![]() |
|||
![]() |
New Life - Environmental recovery of degraded soils and desertified by a new treatment technology for land reconstruction LIFE10 ENV/IT/000400 |
![]() |
Project description Environmental issues Beneficiaries Administrative data Read more Print PDF version | |||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
Project description: Background Soil is a non-renewable resource performing a crucial role in maintain a sustainable environment whilst providing the necessary raw materials to support economic activities. Soil acts as a carbon sink and can contribute to offsetting carbon dioxide increases. But soil degradation is accelerating. According to the European Environment Agency, 17% of the EU’s total land area is seriously eroded and nearly 75% of the soil in southern Europe is considered to possess low or very low organic matter content, indicating reduced biodiversity. This deterioration compromises the filtering and buffering capacity of soils, and increases the potential accumulation of pollutants by elevated concentrations of fertilisers and pesticides. Current work to tackle soil degradation focuses on rationalising or limiting soil use, or in using organic fertilisers and agricultural improvers. These approaches only partially limit the soil degradation process; a more comprehensive approach is needed. Objectives The New Life project will demonstrate an innovative method based on the mechanical and chemical treatment of infertile soils. This combines soil mixing (exhausted soils mixed with other solid matrices) and soil disintegration processes with a subsequent reconstruction phase, resulting in an aggregate that has agronomic value. The technique will stabilise the organic matter in reclaimed soil by injecting humic and fulvic acids during the disruption phase. Treatment will allow the reclamation of degraded soil in unproductive areas whilst producing ground covering for re-vegetation and agro-forestry. This will reduce the need to bring in fertile soil, and will conserve natural resources. Moreover the solid matrices used in the mixing phase are mostly waste material (washed sand and gravel from quarry activities, waste from paper mills). The project will be implemented over an area of 200 000 m2 in the municipality of Piacenza, in the regional park of the river Trebbia. The land area targeted by the project is significantly degraded by compaction, loss of structure, lack of organic matter and sealing, and is thus an excellent test-bed for the proposed technology. Expected results: The New Life project will aim at the production of optimal quality soil, and will tackle soil degradation across the project area. Expected results include:
Results
Top |
|||||||||||||
Environmental issues addressed: Themes
Land-use & Planning - Soil and landscape protection Keywords soil degradation‚ land restoration Natura 2000 sites
Top |
|||||||||||||
Beneficiaries:
Top |
|||||||||||||
Administrative data:
Top |
|||||||||||||
Read more:
Top |
|||||||||||||
Project description Environmental issues Beneficiaries Administrative data Read more Print PDF version |