Toward a sustainable phytomanagement of the metal-contaminated megasite of Metaleurop Nord (France) - PhytoSUDOE

Toward a sustainable phytomanagement of the metal-
 contaminated megasite of Metaleurop Nord (France)

                                Dr Bertrand POURRUT, PhD
                                Contact: bertrand.pourrut@yncrea.fr

ISA, Soils and Environment Research Team, LGCgE Laboratory - Lille Nord de France, 59046 Lille

                                  Vitoria, October 10th 2018

Northern France
Former coal-mining regionFormer coal-mining
                          (Northern
                         area
                                       France)

Nord-Pas de Calais Region ≈ 2x Comunidad Autonoma
    del Pais Vasco / Euskal Autonomia Erkidegoa

                                                    2

Coal-mining activity: a cultural heritage…
           Former coal-mining
           area

                    2014                     3

Coal-mining activity: a toxic legacy…
                         Former coal-mining
                         area

• One of the most contaminated area in Europe

• 60% of the French brownfields are located in former Nord-Pas de Calais
Region                                                                     4

Coal-mining activity: a toxic legacy…
                         Former coal-mining
                         area

                                              Metaleurop Nord

                                                                  3 km

                                                                Nyrstar

• Metaleurop Nord (1894-2003), the biggest lead
smelter in Europe
• Nyrstar, a zinc smelter in activity since 1869
                                                                          5

Metaleurop Nord (early 20th century)

                                       6

Metaleurop Nord (2003)

                         7

Metaleurop Nord: soil contamination

 Cd, Pb and Zn atmospheric emissions (tons /year) from Aligon
 and Douay (2011)
• 2003: Metaleurop closedown

                                                                8

Metaleurop Nord

                  9

Metaleurop Nord

                  10

Metaleurop Nord

                  11

Metaleurop Nord

                  12

Metaleurop Nord

                  13

2003

       Photo ADEME

2011

            14

Metaleurop Nord: soil contamination
                                                                Agricultural soils (0 - 25 cm)

                                                                [metal]    Studied       Regional
                                                                mg kg-1      soils      background

                                                                          Min - Max      Median
                                                                  Cd       1.5 -15.7       0.4
                                                                  Pb      102 - 804        29
                                                                  Zn      154 - 1 083      67
 Cd, Pb and Zn atmospheric emissions (tons /year) from Aligon
 and Douay (2011)
• 2003: Metaleurop closedown

• Contamination vs regional background:
    –   x2-3 (Ni, As, Sn, Tl)
    –   x5-10 (Cu, In, Ag)
    –   x15-18 (Hg, Bi, Sb)
    –   x20-50 (Cd, Pb and Zn)
                                                                                             15

Pollutant vertical distribution in soils
• Contamitation is mainly limited to topsoils (0 – 30 cm)

                                                            16

Metaleurop Nord: soil contamination

                                Douay et al, 2011

  • About 150 km2 are contaminated by the dust fallouts (50.000 inhabitants)

  • Pollutant transfer towards the biosphere

(Pruvot et al., 2009)                                                          17

Metaleurop Nord: soil contamination

                                  Douay et al, 2011

• About 150 km2 are contaminated by the dust fallouts (50.000 inhabitants)

• Pollutant transfer towards the biosphere
                                                               (Descamps et al., 2009)

                                                                              18
          (Pruvot et al., 2009)

Metaleurop Nord: soil contamination

                                Douay et al, 2011

• About 150 km2 are contaminated by the dust fallouts (50.000 inhabitants)

• Pollutant transfer towards the biosphere

• Environmental impacts (soil dysfunction, soil fauna, mesofauna and plants)

• Human health risks and impacts : disease rates ten times higher than the
national rates (Pruvot et al., 2006)

