SAS brings a solution to Slovak environmental challenges
Scientists from the Institute of Geotechnics SAS received support within Slovakia's Recovery and Resilience Plan for groundwater purification and the acquisition of critical raw materials. The REMEDY project, "Research of remediation processes for the decontamination of groundwater and mining waste with the subsequent recovery of critical raw materials”, responds to the urgent need to protect water and environmental burdens in Slovakia and Europe. Thanks to the combination of physical, chemical and biological methods, the project offers the design and testing of new, effective procedures, thereby supporting sustainability and the circular economy.
"Slovakia faces many environmental problems that have arisen and continue to arise due to mining and processing of mineral raw materials, metallurgical and chemical production. Pollution sources have a different chemical nature - from organic to inorganic. The REMEDY project focuses on solving both types of pollution," explains Miroslava Václavíková, the REMEDY project coordinator from the Institute of Geotechnics SAS.
One of the main project objectives is to design a flow-through modular system, intended for the removal of organic pollutants from groundwater, which threaten drinking water sources in Slovakia. Such pollution includes, for example, the CHZJD chemical waste dump in Vrakuňa, Bratislava. This pollution spreads through the underground water towards Žitný ostrov, the largest source of drinking water in Central Europe.
"One of the most important parts of the modular system is the electrochemical reactor, in which strong oxidizing agents are formed directly on the surface of the electrodes. They are based on active oxygen radicals and have significant oxidizing effects that cause the transformation and degradation of contaminants, i.e. organic substances, up to their complete mineralization into carbon dioxide and inorganic products. These solutions represent an ecological and efficient approach to water purification," adds Miroslava Václavíková.
Another project objective is the remediation of mining waste and the design of a flow-through modular system for the removal of heavy metals and the gradual recovery of critical raw materials such as nickel, cobalt, manganese and magnesium, with the help of chemical and biological precipitation. Such pollution can be found in the area of Spišsko-gemerské Rudohorie in the village of Nižná Slaná.
"In 2022, an unexpected large mining waste from an abandoned, flooded siderite mine in Nižná Slaná caused an environmental disaster on the Slaná River. The detected values of some indicators exceeded the limits for water quality requirements several times, and the high iron content caused it to have a significant red colour. The project mitigates the effects of the pollution and focuses on obtaining raw materials that can serve as valuable resources for industry," explains Daniel Kupka from the Institute of Geotechnics SAS.
The REMEDY project, with a total budget of three million euros, was launched in July 2024 and is planned to span over two years. This ambitious project represents an important step in solving Slovakia's environmental challenges and offers innovative solutions that can serve as a model for other countries.