State of Brownfields in the Northern Bohemia, Saxony and Lower Silesian Regions and Prospects for Regeneration by Utilization of the Phytotechnology with the Second Generation Crops

Abstract

The need to achieve the sustainability goals and to reduce the continuous exploitation of the limited urban areas increases requests for the regeneration of brownfields. The current study aims to review the state of brownfields in the Northern Czech Region and neighboring German (Saxony) and Polish (Silesian) Regions which share a common geological background and environmental problems. The peculiarities of the brownfield’s properties related to the term, classification, legislative framework, access to available data, degree of contamination, and remediation methods were the focus of this review. It was established that the state with brownfield identification and transformation is better in the Czech Republic, followed by Germany, with lower awareness in Poland. The relevant examples of successful brownfield revitalization and the importance of educational components were introduced. A prospective application of the phytotechnology with the second-generation crops for the remediation of brownfields was discussed. The utilization of Miscanthus spp. for marginal lands with low contamination can provide an economic return by having biomass converted into energy or bioproducts and the utilization of the accompanied waste as carbon-rich biochar which can indeed support phytoremediation, enhance plants’ growth and serve as a medium for carbon sequestration. The next steps in the research have to concentrate on comparison of the rehabilitation methods introduced for the targeted regions with the global approach in brownfield redevelopment along with the practical ensuring the phytotechnology potential at the selected brownfields.

Impact of cultivation conditions on physicochemical characteristics of Miscanthus × giganteus biomass

“…Utilizing M × g as an alternative source of energy demonstrates a promising avenue for sustainable energy production through gasification. One notable advantage of this approach is its versatility: M × g can be sourced from the land irrespective of the classification, encompassing both agricultural and non-agricultural soil types (Pidlisnyuk and Zgorelec 2022;Newton et al 2023). This broad spectrum of potential available land for production of M × g biomass not only diversifies the resource pool for gasification but also has a broader implication for the global food security.…”

The Economic and Environmental Aspects of Miscanthus × giganteus Phytomanagement Applied to Non-Agricultural Land

“…A marginal land is considered a site that has poor soil quality or harsh conditions that render it unsuitable for profitable agricultural or commercial applications, i.e., an area where cost-effective production is not feasible [4][5][6]. A brownfield is an "area previously being in use which can be derelict, excluded from using, sometimes contaminated" [7][8][9][10]. Thus, the key distinction between brownfield and marginal land lies in a historical perspective: a brownfield is a territory that was over-utilised in the past and requires revitalisation, whereas marginal land is an area with unfavourable conditions for agriculture.…”

Effects of Organic Amendments on the Morphology and Chemical Composition of Black Mustard (Sinapis nigra L.) Grown on Soil Contaminated with Copper

“…These activities caused disturbances in the balance of metals in biogeochemical cycles and the functioning of ecosystems, one of the most important elements of which is soil [2]. Currently, places have been identified where excessive accumulation of xenobiotics occurred in the past, the effects of which are still felt today [3][4][5][6][7]. Among the xenobiotics mentioned, an important place is occupied by heavy metals, including Cu, the extraction and processing of which has left a mark for many decades, primarily in terrestrial ecosystems.…”

“…In order to limit the effects of excess Cu in the soil, attempts are being made to recultivate contaminated areas by, on the one hand, immobilizing mobile forms of copper [12][13][14][23][24][25][26], and, on the other hand, through phytotreatments falling within the scope of the so-called phytoremediation [4,27,28]. Immobilization mainly involves the use of various additives designed to bind copper into forms that are less soluble or even inaccessible to plants and thus trap it in the soil sorption complex [23].…”