Special Issue "Advances in the Sustainable Reuse of Sediments in Crop Production: Agronomic, Environmental, and Legal Issues"

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Agriculture".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2021.

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Stefania Nin
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA), Research Center for Vegetable and Ornamental Crops, Via dei Fiori 8, 51012 Pescia (PT), Italy
Interests: genetic improvement and biotechnologies; enhancement of biodiversity; in vitro culture and germplasm conservation; development of environmentally friendly cultivation systems; biostimulation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Sediments are heterogeneous materials composed of sand, silt, clay, and organic matter that accumulate at the bottom of water bodies as the result of physical, chemical, and biological processes, both natural and anthropogenic. Sediments originate in river basins mainly through land and channel erosion processes and are transported in river systems in the direction of the coast, with the seas and oceans being the final sink. Temporary deposition can take place in reservoirs, lakes, and behind dams, while important impacted areas downstream include wetlands, deltas, and harbors. Human activities can affect marine sediments by accelerating the rate of accumulation and introducing contamination (such as heavy metals, nutrient pesticides, and other organic micropollutants). Sediments can be contaminated by industries located in or upstream of urban ports, industries that discharge wastes into waterways, dense populations, remote sources, such as stormwater runoff, and suburban or agricultural effluents containing heavy metals, oil, pesticides, and fertilizers. An excessive accumulation of sediments can limit the functionality of naval waters (harbor, haven, roadstead, channel, creek, bay, or navigable river) conditioning commercial exchanges and industrial activities. Hence, sediments are periodically excavated to ensure proper and safe navigability, and major concerns have arisen over where to dispose of this dredged material and the ecological impacts of such a solution.

Being a natural resource originating from the ecological processes, dredged materials might be relocated in open waters or in sandy eroded areas to mitigate the effect of atmospheric agents toward the coastal zone or as topsoil into the environment to recover and enhance marginal, degraded land, poor in organic matter or nutrients. Properly remediated sediment might also be reused as a component of growing media for soilless crop production other than typical horticultural substrates, such as peat, coir pith, coconut fiber, etc. The main concern limiting the destination of dredged sediments on land for environmental restoration, landscaping, agricultural purposes, or gardening lies in their extent of the contamination. Currently, the management of dredged sediments falls under three main European directives (Water, Natural Habitats, and Waste), which are focused on ecological and sanitary commitment, that is, the protection of the aquatic environment and water quality, as well as marine plants and animal species. Ecotoxicological parameters and admitted thresholds of concentration values vary greatly according to a country within the European Community, without specifically establishing the possible sediment post-dredging reuse and/or destination. On one hand, the legislation aims to protect the environment, but on the other, it lacks strategies that direct toward the recovery of sediments and their reuse according to their physical, chemical, and ecotoxicological characteristics.

In this Special Issue, we are looking for scientific contributions (i.e., articles, reviews, and short notes) that deal with the recovery and reuse of sediments dredged from rivers, lakes, ports, and coastal areas for environmental and agronomic purposes. Examples include research that provides strategic solutions to improve unproductive and marginal land, increase soil fertility, and promote soilless crop cultivation using peat-alternative substrates. Moreover, studies evaluating the presence of contaminants and the ecological status of waterways, wetlands, and estuarine systems, as well as the environmental impacts (i.e., life cycle assessment) of dredged material management alternatives or identifying existing relevant legislative and regulatory barriers related to the sediment management are welcome.

This Special Issue will focus on:

  • Sediment uses as resources in circular and territorial economies
  • Reuse of sediment into the environment for restoration projects
  • Reuse of remediated sediment for crop cultivation and production
  • Sustainable management of the beneficial use of sediments
  • Remediation technologies for contaminated sediments
  • A better understanding of the benefits and risks of using dredged material
  • Legislation issues and adaptation to enable the use of dredged material

Dr. Stefania Nin
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • dredged sediment
  • remediation
  • circular economy
  • sediment fertility
  • peat-free substrates
  • contamination
  • environmental impact
  • legal issues

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

Article
Effect of Phytoremediated Port Sediment as an Agricultural Medium for Pomegranate Cultivation: Mobility of Contaminants in the Plant
Sustainability 2021, 13(17), 9661; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13179661 (registering DOI) - 27 Aug 2021
Viewed by 160
Abstract
Although the dredging of ports is a necessary management activity, it generates immense quantities of sediments, that are defined by the European Union as residues. On the other hand, the relevant peat demand for plant cultivation compromises its availability worldwide. In this context, [...] Read more.
Although the dredging of ports is a necessary management activity, it generates immense quantities of sediments, that are defined by the European Union as residues. On the other hand, the relevant peat demand for plant cultivation compromises its availability worldwide. In this context, the present work wanted to find an alternative substrate in order to replace and/or reduce the use of peat in agriculture, through the study of the suitability, concerning the exchange of substrate–plant–water pollutants, of the dredged remediated sediments as a fruit-growing media. Forty-five pomegranate trees (Punica granatum L. cv “Purple Queen”) were cultivated in three types of substrates (100% peat as a control, 100% dredged remediated sediments and 50% both mixed). The metal ion content and pesticide residues were analysed in the different plant parts (root, stem, leaves and fruits) and in drainage water. The results showed a limited transfer of pollutants. All the pollutants were below the legal limits, confirming that the dredged sediments could be used as a growing media, alone or mixed with other substrates. Thus, the results point out the need to open a European debate on the reuse and reconsideration of this residue from a circular economy point of view. Full article
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Article
Application of LCA Methodology to the Production of Strawberry on Substrates with Peat and Sediments from Ports
Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 6323; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116323 - 02 Jun 2021
Viewed by 627
Abstract
The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology was applied to identify the potential environmental impact of dredged sediments used as growing media for food crops. The dredged sediments used came from Livorno port and were previously phytoremediated. For the assay, strawberry plants (Fragaria [...] Read more.
The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology was applied to identify the potential environmental impact of dredged sediments used as growing media for food crops. The dredged sediments used came from Livorno port and were previously phytoremediated. For the assay, strawberry plants (Fragaria x ananassa Duch vr. ‘San Andreas’) were used. The plants were cultivated on three different substrates (100% peat, 100% dredged sediment and 50% mix peat/sediment) to identify the real impact of the culture media on the growing process. LCA was calculated and analyzed according to ISO 14040:2006 by SimaPro software. ReCipe Midpoint (E) V1.13/Europe Recipe E method was applied. One kilogram of produced strawberry, for each crop media tested, was defined as the functional unit. Eighteen impact categories were selected where Marine Eutrophication (ME), Human Toxicity (HT) and Freshwater Ecotoxicity (FET) were identified as relevant impact categories. The LCA results showed an increase in the environmental impact of strawberry cultivation using 100% sediment against 100% peat, due to the decrease in fruit production caused by the sediment. Nevertheless, the decrease in the environmental impact and the fruit production increase identified when the sediment is used mixed (<50%) with other substrates. The appropriate use of these substrates would be justified within the context of the circular economy. Full article
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