SCIENTIFIC COOPERATION WITH UNIVERSITY AND RESEARCH INSTITUTES

ReSoil® is a sustainable (effective, cost-efficient, soil preserving, environmentally safe) technology and a breakthrough eco-innovation which promises remediation of now unattended contaminated areas. As such ReSoil® has spurred widespread interest in the scientific community. Prof. Domen Leštan leads R&D at Envit Ltd. and the soil remediation research group at University of Ljubljana. Envit and UL cooperate with scientists from University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna in an ongoing research project concerning the management of demonstrational vegetable gardens with ReSoil remediated soil in Slovenia and Austria, financed by the Slovenian Research Agency and Austrian Science Fund. The properties of soil organic matter in ReSoil® remediated soil are studied in cooperation between UL and scientists from University of Udine, Italy. Contaminated soil from Pribram, Czech Republic was also treated using ReSoil® research commenced between UL and scientists from Czech University of Life Sciences Prague on ecosystem services of remediated soil.

ReSoil® SCIENTIFIC PAPERS

MORALES ARTEAGA, Juan, Francisco, ZUPANC, Mojca, DULAR, Matevz, LESTAN, Domen, and KAURIN, Anela. Removal of Toxic Metals from Sewage Sludge by Acid Hydrolysis Coupled with EDTA Washing in a Closed-Loop Process. International journal of environmental research and public health, 2023, 20(3), p.2544.

MACEK, Irena, PINTARIC, Sara, SIBANC, Natasa, RAJNIS, Tatjana, KASTELEC, Damijana, LESTAN, Domen and SUHADOLC, Metka. Plants play a crucial role in the development of soil fungal communities in the remediated substrate after EDTA washing of metal-contaminated soils. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 2022, 10, p.978850.

NOLLER, Christoph, FRIESL-HANL, Wolfgang, HOOD-NOWOTNY, Rebecca and WATRZINGER, Andrea. Remediating Garden Soils: EDTA-Soil Washing and Safe Vegetable Production in Raised Bed Gardens. Toxics, 2022, 10(11), p.652.

MORALES-ARTEAGA, Juan, Francisco, KAURIN, Anela and LESTAN, Domen. Removal of toxic metals from sewage sludge by EDTA in a closed-loop washing process. Chemosphere, 2022, p.135917.

MORALES-ARTEAGA, Juan, Francisco, GLUHAR, Simon, KAURIN, Anela and LEŠTAN, Domen. Simultaneous removal of arsenic and toxic metals from contaminated soil: Laboratory development and pilot scale demonstration. Environmental Pollution, 2022,
294, p.118656.

NOLLER, Christoph, FRIESL-HANL, Wolfgang, HOOD-NOWOTNY, Rebecca, PUSCHENREITER, Markus and WATRZINGER, Andrea. Effect of Chelant-Based Soil Washing and Post-Treatment on Pb, Cd, and Zn Bioavailability and Plant Uptake. Water, Air, & Soil Pollution, 2021, 232(10), pp.1-14.

GLUHAR, Simon, KAURIN, Anela, VODNIK, Dominik, KASTELEC, Damjana, ZUPANC, Vesna and LEŠTAN, Domen. Demonstration gardens with EDTA-washed soil. Part III: Plant growth, soil physical properties and production of safe vegetables. Science of The Total Environment, 2021, p.148521.

KAURIN, Anela, GLUHAR, Simon, MAČEK, Irena, KASTELEC, Damjana and LEŠTAN, Domen. Demonstrational gardens with EDTA-washed soil. Part II: Soil quality assessment using biological indicators. Science of The Total Environment, 2021, p.148522.

GLUHAR, Simon, KAURIN, Anela, FINŽGAR, Neža, GERL, Marko, KASTELEC, Damjana and LEŠTAN, Domen. Demonstrational gardens with EDTA-washed soil. Part I: Remediation efficiency, effect on soil properties and toxicity hazards. Science of The Total Environment, 2021, p.149060.

