About

FERRO is an interdisciplinary project that seeks to foster circularly based management of eutrophication. It integrates a wide array of fields: hydrobiology, remote sensing, biotechnology, engineering and agriculture to facilitate lake restoration efforts in Europe.

Project Overview

The project

FERRO will provide the research and conservation community with new tools and methodologies for lake nutrient recovery and reuse in agriculture, as well as help in the identification and prioritisation of lakes for restoration.

FERRO’s mission is centered around four main pillars:

Classification and prioritisation of lakes for restoration

Meeting the needs for accurate and timely lake monitoring, postulated by the European Water Framework directive, is a relevant problem due to the large number of lakes, their spatial and temporal variability, and often their inaccessibility.

To assist this process, FERRO aims to leverage remote sensing technologies in combination with ground monitoring to assess the current status, vulnerability and resilience of lakes and their catchments to eutrophication. This will allow rapid data acquisition and processing, and a cost-effective universal tool for evaluating water quality at a high spatial and temporal resolution.

Catchment-oriented solutions for reduction and recovery of nutrients

Reducing the external nutrient loading of lakes is a major challenge, especially when dealing with non-point (diffuse) loading - such as agricultural or urban runoff from multiple small sources.

FERRO proposes a solution using phosphorus-solubilising biostimulants and microorganisms to increase P uptake from soils, which will reduce the need for P fertilisers, and consequently reduce the P runoff to water bodies. FERRO will also implement additional measures by using a cost-effective continuous flocculation system at lake inflows. Flocculants capture and immobilise nutrients that flow in, depriving algae of nutrients and, therefore preventing eutrophication. The sedimented flocculants can then be recovered for circular use.

In-lake oriented solutions for circular nutrient management

Reductions in external phosphorus loading can take time to show results in lakes with large “P legacies” (phosphorus accumulation in sediments). Currently, most in-lake restoration measures to P legacies are focused on suppressing P release from sediments. However, these solutions are not long-lasting as the source of eutrophication is not removed.

FERRO will explore and improve different methods for P extraction and reuse such as a solar-powered pump connected to a recyclable P absorption filter from which P can be recovered and recycled as fertiliser. To achieve this, FERRO will also focus on the development and demonstration of a novel filter material that will enable the recycling of nutrients to agriculture.

The project will also evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of targeted sediment removal from the most nutrient-rich areas (identified through sonar) of shallow lakes, which would allow its extraction with minimal cost and environmental harm. Hypolimnetic withdrawal (removal of nutrient-rich bottom waters) from deeper lakes will also be tested and evaluated.

Knowledge transfer and stakeholder training

The solutions developed by FERRO are at high technology readiness level (TRL 5-7) and will be validated in the laboratory and the field. FERRO will rely on a high degree of stakeholder involvement and knowledge transfer to ensure implementation and high impact.

This will be achieved through continuous communication between the consortium and practitioners, facilitated through training, webinars, international workshops, and involving interested regions in adopting FERRO solutions.

Work packages

WP1

Project Management

Led by Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), WP1 will ensure the delivery of project outcomes by efficient project management, workflow coordination of Research & Development activities, and transparent progress tracking. It will arrange the involvement of stakeholder groups, facilitate internal communication, and ensure ethical research practice throughout the project while mitigating potential project risks.

WP2

Project Communication, Dissemination and Exploitation

Led by Pensoft Publishers, WP2 will maximise the impact of FERRO by strategically planning and implementing the communication, dissemination and exploitation activities of the project. This will be achieved through the use of tailored formats to raise awareness and reach a wide range of stakeholder groups and by creating synergies with existing biodiversity, conservation and restoration actors around Europe.

WP3

Review of Lake Restoration of European Lakes

Led by Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), WP3 will gather and review knowledge from EU lakes that have undergone restoration measures in the past. The aim is to create a detailed database of restoration projects and experiences to help the restoration community decide on the best measures for their lakes. Knowledge sources to be explored include local and regional authorities, scientific publications, and grey literature. The developed database will be internally and externally tested.

WP4

Remote Sensing-Based Classification and Monitoring

Led by Brockmann Consult, WP4 will provide catchment-related and water quality information derived from remote sensing satellite data with the dual purpose of assisting in the prioritisation of lakes for restoration and monitoring the impact of restoration activities in space and time. To achieve this, a dedicated classification scheme to assist with the assessment and restoration prioritisation of European lakes will be adapted from existing methodologies (Politi et al. 2024) that will be both customisable and transferable to other locations and continents. An interactive dashboard for monitoring restoration impact based on remote sensing products will be developed and maintained throughout the project lifetime, showcasing the strengths of remote sensing and its added value in lake restoration and management.

WP5

Recycling of Nutrients from Lakes and Reduction of P Losses from Agricultural Soils using Biotechnology

Led by the University of Southern Denmark (SDU), WP5 aims to improve the management and use efficiency of phosphorus (P). In order to encourage nutrient circularity, dewatered lake sediment and iron (Fe) filter material will be applied on agricultural fields where the P-rich material will serve as fertiliser. The WP will also focus on best practices of using native soil bacteria to improve P use efficiency and availability for crops. Through this nature-based solution, P leaching from agriculture into aquatic systems will be diminished, while simultaneously ensuring crop yields.

WP6

Recovery of Nutrients at Lake Inflows and Reuse as Fertiliser in Agriculture

Led by Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), WP6 will concentrate on reducing nutrient loads from lake catchments by trapping incoming nutrients at inflows or pre-dams of drinking water reservoir (Droeda, Germany) through implementing and validating smart and adaptive flocculation with an iron (Fe)-based flocculent. Additionally, a methodology will be developed to recover the nutrient-rich flocs and assess their suitability for use as a fertiliser.

WP7

Using Sonar and Sediment Analysis to Target Specific P-Releasing Areas in Lakes

Led by the University of Southern Denmark (SDU), WP7 will develop the use of sonar analysis in lake restoration to help localise areas in large lakes with soft sediment which can be responsible for phosphorous (P) release. This approach enables tailor-made lake restoration, focusing on the areas most strongly contributing to eutrophication. Sonar-based sediment maps can also be used to identify lake areas suitable for macrophyte re-establishment and areas responsible for methane emissions.

WP8

Removal of Nutrients from Lake Water using a Solar Pump System and Recycling on Agricultural Soils

Led by the University of Southern Denmark (SDU), WP8 will work on developing an energy-neutral pumping system that can be deployed above phosphorous (P) - releasing hotspots (determined by sonar analysis - WP7) and connected to various types of filter systems such as nature-based wetlands and ponds, or chemical P-trapping filter systems. This will aid in the long-term management and P-balance of lakes in a sustainable way.

WP9

Excavation of Nutrient-Rich Lake Sediments and Reuse as Fertiliser in Agriculture

Led by the University of Helsinki (UH), WP9 will:

1) develop a tool for the smart mapping of lakes potentially suitable for sediment removal (through using sonar maps and sediment P dynamics studies).

2) explore the viability of sediment removal at phosphorus (P) rich areas (i.e hotspots) while optimising for cost-efficiency, effectiveness and environmental risks.

3) elaborate best practices for the sediment reuse as P fertilisers.

WP10

Establishing a Framework for Adoption of Solutions by Associated Regions

Led by Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), WP10 will open a call for associated regions to apply for FERRO grants to be used for tackling eutrophication problems using the project-derived solutions. An action plan will be developed to adopt FERRO solutions in each of the three associated regions, and a series of webinars will help disseminate the methodologies on a larger scale in the EU.