Innovative integrated methodology for the use of decontaminated river sediments in plant nursing and road building CleAnsed: LIFE12 ENV/IT/ Expected start date: 01/10/2013Expected end date: 31/03/2016 Beneficiaries: CoordinatorISECNR: Institute for Ecosystem Studies of the National Research Council, Pisa, Italy Partners-CEBAS-CSIC: Consejo Superior De Investigaciones Científicas–Centro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada del Segura, Murcia, Spain -DICI: Department of Civil Engineering, University of Pisa -IBIMET: Istitute of Biometeorology of the National Research Council, Firenze, Italy -NAVI: Navicelli S.p.a. Pisa -UNIFI: Department of Plant, Soil and Environmental Sciences, University of Firenze, Italy Total budget1,655,370 € EU contribution827,683 € 1° Coordination meeting Navicelli spa Pisa-Italy 3 April 2014

CLEANSED: LIFE12 ENV/IT/ B. Implementation actions B1 Dredging, analysis and characterization of contaminated sediments D. Communication and dissemination actions D1 Project website D2 LIFE+ information boards D5 Press and media releases D6 Networking D10 Dissemination to Institutions and policy makers D13 After-LIFE Communication Plan E. Project management and monitoring of the project progress E1 Project management E2 Monitoring E3 Audit Navicelli, 3 April 2014 ISECNR Beneficiary responsible

B1 Dredging, analysis and characterization of contaminated sediments Analysis of the sediments dredged from the Navicelli canal from a physical, chemical, biochemical and toxicological point of view (ISECNR, CEBAS, UNIFI and DICI) -Chemical analyses: pH, Electrical Conductivity, Total and Available nutrients, Cation Exchange Capacity, humic matter - Biochemical analyses: hydrolytic and oxidoreductase enzyme activities -Toxicological analyses: Total heavy metals and available heavy metals (Fractionation), PAH, other toxic compounds, Germination index -Plant analyses: Growth and yield parameters, heavy metals -Physiscal analysis: Texture, Bulk density, Particle density, Water Retention Curve -Mechanical analyses Choice of the suitable treatment/post-treatment for sediment reclamation (ISECNR and DICI) Navicelli, 3 April 2014 CLEANSED: LIFE12 ENV/IT/ ISECNR Beneficiary responsible

CLEANSED: LIFE12 ENV/IT/ B. Implementation actions B2 Sediment treatment (Landfarming) B3 Demonstration of the use of decontaminated sediments as a substrate for plant nursing - Setup of demonstration sites (ISECNR, IBIMET) C. Monitoring of the impact of the project actions C1 Monitoring and validation of treated sediments -analysis and characterization of the treated sediments from a chemical, biochemical and toxicological point of view in order to evaluate if the reclamation has been successful ( ISECNR, CEBAS). D. Communication and dissemination actions D.9 Demonstration workshop, seminars, conferences and other events Navicelli, 3 April 2014 ISECNR Participation

ISECNR Monitoring Parameters Physical-chemicalPhysical-chemical ( e.g., Texture, Total and Available nutrients, humic matter etc.) BiochemicalBiochemical: -Enzyme activities (  -glucosidase, phosphatase, protease, dehydrogenase) - Humic-bound enzymes Very sensitive (dynamic conditions) Soils remain lifeless without enzymes. BIOINDICATORS AT ECOSYSTEM LEVEL change slowly (static conditions) Navicelli, 3 April 2014 B1 Dredging, analysis and characterization of contaminated sediments CLEANSED: LIFE12 ENV/IT/000652

METHODOLOGY Post- Treatment Landfarming Sediment treated with AGRIPORT technology Fresh dredged Sediment Road construction Treatment Landfarming in presence of heavy metals: additional treatments H2O, Organic H2O, Organic matter and organic contaminant eduction reduction Navicelli, 3 April 2014 Nurseries CLEANSED: LIFE12 ENV/IT/000652

