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Soils, Sediments & Wastes

We are interested in identifying the geochemical processes and mechanisms for the dispersal, transport and the potential bioaccumulation of potentially toxic elements like Arsenic, chromium & Zinc, and of persistent organic pollutants including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), pesticides and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in natural and man-made soils and aquatic sediments.

We are particularly concerned with the application and the development of robust analytical procedures that can identify the environmental variables responsible for mobility.

Research from laboratory scale, through pilot scale to catchment scale

our research HIGHLIGHTS:

Contamination investigation

• The contamination of local estuaries and accumulation in sediment dwelling/filter feeding biota
• The assessment and treatment of Chromium contamination

Long term environmental impacts

• The long term environmental impacts of industrial processing by-products

The potential for bioaccumulation and secondary impacts in terrestrial ecosystems:

• Arsenic and antimony from mining and smelting sites
• Pentachlorophenol in cork forests

The variability and characteristic signatures of soils
highlighting the quality of urban soils, and the environmental and ecological impacts of any potentially toxic elements within them.

• Contaminants in urban soils and public open spaces
• URBSOIL

URBSOIL was funded through EU FP5 programme to investigate pollutants in urban soils and develop a decision support framework for their evaluation and management.

• Tools for Soil Data Information in Support of the Implementation of the EU Soil Protection Strategy in Portugal

PhD project; Student: Sonia Rodrigues; Supervisors: Armando Duarte (Universidade de Aveiro, Portugal); Andrew Hursthouse (UWS); Jan Japenga (Alterra - Wageningen University and Research, The Netherlands).

The aims of this programme are to provide an overview of soil contaminated sites and remediation needs in Portugal and to discuss soil quality indicators, monitoring and risk assessment methodologies focusing on different land uses in order to produce tools to support the implementation of the EU strategy for soil protection in Portugal.