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Treasure from trash: mining critical elements from sewage sludge using plants

Descrizione del progetto

Trasformare i rifiuti in preziosi metalli critici

Dato l’aumento nelle previsioni del loro consumo fino al 2050, si prospetta un rapido incremento della domanda globale di metalli critici come il selenio (Se), il cobalto (Co) e il nichel (Ni), elementi considerati critici a causa dell’imminente raggiungimento del loro limite a livello di fornitura. Con il sostegno del programma di azioni Marie Skłodowska-Curie, il progetto MinE-UP sta adottando un approccio innovativo che ricorre all’impiego dei fanghi di depurazione per estrarre e riciclare questi metalli vitali attraverso una fitoestrazione mirata. In particolare, il progetto ridurrà i costi ambientali ed economici associati allo smaltimento dei fanghi di depurazione, migliorerà il ripristino ecosistemico nelle aree estrattive, creerà nuove opportunità per le comunità locali e sbloccherà il potenziale di cui sono dotati i prodotti di origine vegetale, come i biominerali a base di Se, Co e Ni.

Obiettivo

The global consumption of metals and metalloids is increasing rapidly owing to an ever-growing demand from technology and renewable energy industries. These include selenium (Se), cobalt (Co), and nickel (Ni) for which the 2050 projected consumption is expected to be 5 to 10-folds higher than today. These elements are defined as “critical” since their supply is expected to be critically limiting in the near future. Considering the increasing demand for critical metal(loid)s, the use of sewage sludge (SS) as alternative resource of these raw materials can constitute an appealing alternative to make “treasure out of trash”, thereby promoting the circular economy. MinE-UP aims at contributing to the supply of Se, Co, and Ni exploiting metal(loid) enriched SS through targeted phytomining. The envisaged solution will utilize degraded mined land as locations in which SS phytomining can safely take place. MinE-Up is expected to: 1) Reduce of the overall amount of disposed SS and the connected environmental and economic costs; 2) Generate a positive environmental impact by enhancing ecosystem restoration in mined areas; 3) Contribute to the valorization of mined lands, creating new opportunities for local communities. 4) Characterize the new plant-based products (Se, Co, Ni bio-ores) and evaluate their possible applications. MinE-UP outcomes will have relevant impacts at scientific, economic, and societal levels. They will range from the investigation of metal accumulation physiology in plants growing on SS, to the assessment of the process effects on land remediation. From the agronomical aspects of hyperaccumulator cultivation, to the procedures of extraction and purification of the valuable elements and molecules contained in hyperaccumulator biomasses. In the long period, MinE-UP innovative methodologies could help in modernizing and re-invent SS disposal methods, giving a second life to this waste while possibly directing the updating of national and EU regulations.

Campo scientifico (EuroSciVoc)

CORDIS classifica i progetti con EuroSciVoc, una tassonomia multilingue dei campi scientifici, attraverso un processo semi-automatico basato su tecniche NLP.

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Coordinatore

WAGENINGEN UNIVERSITY
Contribution nette de l'UE
€ 187 624,32
Indirizzo
DROEVENDAALSESTEEG 4
6708 PB Wageningen
Paesi Bassi

Mostra sulla mappa

Regione
Oost-Nederland Gelderland Veluwe
Tipo di attività
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Collegamenti
Costo totale
Nessun dato

Partner (1)