                                                                               19

Metaleurop Nord: a complex issue
• Extended contamination

                                               20

Metaleurop Nord: a complex issue
 • Extended contamination + contaminated dusts

                                  Pb                      Cd
                             concentration           concentration
                               (µg m-2)                (µg m-2)
                                16-250                   0.6 - 4
                                251-500                  4.1 - 8
                                501-750                  8.1 -12
                                751-1000                 12.1 - 20
                                1001-12330               20.1 - 80

(Vanrullen et al., 2007)

                                                        21

Metaleurop Nord: a complex issue
• Extended contamination + contaminated dusts
• Different land uses: urban areas, agricultural areas, green areas, forest…

                                                                         22

Metaleurop Nord: a complex issue
 • Extended contamination + contaminated dusts
 • Different land uses: urban areas, agricultural areas, green areas, forest…
 • Different local authorities: 1 Région, 2 Départements

                                              Former coal-mining
                                              area

                                                   Département du Nord

Département du
Pas de Calais
                                                                          23

Metaleurop Nord: a complex issue
• Extended contamination + contaminated dusts
• Different land uses: urban areas, agricultural areas, green areas, forest…
• Different local authorities: 1 Région, 2 Départements, 8 cities

                                                                         24

Metaleurop Nord: a complex issue
• Extended contamination + contaminated dusts
• Different land uses: urban areas, agricultural areas, green areas, forest…
• Different local authorities: 1 Région, 2 Départements, 8 cities
• A very sensitive context:
    – 50.000 inhabitants live in the contaminated area
    – the disease rates (cancers, malformations, backwardness…) in this area are about ten
      times higher than the national rates (Pruvot et al., 2006)
    → Role of heavy metals???

    – For some local authorities, there is no problem anymore

                                                                                   25

Metaleurop Nord: a complex issue
• Extended contamination + contaminated dusts
• Different land uses: urban areas, agricultural areas, green areas, forest…
• Different local authorities: 1 Région, 2 Départements, 8 cities
• A very sensitive context:
    – 50.000 inhabitants live in the contaminated area
    – the disease rates (cancers, malformations, backwardness…) in this area are about ten
      times higher than the national rates (Pruvot et al., 2006)
    → Role of heavy metals???

    – For some local authorities, there is no problem anymore

                                                                                   26

Metaleurop agricultural areas

                                27

Food crop contamination

         From Douay et al., 2006
                                   28

Food crop contamination
                         Consumption
     Crop
  production      Human           Animal

Wheat grain                           
Barley grain                          
Corn grain                            
Pea                                   
Wheat straw          /                 
Barley straw         /                 
Foraged maize        /                 
• Human risk linked with food crop consumption (Douay et al., 2008; Pelfrène
et al., 2013)
• Contaminated soils: human risks (Pelfrène et al., 2013)

• Dust emissions during soil tillage, pesticides/herbicides use, harvest…

New local policy for agricultural areas

                                    > 1 000 mg Pb and/or 20 mg Cd kg-1:
                                                  No agriculture
                                    From 200 to 1000 mg Pb kg-1 and/or 4 to
                                     20 mg Cd kg-1:
                                           750 ha

• Some cultures are authorized (potato, wheat, corn…) but constraints related
to commercialization issues (European threshold values, brand images)
• Necessity of non-food crop cultivation is prevailing

• End of agricultural subsidies in the coming years

 Sustainable management of these highly polluted soils is crucial
                                                                           30

Management of agricultural areas
     The contaminated area is too large to be remediated in an economically
          relevant way by the currently applied remediation techniques

                  Interest of phytotechnologies?

Phytoextraction

                                                                              31

Management of agricultural areas
     The contaminated area is too large to be remediated in an economically
          relevant way by the currently applied remediation techniques

                     Interest of phytotechnologies?

Phytostabilization

                                                                              32

Management of agricultural areas
The contaminated area is too large to be remediated in an economically
     relevant way by the currently applied remediation techniques

            Interest of phytotechnologies?

