ECOLOGICAL PROCEDURES AND SOLUTIONS FOR REMEDIATION OF CONTAMINATED SOILS AND WATERS WITH RADIONUCLIDES AND HEAVY METALS AND DUMP RENATURATION FROM URANIUM INDUSTRY – ECOINDUR

Program: CEEX

Module: 1

Competition: oct.2005

Project category: Complex P-CD

Contract number: 621/2005 Dates: oct.2005 – apr.2008

Project title :ECOLOGICAL PROCEDURES AND SOLUTIONS FOR REMEDIATION OF CONTAMINATED SOILS AND WATERS WITH RADIONUCLIDES AND HEAVY METALS AND DUMP RENATURATION FROM URANIUM INDUSTRY – ECOINDUR

Contracting authority: MENER Program, Faculty of Power Engineering POLITEHNICA University of Bucharest,

Project Coordinator: National Institute for Research and Development for Metals and Radioactive Resources – ICPMRR Bucharest

Project manager: Dr.ing. Gheorghe Crutu

Department: Scientific Research

Issues addressed:

Researches on the influence of residual radioactivity in technological waste on soil and plants in limp areas.

Elaboration of research papers and reports in the field of biotechnologies applied to rare and radioactive metals and studies on the impact of uranium mining exploitations on the environment.

Studies and research on encapsulation and revegetation of uranium tailings dumps in exploration and exploitation sites.

Project Partner 1: National Research and Development Institute for Pedology, Agrochemistry and Environmental Protection in Agriculture-ICPA Bucharest;

Scientific Director: Prof.dr. Mihail Dumitru

Project Partner 2: National Institute for Research and Development for Biological Sciences Bucharest;

Scientific Director: Catalina Tudora

Project Partner 3: University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Land Improvement and Environmental Engineering, Bucharest.

Scientific Coordinator: Prof.univ.dr. Gheorghe Alexe

General objective of the project: Elaboration of a new national technology for soil bioremediation for the removal of radionuclides and heavy metals and the revegetation of the tailings tailings, as well as for the radioactive decontamination of the effluents and phreatic waters in order to prevent the quality of the environmental factors to be impaired.

Specific objectives / milestones:

Developing the solutions and technologies that can be applied on three directions of complex research / Stage I –

Determination of the decontamination techniques of soil and water and of the plant species compatible with the waste material (sterile uranium) /

Stage II – Realization of pilot pilot model model for decontamination of soil and water and revegetalization of waste dumps /

Stage III – Obtaining technologies for the reequipment of degraded land by radioactive contamination / Stage IV Elaboration and drafting of the re-certification technologies /

Significant results:

Selection of two contaminated perimeters with radioactive waste dumps in the western part of the country (Baita Bihor) and ecological remediation solutions.
Choosing the optimal biotechnology and microorganisms and plants proposed for decontamination. Setting up the pilot experimental field and selecting plants and microorganisms used for soil decontamination and waste disposal.

Results dissemination: Participation in national and international events:

Article at the 2nd International Conference AMIREG 2006: “The impact of the technological radioactive waste from Romania on soils and crops from areas adjacent to their disposal”, by Gheorghe Crutu, Nicolae Tomus – INCDMRR Bucharest, Radu Lacatusu, Mihaela Lungu – ICPA Bucharest . Book of proceedings, Athen 2006, ISBN 960-89228-1-X

Article at Balkan Mineral Processing Congress 2007: “Ecological remediation of dump from the Romanian uranium industry” by Gheorghe Crutu, Carmen Manea, Georgiana Groposila – INCDMRR Bucharest