Presentation in the workshop of state of soil degradation and some measures for remediation of contaminated lands (Andrei Vrinceanu)

Information and awareness raising for safe use of metal contaminated land (Romania)

Cresterea gradului de constientizare si informarea populatiei in scopul utilizarii in siguranta a terenurilor din zonele contaminate cu metale grele

Description

The aim of this Aprroach is to increase the awareness about the risk related to agricultural use of contaminated land and to present the appropriate technologies for sustainable use of contaminated land in order to reduce the transfer of contaminants into the food chain. The implementation of appropriate SLM will improve the soil and crop quality with positive effects on the quality of life for local community from contaminated area.

The Case Study area is located in Sibiu County, around the most important factory for processing of non-ferrous ores – Copsa Mica. The main environmental damages in the area Copşa Mică (Romania) are caused by ore processing and this town was classified as an environmental disaster area. The main pollutants identified in this area were cadmium, copper, lead and zinc. According to data from LPIS provided by Sibiu County Center of Agency for Payments and Intervention in Agriculture (2012) the arable land represents 60.4% from total area (2818.6ha) being located mainly in bottomland. Grassland represents 34.9% from total area, that means 1627.3 ha. Orchards and vineyards represent a very small proportion from total cultivated area, only 2.3% (106 ha) and 2.4% (110.3 ha).
Large scale migration from urban to rural areas (village surrounding the Copsa Mica) took place after reducing the activities of industrial platform. In villages located in polluted area there are many small landowners. The lands are used as agricultural land and the products are used for own consumption. Also, due to both, low fertility of soil (as a result of contamination) and lack of financial resources, there are lands abandoned. The agricultural use of the land represents a risk for population health and also reduces the number of methods that could be used for remediation.
The aim of the approach was to increase the awareness about the risk related to agricultural use of contaminated land and to present the appropriate technologies for sustainable use of contaminated land in order to reduce the transfer of contaminants into the food chain. The implementation of appropriate SLM will improve the soil and crop quality with positive effects on the quality of life for local community from contaminated area.
During workshops stakeholders are informed about state of soil degradation from their area, about risk related to agricultural use of contaminated land. The researchers and SLM experts share their experience with land owners and land users related to sustainable measures for reducing the effects of soil contamination and together they select the measures to be tested. The production of biomass for non-food purpose has been tested as a potential solution to produce valuable biomass while remediating the soil. Immobilization of heavy metals in soil was agreed by the traditional land owners who want to keep the agricultural use for their land.
Land owners offer the plot for testing the new technology and researchers / SLM experts organised experimental field and presenting the results to land owners, local authority, farmers, students during information session (field day, workshop)

Location

Location: Copsa Mica, Sibiu county, Romania

Geo-reference of selected sites
  • 24.23078, 46.11549
  • 24.21481, 46.09335

Initiation date: n.a.

Year of termination: n.a.

Type of Approach
Activities in experimental field organised in order to test different amendments for reducing the transfer of heavy metals in crops (D.M. Motelica)
Measurements in experimental field (Nicoleta Vrinceanu)

Approach aims and enabling environment

Main aims / objectives of the approach
The aim was to increase the awareness about the risk related to agricultural use of contaminated land and to present the appropriate technologies for sustainable use of contaminated land in order to reduce the transfer of contaminants into the food chain. The implementation of appropriate SLM will improve the soil and crop quality with positive effects on the quality of life for local community from contaminated area.
Conditions enabling the implementation of the Technology/ ies applied under the Approach
Conditions hindering the implementation of the Technology/ ies applied under the Approach
  • Social/ cultural/ religious norms and values: The traditional farmers want to preserve the agricultural use of land (crop production and grazing). Growing biofuel crops would require changing the land use for a long period of time.
  • Availability/ access to financial resources and services: Lack of financial resources of the land users. The financial inputs for implementation are considered high even if there are subsidies for energy crops.
  • Institutional setting: There are no interest for SLM on contaminated lands
  • Legal framework (land tenure, land and water use rights): Due to the large number of owners and the division of the land into small plots there are difficulties with respect to the application of appropriate SLM.
  • Policies: Although there are legal frameworks regarding pollution control there are no institutions responsible for the development and implementation of remediation measures. Also there are no clear legal descriptions of decision criteria for choosing the appropriate remediation actions.
  • Knowledge about SLM, access to technical support: Although there are known risks associated with soil contamination with heavy metals, landowners do not have enough information about SLM which could limit the transfer of metals into the food chain.
  • Markets (to purchase inputs, sell products) and prices: The energy crop market is not developed yet.

