The status of ecosystem functions of polluted lands assessed in situ using plant, soil and microbial indicators

The purpose of the project is to develop and evaluate methods for an ecological risk assessment of metal-contaminated soils based on site-specific evaluation of ecologically relevant processes. Current methods suffer from a limited understanding of how metal pollutants affect soil ecosystems and functions. This knowledge gap often leads to the removal of contaminated soils with a poor connection to the corresponding benefits for the soil ecosystem. This project aims to fill this knowledge gap with the goal of guiding decision-makers to make more accurate risk assessments. The project is a collaboration between Örebro University, Structor Miljöteknik AB, Structor Miljö Öst AB and the Swedish Geotechnical Institute (SGI).