiCLaR will develop scientific and technical innovations for in situ bioremediation technologies that will be directly developed into industrial processes for the rapid, efficient, cost-effective treatment of a range of environmental pollutants such as chlorinated solvents, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, metal(loid)s and pesticides over the next 48 months. These technologies (Electro-Nanobioremediation, Monitored Bioaugmentation, Bioelectrochemical Remediation, and Enhanced Phytoremediation) will enable bioremediation approaches to expand their range of applications to industrial sites that contain complex, high concentration pollutant mixtures. This project will move the proof-of-concepts to industrial commercial processes through laboratory studies to explore the scientific base, scale-up techniques and field demonstrations. EiCLaR’s environmental sustainable and low impact methods will provide partners involved across contaminated land management value chains (researchers, site managers, developers, procurers, service providers, technology providers) with the tools to manage contaminated soil and groundwater, and improve the environmental quality across many sites throughout Europe and China.

LTU is leading one of the work packages dedicated for Enhanced Phytoremediation. Here we aim at immobilising metal(loid)s in situ, at the same time as degrading organic contaminants (PAH) in soil using plants, mycorrhiza and electrochemistry. This is an innovative way of treating soil with mixed contamination in situ.