Domen Lestan - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Domen Lestan
Chemosphere, 2013
Remediation soil is exposed to various environmental factors over time that can affect the final ... more Remediation soil is exposed to various environmental factors over time that can affect the final success of the operation. In the present study, we assessed Pb bioaccessibility and microbial activity in industrially polluted soil (Arnoldstein, Austria) stabilized with 5% (w/w) of Slovakite and 5% (w/w) of apatite soil after exposure to two earthworm species, Lumbricus terrestris and Dendrobaena veneta, used as model environmental biotic soil factors. Stabilization resulted in reduced Pb bioaccessibility, as assessed with one-step extraction tests and six-step sequential extraction, and improved soil functioning, mirrored in reduced β-glucosidase activity in soil. Both earthworm species increased Pb bioaccessibility, thus decreasing the initial stabilization efficacy and indicating the importance of considering the long-term fate of remediated soil. The earthworm species had different effects on soil enzyme activity, which can be attributed to species-specific microbial populations in earthworm gut acting on the ingested soil.
Environmental Pollution, 2021
Soil chemistry of toxic metalloids and metals differs, making their simultaneous removal difficul... more Soil chemistry of toxic metalloids and metals differs, making their simultaneous removal difficult. Soil contaminated with As, Pb, Zn and Cd was washed with oxalic acid, Na-dithionite and EDTA solution. Toxic elements were removed from the washing solution by alkalinisation with CaO to a pH 12.5: As was co-precipitated with Fe from Fe-EDTA chelate formed after the soil washing. The toxic metals precipitated after substitution of their EDTA chelates with Ca. The novel method was scaled up on the ReSoil® platform. On average, 60, 76, 29, and 53% of As, Pb, Zn, and Cd were removed, no wastewater was generated and EDTA was recycled. Addition of zero-valent iron reduced the toxic elements' leachability. Remediation was most effective for As: phytoaccessibility (CaCl2 extraction), mobility (NH4NO3), and accessibility from human gastric and gastrointestinal phases were reduced 22, 104, 6, and 51 times, respectively. Remediation increased pH but had no effect on soil functioning assessed by fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis, dehydrogenase, β-glucosidase, urease, acid and alkaline phosphatase activities. Brassica napus produced 1.9 times more biomass on remediated soil, accumulated no As and 5.0, 2.6, and 9.0 times less Pb, Zn and Cd, respectively. We demonstrated the novel remediation technology as cost-efficient (material cost = 41.86 € t-1) and sustainable.
Five representitative samples of heavily polluted soil from a former industrial area in Celje (Sl... more Five representitative samples of heavily polluted soil from a former industrial area in Celje (Slovenia) containing 7300-17200 mg kg-1 total Pb, 6000-63600 mg kg-1 total Zn and 24-250 mg kg-1 total Cd were remediated with the stabilization method with 15 % (w/w) portland cement. After 4 months of stabilization the mobility of Pb, Zn and Cd assessed with Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) decreased by factors 5.8-17.4, 8.1-35.8 and 4.3-7.3, respectively. Potential availability of Pb, Zn and Cd for plants assessed with dietilentriaminpentaacetic acid (DTPA) extraction decreased by factors 1.6-9.8, 1.1-2.1 and 1.3-4.1 after stabilization, respectively. Bioacessibility of Pb assessed with a physiologically based extraction test (PBET) decreased after stabilization by factors up to 11.3 in the small intestine fraction.
