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PHYTOREMEDIATION AND WETLAND HABITAT DEVELOPMENT ON A CONTAMINATED SLUDGE DEPOSIT – PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES

André Gerth, Hartmut Thomas

BioPlanta GmbH Deutscher Platz 5 D-04103 Leipzig, Germany

3rd International Phytotechnologies Conference 2005

Atlanta, Georgia, April 20-22, 2005

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BioPlanta – Competence in Environmental Engineering

• A leader in the application of biotechnology for environmental remediation • Successful projects since 14 years

• Habitat development • Environmental assessment • Landscape planning • Biological remediation of water and

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PHYTOREMEDIATION AND WETLAND HABITAT DEVELOPMENT

• Site Description

• Phytoremediation Strategy

1.500 6.000 5.500 1.250 5.000 ) kg 4.500

g/ 1.000 4.000 ) m g ( k

s 3.500 l g/ a m t 750 3.000 (

e nk

2.500 i

Chromium Z 500 2.000 avy m Zink

e • Remediation Results 1.500 H 250 1.000 500 0 0 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 19 19 19 19 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20

• Landscape and Development

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The Site: A Former Sludge Deposit

Becken 1 lagoonBecken 1 1

Kiel SCHLESWIG- Rostock lagoon 2

HOLSTEIN g e t MECKLENB.-VO RP. S Lübeck Schwerin Bremerhaven

E Hamlb burg e Becken 2 Bremen Oldenburg

E m NIEDERS ACHS EN O s d er Berlin Potsdam Osnabrück Hannover SACHSEN- Wese lagoon 3 r BRANDENBURG Ems Magdeburg Elbe W R es h er Cottbus in NORDRHEIN-WESTFALEN Dessau e Gelsenk. ANHALT (north) Ess en Göttingen E Duisburg Dortmund lb Halle e Wuppertal Leipzig Düsseldorf Dresden Erfurt Köln SACHSEN

F THÜRINGEN Chemnitz u l HESSEN d Leipzig Bonn a We Zwickau rra Koblenz Frankfurt Main M

a

i RHEINLAND- n Mainz l e s o PFALZ Würzburg M

R

h

i n Nürnberg e SAARLAND Saarbrücken Mannheim lagoon 3 BAYERN Regensburg BADEN-

Ingolstadt

r Isa e (south) Stuttgart nub Da Ulm Augsburg WÜRTTEMBERG München Freiburg e Danub

Salzburg

Bo den see Isar

100 m

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History of the Sludge Deposit

• Since 1955 sludge from the central wastewater treatment plant of Leipzig was pumped to lagoons on the site • In the 1960s, because of capacity problems, an unlined gravel pit was used to store additional sludge (lagoon 3, the most contaminated part of the site) • Two additional lagoons (now called 1 and 2) were built in the 1980s • The sludge dewatering plant was closed in 1990 • At the time of closure, about 300,000 m³ sludge were stored on the site – Water content 40 - 60 % – Contamination with heavy metals, phenols and hydrocarbons

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Contamination at the Beginning of Remediation

• Contamination of the sludge with lead, Contaminant Target lagoon 3 cadmium, , copper and , values south nickel and mercury exceeds the ppm ppm threshold values Lead 150 580 • In some samples elevated levels of Cadmium 5 31 phenolics and nitrite were found Chromium 250 590 • All samples show very high Nickel 100 47 phosphate-concentrations Mercury 2 3 Copper 100 1000 Zinc 500 3,200 Values presented are from 1993 Phenolic index 1 2

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Aerial View

open water habitats lagoon 3 north and south phytoremediation

water reservoir

solar power plant

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PHYTOREMEDIATION AND WETLAND HABITAT DEVELOPMENT

• Site Description

• Phytoremediation Strategy

1.500 6.000 Arsenic 5.500 1.250 Lead 5.000 ) Cadmium kg 4.500

g/ 1.000 Copper 4.000 ) m g ( k

s Mercury 3.500 l g/ a m t 750 3.000 (

e Nickel nk

2.500 i

Chromium Z 500 2.000 avy m Zink

e • Remediation Results 1.500 H 250 1.000 500 0 0 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 19 19 19 19 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20

• Landscape and Development

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Objectives of the Remediation

• Prevention of contaminant transfer into the • Reduction of the contaminant concentrations below threshold values • Preservation of the habitat structure (resting area for wetland birds) - Open water areas, shallow banks - Integration of the remediation into the habitat - Use of local plants

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Timeline of Remediation Operations

1989-1990 Recognition of the problem, first ideas to use plants for remediation 1992 BioPlanta was contracted to develop and accompany the phytoremediation 1993-1995 Development of methods, deconstruction of technical installations 1993-1994 Plant development in the BioPlanta laboratory 1995 Start of the phytoremediation by propagation of plants and application on site 2012 Planned end of active remediation

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Development of a site-specific technology

