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Current projects

Soil health indicators and ecotoxicity parameters in selected industrial and urban sites in Poland and Germany

The aim of the project is to identify a set of indicators required to characterize soil health in post-industrial, mining, urban, and suburban areas that have historically been contaminated with various potentially toxic substances. Soils in such areas are of particular importance in the context of the Green Deal goals and the forthcoming Soil Monitoring and Resilience Directive. Recent assessments of soil health have evolved into more comprehensive evaluations that emphasize not only the chemical properties of soils but also overall biological conditions, biodiversity, and the soil's ability to perform various functions in ecosystems, known as ecosystem services. This combination of characteristics determines soil health. According to the current Soil Monitoring and Resilience Directive as well as the Zero Pollution Action Plan, it is crucial to develop a set of soil health indicators to achieve a “zero toxicity” environment and to support remediation efforts.

The project analyzes soils from selected industrial and urban areas that have been significantly contaminated in the past by various sources, and where remediation efforts have been applied with varying success. Representative research sites include areas affected by historical metal mining, contemporary metallurgical activities, coking plants, as well as long-term wastewater treatment on agricultural lands and in urban environments. The study includes sites in Poland and Germany. These soils have accumulated various hazardous substances, including heavy metals, metalloids (such as arsenic), and toxic organic compounds (aromatic hydrocarbons and their derivatives, cyanides, and others). Remediation often involves the immobilization of these pollutants, which remain in the soil and continue to pose potential risks.

To date, soil health assessments have been based on arbitrarily defined permissible contamination levels in individual countries. However, it is necessary to evaluate the actual risk and the ability of such soils to provide ecosystem services. The project will carry out a comprehensive analysis of soils with varying contamination levels in these areas, taking into account chemical, biochemical, biological, and ecotoxicological parameters. Based on this analysis, the project aims to identify universal indicators of soil health and to develop a corresponding evaluation scale in the context of soil health.

As part of the collaboration, joint field studies and laboratory analyses will be conducted. Reciprocal visits will serve to familiarize members of both teams with each other’s research sites and to carry out joint on-site tasks, including the development of shared principles and criteria for assessing habitat conditions, measuring soil respiration, and standardizing the use of the XRF spectrophotometer.

The benefits of the collaboration for both sides stem from the opportunity for team members to become familiar with research sites that are problematic from the perspective of the EU’s “Zero Toxicity” goal. There is potential for discussions on the effectiveness of implemented remediation measures and the opportunity to explore ways to improve their effectiveness. The collaboration also enables both teams to conduct specialized analyses that are not available at their respective institutions (as described above). Such cooperation should also lead to the production of joint publications and help identify issues relevant to future collaborative research projects.

Project Lead: Prof. Dr. Magdalena Sut-Lohmann
Funding Agency: German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)
Funding Amount: €6,351
Project Duration: 01.01.2025 – 31.12.2025
Partners: Wrocław University of Environmental & Life Sciences,
Institute of Soil Science, Plant Nutrition & Environmental Protection


Yield Enhancement of Lignocellulosic Perennial Crops through and for Biochar (DauerCo@l)

The aim of DauerCo@l is to evaluate the use of biochar (BC) for the physical and chemical improvement of sandy and clayey marginal yield soils. The project investigates whether the yield of lignocellulosic perennial crops can be sustainably increased through the addition of biochar, thereby enabling optimized land use and improved raw material availability for the future production of additional biochar. For this purpose, trials are being conducted with fast-growing trees (poplars). In DauerCo@l, biochar is used in this lignocellulosic perennial cropping system to harness its potential as a carbon sink. The goal is to establish a long-term source of biochar for future use in arable crops as well. To achieve this, the effects of biochar application on soil properties are examined, and the emission-reducing impacts are quantified. A key objective is to identify an optimal, site-specific biochar application strategy to enhance the yield of perennial crops. This is approached by combining controlled laboratory experiments—with and without plants—with field trials that monitor, over several years, the effects of biochar on water balance, humus and nutrient content, as well as biochar stability and its impact on crop yield. Another focus of the project is the development of a regional circular economy and value-added system, in which biochar is produced and utilized in agroforestry systems through the cultivation of fast-growing trees. 

Project Leaders:
Prof. Dr. Magdalena Sut-Lohmann and Dr. Sascha Iden, Staff Member: Jannis Bosse
Funding Agency: Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE)
Funding Amount: €198,032.16
Project Duration: 01.02.2025 – 31.12.2026
Partners: Thünen Institute, Forschungsring e.V.

 


Development of Soil Management Tools for War-Affected Soils in Ukraine

Unlike well-documented agricultural and industrial pollution, the impact of war on soils remains largely under-researched. Military operations cause significant environmental damage through the introduction of heavy metals and other pollutants from ammunition and explosives. Intense combat leads to the accumulation of heavy metals such as lead, copper, and zinc in soils, posing long-term threats to ecosystem health and agricultural productivity. The degradation of over 5 million hectares of land presents a major challenge to global food security—especially for countries dependent on Ukrainian grain exports. 

Our project aims to develop a comprehensive methodology for assessing soil damage caused by military pollution. This includes investigations into changes in the physicochemical properties of soils and the identification of pollution hotspots using the FTIR (Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy) method. The assessment of the environmental and geochemical condition of soils will be based on the analysis of contaminant migration and dynamics, as well as transfer coefficients (e.g., soil-to-plant). To support this assessment, the project will include a greenhouse experiment to determine the accumulation of heavy metals in typical Ukrainian plant species. Special attention will be given to the influence of genetic and species-specific characteristics of potential hyperaccumulators on elemental uptake.

The geochemical parameter database for post-war soils will enable the development of a set of indicators for military soil contamination, which can be used to monitor soil changes and to zone agricultural land according to levels of contamination. These findings will be integrated into territorial planning projects to support the restoration of landscapes or to maintain their optimal condition.

Project Leader: Prof. Magdalena Sut-Lohmann
Researcher: Dr. Anastasia Splodytel
Funding Body: Philipp Schwartz Initiative
Duration: 09/2024 – 09/2026

 


Co-Adapted Braunschweig: Adapting to Climate Change Together through Co-Creation (COABS)

Joint project in cooperation with the City of Braunschweig (Department of Environmental Protection) and the working groups Environmental Systems Analysis & Landscape Ecology, Soil Science & Soil Physics of the Institute of Geoecology (TU Braunschweig) and the Institute for Sustainable Urbanism (TU Braunschweig).

The aim of the COABS project is to analyse climate risks in Braunschweig, develop measures to increase adaptive capacity and initiate their implementation. The end result is the development of building blocks for a city-wide adaptation strategy as well as adaptation measures in the fields of action "water quantity management & soil balance", "people & health" and "nature conservation & biodiversity".

Funding: Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz, nukleare Sicherheit und Verbraucherschutz (BMUV)
Funding code: 67DAS246B
Funding programme: „Maßnahmen zur Anpassung an den Klimawandel“ https://www.bmuv.de/themen/klimaschutz-anpassung/klimaanpassung
Project management: ZUG https://www.z-u-g.org/aufgaben/foerderung-von-massnah-men-zur-anpassung-an-die-folgen-des-klimawandels/
Duration: 2022-2025




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