Elaboration of Measures for Rehabilitation of Contaminated Soils of Kazakstan Using a Complex of Complementary Research Methods and SVIP-2, New Fractionating Technology

Tech Area / Field

• ENV-RED/Remediation and Decontamination/Environment

Status
3 Approved without Funding

Registration date
28.01.1999

Leading Institute
National Center of Complex Processes of Mineral Raw Material / Research Sector of Colloid and Dispersed Minerology, Kazakstan, Almaty

Supporting institutes

• The Republican Government Enterprise on the basic of economic control rights “Research Institute for Biological Safety Problems” , Kazakstan, Gvardeiski

Collaborators

• CNRS / Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, France, Montpellier

Project summary

Importance is derived from the problem of rehabilitation of soil, affected by irradiation and chemical contamination, as an important element of the biosphere.

Soils from Semipalatinsk nuclear testing ground and Karaganda Mining and Metallurgical Complex were selected as the object for the investigation.

Unicity of the project. For the first time we would have the opportunity to investigate the dynamics of ultra fine soil particles (up to 0.05 mm) change under influence of different technological factors during determination the direct reason of soil toxicity using new SVIP-2 technology.

In order to solve the problem we would use integer biogeocenotic approach. The approach includes search for correlation between physico-chemical and water-physical properties of contaminated soils of Kazakstan, toxicity of which would be established by bio-test methods, and features of soil structure, state of organo-mineral composition, presence of geochemical barriers, radioactivity, concentration and type of contaminants, phase composition of soil fractions with different particle size and dry residue of water extracts from genetic levels, structure and mechanical state of clay minerals that form the basis of soil absorbing complex, that would be determined by different physical and chemical methods. After discovery the reason of soil toxicity according to the correlation, concrete measures for rehabilitation of the soils would be selected using phyto-remediation and their efficiency would be examined using the same bio-tests.

Co-operation with foreign partner (Dr. Siobhan Steunton, INRA) – will let to set up interesting experiments on bio-tests and phyto-remidiation and to enrich research potential of the partners.

After realization of the project complex biological, toxicological, physical, chemical, water-physical and geochemical data for the soils would be obtained. Lithological and structural features of clay minerals with fine and ultra fine particles would be determined. The reasons of toxicity would be discovered. Concrete measures for rehabilitation via phyto-remediation would be offered and tested and their efficiency would be assessed.

New biogeocenotic approach that takes into account changes of solid component of highly dispersed soils because of different technogeneous factors would be elaborated to develop rehabilitation of contaminated soils.

Concrete recommendations for rehabilitation of the selected soils would be issued.