![Research paper thumbnail of Corrigendum to “Revitalisation of metal-contaminated, EDTA-washed soil by addition of unpolluted soil, compost and biochar: Effects on soil enzyme activity, microbial community composition and abundance” [Chemosphere 193 (2018) 729–734]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/89921310/thumbnails/1.jpg)
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Chemosphere, 2019
The use of EDTA-based soil washing is prevented by chelant environmental persistence and the haza... more The use of EDTA-based soil washing is prevented by chelant environmental persistence and the hazard of toxic post-remedial emissions. Calcareous and acidic soils with 828 and 673 mg Pb kg-1 , respectively, and co-contaminated with Zn and Cd, were washed with 90 and 60 mM EDTA, respectively, to remove 67 and 80% of Pb. Washed soils were rinsed until 6.5 and 5.1 mM EDTA, respectively, was measured in the final rinsing solutions. Emissions of residual EDTA and chelated metals from remediated soils were mitigated by adsorption on zero-valent Fe (ZVI), which was added (0.5-1.5%, w/w) to the slurry of washed soil immediately before rinsing. ZVI addition prevented the initial post-remedial surge of toxic metals leachability and minimised toxic emissions from calcareous and acidic soil as soon as 6 and 7 days after remediation, respectively. The extractability/leachability of EDTA and toxic metals from remediated and ZVI amended soils diminished to close to emissions from the original soils, frequently below the limit of quantification by flame-AAS, and was not affected by the pH of the leaching solutions. Efficient curbing of toxic post-remediation emissions as demonstrated herein is of paramount importance for recognition of EDTA-based remediation as environmentally safe.
Ecological Engineering, 2016
Abstract Soil is a limited resource often contaminated with heavy metals. Recently, several soil ... more Abstract Soil is a limited resource often contaminated with heavy metals. Recently, several soil remediation processes have been developed, including an EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) chelating agent extraction that results in high removal efficiency of the contaminants. There is a limited knowledge on how this procedure affects soil microorganisms, including plant root endosymbiotic arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. In this paper we present data on the mycorrhizal potential of soil after the remediation procedure, as well with the molecular characterization of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal diversity before and after soil remediation, and before and after soil inoculation with commercial and indigenous (local) fungal inocula using an examination of 18S rRNA clone libraries. After the remediation treatment soils had very low mycorrhizal potential. Functional mycorrhizal symbiosis with plants was established either by commercial or local (grassland roots and rhizosphere soil) inoculum addition to the soil and remediated soil was successfully revitalized after the treatment. The use of the local inoculum resulted in a higher arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal diversity in the roots of plants growing in the remediated soil compared to the ones revitalized with the commercial inoculum.
Journal of Environmental Sciences, 2017
Cyanobacterial blooms are global phenomena that can occur in calm and nutrient-rich (eutrophic) f... more Cyanobacterial blooms are global phenomena that can occur in calm and nutrient-rich (eutrophic) fresh and marine waters. Human exposure to cyanobacteria and their biologically active products is possible during water sports and various water activities, or by ingestion of contaminated water. Although the vast majority of harmful cyanobacterial products are confined to the interior of the cells, these are eventually released into the surrounding water following natural or artificially induced cell death. Electrochemical oxidation has been used here to damage cyanobacteria to halt their proliferation, and for microcystin degradation under in-vitro conditions. Partially spent Jaworski growth medium with no addition of supporting electrolytes was used. Electrochemical treatment resulted in the cyanobacterial loss of cell-buoyancy regulation, cell proliferation arrest, and eventual cell death. Microcystin degradation was studied separately in two basic modes of treatment: batch-wise flow, and constant flow, for electrolytic-cell exposure. Batch-wise exposure simulates treatment under environmental conditions, while constant flow is more appropriate for the study of boron-doped diamond electrode efficacy under laboratory conditions. The effectiveness of microcystin degradation was established using high-performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array detector analysis, while the biological activities of the products were estimated using a colorimetric protein phosphatase-1 inhibition assay. The results indicate potential for the application of electro-oxidation methods for the control of bloom events by taking advantage of specific intrinsic ecological characteristics of bloom-forming cyanobacteria. The applicability of the use of boron-doped diamond electrodes in remediation of water exposed to cyanobacteria bloom events is discussed.
Environmental Pollution, 2013
The effect of remediation using three EDTA doses (10, 30, 60 mmol kg À1) on soil functioning was ... more The effect of remediation using three EDTA doses (10, 30, 60 mmol kg À1) on soil functioning was assessed using column experiment and Brassica rapa. Soil washing removed up to 77, 29 and 72% of metals from soil contaminated with 1378, 578 and 8.5 mg kg À1 of Pb, Zn and Cd, respectively. Sequential extraction indicated removal from the carbonate soil fraction. Metal oral-accessibility from the stomach phase was reduced by up to 75 and from the small intestine by up to 79% (Pb). Part of metals (up to 0.8% Cd) was lost due to leaching from columns. Remediation reduced toxic metal soil-root transfer by up to 61% but did not prevent metal accumulation in leaves. The fitness of plants grown on EDTA washed soils (gas exchange, fluorescence) was not compromised. Remediation initially reduced the soil DNA content (up to 29%, 30 mmol kg À1 EDTA) and changed the structure of microbial population.
