Soil and water remediation technologies
One of the most urgent problems being faced worldwide is
contamination of soil and water due to domestic and industrial
activity. Large polluted areas have lost their ecofunctionality and
also often present a serious risk to human health. A policy of
restoration of natural resources is thus a priority. In recent
years, a range of technologies for the remediation of contaminated
sites have been developed. Bioremediation - as the most applied
remediation technology - is a successful way of transforming
organic pollutants into harmless products. Widest use is found with
petroleum by-products, but other targets such as pesticides are
being tackled.
Bioremediation covers cost-effective methods for degradation and
transformation of organic pollutants into metabolites, mainly
carbon dioxide and water. Techniques used rely on enhancement of
naturally occurring micro-organisms or the selection and
amplification of specialized metabolic capabilities. Commonest
large-scale application is to petroleum by-products, though
specific research today is focused on the remediation of compounds
which are difficult to degrade, such as polychlorinated aromatic
hydrocarbons, chlorinated solvents and pesticides, through the
selection and cultivation of special micro-organism strains. An
alternative environmentally friendly and recent technique is
phytoremediation.
These technologies, in combination with physical and chemical
methods, are becoming an important and economical way of
approaching the problem of polluted sites, especially in developing
countries where the environmental issue has been neglected until
very recently. All these new technologies have promising industrial
market openings. Through international cooperation and
interactions, ICS is therefore promoting development and
application of remediation in developing countries supporting a
capacity-building programme for national experts.
General approach adopted
- Training and strengthening of national expertise in selected regions and countries to master, use and further develop remediation technologies for local application and adaptation
- Identification of suitable cooperating industries/institutions and possible common initiatives and projects in remediation, with a view to establishing an international network for the diffusion of knowledge and awareness in remediation
- Review of the latest information on the methodologies for assessment of environmental pollution and on the state of the art of remediation technologies, together with best practices for their use and application. Special focus on technical and economic aspects related to the identification and application of best available technologies (BATEV)
- Comprehensive report on up-to-date pollution assessment techniques and methodologies, remediation technologies, and their applications, and on strategies for selecting the appropriate technologies in the specific regulatory framework of each country/region
- Input into the ICS database of information, articles, references, methodologies, technologies relevant to remediation
- Dissemination of the latest information on remediation technologies and their applications, training packages and publications
- Create a service at ICS to provide information, expertise and ad hoc services for developmental applications in remediation