nitrate barrier project

Permeable reactive barriers have been proven as a cost-effective solution for removing contaminants in groundwater beneath industrial sites in the urban environment. This technology has been shown to have good potential for the removal of nitrate, and there is increasing interest in using them strategically to remove high nitrate fluxes from agricultural land.

The project will demonstrate the application of a reactive barrier for the removal of nitrate derived from agricultural land and enable others to replicate the approach throughout Europe. Essentially, the barrier is a narrow trench, installed between the field and a water body, which is filled with a mixture of natural materials. As groundwater, runoff and field drainage waters pass through the system the nitrates are converted to nitrogen gas by micro-organisms which attach themselves to, or live in between, the materials. It is expected that this approach will achieve an 85% reduction in the nitrate level in waters passing through the system.

The demonstration site for the project is situated at an environmental education centre in Northern Ireland. For further information visit the project web site at www.nitrabar.eu. The project was funced by the EC through the Life-Environment Programme.

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