Plant, Soil and Environment, 2011
The Pb, Zn and Cd phytoextraction potential of 14 different plants was assessed in a chelate indu... more The Pb, Zn and Cd phytoextraction potential of 14 different plants was assessed in a chelate induced phytoextraction experiment. In the used soil heavy metals mainly reside in carbonate, organic matter, and residual soil fractions. The addition of a chelate, 5 mmol/kg ethylenediamine-tetracetic acid (EDTA), increased the proportion of phytoavailable Pb, Zn and Cd in the soil (dissolved in soil solution and exchangeable from soil colloids), and also their uptake by tested plants up to 48 times (Sinapis alba), 4.6 times (Raphanus sativus oleiformis), and 3.3 times (Amaranthus spp.), respectively, compared to the control. The biodegradable chelate ethylenediamine-disuccinic acid (EDDS) was generally less effective (tested on a selection of 4 plant species), except for Cannabis sativa. In a treatment with 10 mmol/kg EDDS, Pb, Zn and Cd concentrations of 1053 ± 125, 211 ± 16 and 5.4 ± 0.8 mg/kg, respectively, were measured in the biomass of Cannabis sativa and were 105, 2.3 and 31.7 time...
Environmental Pollution, 2014
Soil washing has been established as suitable remediation technology, with most research focused ... more Soil washing has been established as suitable remediation technology, with most research focused on metal removing efficiency and toxic effect on plants, less on the influence on soil physical characteristics, which was the focus of this study. In soil column experiment highly contaminated soil and soil washed with EDTA, mixed with additives (gypsum, hydrogel, manure, peat) were tested. White clover was used as a soil cover. Yield, metal concentration in soil and plant, aggregate fractionation and stability, saturated hydraulic conductivity and soil water retention of the soil were measured. Soil washing decreased metal concentration in soil and plants, but yield of white clover on remediated soil was significantly lower compared to the original soil. Significant differences in water retention characteristics, aggregate fractionation and stability between original and remediated soil have been determined. Gypsum, hydrogel and peat increased plant available water, manure and peat increased yield on remediated soil.
Book of the 18 International Conference on Heavy Metals in the Environment, 12 to 15 September 20... more Book of the 18 International Conference on Heavy Metals in the Environment, 12 to 15 September 2016, Ghent, Belgium This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. – 575 – 18th International Conference on avy Metals in the Environment 12 to 15 September 2016, Ghent, Belgium ICHMET 2016 Proceedings of the 18 International Confer nce on Heavy Metals in the Environment, 12 to 15 September 2016, Ghent, Belgium
The management of fresh water bodies imposes to evaluate the presence of contaminants of both bio... more The management of fresh water bodies imposes to evaluate the presence of contaminants of both biological and anthropogenic origin and phytoplankton monitoring as the key element in the assessment of environmental water quality. Poor water quality and consequent cyanobacterial blooms represent a remarkable environmental risk with negative economic effects. Cyanobacteria are of an exceptionally high concern due to their ability of massive toxin production. Their early detection and prevention of bloom formation is of paramount importance. With the implementation of the Bathing water directive cyanobacterial monitoring becomes compulsory in the European Union. The project Innovative technology for cyanobacterial bloom control “LIFE Stop CyanoBloom” is a demonstration project co-financed by LIFE Environment financial mechanism of the European Commission. The aim of the project is a demonstration of remotely controlled vessel equipped with on-line sensors and embedded electrolytic cell f...
