Phytoremediation: Climate change resilience and sustainability assessment at a coastal brownfield redevelopment

• Published in: Environment international Vol. 130; p. 104945
• Main Authors: O'Connor, David, Zheng, Xiaodi, Hou, Deyi, Shen, Zhengtao, Li, Guanghe, Miao, Guofang, O'Connell, Shannon, Guo, Miao
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Ltd 01.09.2019; Elsevier
• Subjects: biodegradation; Biodegradation, Environmental; brownfields; California; Climate Change; Climate change resilience; ecological footprint; Environmental Restoration and Remediation; groundwater; Groundwater treatment; Hazardous Waste Sites; landscapes; Life cycle assessment; Models, Theoretical; Nature based solution; phytoremediation; polluted soils; Remediation; risk; sea level; soil remediation; Sustainable Development; vapors; California; Life cycle assessment; Climate change resilience; Nature based solution; Remediation; Groundwater treatment
• ISSN: 0160-4120; 1873-6750; 1873-6750
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2019.104945

Phytoremediation offers a nature based solution (NBS) for contaminated soil remediation; however, its application under a brownfield redevelopment context has not been well studied. Moreover, climate change could impact large numbers of contaminated sites, yet there remains little research on the potential impacts for remediation. This study examined phytoremediation at a brownfield redevelopment in the San Francisco Bay area, where thousands of cleanup sites are vulnerable to rising sea levels. Life cycle assessment (LCA) was used to determine both primary and secondary impacts and the system's resilience to various sea level scenarios and hydroclimatic conditions was investigated. It was found that the phytoremediation project rendered only a small environmental footprint, and was associated with low cost and substantial socioeconomic benefits. For instance, it fitted well with the site redevelopment setting by offering attractive landscape features. Moreover, under a modeled moderate sea level rise scenario, the groundwater hydraulic gradient at the site decreased, which was coupled with greater natural biodegradation and reduced plume migration, and, therefore, lower life cycle impact. There was also minimal increase in the vapor intrusion risk with increased sea level. Overall, phytoremediation at the site was found to be resilient to a moderate sea level rise and other hydroclimatic effects induced by climate change. However, the system performance responded to increasing sea level rise in a non-linear manner. Under a high sea level rise scenario, the system is predicted to perform abruptly worse. •Life cycle assessment based on SimaPro 8.0 LCA software was performed.•It fits well with site development, offering attractive landscape features.•Many coastal contaminated sites could be affected by rising sea levels.•Phytoremediation was found to be resilient to moderate sea level rises.•The system performance responded to sea level rise in a nonlinear manner.