Fabienne Wateau
2016
Risques, perceptions et histoires de vie : approche socio-anthropologique du contexte Estarreja/Aveiro
Par une approche socio-anthropologique du contexte Estarreja/Aveiro, il s'agit de mettre en évidence un certain nombre de logiques adoptées par les populations pour s’adapter à un espace dont la pollution est avérée. La méthode consistera à recueillir des histoires de vie auprès des travailleurs de l’usine, comme auprès des agriculteurs de la terre contaminée, tout en portant une attention particulière à la mémoire des faits et des contextes dans lesquels la construction du pôle industriel a pu se développer, d’hier à aujourd’hui. Il s’agira aussi de constituer un dossier de presse et de l’analyser, pour retracer l’histoire de cette situation et sa mise en relation directe avec le site protégé d’Aveiro, à quelques kilomètres de là. Perceptions du risque, adaptations, alternatives et contradictions, par cette recherche à réaliser sur le terrain, à l’aide des méthodes qualitatives de la socio-anthropologie, l’étude contribuera à apporter le volet de sciences sociales complémentaire et forcément nécessaire aux recherches de sciences dures jusqu’alors réalisées sur ce site.
Anabela Cachada
2016
SOILgenoMIC - How the contamination of irrigation water ends up in impacts on the genomic diversity and functions of the soil microbial community?
Soil is a vital resource responsible by multiple ecosystem services, crucial for the wellbeing and sustainability of human populations. Only in the last decades, faced with the level of degradation of soils within its territory, the European Commission has recognized the importance of soil functions. Indeed, it is now accepted that the maintenance of soil quality is vital for the European economic competitiveness. For centuries human activities have negatively affected soil functions, for example, through point/diffuse contamination. Estarreja is known for its large chemical complex, and several studies and projects were performed in the region to evaluate the presence of contaminants in groundwater, soil and biota. Some hotspots of contamination (both organic and inorganic) were identified in groundwater, which is used to irrigate farmlands. The cycling of contaminants between soils and aquifers may progressively affect the diversity and key specialized functions of the soil microbial community, especially important in agricultural soils.
Nuno Durães
2015
AgrInfluence - The influence of agriculture practices on contaminant’s mobility
Pore waters are very specific solutions, generally with high concentrations due to the greater residence time than percolation waters, which promote a high water-soil interaction. For this reason these solutions are the transference medium for excellence of inorganic and organic compounds between soils and plants. In this sense, the study of pore waters can give valuable information about the mobility and bioavailabitity of contaminants for plants.
In this project we propose to study the influence of the agriculture practices in the contaminants mobilization, focusing in pilot contaminated areas of Estarreja, and using pore waters as a medium to study these processes, hoping to contribute with valuable information to improve de quality of agriculture practices in the reduction of contaminant’s exposure.