Contamination Analysis Plants

Identification of contaminants In vitro plant cultures

Plant biotest

Selection of plants

Full scale application

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In vitro Experiments

Maximum of metal accumulation in Miscanthus Carex Typha plant biomass in vitro for Miscanthus 12000 sinensis, Phragmites communis, 10000 Carex disticha, Typha latifolia after 8 weeks 8000

6000 ppm

Metal Phragmites Miscanthus Carex Typha 4000 Concentration ppm Lead 1770 1130 2470 1420 2000 Cadmium 1101 1878 3387 3244 Chrome 1720 1326 11190 2246 0 Copper 3705 2422 3167 4916 r l d m e e e Nickel 643 602 1034 631 a iu p k inc Le m rom p ic Z d N Zinc 2355 2553 3924 Ch Co Ca

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Full-Scale Remediation: Methods

• A technology for the biological capping of large sludge deposits was developed by BioPlanta. • Optimized plants are precultivated on coconut fibre mats. A proprietary technology is used to apply the mats onto sludge areas, that are not accessible to people or machines. • Comparing different remediation options, phytostabilisation combined with an in situ phytodecontamination turned out to be the economically and ecologically favorable solution. • The planted reed is harvested every winter to remove extracted metals.

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Phytoremediation in Lagoon 3 south: Reed

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Phytoremediation in Lagoon 3 north:

Salix spp. were planted in the northern part of lagoon 3 in 2002

Outlook on growth and harvest

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PHYTOREMEDIATION AND WETLAND HABITAT DEVELOPMENT

• Site Description

• Phytoremediation Strategy

1.500 6.000 Arsenic 5.500 1.250 Lead 5.000 ) Cadmium kg 4.500

g/ 1.000 Copper 4.000 ) m g ( k

s Mercury 3.500 l g/ a m t 750 3.000 (

e Nickel nk

2.500 i

Chromium Z 500 2.000 avy m Zink e • Remediation Results 1.500 H 250 1.000 500 0 0 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 19 19 19 19 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20

• Landscape and Development

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Phytoremediation in Lagoon 3 south: Reed

yield in year tons dry matter 1996 12 4 1997 12 10 1998 16 11 Reed planting 1999 18 15 2000 32 18 2001 29 20 2002 36 24 2003 79 51 2004 62 (~ 40) Harvesting

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Phytoremediation in Lagoon 3 south: Reed

Until Dec. 2003 these 1500 4500 Ars enic amounts of heavy metals Lead 1250 Cadmium 3750 have been removed m Copper p Mercury p 1000 Nickel 3000 / s

l Chromium ppm a

t Zinc Lead 140 g 750 2250 / e nc

Cadmium 79 g Zi 500 1500 avy m Chromium 158 g e H 250 750 Copper 1,401 g Nickel 215 g 0 0 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Zinc 34,674 g 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000

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Current Contaminant Situation

• Contaminant concentrations are continuously decreasing • Threshold values will be reached by 2012 • Legal restrictions – no fishery, bathing, usage as drinking or irrigation water – no agricultural use in the core zone – only partial, supervised public accessibility

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Summary of Remediation Results

• The selected remediation strategy (capping to prevent erosion, contaminant removal and water management by plants), is successful on a large scale. • The target values are almost reached. • The biomass yield is increasing with decreasing contamination • Extensive watering is neccessary to maintain the reed vegetation • The establishment of species was difficult, a high percentage of plants died, growth was slow • Different woody species have to be tested

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PHYTOREMEDIATION AND WETLAND HABITAT DEVELOPMENT

• Site Description

• Phytoremediation Strategy

1.500 6.000 Arsenic 5.500 1.250 Lead 5.000 ) Cadmium kg 4.500

g/ 1.000 Copper 4.000 ) m g ( k

s Mercury 3.500 l g/ a m t 750 3.000 (

e Nickel nk

2.500 i

Chromium Z 500 2.000 avy m Zink

e • Remediation Results 1.500 H 250 1.000 500 0 0 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 19 19 19 19 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20

• Landscape and Development

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Impression of the “Phytoremediation-Landscape”

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Continuing Remediation until 2012

• Remediation has priority over aesthetic aspects • Management of the existing remediation cultures • Plantation of additional cultures, e.g. poplars • Improved analytical monitoring, adjustment of the analytical parameters • Research into new methods of phytoremediation

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Landscape Development until 2012

• Continuation of the water regime • Biological covering of additional areas - erosion protection, minimization of seepage - improvement of soil function (enrichment in humics, improved water holding capacity, buffering of soil reaction, improved sorption capacity) - inhibition of soil acidification by liming • Involvement of nature conservation associations in the monitoring and development of the habitat

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Environment-Compatible Utilization after 2012

• Nature preserve • Place for environmental studies and projects in environmental education • Construction of a classroom and lab building • Public tours and projects in cooperation with non-profit organizations

-> A powerful PR-instrument in communicating the environmental commitment of the owner

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Thank you for your attention.

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