From Lab to Field: MIBIREM Pilot Tests Enhanced Microbiomes in Griftpark, Utrecht
As a partner in the MIBIREM project, Hasselt University contributes to the development of innovative microbiome-based solutions for the bioremediation of contaminated soil and groundwater. Within the project, Center for Environmental Sciences of the Hasselt University leads activities focused on microbiome analysis, cultivation, and evolution, identifying and enhancing pollutant-degrading microorganisms and microbial communities. A key objective of this work is to assess the performance of these enhanced microbiomes under real-world conditions. An important step towards this goal has recently been achieved through the MIBIREM pilot study in Griftpark, Utrecht.
(c) UHAS Grift Park, Utrecht- pilot site by Mibirem project perfomed by CMK, University of Hasselt
From Research to Field Application
The MIBIREM project has reached an exciting new milestone in the Netherlands, with significant progress being made on the pilot study in Griftpark, Utrecht. Griftpark, a vibrant public space built on the site of former industrial gasworks, has hosted a pilot experiment over the past couple of years, using a constructed wetland to naturally treat groundwater contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). To enhance this natural clean-up process, the team recently deployed an innovative bioremediation strategy.
(c) UHAS Grift Park, Utrecht- Simon Vandersanden of University of Hasselt at Mibirem pilot site
Bioaugmentation Meets Nanobubble Technology
In a recent field operation, the pilot team successfully introduced 50 litres of specialised PAH-degrading microbial enrichment directly into the wetland system. This process, known as bioaugmentation, involves supercharging the local microbial community’s PAH degradation capabilities by adding specific bacteria with superior PAH degradation capabilities, which have been studied within the MIBIREM project.
(c) UHAS Grift Park, Utrecht- pilot site by Mibirem project perfomed by CMK, University of Hasselt
These PAH-degrading bacteria require oxygen to efficiently break down these stubborn contaminants, so the team paired the microbial injection with oxygen nanobubble technology. These microscopic bubbles remain suspended in the water for much longer than standard aeration methods, ensuring that the newly introduced microbiomes have the optimal oxygen-rich environment they need to thrive and degrade the pollution. Monitoring of the pilot is now underway to track the performance of this dual approach in the long term, providing crucial field data that will help scale up these nature-based bioremediation solutions across Europe.
(c) UHAS Grift Park, Utrecht- Simon Vandersanden of University of Hasselt at Mibirem pilot site
The Griftpark pilot represents an important milestone for the MIBIREM project, demonstrating how microbiome-based innovations developed in the laboratory can be applied under real environmental conditions. The results of the ongoing monitoring campaign will provide valuable insights for the further development and wider implementation of sustainable bioremediation solutions across Europe.
Author: Simon Vandersanden
PhD student at Hasselt University
