Soils contamination give rise to one of many environmental problems, such as heavy metals pollutant that reduces resources, leading to serious health problems for humans directly or indirectly, by the contamination of the food crops. Moreover, the cultivation of industrial crops in heavy metals contaminated land improves several ecosystem services, such as biodiversity maintenance and nutrient and water cycling, while promoting soil decontamination through a phytoremediation technique. This biological technique uses plants to remediate the contaminated land while generating economic value in land that used to be unproductivity. This technique synergizes with the European Green Deal's focus on environmental restoration, biodiversity conservation, and the transition towards a sustainable and resilient future. Biogas serves as a renewable energy source, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and dependence on fossil fuels. Simultaneously, phytoremediation harnesses the power of plants to mitigate pollution and restore ecosystems. Together, these practices contribute to the overarching goals of the European Green Deal, driving the continent towards a more environmentally conscious and prosperous future. This work aimed to evaluate the tolerance of giant reed in soils contaminated by two heavy metals (Pb and Cd). The biomass produced was tested as a substrate in anaerobic digestion to produce biomethane. Giant reed showed its great ability to growth in heavy metals polluted soils, even if the presence of cadmium in the soils, and in the plants reduced the productivity of giant reed and the biomethane yield.

Proceedings of the 31st European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, 5-8 June 2023, Bologna, Italy, pp. 748-751