Navicelli, 3 April 2014 HC: High contamination: C>12: mg/kg MC: medium contamination: C>12: 1832 mg/kg LC: Low contamination: C>12: 164 mg/kg 4 Fresh sediments with different texture and contamination level collected along the Navicelli canal in November 2013 Samples sent to: CEBAS-CSIC, UNIFI, DICI; Eontych; Fresh dredged Sediment CLEANSED: LIFE12 ENV/IT/000652

Navicelli, 3 April 2014 HC: High contamination: C>12: mg/kg MC: medium contamination: C>12: 1832 mg/kg LC: Low contamination: C>12: 164 mg/kg Fresh dredged Sediment Possible contaminant interference CLEANSED: LIFE12 ENV/IT/000652

mg/kgClay HCSandy LC Sandy-Clay MC Clay-Silty MC A (Civil use) B (Industrial use) Zn Cr Cd6.12< V Co< Sb1.54< As< < Be Cu Ni Pb53,216,430,850, A – B Heavy metal concentration limit for 152/2006 and 161/2012 Fresh dredged Sediment The sample sandy –clay MC has been chosen and collected (about 400m 3 ) February-March 2014 CLEANSED: LIFE12 ENV/IT/000652

AEREATIONNUTRIENTS Contaminated sediment Clay HDPE Sand Perforated pipe LANDFARMING sprinkler Landfarming is a bioremediation technology in which contaminated sediment is spread on the upper soil zone or in biotreatment cells, mixed with nutrients and the material is periodically irrigated and aerated. Organic contaminants are degraded by microorganisms and used as carbon source for growth and energy. Navicelli, 3 April 2014 B2 Sediment treatment Landfarming After the landfarming treatment the sediment will be used in environmental application as material for road construction (DICI) CLEANSED: LIFE12 ENV/IT/000652

Exploitation of phytoremediation* as a sustainable reclamation technology for turning slightly-polluted brackish and marine dredged sediments into an agronomic substrate, which can be used as a "techno-soil” AGRIPORT Agricultural Reuse of Polluted Dredged Sediments No. ECO/08/239065/S *Phytoremediation refers to plant-based technologies to degrade/remove pollutants from dredged sediments. Navicelli, 3 April 2014 B3 Demonstration of the use of decontaminated sediments as a substrate for plant nursing CLEANSED: LIFE12 ENV/IT/000652

P LANT ADAPTATION AND GROWTH AGRIPORT SEDIMENT+*COMPOST Phragmites australis Plantation After one year and a half A HIGH QUALITY COMPOST WAS MIXED WITH THE SEDIMENT AT SURFACE LEVEL *Compost addition: Adequate nutritional conditions Adequate biological conditions Plant selection: 1.Nerium oleander, Tamarix gallica, Spartium junceum, Phragmites australis, Paspalum v. 2.potential to stabilize the site, thanks to their fast growing and deep rooting features 3.ability to uptake and remove substantial amounts of metals in their tissues. Navicelli, 3 April 2014 CLEANSED: LIFE12 ENV/IT/000652

Agriport-Monitoring The monitoring of the pilot system consisted of samplings carried out twice a year at 0-20, and cm. Navicelli, 3 April 2014 CLEANSED: LIFE12 ENV/IT/000652

 The improvement of the chemical-nutritional properties (nutrient balance) of the treated sediments indicated the activation of the nutrient cycle and then the recovery of the agronomic fertility.  The stimulation of the biological parameters contributed to create a functional “soil ecosystem“.  The decrease of the heavy metals (20%) and total petroleum hydrocarbons (50-60%) indicated the efficiency of the AGRIPORT phytoremediation technology. Agriport-Achievements Navicelli, 3 April 2014 CLEANSED: LIFE12 ENV/IT/000652

