Contamination and integrated remediation of brownfield land

 

Summary

Past industrial uses can often mean that derelict and brownfield land is also contaminated.  It is estimated that there is currently 200,000 ha of contaminated land in the UK, a significant proportion of which will be transformed into recreational and amenity land.  This has opened up an extensive area of research into achieving urban greening on sites that may previously not been considered for greenspace. 

Research objectives

The research addresses the following sectors:

• Integrated urban remediation and greening
• Phytoremediation and stabilisation
• Influence of vegetation on pollutant pathways
• Water quality
• Metal removal
• Organic contaminant removal
• Tree tolerance to heavy metals.

Funders and partners

The main funders and partners of this research are:

• Babtie
• Channel Tunnel Rail Link
• Churngold
• Forestry Commission Reclamation of man-made sites for forestry programme
• London Development Agency
• Southern Water
• SUBR:IM
• Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
• University of Cambridge
• University of Reading.

Forestry Commission policy

Use of land degraded by former industrial and urban activity makes an increasingly important contribution to the expansion of woodland. Trees planted on such sites offer immense social benefits in addition to the possibility of economic activity on formerly unproductive land. This programme supports the related objectives of the English Forestry Strategy and across Great Britain generally.

Status

The phytoremediation and stablisation and the influence of vegetation on pollutant pathways research were completed in 2002. Other research is ongoing.

Contact

For more information contact:

Tony Hutchings
Forest Research
Alice Holt Lodge
Farnham
Surrey GU10 4LH

Tel: +44(0)1420 5265270
Fax: +44(0)1420 520180
Email: tony.hutchings@forestry.gsi.gov.uk