Establishment of New Experiments at UJEP

The research team at UJEP, comprising PhD students Ghazwa Basma and Abdulmannan Rouhani, in collaboration with partners from the linkage institution KazNU, is engaged in the establishment of a novel experiment aimed at evaluating the properties of a biochar-based microbial carrier. The protocol for the incorporation of microorganisms isolated from contaminated soil was developed by the KazNU team leader, Dr. Aigerim Mamirova. Master’s student Nargiza Akhmetalina, who undertook a two-month research stay at UJEP, contributed to the development of this protocol. The performance of the microbial carrier is being assessed through the growth response of Zea mays L. cultivated in brownfield soil.

The second experiment is designed to investigate the growth of the second-generation energy crop Arundo in contaminated soil obtained from a landfill in Všebořice, a former mining site, characterized by pollution with various trace elements (TEs). To simulate conditions representative of military-contaminated soils, the substrate is artificially spiked with diesel. The phytoremediation process is supported by the application of hydrochar derived from digestate, produced via pyrolysis at 180 °C for 6 hours.

Additional support has been provided by Master’s student Ekua Entsiwa Bentsi-Enchill (ISA Lille, France), who is currently undertaking a six-month research stay at UJEP within the JUNIA programme and has contributed to the establishment of the experiments.