Environmental pollution and ground contamination is a serious threat to health, the ecosystem and to the future supply of food.
The elimination of ground contamination is demanding, as even small concentrations may have effects and are often slowly degradable. Through research and development NGI contributes mitigation measures for contaminated soil, groundwater and marine sediments. New solutions contribute to the removal of and to prevent spreading of pollutants into the ecosystem.
NGI's state-of-the-art expertise
- insight on the behaviour of pollutants in soil, groundwater and marine sediments
- assessment of the risk elements associated with contamination of the geoenvironment
- development of mitigation measures adapted to local conditions and natural resources.
Services related to environmental technology
The Norwegian Pollution Control Authority commenced its nation-wide mapping of contaminated areas on land and in fjord sediments in the late 1980s. Since then, NGI has played a central part in developing methods for sampling, risk assessment and implementation of mitigation measures. NGI is a leading operator in in-situ cleansing methods for oil and creosote and chemical and physical stabilisation of contaminated sediments.
The combination of geoscientific, environmental chemical and biological expertise form the basis for environmental technology work at NGI. We contribute to the development of this expertise through close cooperation with other expert institutions, both in Norway and internationally.
Research and development
NGI has a key role in the development of investigation methods, risk assessment and remedial measures. The most central topics in NGI's environmental research are:
- Biochar- mitigating climate change and improving soil quality
development of locally adapted solutions for contaminated fjord sediments
- integration of mobility and bioaccessibility in risk assessment of soil and marine sediments
- chemical stabilisation of polluted soil and marine sediments
- reduction of run-off from old landfills
- monitoring methods based on passive sampling and gene technology
In international R&D projects, NGI collaborate with the Universities in Stockholm (Sweden), Hamburg (Germany), Utrecht and Wageningen (Netherlands), Quebec (Canada), Baltimore and Stanford (USA) and the Dutch Organisation for Applied Scientific Research.
Biochar projects are conducted in Zambia, Indonesia and Malaysia. Read more...