ESPINOZA TOFALOS Anna Speranza
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DE LAULANIE DE SAINTE CROIX Elise
Send an emailNATUre-based REMediation solutions for Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) contamination
The EU Soil Strategy for 2030 establishes medium and long-term objectives to achieve good soil health by 2050. It promotes the hierarchy of waste (prioritizing recovery over landfill) and soil restoration using sustainable and innovative methods (such as bioremediation), specifying that "contaminated sites require remediation with often complex and expensive techniques, although in certain cases, low-cost bioremediation techniques are effective." Conventional remediation methods are not sustainable nor definitive methods whereas bioremediation is.
Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are toxic, long-lasting chemicals that pose risks to human health and the environment. Removing these from contaminated soils is a legal obligation in the EU (Regulation (EU) 2019/1021).
The incorporation of bioremediation in public policies for POPs soil pollution management is a pending task that will be addressed by NATUREM.
NATUREM supports nature-based remediation (bio- and phytoremediation) as practical, low-impact ways to clean POP-contaminated soils, shifting away from conventional high-cost methods. Partners will exchange knowledge, develop pilot actions, and test the incorporation of these nature-based methods into public policies and soil management strategies across their regions. Stakeholder involvement (public authorities, environmental agencies, research institutes) is built into the project’s methodology to foster adoption and tailor approaches to local contexts.
Rather than only researching remediation methods, the project actively works on policy instruments and governance frameworks to institutionalize sustainable remediation. And bringing together diverse European regions promotes comparative insights, which can accelerate adoption and adaptation of best practices.
LIST will serve as the advisory partner, providing scientific and regulatory support to the project partners.
The project will enhance knowledge-exchange outputs, including reports, good practice inventories, and results from inter-regional learning events. It will also improve policy instruments by integrating sustainable remediation methods into regional strategies. Pilot action reports will demonstrate the tested implementation of nature-based remediation solutions at selected sites. The project will also deliver awareness-raising materials and stakeholder engagement frameworks.
The project will support soil-remediation practitioners, regulators, and industry stakeholders in adopting more sustainable and cost-efficient methods. It will encourage innovation in environmental services, ecological engineering, and remediation markets by legitimizing nature-based techniques and creating demand for related expertise and technologies. In real-life applications, NATUREM may help integrate ecological remediation into regional land-management plans, water-protection strategies, and urban development projects, while restoring POP-contaminated agricultural land and industrial brownfields.
