Incorporating the soil function concept into sustainability appraisal of remediation alternatives
Journal article, 2013

Soil functions are critical for ecosystem survival and thus for an ecosystem's provision of services to humans. This is recognized in the proposed EU Soil Framework Directive from 2006, which lists seven important soil functions and services to be considered in a soil management practice. Emerging regulatory requirements demand a holistic view on soil evaluation in remediation projects. This paper presents a multi-scale, structured and transparent approach for incorporating the soil function concept into sustainability appraisal of remediation alternatives using a set of ecological, socio-cultural and economic criteria. The basis for the presented approach is a conceptualization of the linkages between soil functions and ecosystem services connected to with the sustainability paradigm. The approach suggests using (1) soil quality indicators (i.e. physical, chemical and biological soil properties) for exploring the performance of soil functions at the site level, and (2) soil service indicators (i.e. value-related measurements) for evaluating the performance of services resulting from soil functions across all levels of the spatial scale. The suggested approach is demonstrated by application in a Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) framework for sustainability appraisals of remediation alternatives. Further, the possibilities of using soil quality indicators for soil function evaluation are explored by reviewing existing literature on potential negative and positive effects of remediation technologies on the functionality of the treated soil. The suggested approach for including the soil function concept in remediation projects is believed to provide a basis for better informed decisions that will facilitate efficient management of contaminated land and to meet emerging regulatory requirements on soil protection.

MANAGEMENT

Remediation

THLASPI-CAERULESCENS GROWTH

CONTAMINATED

ECOSYSTEM

Sustainability assessment

BIOLOGICAL INDICATORS

Contaminated sites

SERVICES

Ecosystem services

SOIL

DIVERSITY

PHYTOEXTRACTION

MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES

VALUATION

MULTICRITERIA DECISION-ANALYSIS

Multi-criteria decision analysis

Soil functions

Author

Yevheniya Volchko

Chalmers, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Geology and Geotechnics

Jenny Norrman

Chalmers, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Geology and Geotechnics

M. Bergknut

Envix

Umeå University

Lars Rosen

Chalmers, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Geology and Geotechnics

T. Soderqvist

Enveco Environmental Economics Consultancy

Journal of Environmental Management

0301-4797 (ISSN) 1095-8630 (eISSN)

Vol. 129 367-376

Subject Categories

Earth and Related Environmental Sciences

DOI

10.1016/j.jenvman.2013.07.025

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Latest update

9/6/2018 2