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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

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Decision Aid for Remediation Technologies Selection (DARTS)

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