Strategies for Phytoremediation of Polluted Sites in the Subarctic

Pollution by potentially toxic elements (PTE) leads to the formation of industrial barrens. Remediation of polluted sites located in the Subarctic is hampered by unfavorable climatic conditions. Soil erosion results in considerable loss of topsoil and is also an important pathway for lateral migration of sediment-associated PTEs. Here, phytoremediation is considered as an appropriate management to reduce these risks. The strategy is tested to an area impacted by a Cu/Ni smelter in the Kola Peninsula. Soil properties and, in particular, susceptibility to water erosion are determined using the RUSLE equation. Annual soil losses in the territory are 4–10 mm; the values are related to the conformation of the terrain. From the calculated soil loss values, three strategies (for hilltops, slopes, and depressions) are proposed to protect the territory from degradation by limiting the mobilization, transport, and accumulation of metals. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.