Participation and roles of stakeholders involved

Stakeholders involved in the Approach and their roles
What stakeholders / implementing bodies were involved in the Approach? Specify stakeholders Describe roles of stakeholders
local land users/ local communities land users, local authority, farmers They participate in information sessions and one land user offered a plot to test new technologies for immobilization of heavy metals in soil.
researchers Researchers - soil scientist, enviromental experts, They share their experience in respect with risk related with agricultural use of land in contaminated area and appropriate SLM for limiting the transfer of heavy metals into food chain.
Involvement of local land users/ local communities in the different phases of the Approach
none
passive
external support
interactive
self-mobilization
initiation/ motivation
x
Researchers organised information sessions (workshops and stakeholder meetings) for land owners, local authority, farmers, students.
planning
x
Researchers and SLM experts organised participatory sessions with land owners, local authority, farmers, students in order to select the appropriate SLM Technology to be tested.
implementation
x
Land owners offer the plot for testing the new technology and researchers and SLM experts organised experimental field and presenting the results to land owners, local authority, farmers, students during information session (field day, workshop)
monitoring/ evaluation
x
Research
x
Flow chart

NA

Decision-making on the selection of SLM Technology

Decisions were taken by

  • land users alone (self-initiative)
  • mainly land users, supported by SLM specialists
  • all relevant actors, as part of a participatory approach
  • mainly SLM specialists, following consultation with land users
  • SLM specialists alone
  • politicians/ leaders

Decisions were made based on

  • evaluation of well-documented SLM knowledge (evidence-based decision-making)
  • research findings
  • personal experience and opinions (undocumented)

Technical support, capacity building, and knowledge management

The following activities or services have been part of the approach
Capacity building/ training
Training was provided to the following stakeholders
  • land users
  • field staff/ advisers
Form of training
  • on-the-job
  • farmer-to-farmer
  • demonstration areas
  • public meetings
  • courses
Subjects covered

Status of soil degradation by heavy metal contamination. Risk related to agricultural use of contaminated land. Measures for reducing the transfer of contaminants into food chain.

Advisory service
Advisory service was provided
  • on land users' fields
  • at permanent centres
Monitoring and evaluation
Research
Research treated the following topics
  • sociology
  • economics / marketing
  • ecology
  • technology

Financing and external material support

Annual budget in USD for the SLM component
  • < 2,000
  • 2,000-10,000
  • 10,000-100,000
  • 100,000-1,000,000
  • > 1,000,000
Precise annual budget: n.a.
Research projects funding from National Research Fund and EU projects
The following services or incentives have been provided to land users
  • Financial/ material support provided to land users
  • Subsidies for specific inputs
  • Credit
  • Other incentives or instruments
Financial/ material support provided to land users
Subsidies for energy crops
partly financed
fully financed
agricultural: seeds

173 US$ / ha - spring 2015

x

Labour by land users was

Impact analysis and concluding statements

Impacts of the Approach
No
Yes, little
Yes, moderately
Yes, greatly
Did the Approach improve knowledge and capacities of land users to implement SLM?

Were highlighted risks of agricultural use of contaminated land and the possibilities of limiting the transfer of contaminants into the food chain by changing land use or by immobilizing metals in soil.

x
Did the Approach lead to employment, income opportunities?

Implementing the SLM could lead to high economic value of the crop (biomass fuel production, healthy crops, etc).

x
Main motivation of land users to implement SLM
Sustainability of Approach activities
Can the land users sustain what hat been implemented through the Approach (without external support)?

Conclusions and lessons learnt

Strengths: land user's view
  • Receiving the knowledge tools to improve the quality of crops and offering the possibility to provide new products (from biofuel crops) on the market which increase the farm income.
Strengths: compiler’s or other key resource person’s view
  • Awareness raising about the risk related to agricultural use of contaminated land lead to increase the number of land users which want to implement appropriate SLM for contaminated land.
Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks: land user's viewhow to overcome
  • Difficulties to continue the activities initiated without external financial input.
    Subsidies
  • Undeveloped energy crop market Support for creating local or regional markets for energy crops
Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks: compiler’s or other key resource person’s viewhow to overcome
  • Inadequate authorities' interest for SLM The authorities have to provide help in order to meet the needs (support for poor land users) in order to implement SLM activities to change land uses or to adopt measures for reducing transfer of contaminants into the food chain.

References

Compiler
  • Nicoleta Vrinceanu
Editors
Reviewer
  • GWJ van Lynden
  • Joana Eichenberger
Date of documentation: Sept. 6, 2016
Last update: July 13, 2022
Resource persons
Full description in the WOCAT database
Linked SLM data
Documentation was faciliated by
Institution Project
Key references
  • Nicoleta Vrinceanu, Motelica, D.M., Dumitru, M., Eugenia GAMENŢ, Calciu, I., Veronica Tanase, Mihaela Preda (2008) – Assessment of Some Inorganic Additives Used for In-Situ Remediation of Heavy Metals Polluted Soils, Abstract book of The 1st European Conference on Remediation of Soil, sediment and Groundwater – Biological, Chemical and Physical Technologies, 21–23 october 2008, Amsterdam, Olanda, p.173.:
  • Comănescu, l., Nedelea, A., Paisa, M., 2010. Soil pollution with heavy metals in the area of Copșa Mică town – Geographical considerations, Metalurgia International XV 4, 81-85.:
  • Lăcătușu, R., Lăcătușu, A.R., 2010. Evolution of heavy metals pollution from Copșa Mică. Scientific Papers, UASVM Bucharest, Series A, LIII, 85-92.:
  • Petronela-Bianca Pavel, Puschenreiter, M., Wenzel, W.W., Elena Diacu, Barbu, C.H., Aided phytostabilization using Miscanthus sinensis × giganteus on heavy metal-contaminated soils, Science of the Total Environment 479–480 (2014) 125–131:
Links to relevant information which is available online
This work is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareaAlike 4.0 International