Chemical substances (nutrients, contaminants) interact with reactive soil particles, e.g. with organic matter, clay, iron(hydr)oxide and aluminiumhydroxide. This will affect their bioavailability and mobility in the soil. Also soil particles interact with each other, e.g. organic matter adsorbs onto iron(hydr)oxide. This affects soil structure (formation of soil aggregates).
Pot experiment showing effects of copper and pH on growth of grass. |
The presence of contaminants in the soil environment has been a concern for many years. The activities of man, particularly since the industrial revolution, have led to a substantial increase of trace elements and organic contaminant loadings of soils, both by diffuse (airborne) and local emissions. In addition, human activities lead to the production of large and ever increasing volumes of waste materials (e.g. from various domestic, industrial and mining activities, as well as energy production), which also contain elevated levels of such substances. These waste materials generally enter the soil environment by either land-filling or by their beneficial utilization in construction applications such as building materials and road bases. |
Major research challenges:
- to identify the underlying processes that control the actual risks of contaminant mobility and bioavailability in the soil environment
- to develop methods for the measurement and/or prediction of the relevant contaminant fractions (“speciation”) and the associated risks of contaminant migration and uptake by biota
The applicability for real world problems is diverse. Usually, the problems studied concern the fate of nutrients or contaminants. However, also soil formation problems, aspects of risk analysis and soil protection, soil fertility/fertigation, etc. may benefit from the outcome of this research
Research projects: