Un/making Soil Communities

The Un/making Soil Communities is an ongoing experimental project that seeks design alternatives to take care of the soil. The project brings into focus the aftermath of the glass industry through speculative and participatory design. Phytoremediation is used to suggest that collaboration with other species might offer solutions for cleaning the polluted soil. In  2018-2019, designers of the Un/Making Studio Åsa Ståhl and Kristina Lindström conducted several participatory workshops in the Kingdom of Crystal, a central site for the glass industry in Sweden. For the Soil Matters exhibition, the Un/Making Studio invited artist-researchers from the Soil Laboratory to explore local environments in the aftermath of glass-making. During the exhibition, the Un/making Soil Communities project expands to the context of the Nuutajärvi Glass Village in Finland. 

The Un/Making studio provided the artist-researchers of the soil Laboratory with tools to sample the soil, instructions how to sample and seeds from five different phytoremediative plants. These plants have been selected especially for their ability to extract heavy metals from the soil and store it in their roots.

By looking into traces of heavy metals that the glass industry has left on the local soil, we are reminded how soil communities are affected by human actions. Plants, worms, microbes and bacteria, but also humans, are members of soil communities. Through this project, we reflect our roles in the soil communities. Understanding the consequences of our actions and the potentialities of working with others can help us mitigate the impact of human activity on the soil and its surrounding environment.

In collaboration with the Geological Survey of Finland (GTK)

www.unmakingstudio.se

www.umakingstudio.se/un-making-soil-communities/

Field Trip to the Nuutajärvi Glass Village, August 2020

What traces from the Finnish glass industry can be found in the soil around the former Nuutajärvi Glass Factory?

With some preliminary studies of intended locations, the research group conducted an expedition to the Nuutajärvi Glass Village. The investigation was led by artist-researcher Riikka Latva-Somppi in collaboration with local glass artist-educator Sara Hulkkonen. Several soil samples were gathered from around the former glass factory area as well as some specific locations of possible contamination.

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Analysis of Soil Samples

Later, in September, the gathered Nuutajärvi soil samples were scanned by geologist Maarit Saresma (GTK). The analysis shows heavy metal contaminationin the soils that are affected glass-making. Concentrations of lead, arsenic, chromium and cadmium, among others, were higher than the natural threshold.

Based on the scanning results, the research team selected three of the soil samples to experiment with phytoremediation. These samples were gathered by the most recent glass factory Hakahytti, the river bank and by the Pruukinraitti-road. Carefully selected plants, which potentially absorb heavy metals in their roots were sown in  the soil.

Scans of soil samples by geologist Maarit Saresma from the Geological Survey of Finland (GTK)

_{Blue= The measured concentration higher than the threshold value
Orange= The measured concentration exceeds the lower guideline value
Red= The measured concentration exceeds the upper guideline value}

Scroll to the right to view full table

	P	S	Cl	K	Ca	Ti	V	Cr	Mn	Fe	Co	Ni	Cu	Zn	As	Se	Rb	Sr	Y	Zr	Mo	Ag	Cd	Sn	Sb	W	Hg	Pb	Bi	Th	U
Natural Concentration							38	31			8	17	22	31	1								0.3		0.02		0.005	5
Threshold Value							100	100			20	50	100	200	5								1		2		0.5	60
Lower Guideline							150	200			100	100	150	250	50								10		10		2	200
Upper Guideline							250	300			250	150	200	400	100								20		50		5	750
Hakahytti	<LOD	<LOD	<LOD	1581	4884	651	31.3	1683	90	3248	1.7	<LOD	28	190	<LOD	3.9	10.7	50.7	7.1	1189	<LOD	<LOD	<LOD	<LOD	119	<LOD	<LOD	24	<LOD	<LOD	<LOD
Joen Penkka	<LOD	<LOD	<LOD	9078	8327	2383	88	100	616	28591	9.5	<LOD	109	409	133	7.5	88.4	209	14.8	168	<LOD	<LOD	<LOD	<LOD	<LOD	<LOD	<LOD	848	29	37	<LOD
Pruukinraitti	<LOD	897	<LOD	10253	6789	1965	52	67	369	23331	7.1	<LOD	44	137	34	4.5	79.2	215	12.0	134	<LOD	<LOD	<LOD	<LOD	<LOD	<LOD	<LOD	175	26	40	<LOD

Remediating the Soil

Throughout the exhibition period, the process of germination and growth of the plants can be followed in the Soil Matters exhibition space. This process is further used as a means to analyse whether the plants have accumulated heavy metals. Once the plants are harvested, an additional scanning will be carried out to observe the presence of contaminants.

