Griftpark bacteria disinfected part of the contaminated soil; The second phase of the search has now begun

Now that it is finally clear that so-called Griftpark bacteria are clearing up contaminated soil under a park of the same name in Utrecht, it is time for a new phase in the research. From the middle of 2023, experiments will be carried out with new technologies that can speed up the process of bacteria.

Griftpark’s soil was polluted by a gas plant that once stood on this site and was demolished in the 1960s. When the area was turned into a park in the 1990s, soil contamination was stored underground. The contaminated area extends to a depth of 50 metres.

an opportunity

several years ago Serendipitously discovered a special group of bacteria that naturally clean up contaminated soil under the garden. A study of this bacterium began in 2017, conducted by Utrecht University, Wageningen University, Research and Deltaris. These parties received in 2020 The amount of 2.8 million euros Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management.

The first phase of the study was completed in the summer of 2022 and these results are “positive,” according to the municipality. “The contamination that spread underground before the contaminated area was packed in the 1990s has now been completely decontaminated by Griftpark bacteria. The bacteria are also slowly breaking down the contamination within the packed area.”

techniques

If it turns out in the future that bacteria do not adequately break down contaminated soil, other techniques may need to be applied. To this end, four of these technologies will be investigated in Phase 2. What exactly they entail is unknown.

According to the municipality, the studies consist of small-scale trials. These trials will be set up between February and June of this year, and the tests will take place from mid-2023 to the end of 2024. The containers will be located at three sites in Griftpark during that period and a trial will take place in Brailledreef.

tar

In addition to these experiments with soil contamination breaking down techniques, the presence of tar in the soil under Griftpark is also being investigated. This research was also funded by The Hague. “The aim of the research is to find out whether tar can be removed using separate pumping techniques,” writes the municipality of Utrecht.