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Recovery and environmental recycling of sediments: the experience of CNR-IRET Pisa

  • Sediment Challenges and Opportunities
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose

The main results of the experience of CNR-IRET Pisa regarding sediment recovery and recycling are reported.

Methods and results

In the AGRIPORT project, saline and brackish sediments were mixed with agronomic soil and underwent phytoremediation. After two years, heavy metals and hydrocarbons decreased, and the improvement of chemical and biological properties created a “functional soil” for further applications. Both phytoremediated sediments were refined through landfarming in the CLEANSED and HORTISED projects and applied for civil and agricultural uses. The landfarming process further reduced the organic contaminants in both sediments. Then, in CLEANSED, nursery plants performed similarly in brackish sediment-based substrates as in alluvial soil (control) (33% and 50%). In HORTISED, horticultural plants, grown on substrates with peat and remediated saline sediments (50%), had a yield, number, weight, and fruit quality comparable with those grown on peat. In the “Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Pistoia e Pescia” project, the decontaminated saline sediments were successfully co-composted with Posidonia oceanica and reused as nursery growth substrate. Another two European LIFE projects are still in progress. The SUBSED project aims to confirm the suitability of saline-remediated sediments after landfarming as an alternative substrate to peat and coconut fiber for fruit, flowering, and non-food crops. The AGRISED project aims to recover brackish sediments through a co-composting process with green waste to produce an innovative substrate for the cultivation of ornamental plants.

Conclusions

The projects confer environmental, economic, and social values to sediments, through their eco-sustainable recovery and use in different sectors.

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Funding

This study was supported by the following projects: AGRIPORT (ECO/08/239065) Agricultural reuse of polluted dredged sediment; CLEANSED (LIFE12 ENV/IT/000652) Innovative integrated methodology for the use of decontaminated river sediments in plant nursing and road building; HORTISED (LIFE14 ENV/IT/000113) Demonstration of the suitability of dredged remediated sediment for safe and sustainable horticulture production; SUBSED (LIFE17ENV/IT/000347) Sustainable substrates for agriculture from dredged remediated marine sediments: from ports to pots; AGRISED (LIFE17 ENV/IT/269) Use of dredged sediments for creating innovative growing media and technosols for plant nursery and soil rehabilitation; “Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Pistoia e Pescia” in the framework “Giovani@Ricerca Scientifica 2016.”

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Institute on Terrestrial Ecosystems – National Research Council of Italy, Via Moruzzi 1, Pisa, 56124, Italy

    Cristina Macci, Francesca Vannucchi, Serena Doni, Eleonora Peruzzi & Grazia Masciandaro

  2. Agri Vivai s.r.l. Via Vecchia Casalina, 118/G, Pistoia, 51100, Italy

    Stefano Lucchetti

  3. Flora Toscana Soc. Agr. Coop. Via Montecarlo, 81, Pescia (Pistoia), 51017, Italy

    Maria Castellani

Authors
  1. Cristina Macci
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  2. Francesca Vannucchi
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  3. Serena Doni
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  4. Eleonora Peruzzi
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  5. Stefano Lucchetti
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  6. Maria Castellani
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  7. Grazia Masciandaro
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Cristina Macci.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Responsible editor: Bruno Lemière

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Macci, C., Vannucchi, F., Doni, S. et al. Recovery and environmental recycling of sediments: the experience of CNR-IRET Pisa. J Soils Sediments 22, 2865–2872 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-022-03162-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-022-03162-7

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