JOURNAL OF OF ENVIRONMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING ENGINEERING AND AND LANDSCAPE LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT MANAGEMENT ISSN 1648–6897 / eISSN 1822-4199 ISSN 1648-6897 print/ISSN 1822-4199 online 2015 Volume 23(01): 39–49 2013 Volume 21(3): 153Á162 http://dx.doi.org/10.3846/16486897.2014.919921 doi:10.3846/16486897.2012.721784 MICROBIALVISUAL IM COMMUNITYPACT ASSESS CHANGESMENT OF WI INND TNT TUR SPIKEDBINESSOIL AND BIOREMEDIATIONTHEIR FARMS TRIALON LANDSCAP USING BIOSTIMULATION,E OF KRETINGA REGI PHYTOREMEDIATIONON (LITHUANIA) AND AND GROBIBIOAUGMENTATIONNA TOWNSCAPE (LATVIA) Jonas AbromasHiie Noa,˜ blvak, Jūratė1, Jaak KAMI Truučaityt2, Baibaė-V Limaneirbašien3, Marikaėb, Aija TruuZIEME4, ļNIECEc Guntis Cepurnieks5, Vadims Bartkevicˇs6, Jaanis Juhanson7, Olga Muter8 aDepartment of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Design, Klaipėda University, 1, 7 Institute of Molecular andH. Cell Manto Biology, g. 84, Faculty 92294 Klaipėda, of Science Lithuania and Technology, University of Tartu, 23 Riia str., 51010 Tartu, Estonia bDepartment of Architecture and Urbanism, Kaunas University of Technology, 1, 2, 4Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Tartu, 46Studentų Vanemuise g. 48, str.,51367 51014 Kaunas, Tartu, Lithuania Estonia 3, 8Institute ofc MicrobiologyFaculty of Rural and Engineering, Biotechnology, Latvia University University ofof Latvia,Agriculture, 4 Kronvalda blvd., AkademijasLV-1586 St. 19, Riga,3001 Jelgava, Latvia Latvia 4, 5, 6Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment (BIOR), 3 Lejupes str., Submitted 13 May 2013; accepted 28 Apr. 2014 LV-1076 Riga, Latvia Abstract. Early in 2013 as manySubmitted as 5 wind farms 6 Mar. were 2012; in operation accepted in Kretinga 14 Aug. region 2012 and the sixth was under con- struction. The wind farms are concentrated within two territories, i.e. in the south-west part of the region (between Abstract.Kretinga Trinitrotolueneand Palanga towns) (TNT), and in a the commonly north-west used (between explosive Darbėnai for military and the andSenoji industrial Įpiltis villages). applications, The region can also cause serioushouses environmental seven individual pollution. wind turbines, 28-day the laboratory total number pot experimentbeing 58 units. was In carried seeking out to applyingassess the bioaugmentation impact of wind tur using- laboratorybines based selected in Kretinga bacterial region strains on the landscape as inoculum, and the biostimulation villages, the analysis with molasses of cartography and cabbagematerial was leaf carried extract, out and phytoremediationand the inventory using of all ryewind and turbines blue fenugreekwas made (GIS to study data thebase). effect On ofassessing these treatments the importance on TNT of the removal roads with and regard changes into soil the microbialintensity of communitytraffic and responsibletourist flows, for the contaminant observation places degradation. were established Chemical and analyses photo fixation revealed was significantperformed. decreasesThe impact in TNT was concentrations,assessed from eleven including observation reduction places of (all some the ofplaces the TNTwere close to its to amino the roads). derivates During during the study, the 28-day the tests. The combination of bioaugmentation-biostimulation approach coupled with rye cultivation had the most nature, importance and degree of contrast of the visual impact of wind turbines were assessed. In assessing the visual profound effect on TNT degradation. Although plants enhanced the total microbial community abundance, blue impact of wind turbines on the landscape, it was found that woodlands and villages make a significant impact on the fenugreek cultivation did not significantly affect the TNT degradation rate. The results from molecular analyses suggestedvisibility theof turbines. survival The and elevationwind turbines of theseen introduced on the axis bacterialof the road strains perspective throughout are not theonly experiment. observed for some length of time, but often serve as a landmark. The investigation results were compared with the situation in western Latvia Keywords: TNT, bioaugmentation, biostimulation, phytoremediation, microbial community. region (Grobina case). Reference to this paper should be made as follows: No˜lvak, H.; Truu, J.; Limane, B.; Truu, M.; Cepurnieks, G.; BartkevicKeywords:ˇs, V.; wind Juhanson, turbines, J.; environmental Muter, O. 2013. impact Microbial assessment, community the influence changes of inwind TNT turbines spiked on soil environment. bioremediation trial using biostimulation, phytoremediation and bioaugmentation, Journal of Environmental Engineering and Landscape Management 21(3): 153Á162. http://dx.doi.org/10.3846/16486897.2012.721784 