         Wood

                                                                         33

Experimental site set-up
In 2000, a former agricultural field (1 ha) was divided into 3 plots:
- a reference plot (R) with no amendment,
- one plot (F1) amended with silico-aluminous fly ash (FA1),
- one plot (F2) amended with sulfo-calcic fly ash (FA2).

       R                                                                  Robin
                                                                          ier
                                                                          Aulne
                                                                          Chên
                                                                          e
     F2                                                                   Erabl
                                                                          e
                                                                          Saule          Metal       Topsoil [metal]
                                                                                                        (mg kg-1)
        F1                                                                                 Cd           16.5 – 17.8
                                                                                           Pb            930 - 1023
                                                                                           Zn           1155 - 1256
                                                                                                                     34
Lopareva-Pohu et al., 2011. Sci Total Environ, 409(3): 647-654; Pourrut et al., 2011. Sci Total Environ. 409 (21): 4504-4510.

Experimental site set-up
In 2000, a former agricultural field (1 ha) was divided into 3 plots:
- a reference plot (R) with no amendment,
- one plot (F1) amended with silico-aluminous fly ash (FA1),
- one plot (F2) amended with sulfo-calcic fly ash (FA2).

                                             • alcaline Fly ashes / low CEC
                                             • pH : FA2 > FA1
                                             • Essential nutrient imput

                                                                                         Metal       Topsoil [metal]
                                                                                                        (mg kg-1)
                                                                                           Cd           16.5 – 17.8
                                                                                           Pb            930 - 1023
                                                                                           Zn           1155 - 1256
                                                                                                                     35
Lopareva-Pohu et al., 2011. Sci Total Environ, 409(3): 647-654; Pourrut et al., 2011. Sci Total Environ. 409 (21): 4504-4510.

Experimental site set-up
In 2000, a former agricultural field (1 ha) was divided into 3 plots:
- a reference plot (R) with no amendment,
- one plot (F1) amended with silico-aluminous fly ash (FA1),
- one plot (F2) amended with sulfo-calcic fly ash (FA2).

                                  • alcaline Fly ashes / low CEC
                                  • pH : FA2 > FA1
                                  • Essential nutrient imput

                                                                        Metal   Topsoil [metal]
                                                                                   (mg kg-1)
    • [Cd, Pb, Zn]:                                                      Cd       16.5 – 17.8
      FA2 ≈ regional background values                                   Pb       930 - 1023
      FA1 = 2.5 to 3.7 regional background values                        Zn      1155 - 1256
                                                                                           36
      FA1, FA2

Experimental site set-up
In 2000, a former agricultural field (1 ha) was divided into 3 plots:
- a reference plot (R) with no amendment,
- one plot (F1) amended with silico-aluminous fly ash (FA1),
- one plot (F2) amended with sulfo-calcic fly ash (FA2).

• An herbaceous mixture was sown
• The site was planted with a tree mix: 1800 trees
                                                            black alder (Alnus glutinosa)

                                                            sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus)

                                                            black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia)

                                                            white willow (Salix alba)

                                                            pedunculate oak (Quercus robur)

     R                                                     Robin
                                                           ier
                                                           Aulne
                                                           Chên
                                                           e
    F2                                                     Erabl
                                                           e
                                                           Saule

     F1
                                                                                                   37

Site afforestation (2001 – 2018)
                                    2001                                    2018

• Afforestation of the former field and good tree development except Q. robur
• The tree species studied (A. glutinosa, A. pseudoplatanus and R. pseudoacacia)
are likely suitable for phytostabilisation of highly metal-contaminated soils, unlike S.
alba and Q. robur
• Soil acidification and soil organic mater content increase followed the change in
land use i.e. the afforestation of former agricultural ecosystem
• Fly ashes buffered soil acidification and increased OM accumulation; and strongly
decreased metal phytoavailability and translocation to above-ground organs

Management of agricultural areas
The contaminated area is too large to be remediated in an economically
     relevant way by the currently applied remediation techniques

            Interest of phytotechnologies?