Two soils contaminated with potentially toxic metals (PTMs) contrasting in pH and mineralogy were... more Two soils contaminated with potentially toxic metals (PTMs) contrasting in pH and mineralogy were remediated with CaEDTA, and changes in soil organic matter (SOM) composition were investigated. Previous studies showed no significant loss of SOM from CaEDTA-treated soils, but the results of our study reflected significant decreases (from 46 to 49%) in the free fraction of humic acids (HAs). Remediation affected the composition of the free HA fraction via disturbance of intermolecular bonds - an increase in phenolic and aromatic groups with a simultaneous decrease in carbohydrates - which was confirmed by FTIR spectroscopy in both soils. Because non-radical molecules such as carbohydrates were selectively removed, the concentration of free radicals in the free HA fraction increased in acidic soil. The bound fraction of HAs and fulvic acids (FAs) in SOM, which are important due to their stability and the permanent effects they have on the soil’s physical properties, remained unchanged ...
Land Degradation & Development
Remediation with chelants can restore metal-contaminated soils for use as a natural resource. Cal... more Remediation with chelants can restore metal-contaminated soils for use as a natural resource. Calcareous soil from Meza Valley, Slovenia, and acidic soils from Arnoldstein, Austria, and Pribram, Czech Republic (with 1,028, 862, and 926 mg Pbkg −1 , respectively), were washed with 60-100 mmol EDTA per kilogram of air-dried soil in series of 30 batches (50 kg soil batch −1).
Science of The Total Environment
Plant, Soil and Environment
The risk of Pb contaminated soil after treatment with different remediation techniques was assess... more The risk of Pb contaminated soil after treatment with different remediation techniques was assessed. Soil vitrification (microwaves) reduced Pb orally available from the stomach and intestinal phase measured by a physiologically based extraction test. Solidification of Pb (Slovakite) did not reduce the concentration of orally available Pb and increased the Pb uptake by Thlaspi goesingens for 2-times compared to plants grown on the original soil. Soil extraction with 40 mmol/kg EDTA removed 57.6% of Pb. However, the concentration of orally available Pb and Pb uptake by T. goesingens increased. The concentration of mobile soil Pb also increased for 14-times measured by a toxicity characteristic leaching procedure. Soil leaching with 10 mmol/kg biodegradable chelator [S,S] ethylenediamine disuccinate and using a horizontal permeable reactive barrier for Pb accumulation from the washing solution removed 17.8% of Pb, but increased Pb uptake by T. goesingens by 3-times and slightly i...
Chemosphere, 2013
Remediation soil is exposed to various environmental factors over time that can affect the final ... more Remediation soil is exposed to various environmental factors over time that can affect the final success of the operation. In the present study, we assessed Pb bioaccessibility and microbial activity in industrially polluted soil (Arnoldstein, Austria) stabilized with 5% (w/w) of Slovakite and 5% (w/w) of apatite soil after exposure to two earthworm species, Lumbricus terrestris and Dendrobaena veneta, used as model environmental biotic soil factors. Stabilization resulted in reduced Pb bioaccessibility, as assessed with one-step extraction tests and six-step sequential extraction, and improved soil functioning, mirrored in reduced β-glucosidase activity in soil. Both earthworm species increased Pb bioaccessibility, thus decreasing the initial stabilization efficacy and indicating the importance of considering the long-term fate of remediated soil. The earthworm species had different effects on soil enzyme activity, which can be attributed to species-specific microbial populations in earthworm gut acting on the ingested soil.
Environmental Pollution, 2021
Soil chemistry of toxic metalloids and metals differs, making their simultaneous removal difficul... more Soil chemistry of toxic metalloids and metals differs, making their simultaneous removal difficult. Soil contaminated with As, Pb, Zn and Cd was washed with oxalic acid, Na-dithionite and EDTA solution. Toxic elements were removed from the washing solution by alkalinisation with CaO to a pH 12.5: As was co-precipitated with Fe from Fe-EDTA chelate formed after the soil washing. The toxic metals precipitated after substitution of their EDTA chelates with Ca. The novel method was scaled up on the ReSoil® platform. On average, 60, 76, 29, and 53% of As, Pb, Zn, and Cd were removed, no wastewater was generated and EDTA was recycled. Addition of zero-valent iron reduced the toxic elements' leachability. Remediation was most effective for As: phytoaccessibility (CaCl2 extraction), mobility (NH4NO3), and accessibility from human gastric and gastrointestinal phases were reduced 22, 104, 6, and 51 times, respectively. Remediation increased pH but had no effect on soil functioning assessed by fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis, dehydrogenase, β-glucosidase, urease, acid and alkaline phosphatase activities. Brassica napus produced 1.9 times more biomass on remediated soil, accumulated no As and 5.0, 2.6, and 9.0 times less Pb, Zn and Cd, respectively. We demonstrated the novel remediation technology as cost-efficient (material cost = 41.86 € t-1) and sustainable.
