Two studies published in Environmental Science and Pollution Research and Water aimed at evaluating the eco-compatibility of soil debris produced during the mechanized underground excavation for the construction of great engineering works (e.g. railway tunnels) and containing huge amounts of foaming products used as lubricants in the excavation process (in particular the anionic surfactant SLES). Combined investigations on the environmental persistence of the surfactant and the possible ecotoxicological effects on different aquatic and terrestrial organisms, make it possible to reuse spoil material also for environmental purposes without risks for the ecosystems, recovering a non-renewable natural resource, in the context of the circular economy, and avoiding the production of waste.
• Germination, root elongation, and photosynthetic performance of plants exposed to sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES): an emerging contaminant -
• Mesocosm Experiments at a Tunnelling Construction Site for Assessing Re-Use of Spoil Material as a By-Product - DOI:10.3390/w13020161
• Fig.1 - Graphical abstract Mesocosm experiments at a tunnelling construction site for assessing re-use of spoil material as a by-product, Water 2021, 13(2), 161.