         Wood                             Miscanthus x giganteus

                                                                         39

Miscanthus x giganteus
• High yield: 15 - 30 t MS ha-1
• Few agricultural inputs
• Perennial grass
• Grow from tropical to temperate zones
• Sterile, non invasive
• Soil physical stabilisation
• No tillage: no dispersion of
contaminated dusts
• Sequestration of CO2
                                              Cadoux et al, 2013
Biomass with multiple uses

                                                                             40
          heat              biofuel       mulch                    animal bedding

Experimental site set-up

                       MV
          M1000

                            Tree plot (2000)

                                          M500
                  SITA

                              M200

+ 2 reference plots: M2007 et M2010
                                                 41

Miscanthus suitability to phytostabilize HM
Suitability of miscanthus for phytomanagement of Metaleurop
                megasite (Nsanganwimana, 2014)

• Good biomass yield after two years of cultivation
• Large soil cover with soil physical stabilization

                                                              42

Miscanthus suitability to phytostabilize HM
Suitability of miscanthus for phytomanagement of Metaleurop
                megasite (Nsanganwimana, 2014)

• Good biomass yield after two years of cultivation
• Large soil cover with soil physical stabilization
    Leaves   Stems   Rhizomes   Roots            Soil without miscanthus   Soil with miscanthus

• Stabilization of Cd, Pb and Zn into the rhizosphere and main accumulation in the
roots
• No contamination in the aerial organs                                        43

Miscanthus ability to grow on HM-contaminated soil
Soil-plant interactions in the context of phytomanagement of
soil contaminated by metals: Application to miscanthus
(Al Souki, 2017)

• High tolerance to soil metallic pollution

                                                   a

                                                               44

Miscanthus ability to grow on HM-contaminated soil
Soil-plant interactions in the context of phytomanagement of
soil contaminated by metals: Application to miscanthus
(Al Souki, 2017)

• High tolerance to soil metallic pollution

                                                               45

Miscanthus ability to restore soil functions
Soil-plant interactions in the context of phytomanagement of
soil contaminated by metals: Application to miscanthus
(Al Souki, 2017)
Miscanthus:
• improves soil properties and increases carbon sequestration

              Cation-Exchange Capacity and Organic Carbon: Ratio (T+1/T0)

                                                                            46
                         Soil without miscanthus   Soil with miscanthus

Miscanthus ability to restore soil functions
Soil-plant interactions in the context of phytomanagement of
soil contaminated by metals: Application to miscanthus
(Al Souki, 2017)
Miscanthus:
• improves soil properties and increases carbon sequestration
• increases soil microbial biomass and activity

             Microbial Biomass Carbon and Basal Respiration: Ratio (T+1/T0)

                                                                              47
                         Soil without miscanthus   Soil with miscanthus

Miscanthus ability to restore soil functions
Soil-plant interactions in the context of phytomanagement of
soil contaminated by metals: Application to miscanthus
(Al Souki, 2017)
Miscanthus:
• improves soil properties and increases carbon sequestration
• increases soil microbial biomass and activity
• stimulates enzyme activities involved in element cycles (N, C, P…)
                      Acid phosphatase and urease: Ratio (T+1/T0)

                                                                          48
                         Soil without miscanthus   Soil with miscanthus

Management of agricultural areas

Miscanthus:
• Reduction of human and
environmental risks
                                              Sustainable
• Improvement of soil                         management

characteristics

• Stimulation of soil functions

• Increase of soil biodiversity
(microfauna, mesofauna, birds)

                                                            49

Production of biomass on Metaleurop soils
• 200 ha : biomass for biogas plant
→ research on going on HM effects on biogas production

                                                         50

Production of biomass on Metaleurop soils
• 200 ha : biomass for biogas plant
→ research on going on HM effects on biogaz production

• 550 ha : miscanthus

• Gross margin (~600€/year/hectare)

                                                         51

Social perception
• Very good public acceptance

• Communication (2007-2014)
     Top down approach
     Bad communication plan

• Communication (2014-)
     Top down approach (biogas plant)
     Bottom up approach

