Partnering with nature to decontaminate the soil

Neiker-Tecnalia, the University of the Basque Country and the Vitoria-Gasteiz Center for Environmental Studies participate in the European project PhytoSUDOE, which seeks to advance the use of phytoremediation as a solution to recover soil biodiversity contaminated. Phytoremediation consists of the use of fungi and plants, and by extension the ecosystems that contain these plants, for remediation, rather than more invasive civil engineering methods.

The Neiker Agricultural Research and Development Institute will contribute its experience in the phytoremediation of contaminated soils and, specifically, in the evaluation of its effectiveness through the use of microbial indicators. The CEA of Vitoria-Gasteiz will undertake recovery projects on contaminated industrial land in the capital of Álava.

The PhytoSUDOE project aims to demonstrate the environmental, economic, and social benefits of phytoremediation to encourage its use. Funded by the Interreg Sudoe Program for the regional development of southwestern Europe, it is coordinated by the CSIC, and also participates in it the University of Santiago de Compostela, the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, the University of Coimbra, the Portuguese Catholic University, the University of Aveiro and the Portuguese National Energy and Geology Laboratory.

As pointed out by the SPRI, soil polluting compounds can affect water quality, biodiversity, food safety and health, so soil contamination is a widespread problem.