Expanding the NYMPHE Project: Scaling Up Green Technologies from Lab to Landfill

Within the framework of the NYMphyto project - secured as a matching grant funded by the NextGenerationEU through the Recovery and Resilience Plan of the Slovak Republic (VAIA, VA) - CENVIS, Ltd., in collaboration with the Department of Plant Physiology and the Department of Geochemistry (Comenius University in Bratislava), decided to expand the original (parent) NYMPHE project by adding another highly challenging contaminated matrix: leachate from industrial and municipal waste landfills.

💧 The Challenge & Our Approach: a combination of phytoremediation and biodegradation

Landfill leachates present a complex, composite pollution problem, typically containing a severe mixture of both organic and inorganic pollutants. To tackle this environmental burden, CENVIS decided to apply and rigorously test a progressive "green" approach: a combination of phytoremediation and biodegradation.

By utilizing the natural capabilities of controlled substrate-plant systems, the goal is to decontaminate, degrade, and inactivate these pollutants through precise processes such as phytoextraction, rhizofiltration, phytodegradation, and phytovolatilization.

🧪 Phase 1: Laboratory Testing

In the initial stages, the research was strictly focused on controlled cultivation chambers. CENVIS team tested the tolerance and remediation efficiency of selected living organisms - including duckweed (Lemna minor) and willow (Salix) - against the severe ecotoxicity of leachates. They meticulously evaluated how varying environmental conditions (such as pollutant concentration, pH, and nutrient availability) affect their survival and growth.

🌍 Phase 2: Scale-Up and Field Testing 

Following the successful evaluation of efficiency in laboratory conditions, the focus has now shifted to the scale-up of the technology. They have transitioned to pilot testing directly in the natural environment of the landfill.

Currently, CENVIS team is collecting, monitoring, and evaluating the operational conditions and procedures essential for the successful transfer of this technology into real-world natural conditions.

Moving from the lab to the field is a critical milestone, and we are excited to see our green solutions working directly at the source of contamination! Stay tuned for more updates. 🌿

The project is funded by the European Union - NextGenerationEU through the Slovak Recovery and Resilience Plan (VAIA, VA).