Introduction Introduction 2011).The Bacteria installed may power degrade of wind TNT energy under in the aerobic European or anaerobic conditions directly (TNT is source of carbon InThe recent nitroaromatic years, new explosive, dynamic2,4,6-trinitrotoluene visually bulky elements (TNT), of Union at the end of 2012 amounted to 105696 MW, and and/or nitrogen) or via co-metabolism where addi- thehas landscape, been extensively of parameters used for not over typical 100 to years, the environ and this- wind turbines power accounted for 26% of all newly ins- ment,persistent i.e. wind toxic turbines, organic have compound emerged has in West resulted Lithuania. in soil talledtional electric substrates power are (The needed European (Rylott Windet al .Energy 2011). Associ Fungi- Theircontamination construction and in environmentalthat territory has problems been initiated at many by ationdegrade 2013; TNT Michalak, via the Zimny actions 2011; of Mostafaeipour nonspecific extracel- 2010). theformer average explosives annual wind and speed ammunition amounting plants, to 6–7 as wellm/sec. as lularIn enzymes Lithuania, and until for the production year 2013, of wind these turbines enzymes of growth substrates (cellulose, lignin) are needed. Con- (Katinasmilitary et al. areas 2007; (Stenuit, Vaidogas, Agathos Juocevičius 2010). TNT2011; hasMarčiu been- 250 MW total capacity were planned to be built. At the trary to bioremediation technologies using bacteria or kaitisreported et al. to2008). have Even mutagenic though andthat carcinogenicregion contains potential major beginning of 2013, the total capacity of wind turbines was bioaugmentation, fungal bioremediation requires protectedin studies territories, with several health organisms,resorts (Palanga, including Neringa) bacteria and 220 MW. an ex situ approach instead of in situ treatment (i.e. intensive(Lachance touristet alroutes,. 1999), in Kretinga which has region led alone, environmental with Pa- Until 2013, as many as 125 major wind turbines (over agencies to declare a high priority for its removal from soil is excavated, homogenised and supplemented langa in the neighborhood, 5 wind parks are in operation. 350 kW) were built in Lithuania. The total number of tur- soils (van Dillewijn et al. 2007). with nutrients) (Baldrian 2008). This limits applicabil- Due to these aspects it is of great importance to assess the bines (including minor ones) amounts to 200 units. Both bacteria and fungi have been shown to ity of bioremediation of TNT by fungi in situ at a field possiblepossess impact the capacity of the towind degrade farms, TNT operating (Kalderis and toet be al. scale.The biggest number of wind turbines are construc- operated, on the landscape. ted in Kretinga (58 units), Šilutė (33 units) and Tauragė CorrespondingCorresponding author: author: Jonas Jaak Abromas Truu E-mail:E-mail: [email protected] [email protected] Copyright © 2015 Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (VGTU) Press Copyright ª 2013 Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (VGTU) Press www.tandfonline.com/teelwww.tandfonline.com/teel 40 J. Abromas et al. Visual impact assessment of wind turbines and their farms on landscape of Kretinga region... (24 units) regions. In Kretinga region almost all the wind them from a static position, the picture of the turbine does turbines are located in two areas, i.e. south-west (between not change with time. But when studying the movement Kretinga and Palanga towns) and north-west part (betwe- of transport and in a dynamic position of the observer, a en Darbėnai and the Senoji Įpiltis villages) of the region. visual relation between wind turbines and the landscape Due to intensive traffic and the present resort territory, changes permanently. The sight may be partially limited Kretinga–Palanga habitat is visually the most important. by physical possibilities (e.g. the size of the car window) to The total height of the turbines built in this part (15 units, observe the turbines from the inside of the vehicle (Jerpå- Enercon E-70) amounts to 121.5 m. (Fig. 4), and the height sen, Larsen 2011; Bishop, Stock 2010). of the turbine Enercon E-82 built in 2011 near Vydman- The aim of the paper is to make an inventory of wind tai village is 150 m. Due to these aspects, wind turbines farms and single wind turbines in Kretinga region, to dis- are becoming a dominant vertical in the landscape. This cuss visual significance of wind turbines and contrast-de- is relevant for the observers from the motorways. While termining factors as well as to evaluate the impact of the driving, wind turbines and other contrasting objects in the turbines on the landscape when observing them from the landscape draw attention and are able to make a positi- selected observation