Catherine Sirguey (ENSAIA site) and Sonia Henry (Thionville-Yutz site), lecturers at the University of Lorraine, recently passed their Accreditation to Direct Research (HDR) on this theme, dear to the Soils and Environment Laboratory (UMR LSE, UL-INRAE). A look back at their presentations.
We would like to warmly greet our colleagues Catherine Sirguey and Sonia Henry, who have just obtained their Authorization to Direct Research (HDR). Their defenses took place respectively on Friday March 20 at ENSAIA for Catherine and April 1 at the IUT of Thionville/Yutz for Sonia.
Their commitment, expertise and long-standing contribution to phytoremediation are widely recognized. Their work is fully in line with the themes of the Sol Environnement Laboratory (LSE), dedicated to the restoration of degraded environments. During their defenses, the public was able to discover fascinating summaries on phytomanagement strategies, including innovative approaches such as phytorhizoattenuation, stabilization or phytoextraction. These methods, based on ecological engineering, offer sustainable solutions for treating contaminated soils, particularly in the Grand Est region, where many industrial sites or former industrial sites present multi-contamination.
Thanks to these approaches, combining association of plant species, depollution processes and valorization of biomass, it is possible to renature soils, refunctionalize them and restore their ecological and economic value.
Congratulations to both for this great success, which crowns years of research and commitment!
HDR by Catherine Sirguey, UL Lecturer at the Soils and Environment Laboratory (LSE) “Hyper-accumulating plants for sustainable and multifunctional management of contaminated soils”.
Résumé : Soils contaminated by trace metal elements constitute a major issue at the interface between environmental protection, human health and ecological transition. The management of these soils is now evolving from a logic of depollution towards phytomanagement, an integrated approach aimed at controlling risks while maintaining or restoring ecosystem services.
Catherine Sirguey’s HDR thesis is part of this paradigm shift by placing hyperaccumulator plants at the heart of sustainable management strategies for contaminated soils. The first part presents a state of the art on the fragility of soils, the services ecosystems that they make and the potential of highly anthropized soils for biomass production, carbon storage and resource supply. The second part summarizes the work carried out on the phytoextraction of metals, in particular cadmium, using hyperaccumulator plants such as Noccaea. caerulescens, by analyzing the diversity of soil–plant–microorganism systems and the main optimization levers.
The entire manuscript highlights the central role of hyperaccumulator plants as scientific and operational tools for sustainable and multifunctional management of contaminated soils.
Le jury était composé de :
Michel Chalot, Professor, UMR Chrono-environnement, Marie and Louis Pasteur University / Ms. Laurence Denaix, Research Director, UMR ISPA, INRAE / Mr. Thierry Lebeau, Professor, UMR LPG-Nantes, Nantes University, Ms. Nausicaa Noret, Professor, EVB, Free University of Brussels / Mr. Thibault Sterckeman, Research Engineer, LSE, University of Lorraine
HDR by Sonia Henry, UL Lecturer at the Soils and Environment Laboratory (LSE) “Plant-microorganism associations to restore value to degraded soils”
Résumé : Soils are an essential and multifunctional resource playing a key role through the services they provide us (production of food biomass, biomaterials, therapeutic treatments, leisure and well-being, etc.). However, anthropogenic impacts have caused significant degradation of these ecosystems, threatening, among other things, food security and the resilience of ecosystems. Sonia’s research led her to work on industrial wasteland soils and to develop innovative solutions based on nature (use of plants and microorganisms) to improve quality (reduction in pollutant levels, increase in agronomic capacities) and soil health (ability of soils to function as a living ecosystem that maintains its functions). The projects developed also made it possible to explore different ways of valorizing plant biomass produced on these degraded sites (energy production, biocompounds). This tends to demonstrate the potential of wastelands, when managed using phytomanagement, to restore ecosystems and create integrated projects combining, for example, habitats, gardens and artisanal areas in the heart of cities. This approach also makes it possible to develop valorization sectors which reduce competition with agricultural plots while allowing biomass to be produced locally, with low CO2 emissions, and promoting territorial autonomy.
Le jury était composé de :
Philippe BATAILLARD, BRGM Research Engineer, Isabelle LAFFONT-SCHWOB, Professor Aix-Marseille University, Thierry LEBEAU, Professor Nantes University, Anissa LOUNES-HADJ SAHRAOUI, Professor Université Littoral Côte d’Opale, Jean-Louis MOREL, Professor University of Lorraine, Stéphanie OUVRARD, Research Director INRAE