Five representitative samples of heavily polluted soil from a former industrial area in Celje (Sl... more Five representitative samples of heavily polluted soil from a former industrial area in Celje (Slovenia) containing 7300-17200 mg kg-1 total Pb, 6000-63600 mg kg-1 total Zn and 24-250 mg kg-1 total Cd were remediated with the stabilization method with 15 % (w/w) portland cement. After 4 months of stabilization the mobility of Pb, Zn and Cd assessed with Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) decreased by factors 5.8-17.4, 8.1-35.8 and 4.3-7.3, respectively. Potential availability of Pb, Zn and Cd for plants assessed with dietilentriaminpentaacetic acid (DTPA) extraction decreased by factors 1.6-9.8, 1.1-2.1 and 1.3-4.1 after stabilization, respectively. Bioacessibility of Pb assessed with a physiologically based extraction test (PBET) decreased after stabilization by factors up to 11.3 in the small intestine fraction.
Chemosphere, 2019
The use of EDTA-based soil washing is prevented by chelant environmental persistence and the haza... more The use of EDTA-based soil washing is prevented by chelant environmental persistence and the hazard of toxic post-remedial emissions. Calcareous and acidic soils with 828 and 673 mg Pb kg-1 , respectively, and co-contaminated with Zn and Cd, were washed with 90 and 60 mM EDTA, respectively, to remove 67 and 80% of Pb. Washed soils were rinsed until 6.5 and 5.1 mM EDTA, respectively, was measured in the final rinsing solutions. Emissions of residual EDTA and chelated metals from remediated soils were mitigated by adsorption on zero-valent Fe (ZVI), which was added (0.5-1.5%, w/w) to the slurry of washed soil immediately before rinsing. ZVI addition prevented the initial post-remedial surge of toxic metals leachability and minimised toxic emissions from calcareous and acidic soil as soon as 6 and 7 days after remediation, respectively. The extractability/leachability of EDTA and toxic metals from remediated and ZVI amended soils diminished to close to emissions from the original soils, frequently below the limit of quantification by flame-AAS, and was not affected by the pH of the leaching solutions. Efficient curbing of toxic post-remediation emissions as demonstrated herein is of paramount importance for recognition of EDTA-based remediation as environmentally safe.
Ecological Engineering, 2016
Abstract Soil is a limited resource often contaminated with heavy metals. Recently, several soil ... more Abstract Soil is a limited resource often contaminated with heavy metals. Recently, several soil remediation processes have been developed, including an EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) chelating agent extraction that results in high removal efficiency of the contaminants. There is a limited knowledge on how this procedure affects soil microorganisms, including plant root endosymbiotic arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. In this paper we present data on the mycorrhizal potential of soil after the remediation procedure, as well with the molecular characterization of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal diversity before and after soil remediation, and before and after soil inoculation with commercial and indigenous (local) fungal inocula using an examination of 18S rRNA clone libraries. After the remediation treatment soils had very low mycorrhizal potential. Functional mycorrhizal symbiosis with plants was established either by commercial or local (grassland roots and rhizosphere soil) inoculum addition to the soil and remediated soil was successfully revitalized after the treatment. The use of the local inoculum resulted in a higher arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal diversity in the roots of plants growing in the remediated soil compared to the ones revitalized with the commercial inoculum.
