Scientific Report No.4 “Development of Formula of Peat-Free Soil Conditioner: Plant Response Assessment” summarizes the results of the tests on plants.
Presentations at IMOG conference and EAGE workshop
On September 12-17, 2021, the 30th International Meeting on Organic Geochemistry IMOG 2021 was arranged online. Participation at the conference was implemented by the presentation “Sapropel for soil remediation: A comparative study” resulting in the publication of an extended abstract. The study was conducted using raw materials for the development of a peat-free formula to evaluate the effectiveness of sapropel to be used in contaminated soils.
Simultaneously, also the 3rd EAGE Geochemistry Workshop was held and participation in it was implemented by the presentation “Perspectives of sapropel and clay-containing amendments in bioremediation of complex pollution”. The published extended abstract is available here.
Booklet on peat-free soil improvers
The booklet “Peat-Free Soil Improver: What? Why? How?” has been elaborated. In simple and understandable language it informs about the need for peat-free soil-improving products, as well as the essence of the project.
The booklet is available to everyone as a video or printable, however, it is in Latvian.
Submission for SGEM
SGEM means International Multidisciplinary Scientific GeoConference Surveying, Geology and Mining, Ecology and Management. This year, August 14-22, 2021, the 21st SGEM conference will be held, as always in Bulgaria, Albena, not far from Varna city.
The scientific publication for SGEM Proceedings (IF=0.4) is prepared and submitted, entitled “Circular economy driven options for bio-based soil improvers”. During the conference, the topic will be presented within the section “Ecology & Environmental Protection”.
Briefly about: Ecolabelling for soil improvers
In the European Union, 60 products have been awarded with the Ecolabel and 17 licenses have been issued for the product group “Growing media, soil improvers and mulch”. Ecolabelled products are produced by companies in Belgium, Denmark, Spain and Greece, but there are no products in this group awarded with the Ecolabel in Latvia yet.
What are the products involved in the group “Growing media, soil improvers and mulch”? “Growing medium” is a material used as a substrate for root development, in which plants are grown and a “mineral growing medium” is a growing medium that consists totally of mineral constituents. A “soil improver” is a material added to soil in situ with the main function to maintain or improve the physical and/or chemical and/or biological properties of soil, with the exception of liming materials. Specifically, “organic soil improver” contains carbonaceous materials and its main function is to increase soil organic matter content.
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Briefly about: Granulation of fertilizers/soil improvers
Granulation is the process used for the production of pharmaceuticals, fertilizers, animal feed, various chemicals, also coffee, etc. obtaining granules which are dense grains of a substance. Granular fertilizers are usually 1-5 mm in diameter, produced from larger materials after they are crushed and sieved, or by bonding smaller particles during dry or wet granulation, thus obtaining a higher density almost round-formed particle material.
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Scientific paper resubmitted
Due to the specific topic, the scientific article prepared in collaboration with Estonian colleagues has been resubmitted for publication in a scientific journal “Sustainability” (IF=2.576):
Vincevica-Gaile Z., Teppand T., Burlakovs J., Kriipsalu M., Krievans M., Jani Y., Klavins M., Setyobudi R.H., Grinfelde I., Rudovica V., Mersky R.L., Tamm, T., Shanskiy M., Zekker I. (2021) Circular economy approach for soil stabilization in peatlands: Choice of secondary raw materials. [in press]
Data publication available online
Every small step towards a goal brings joy – it is a pleasure to see the publication online:
Zane Vincevica-Gaile, Karina Stankevica, Maris Klavins, Anna Trubaca-Boginska, 2021. Data on physical and chemical characterization of wood combustion products derived at cogeneration power plants. Data in Brief, 36, 106994, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2021.106994
Data repository created
After summarizing the results from wood ash and biochar analyzes, an open access data repository on the Mendeley Data has been created:
Zane Vincevica-Gaile, Karina Stankevica, Maris Klavins, Anna Trubaca-Boginska, 2021. Analysis of wood combustion products. Mendeley Data, https://doi.org/10.17632/3NGWCBJ5R7.1
Finalized work on collaborative scientific paper draft
International and interdisciplinary discussion on marine waste evaluability and valorization possibilities have resulted in an impressive scientific article draft to be submitted for publication in the scientific journal “Frontiers in Marine Science” (IF=3.661).
The title of the manuscript: Valorization of marine waste, industrial by-products and biopolymers. Currently, the final corrections in the paper are made by the corresponding author Dr. Ana Rotter, senior research associate at Marine Biology Station Piran, National Institute of Biology in Piran, Slovenia.