SOPLAS

Superabsorbents in the Upper Rhine region – soil amendment or source of secondary plastic residues?

The Upper Rhine region is one of the driest and hottest areas. Due to its geographical location between the Black Forest and the Vosges Mountains, it is particularly affected by climate change. Heat accumulation and declining precipitation levels are leading to increasing water stress in the soil. In this context, synthetic superabsorbents (SAPs) are frequently viewed as a technical solution, particularly for increasing the water-holding capacity of agricultural soils.

The project aims to proactively enable a more sustainable and responsible use of SAPs and, consequently, to steer the application of these products from the outset towards sustainable land use and resource conservation.

Our goal is to employ photocatalytic and electrocatalytic methods to facilitate soil remediation after use and to investigate possibilities for their recovery or recycling.

PARTNERSHIP

Dr Christian Buchmann

Janina Neff