JEŽ, Erika, BRAVO, Carlo, LESTAN, Domen, GLUHAR, Simon, MARTIN-NETO, Ladislau, De NOBILI, Maria and CONTIN, Marco. Changes in Organic Matter Composition Caused by EDTA Washing of two Soils Contaminated with Toxic Metals. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2021.

KAURIN, Anela, GLUHAR, Simon, TILIKJ Natasha, LEŠTAN Domen. Soil washing with biodegradable chelating agents and EDTA: Effect on soil properties and plant growth. Chemosphere, 2020, 260, 127673.

GLUHAR, Simon, KAURIN, Anela, LEŠTAN, Domen. Soil washing with biodegradable chelating agents and EDTA: Technological feasibility,remediation efficiency and environmental sustainability. Chemosphere, 2020, vol. 257, 127226.

GLUHAR, Simon, JEŽ, Erika, LEŠTAN, Domen. The use of zero-valent Fe for curbing toxic emissions after EDTA-based washing of Pb, Zn and CD contaminated calcareous and acidic soil. Chemosphere, 2018, vol. 215, p-482-489.

KAURIN, Anela and LEŠTAN, Domen. Multi-substrate induced microbial respiration, nitrification potential and enzymeactivities in metal-polluted, EDTA-washed soils. Environmental pollution, 2018, vol 243, p- 238-245.

KAURIN, Anela, CERNILOGAR, Zarja, LEŠTAN Domen. Revitalisation of metal-contaminated, EDTA-washed soil by addition of unpolluted soil, compost and biochar: Effects on soil enzyme activity, microbial community composition and abundance. Chemosphere, 2017, vol 193, p- 726-736.

LEŠTAN, Domen. Novel chelant-based washing method for soil contaminated with Pb and other metals: A pilot-scale study. Land Degrad Develop., 2017, vol. 28,p. 2585-2595.

SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE CONTRIBUTIONS

LEŠTAN, Domen, VOGLAR, Grega E. Can we clean up contaminated soils? : 7th Annual Urban Soils Symposium, Metabolism of Cities. Developing mutualistic relationships between built & natural systems. November 16-17, 2022, New York. https://www.facebook.com/NYCUSI/photos/a.175889624....

LEŠTAN, Domen, VOGLAR, Grega E., GLUHAR, Simon, KAURIN, Anela, FINŽGAR, Neža. ReSoil - novel technology for efficient and sustainable removal of heavy metals from contaminated soils. V: Communication and public engagement for healthy people and a healthy planet: 2022 ASA, CSSA, SSSA International annual meeting : November 6-9, 2022, Baltimore, Maryland and limited virtual. Madison: American Society of Agronomy. https://scisoc.confex.com/scisoc/2022am/meetingapp....
VOGLAR, Grega E., GLUHAR, Simon, KAURIN, Anela, LEŠTAN, Domen. Large-scale demonstration of ReSoil, a sustainable technology for soil washing of metal contaminated soil. In: SUITMA 11, in Berlin (Germany), September 5-9, 2022.

GLUHAR, Simon, VOGLAR, Grega E., FINŽGAR, Neža, GERL, Marko, LEŠTAN, Domen. Large-scale demonstration of RESOIL, a sustainable technology for soil washing of metal contaminated soil: Remtech EXPO international event, 20.-24.09. 2021. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=603552011096332.
GLUHAR, Simon, KAURIN, Anela, ZUPANC, Vesna, VODNIK, Dominik, MAČEK, Irena, KASTELEC, Damijana, FINŽGAR, Neža, GERL, Marko, LEŠTAN, Domen. Large-scale demonstration of ReSoil, a sustainable technology for soil washing of metal contaminated soil. In: EUROSOIL 2020, in Geneva (Switzerland), August 23-27, 2021.