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Results of Phytoremediation experiments

An additional scanning session was organised in January 2021 at Aalto University. The event was hosted by the artist-researchers from the Soil Laboratory. Project collaborators, designers of the Un/Making Studio Åsa Ståhl and Kristina Lindström from Sweden were invited to join a shared discussion via Zoom. During the event, phytoremediation plants which had grown in the Nuutajärvi soil were scanned by geologist Maarit Saresma from the Geological Survey of Finland (GTK).

The table shows the heavy metal content of the selected three soil samples. Below each soil analyses is the analyses of the plant grown in the specific soil. The results are tentavive due to the experimental method of using an XRF analyser for plant fibre.

Scans of soil samples by geologist Maarit Saresma from the Geological Survey of Finland (GTK)

Scroll to the right to view full table

	P	S	Cl	K	Ca	Ti	V	Cr	Mn	Fe	Co	Ni	Cu	Zn	As	Se	Rb	Sr	Y	Zr	Mo	Ag	Cd	Sn	Sb	W	Hg	Pb	Bi	Th	U
Hakahytti	<LOD	<LOD	<LOD	1581	4884	651	31.3	1683	90	3248	1.7	<LOD	28	190	<LOD	3.9	10.7	50.7	7.1	1189	<LOD	<LOD	<LOD	<LOD	119	<LOD	<LOD	24	<LOD	<LOD	<LOD
Sunflower	<LOD	8800	4345	40171	11655	223	21.2	91	46	491	<LOD	<LOD	12	206	4.6	220	5.5	23.7	<LOD	65.8	5.8	17	13	<LOD	27	<LOD	<LOD	<LOD	<LOD	<LOD	<LOD
Indian Mustard	<LOD	6272	6284	16429	5449	10667	69	115	<LOD	601	<LOD	<LOD	<LOD	43.2	2.9	48.4	3.7	6.3	<LOD	11.2	<LOD	19	12	<LOD	<LOD	<LOD	<LOD	<LOD	<LOD	<LOD	<LOD
Joen Penkka	<LOD	<LOD	<LOD	9078	8327	2383	88	100	616	28591	9.5	<LOD	109	409	133	7.5	88.4	209	14.8	168	<LOD	<LOD	<LOD	<LOD	<LOD	<LOD	<LOD	848	29	37	<LOD
Soybean	<LOD	3474	410	21255	9030	227	16.6	<LOD	74	1772	<LOD	<LOD	13	84	15.4	<LOD	9.2	27.0	<LOD	2.6	<LOD	19	<LOD	<LOD	<LOD	<LOD	<LOD	40.3	<LOD	<LOD	<LOD
Sunflower	<LOD	4442	4267	32992	15078	781	33.3	<LOD	53	1333	<LOD	<LOD	10.1	74	10.8	<LOD	7.7	25.5	<LOD	<LOD	<LOD	20	13	<LOD	<LOD	<LOD	<LOD	17.7	<LOD	<LOD	<LOD
Pruukinraitti	<LOD	897	<LOD	10253	6789	1965	52	67	369	23331	7.1	<LOD	44	137	34	4.5	79.2	215	12.0	134	<LOD	<LOD	<LOD	<LOD	<LOD	<LOD	<LOD	175	26	40	<LOD
Soybean	<LOD	3137	455	20227	9127	289	10.5	11	126	3428	1.2	<LOD	12	81	<LOD	<LOD	16.1	41.0	<LOD	12.1	<LOD	18	<LOD	<LOD	<LOD	<LOD	<LOD	18.3	<LOD	<LOD	<LOD
Sunflower	<LOD	6387	3408	32885	23237	208	20.7	<LOD	107	1369	<LOD	<LOD	17	133	5.3	<LOD	17.3	51.8	<LOD	3.9	<LOD	18	14	<LOD	<LOD	<LOD	<LOD	9.5	<LOD	<LOD	<LOD