                                                 52

Social perception
• Very good public acceptance

• Communication (2007-2014)
     Top down approach
     Bad communication plan

• Communication (2014-)
     Top down approach (biogas plant)
     Bottom up approach
     Intensive communication

                                                 53

Conclusions
• Miscanthus is a very interesting plant for the phytomanagement of
Metaleurop megasite

• Communication is a key factor for the success of phytomanagement
(especially on megasites)

• Political support is needed to support bio- (phyto) technologies

                                                                     54

Acknowledgements
Soils and Environment Research Team

Our research partners

                   Thank you for your attention!   55

I. Private gardens/kitchen gardens
• Higher concentration than in agricultural soils
• Risk for children linked with soil ingestion (Roussel et al., 2010)

                                                                        56

I. Private gardens/kitchen gardens
• Higher concentration than in agricultural soils
• Risk for children linked with soil ingestion (Roussel et al., 2010)
• Most of the produced vegetables did not conform with European legislation
(Douay et al,, 2001b; Douay et al., 2013)
                                                               Controls

            Radish

            Lettuce

            Potatoe

             Carot

             Leek

           Tomatoe
                                                                          57

I. Private gardens/kitchen gardens
• Higher concentration than in agricultural soils
• Risk for children linked with soil ingestion (Roussel et al., 2010)

• Most of the produced vegetables did not conform with European legislation
(Douay et al,, 2001b; Douay et al., 2013)
• Human risk linked with homegrown vegetable consumption (Pelfrène et al., 2013)

• Remediation of contaminated gardens (2004-2011): 7350 tons of polluted soils

                                                                            58

I. Private gardens/kitchen gardens
• Higher concentration than in agricultural soils
• Risk for children linked with soil ingestion (Roussel et al., 2010)

• Most of the produced vegetables did not conform with European legislation
(Douay et al,, 2001b; Douay et al., 2013)
• Human risk linked with homegrown vegetable consumption (Pelfrène et al., 2013)

• Remediation of contaminated gardens (2004-2011): 7350 tons of polluted soils
• Increase of Pb and Cd concentrations in uncontaminated soils: x2-3 after 5 years

                                                                              59

II. Child metal poisoning
• Before 2003: lead poisoning affected 13% of the children (25% in the
closest cities) (Leroyer et al., 2001; De Burbure et al., 2006)
• After 2003: : lead poisoning affected 6% of the children (Mazzuca et al.,
2006a, 2006b)

                                                          Indoor dust samplings

      Outside dust samplings

                                                                                   60
                                                    Dust samplings on children hands
      soil (0-2 cm et 0-25 cm) and weed samplings

MV experimental site set-up

                                                    … 3 replicates
1 block :
-12 randomised sub-blocks
-3 Miscanthus cultivars                                + 3 blocks
-2 plantation densities                                with mycorhization

                                                 72 sub-blocks

                                                                     62
11 May and 1 June 2010
 th        st

First results
Monofactorial influence on HM accumulation:
Genotype
Mycorhization           No effect
Density

                                              63

First results
Monofactorial influence on HM accumulation:
Genotype
Mycorhization            No effect
Density

Bifactorial influence on HM accumulation:
Genotype x density
                                      No effect
Density x mycorhization
Genotype x mycorhization

                                                  64

First results

                65

First results
Monofactorial influence on HM accumulation:
Genotype
Mycorhization            No effect
Density

Bifactorial influence on HM accumulation:
Genotype x density
                                      No effect
Density x mycorhization
Genotype x mycorhization: negative effect of mycorhization (trend)

Trifactorial influence on HM accumulation:
Genotype x mycorhization x density                               66

Santé des plantes : MV

 Comparison matrix

                          67

 Mycorhized vs mycorhized
 Mycorhized vs non
  mycorhized
 Non mycorhized vs non
  mycorhized                 68