On May 20, 2025, the Italian partners of the NPP-SOL project, from the University of Basilicata (UNIBAS) and the University of Cagliari (UNICA), conducted an on-site workshop and technical field visit at the Arborea case study site (Italy), in collaboration with the local hub.
The Arborea plain, a nitrate-vulnerable zone designated under the EU Nitrates Directive, is characterized by intensive agro-livestock activity that has led to significant nitrogen loading in the aquifer.
In this context, bioreactors represent a nature-based, decentralized, and cost-effective technology to intercept and reduce diffuse pollution before it reaches the groundwater.
These systems facilitate microbial denitrification, significantly reducing nitrate concentrations in water as it percolates through the subsurface drainage network. The Arborea installation is one of several NPP-SOL demonstration sites across the Mediterranean, where technologies are tested under site-specific conditions.
The event gathered researchers, local authorities, and agricultural practitioners for an engaging session that combined theoretical insights and hands-on observation of the bioremediation systems installed in the area. The workshop was co-organized with the local stakeholder hub, reinforcing NPP-SOL’s co-creation and knowledge transfer approach. The site visit provided an essential platform for the exchange of expertise and experience. Participants had the opportunity to take a close look at the in situ bioreactors set up at the Arborea site, giving them a first-hand insight into an innovative, nature-based solution designed specifically for Mediterranean environmental conditions.
This direct involvement has fostered a meaningful dialogue between researchers, local practitioners and users, strengthening collaborative links and common understanding. Such cooperation is crucial to promote the wider adoption, effective replication and scaling-up of sustainable bioremediation approaches to mitigate diffuse nitrate pollution.