Journal of Environmental Sciences, 2017
Cyanobacterial blooms are global phenomena that can occur in calm and nutrient-rich (eutrophic) f... more Cyanobacterial blooms are global phenomena that can occur in calm and nutrient-rich (eutrophic) fresh and marine waters. Human exposure to cyanobacteria and their biologically active products is possible during water sports and various water activities, or by ingestion of contaminated water. Although the vast majority of harmful cyanobacterial products are confined to the interior of the cells, these are eventually released into the surrounding water following natural or artificially induced cell death. Electrochemical oxidation has been used here to damage cyanobacteria to halt their proliferation, and for microcystin degradation under in-vitro conditions. Partially spent Jaworski growth medium with no addition of supporting electrolytes was used. Electrochemical treatment resulted in the cyanobacterial loss of cell-buoyancy regulation, cell proliferation arrest, and eventual cell death. Microcystin degradation was studied separately in two basic modes of treatment: batch-wise flow, and constant flow, for electrolytic-cell exposure. Batch-wise exposure simulates treatment under environmental conditions, while constant flow is more appropriate for the study of boron-doped diamond electrode efficacy under laboratory conditions. The effectiveness of microcystin degradation was established using high-performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array detector analysis, while the biological activities of the products were estimated using a colorimetric protein phosphatase-1 inhibition assay. The results indicate potential for the application of electro-oxidation methods for the control of bloom events by taking advantage of specific intrinsic ecological characteristics of bloom-forming cyanobacteria. The applicability of the use of boron-doped diamond electrodes in remediation of water exposed to cyanobacteria bloom events is discussed.
Environmental Pollution, 2013
The effect of remediation using three EDTA doses (10, 30, 60 mmol kg À1) on soil functioning was ... more The effect of remediation using three EDTA doses (10, 30, 60 mmol kg À1) on soil functioning was assessed using column experiment and Brassica rapa. Soil washing removed up to 77, 29 and 72% of metals from soil contaminated with 1378, 578 and 8.5 mg kg À1 of Pb, Zn and Cd, respectively. Sequential extraction indicated removal from the carbonate soil fraction. Metal oral-accessibility from the stomach phase was reduced by up to 75 and from the small intestine by up to 79% (Pb). Part of metals (up to 0.8% Cd) was lost due to leaching from columns. Remediation reduced toxic metal soil-root transfer by up to 61% but did not prevent metal accumulation in leaves. The fitness of plants grown on EDTA washed soils (gas exchange, fluorescence) was not compromised. Remediation initially reduced the soil DNA content (up to 29%, 30 mmol kg À1 EDTA) and changed the structure of microbial population.
Plant, Soil and Environment, 2011
The Pb, Zn and Cd phytoextraction potential of 14 different plants was assessed in a chelate indu... more The Pb, Zn and Cd phytoextraction potential of 14 different plants was assessed in a chelate induced phytoextraction experiment. In the used soil heavy metals mainly reside in carbonate, organic matter, and residual soil fractions. The addition of a chelate, 5 mmol/kg ethylenediamine-tetracetic acid (EDTA), increased the proportion of phytoavailable Pb, Zn and Cd in the soil (dissolved in soil solution and exchangeable from soil colloids), and also their uptake by tested plants up to 48 times (Sinapis alba), 4.6 times (Raphanus sativus oleiformis), and 3.3 times (Amaranthus spp.), respectively, compared to the control. The biodegradable chelate ethylenediamine-disuccinic acid (EDDS) was generally less effective (tested on a selection of 4 plant species), except for Cannabis sativa. In a treatment with 10 mmol/kg EDDS, Pb, Zn and Cd concentrations of 1053 ± 125, 211 ± 16 and 5.4 ± 0.8 mg/kg, respectively, were measured in the biomass of Cannabis sativa and were 105, 2.3 and 31.7 time...
Environmental Pollution, 2014
Soil washing has been established as suitable remediation technology, with most research focused ... more Soil washing has been established as suitable remediation technology, with most research focused on metal removing efficiency and toxic effect on plants, less on the influence on soil physical characteristics, which was the focus of this study. In soil column experiment highly contaminated soil and soil washed with EDTA, mixed with additives (gypsum, hydrogel, manure, peat) were tested. White clover was used as a soil cover. Yield, metal concentration in soil and plant, aggregate fractionation and stability, saturated hydraulic conductivity and soil water retention of the soil were measured. Soil washing decreased metal concentration in soil and plants, but yield of white clover on remediated soil was significantly lower compared to the original soil. Significant differences in water retention characteristics, aggregate fractionation and stability between original and remediated soil have been determined. Gypsum, hydrogel and peat increased plant available water, manure and peat increased yield on remediated soil.
