For the sole purpose of Mushroom Hunting
A counter-proposal for a (Myco)remediation intervention. Utilizing and exploiting the arguments that are credited with its existence. Reconstructing an area of concentrated pollution into a space of experimental mycology.
[Soil maps and satelite data serve as archives for the subtle ecological changes that have
occured in this area throughout the last 40 years]
IJsseloog is a man-made island located within the Ketelmeer. Built to contain the heavily contaminated silt that was produced throughout land reclamation projects such as the Noordoostpolder and the Flevopolder. The central lake acts as a depot for the polluted material, isolating it to prevent any further widespread ecological damage. the current plan for remediation is to separate the contaminates from the bulk material using a decantation process. A slow and inefficient method that will leave IJsseloog as an area of unnaturally concentrated pollution for the forseable future.
This project is an exploration of mycoremediation within the context of the IJsseloog. proposing remediation through bio-augmentation, utilizing a highly studied species from the Basidiomycetes genus: Pleurotus djamor.
Capable of the degradation of man-made petrochemicals and organophosphates, but more importantly, capable of bioaccumulating large concentrations of heavy metals. The main contaminant within the IJsseloog’s reservoir.
The main composition of pollutants within the IJsseloog is toxic heavy metals such as mercury, zinc, and cadmium. Pleurotus species have shown to have bioaccumulation coefficients of 65-140x when placed in environments polluted with mercury and cadmium [“Mycelium running” pg106 – Paul Stamets]. Alongside this, the Pleurotus genus’ natural aggressive growth makes it an ideal candidate for the remediation of this specific site.
[ Pleurotus djamor grown through a rye grain substrate ]
[Master plan for the Ketelmeer]
[The construction of this mycoremediation intervention will change the entire scenery of the IJsseloog. Within the middle of the lake, a combination of floating mycofilters and bunker spawn sacks will be constructed. For this, use is made of the surplus of agricultural by-products produced nearby. The surrounding islands will also be newly designed. Demolishing existing infrastructure to create scenery that is more characteristic of the Dutch landscape. To prevent obstruction in the outflow of the existing floating pipeline that transports contaminated sludge between the docks and the main decantation pool, enough distance will be left between the mycofiltration points to prevent particle build-up. Around the body of water, expired bunker spawn will be spread within the woods, exponentially increasing the biodiversity. The removal of obsolete infrastructure will expand the existing natural area, therefore also contributing to the growth in biodiversity within this localized area.]
[construction of a map model. The materials chosen for relative areas are based on the
estimated soil fertility derived from soil maps and existing satelite data]
[Design phase]
[The myco-remediation intervention is meant primarily to break down the contaminated silt in a safe, cost-effective, and environmentally acceptable way. This led to a protracted design process, part of which will be described in this section.]
[Depot location]
[The size of the anticipated construction, combined with the contents of heavily polluted sediment, made it necessary to look carefully for the best method of mycoremediation. Indeed, this has been a much-reviewed topic, not only amongst mycologists studying remediation but in open discussions with biologists, environmentalists, pressure groups, and the public. Principally, two options have been studied: A Bio-stimulation approach and a Bio-augmentation approach. This isolation of the remediation effort was the main topic from a technical point of view, mainly because of the geotechnical situation of the project area. The reduced complexity of the soil diversity, caused by the make-up of the artificial polders is of great influence to this isolation topic. For the public especially farmers in the immediate vicinity of the Ketelmeer the introduction of a non-native species into the land was their main concern.]
[Map materials test: small peninsulas around the IJsseloog laser cut from test materials
to assess their capability as a substrate for Pleurotus]
[The text above, entitled “Master plan for the Ketelmeer – design phase and depot location” are sections from the original project plan drawn up by the designers of the IJsseloog in 1998. This text has since been remediated and repurposed to justify and legitimize my counter-proposal using the arguments and language that can be credited with the island’s existance. ]
[Soil chromagraphs created from polder soil samples collected from the Flevopolder. Soil chromagraphs can be used to assess soil health through analysis of the distinct lines and
bands that form as the constituent elements of the soil sample diffuse through filter paper at different rates]