Navicelli, 3 April 2014 PV: Paspalum vaginatum C: Controllo(no piante) TP: Tamarix+Paspalum SP: Spartium+Paspalum P: Phragmites OP: Oleander +Paspalum In November 2013 Agriport samples were collected at 0-30 and cm Samples sent to: CEBAS-CSIC, UNIFI, DICI; Eontych Sediment treated with AGRIPORT technology CLEANSED: LIFE12 ENV/IT/000652

Navicelli, 3 April 2014 PV: Paspalum vaginatum C: Controllo(no piante) TP: Tamarix+Paspalum SP: Spartium+Paspalum P: Phragmites OP: Oleander +Paspalum Sediment treated with AGRIPORT technology The T. gallica and S. junceum treatments induced the highest microbial metabolism stimulation CLEANSED: LIFE12 ENV/IT/000652

Navicelli, 3 April 2014 PV: Paspalum vaginatum C: Controllo(no piante) TP: Tamarix+Paspalum SP: Spartium+Paspalum P: Phragmites OP: Oleander +Paspalum Sediment treated with AGRIPORT technology CLEANSED: LIFE12 ENV/IT/000652

Navicelli, 3 April 2014 Sediment treated with AGRIPORT technology The effectiveness of the phytoremediation systems were plant-species dependent, with P. australis, S. junceum and T. gallica treatments being more efficient in promoting hydrocarbon degradation (40-50% averagelly with respect to the control sediment) PV: Paspalum vaginatum C: Controllo(no piante) TP: Tamarix+Paspalum SP: Spartium+Paspalum P: Phragmites OP: Oleander +Paspalum CLEANSED: LIFE12 ENV/IT/ Starting value

mg/kgValue A (Civil use) B (Industrial use) Compost Zn Cr Cd V Co< Sb As Be Cu Ni Pb A – B Heavy metal concentration limit for 152/2006 (Norme in materia ambientale) and 161/2012 (Regolamento recante la disciplina dell'utilizzazione delle terre e rocce da scavo ) Materials for compost preparation (217/06 e smi) Sediment treated with AGRIPORT technology CLEANSED: LIFE12 ENV/IT/000652

ParametersValues Agronomic soil pH8.56 7,3-8,1 sub-alkaline; > 8,2 alkaline EC (µS cm ⁻ ¹) 199 < 2000 viable for all cultivations TOC (%)3.12 For a sandy loam soil: 12 very good TN (%)0.26 0,15 - 0,4 mean value TP (%)0.8 0,2 - 5 mean value TK (%)1.0 0, C/N high Germination index (%)113 > 60%, no toxicity for vegetation Dehydrogenase activity (mg INTF/kg h) 3.5 > 2 Sediment treated with AGRIPORT technology Navicelli, 3 April 2014 CLEANSED: LIFE12 ENV/IT/000652

Action B3. Demonstration of the use of decontaminated sediments as a substrate for plant nursery Every time a nursery plant is sold, a portion of valuable, nutrient-rich soil is subtracted from the land AGRIPORT decontaminated sediments will be used as agronomic substrate for the cultivation of ornamental plants with different saline stress tolerances to prevent the loss of soil and biomass due to plant nursery activities. Navicelli, 3 April 2014 CLEANSED: LIFE12 ENV/IT/ Sediment treated with AGRIPORT technology

Navicelli, 3 April 2014 Technical activity until now  Sampling and analyses of Agriport treated samples: CNRISE, CEBAS- CSIC, UNIFI, DICI; Eontych;  Collection and analyses of 4 fresh sediment samples: CNRISE, CEBAS- CSIC, UNIFI, DICI; Eontych;  Dredging activities in the selected area: February-March 2013  Landfarming process: March 2013 (collection of T0 samples) Future technical activity  Landfarming for about 1-2 month  Collection and analysis of the sediments (fresh and Agriport) after landfarming process  Starting of the activity about using of Agriport treated sediments in nurseries  Starting of the activity about using of landfarming treated sediments in road construction CLEANSED: LIFE12 ENV/IT/000652