LIFE InBioSoil

Using fungi and bacteria to clean European contaminated soils.

LIFE InBioSoil develops a new biological technology to decontaminate soils directly in situ, without the need for excavation, using fungi and bacteria that transform pollutants into harmless substances.

The project offers a sustainable, efficient, and low-impact solution to restore polluted soils across Europe and drastically reduce the emissions associated with traditional remediation methods such as excavation or thermal treatment, which are also costly, energy-intensive and often destructive to the soil.

LIFE InBioSoil combines low-pressure injection, mycoremediation, biosurfactants, and predictive functional genomics to demonstrate that it is possible to clean soils without moving them or destroying their structure.

This methodology aims to reduce energy consumption by up to 90% and greenhouse gas emissions by 80%, achieving between 40% and 85% degradation of persistent organic pollutants.

The technology is to be validated at two pilot sites in Spain and Belgium, which represent different geological and climatic conditions to test its replicability in diverse European contexts. The project contributes to the European Union’s goal of achieving 100% healthy soils by 2050, in line with the EU Soil Strategy for 2030, the Mission “A Soil Deal for Europe,” and the European Green Deal.

Coordinated by Eurecat through its Water, Air and Soils (WAS) Unit, LIFE InBioSoil involves partners from Spain and Belgium: Tecnoambiente, Injectis, and Novobiom. The consortium brings together expertise in environmental biotechnology, mycoremediation, and injection engineering to provide a scientific, safe, and scalable alternative for soil decontamination. On Eurecat’s part, the Waste, Energy and Environmental Impact Unit (WEEI) and the Consultancy and Communication Departments also participate in the initiative.