LEŠTAN, Domen, GLUHAR, Simon, FINŽGAR, Neža, GERL, Marko. Large-scale demonstration of novel, entirely sustainable chelator-basedwashing of heavy metals contaminated soils. In: ICOBTE 2019. 15th International Conference on the Biogeochemistry of Trace Elements (ICOBTE 2019) in Nanjing, May 5th - 9th, 2019. [S.l.: S.n.], 2019. p. 1.
GLUHAR, Simon, LEŠTAN, Domen. Testing biodegradable chelators in realistic soil-washing process conditions: feasibility, efficiencyand effect on soil properties. In: ICOBTE 2019. 15th International Conference on the Biogeochemistry of Trace Elements (ICOBTE 2019) in Nanjing, May 5th - 9th, 2019. [S.l.: S.n.], 2019. p. 1.
GLUHAR, Simon, JEŽ, Erika, LEŠTAN, Domen. Curbing of toxic emissions after EDTA-based washing of Pb, Zn and Cd contaminated calcareous and acidic soil. In: 2018 ICHMET. 19th International Conference on Heavy Metals in the Environment, July 22-25, 2018 Athens, GA USA. Athens: University of Georgia, 2018. No. 163.
GLUHAR, Simon, JEŽ, Erika, LEŠTAN, Domen. Elimination of harmful emissions from remediated soil by adding zero valant Fe =Odprava škodljivih emisij iz remediranih tal z dodajanjem nič valentnega Fe. In: FINŽGAR, Neža (ed.). Demonstracija inovativne tehnologije pranja s toksičnimi kovinami močno onesnaženih vrtnih tal : zbornik konference = Demonstration of innovative soil washing technology for removal of toxic metals from highly contaminated garden soil : proceedings of the conference. Ljubljana: Envit, 2018. Str. 60-62, ilustr. ISBN 978-961-288-861-9.
GLUHAR, Simon, LEŠTAN, Domen. Combined EDTA soil washing and stabilization of residual toxic metals. In: Abstracts. 14th International Conference on the Biogeochemistry of Trace Elements, 16-20 July, 2017 - ETH Zurich, Switzerland.
KAMMERER, Gerhard, ZUPANC, Vesna, GLUHAR, Simon, LEŠTAN, Domen. Effect of soil washing for lead and zinc removal on soil hydraulicproperties. In: European Geosciences Union, General Assembly 2017, Vienna, Austria, 23-28 April 2017. München: European Geosciences Union, 2017. Geophysical research abstracts, vol. 19. ISSN 1607-7962.

PROJECTS

Remediation with toxic metals and metalloids and organic pollutants of contaminated soil at a model military shooting range - demonstration and recommendations for further measuresFinancer: Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Slovenia & Slovenian Research Agency
Duration: 01.10.2022 – 01.10.2024

Remediation of soil contaminated with toxic metals, metalloids and organic pollutants
Financer: Slovenian Research Agency
Duration: 01.10.2021 – 30.09.2023
POlluted SIte DecontaminatiON - Pre-commercial procurement (PCP)
Financer: European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement N. 776838.
Duration: 01.02.2018 – 28.08.2021

Gardens with remediated soils: hazard mitigation and safe food productionCo-financer: Slovenian Research Agency
Duration: 01.06.2017 – 31.05.2020

Green and sustainable remediation of contaminated soils for urban land useCo-financer: Slovenian Research Agency
Duration: 01.07.2014 – 30.06.2017
Life ReSoil: Demonstration of innovative soil washing technology for removal of toxic metals from highly contaminated garden soil
Co-financer: LIFE
Duration: 01.07.2013 – 31.12.2017
Control of harmful cyanobacteria bloom in fresh-water bodies
Co-financer: Slovenian Research Agency
Duration: 01.08.2013 – 31.07.2016

Quality and functioning of contaminated garden soil as a plant substrate after remediation

Co-financer: Slovenian Research Agency

Duration: 01.01.2010 – 30.04.2013

Remediation model for garden soils in Upper Meža valley
Co-financer: Slovenian Research Agency
Duration: 01.07.2011 – 30.06.2013

Development of electrolytic cell for recycling of EDTA in solution after the washing of polluted soil
Co-financer: The Slovene Enterprise Fund