Development of biocomposite for remediation of areas impacted by contaminants

• Grant number: 18/01145-6
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Innovative Research in Small Business - PIPE
• Start date: February 01, 2020
• End date: October 31, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology - Applied Microbiology
• Principal Investigator: Ana Paula Justiniano Régo
• Grantee: Ana Paula Justiniano Régo
• Company: Justy Biosolutions Ltda
• CNAE: Descontaminação e outros serviços de gestão de resíduos
• City: Piracicaba
• Associated researchers: Graziela Cristina Rossi Moura Andrade ; Marta Siviero Guilherme Pires ; Valdemar Luiz Tornisielo ; Vanessa Takeshita
• Associated research grant(s): 21/04520-5 - Development of biocomposite for remediation of areas impacted by contaminants: optimization of the process and increased application coverage, AP.PIPE
• Associated scholarship(s): 20/02640-0 - Analysis leaching water percolated in the bioremediation process, BP.TT; 20/02567-1 - Development of biocomposite for remediation of areas impacted by contaminants, BP.PIPE

Abstract

The present project presents a proposal to research, develop and produce a substrate-based biocomposite of the coffee pulp residue and coffee husk with the addition of autochthonous microorganisms selected from contaminated soil samples in order to bioremediate contaminated soils by metals. A recent application can be exemplified through the study of environmental disasters, such as occurred with the breakdown of the Fundão dam in Mariana, MG, in the year 2015 and in the city of Brumadinho, in the year 2019. In addition, in areas of agricultural production where there is intense use of chemical fertilizers which contain metals as well as in industrial areas such as petrochemicals, paint pigments production, leather tanning, as well as electroplating. In situations like these, the quality of the soil is compromised, hindering the local agriculture. Thus, in the present project, the following methods will be used to validate the effective action of the biocomposite in bioremediation of contaminated areas: physical-chemical, microbiological (microbial respiration) analysis, metal quantification, agronomic efficiency analysis after application of the biocomposite and analyzes of the soil quality using as a bioindicator the collapse (Folsomia candida). The evaluations will be carried out before and after the application of the biocomposite in the experimental areas. Thus, the biocomposite product is expected to be effective in the remediation process of soil contaminated with metals, favoring the restoration of soil environmental balance and crop-livestock-forest integration, benefiting affected communities and rural producers. (AU)