Book of the 18 International Conference on Heavy Metals in the Environment, 12 to 15 September 20... more Book of the 18 International Conference on Heavy Metals in the Environment, 12 to 15 September 2016, Ghent, Belgium This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. – 575 – 18th International Conference on avy Metals in the Environment 12 to 15 September 2016, Ghent, Belgium ICHMET 2016 Proceedings of the 18 International Confer nce on Heavy Metals in the Environment, 12 to 15 September 2016, Ghent, Belgium
The management of fresh water bodies imposes to evaluate the presence of contaminants of both bio... more The management of fresh water bodies imposes to evaluate the presence of contaminants of both biological and anthropogenic origin and phytoplankton monitoring as the key element in the assessment of environmental water quality. Poor water quality and consequent cyanobacterial blooms represent a remarkable environmental risk with negative economic effects. Cyanobacteria are of an exceptionally high concern due to their ability of massive toxin production. Their early detection and prevention of bloom formation is of paramount importance. With the implementation of the Bathing water directive cyanobacterial monitoring becomes compulsory in the European Union. The project Innovative technology for cyanobacterial bloom control “LIFE Stop CyanoBloom” is a demonstration project co-financed by LIFE Environment financial mechanism of the European Commission. The aim of the project is a demonstration of remotely controlled vessel equipped with on-line sensors and embedded electrolytic cell f...
Two soils contaminated with potentially toxic metals (PTMs) contrasting in pH and mineralogy were... more Two soils contaminated with potentially toxic metals (PTMs) contrasting in pH and mineralogy were remediated with CaEDTA, and changes in soil organic matter (SOM) composition were investigated. Previous studies showed no significant loss of SOM from CaEDTA-treated soils, but the results of our study reflected significant decreases (from 46 to 49%) in the free fraction of humic acids (HAs). Remediation affected the composition of the free HA fraction via disturbance of intermolecular bonds - an increase in phenolic and aromatic groups with a simultaneous decrease in carbohydrates - which was confirmed by FTIR spectroscopy in both soils. Because non-radical molecules such as carbohydrates were selectively removed, the concentration of free radicals in the free HA fraction increased in acidic soil. The bound fraction of HAs and fulvic acids (FAs) in SOM, which are important due to their stability and the permanent effects they have on the soil’s physical properties, remained unchanged ...
Land Degradation & Development
Remediation with chelants can restore metal-contaminated soils for use as a natural resource. Cal... more Remediation with chelants can restore metal-contaminated soils for use as a natural resource. Calcareous soil from Meza Valley, Slovenia, and acidic soils from Arnoldstein, Austria, and Pribram, Czech Republic (with 1,028, 862, and 926 mg Pbkg −1 , respectively), were washed with 60-100 mmol EDTA per kilogram of air-dried soil in series of 30 batches (50 kg soil batch −1).
Science of The Total Environment
Plant, Soil and Environment
The risk of Pb contaminated soil after treatment with different remediation techniques was assess... more The risk of Pb contaminated soil after treatment with different remediation techniques was assessed. Soil vitrification (microwaves) reduced Pb orally available from the stomach and intestinal phase measured by a physiologically based extraction test. Solidification of Pb (Slovakite) did not reduce the concentration of orally available Pb and increased the Pb uptake by Thlaspi goesingens for 2-times compared to plants grown on the original soil. Soil extraction with 40 mmol/kg EDTA removed 57.6% of Pb. However, the concentration of orally available Pb and Pb uptake by T. goesingens increased. The concentration of mobile soil Pb also increased for 14-times measured by a toxicity characteristic leaching procedure. Soil leaching with 10 mmol/kg biodegradable chelator [S,S] ethylenediamine disuccinate and using a horizontal permeable reactive barrier for Pb accumulation from the washing solution removed 17.8% of Pb, but increased Pb uptake by T. goesingens by 3-times and slightly i...