| 1. |
- Andersson, Patrik, 1974, et al.
(författare)
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Framtidsbilder för samhällsbyggnad
- 2006
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Framtidsbilder för samhällsbyggnad 2020De kommande 15 åren står institutionen för Bygg- och miljöteknik inför stora förändringar. Därför har institutionen initierat projektet Framtidsbilder 2020 där man engagerat en framtidspanel bestående av elva yngre disputerade forskare. Arbetet inleddes med ett breddgruppsmöte där 110 personer representerande institutionens personal och studenter deltog. Vid mötet identifierades ett antal trender och osäkra utvecklingar som påverkar framtiden inom samhällsbyggnadsområdet. Deltagarna bidrog också med idéer till en önskvärd utveckling, vilket har sammanställts och utgör grunden till en gemensam önskvärd framtid/vision för institutionen. Materialet från breddgruppsmötet har bearbetats av Framtidspanelen och resulterat i fyra scenarier som beskriver hur samhällsbyggnadsområdet kan se ut år 2020. Syftet med framtidsbilderna är att de ska vara vägledande för institutionens beslut och förhållningssätt under de kommande åren.Fyra scenarierTurning TorsoSamhället präglas av en ekonomi som är på uppgång, och av ett nytänkande och öppet samhälle. Materiell status och individualism är viktigt. Detta leder till en hög arbetsbelastning samt krav på exklusiva varor av hög kvali-tet. Det finns en stor medvetenhet om miljöpåverkan och klimatförändringar och lösningarna för att klara energiförsörjningen är innovativa.Eco-metropolenDet sveper en grön våg genom dagens samhälle. Under de senaste 15 åren har vi insett att jorden skall vara en bebolig plats även åt dem som kommer efter oss. Vi söker ständigt efter nya, mer förfinade metoder att tillvarata de resurser vi har. Samhället och individen är i balans. Ekonomin är god och vi är miljömedvetna, trygga och integrerade. Nytänkande premieras och icke- materialistiska värderingar står högt i kurs. Vi tänker individuellt, men agerar mer än gärna för kollektivets bästa. Utbildning är gratis TrädgårdsstadenEtt samhälle där vi lärt oss hantera stress, men känner oss otrygga och helst umgås i slutna sociala sammanhang. Vi bor enkelt inne i stan, eller gärna på landsbygden nära storstäderna. Minskade behov av högutbildade i samhället gör att vi har svårt att rekrytera studenter till teknikutbildningar. Det traditionella tankesättet leder till kulturkrockar med företag och personer från andra länder.Gated communitiesFörsämrad ekonomi och ökad egoism har lett fram till ett stressat, otryggt och segregerat samhälle. Accelererande klimatförändringar och ökad miljö-påverkan skrämmer oss, men trots det åtgärdar vi inte problemen, utan koncentrerar oss på konsekvenserna. Arbetslöshet i samhällsbyggnadssek-torn leder till sänkt status för samhällsbyggaren. Vi har därför svårt att rekrytera studenter, och även forskningen har låg status.
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| 2. |
- Cossio Grageda, Claudia, 1974, et al.
(författare)
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Indicators for sustainability assessment of small-scale wastewater treatment plants in low and lower-middle income countries
- 2020
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Ingår i: Environmental and Sustainability Indicators. - : Elsevier BV. - 2665-9727. ; 6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Wastewater treatment in low and lower-middle income countries is often limited by lack of local technical expertise, institutional capacity, and financial resources, making it challenging to reach SDG6-target 6.3, i.e. halving the proportion of untreated wastewater. Several studies suggest sets of sustainability indicators for assessing the planning and/or operation of WWTPs. However, existing standard indicators are typically focused on the context of high and upper-middle income countries, whereas low and lower-middle income countries face other types of issues. The development of a contextualized set of relevant and effective sustainability indicators to support the planning and/or operation of small-scale WWTPs in low and lower-middle income countries is crucial. This study develops a contextualized set of sustainability indicators for small-scale wastewater treatment plants in Bolivia, which is classified as a lower-middle income country. Indicators were identified using a literature review combined with empirical studies using focus groups with managers and operators, as well as, workshops with experts. The aim of the focus groups and workshops was to acquire an understanding of the local context and identify relevant sustainability indicators. The practical investigation took place at five sites in Cochabamba, Bolivia. The results suggest that sustainability assessment of WWTPs in low and lower-middle income countries should emphasize the institutional dimension (e.g. Institutional capacity, Interactions, and Information) and the technical dimension (e.g. Sewage network functionality and Expertise) alongside indicators in the social, economic and environmental dimensions.
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| 3. |
- Andersson, Stefanie, 1989, et al.
(författare)
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Genome-wide imaging screen uncovers molecular determinants of arsenite-induced protein aggregation and toxicity
- 2021
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Ingår i: Journal of Cell Science. - : The Company of Biologists. - 0021-9533 .- 1477-9137. ; 134:11
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The toxic metalloid arsenic causes widespread misfolding and aggregation of cellular proteins. How these protein aggregates are formed in vivo, the mechanisms by which they affect cells and how cells prevent their accumulation is not fully understood. To find components involved in these processes, we performed a genome-wide imaging screen and identified Saccharomyces cerevisiae deletion mutants with either enhanced or reduced protein aggregation levels during arsenite exposure. We show that many of the identified factors are crucial to safeguard protein homeostasis (proteostasis) and to protect cells against arsenite toxicity. The hits were enriched for various functions including protein biosynthesis and transcription, and dedicated follow-up experiments highlight the importance of accurate transcriptional and translational control for mitigating protein aggregation and toxicity during arsenite stress. Some of the hits are associated with pathological conditions, suggesting that arsenite-induced protein aggregation may affect disease processes. The broad network of cellular systems that impinge on proteostasis during arsenic stress identified in this current study provides a valuable resource and a framework for further elucidation of the mechanistic details of metalloid toxicity and pathogenesis. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first authors of the paper.
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| 4. |
- Björklund-Persson, Lena, 1966, et al.
(författare)
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Performance of an in situ passive sampling system for metals in stormwater
- 2002
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Ingår i: Journal of Environmental Monitoring. - : Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). - 1464-0333 .- 1464-0325. ; 4:2, s. 258-262
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A passive sampler has been developed and is demonstrated in situ for urban runoff. The passive sampler is compared to conventional composite (time-dependent and flow-weighted) bottle sampling during and between storm events. The sampling was carried out at established stormwater stations; before and after a stormwater detention pond. In situ deployment of the passive sampler provides the metal concentrations, corresponding to the electrochemically available fraction of total metal, for time-dependent samples collected in parallel. The sampler provides improved accuracy compared to bottle sampling because contamination during sample transport and handling is minimised. Laboratory handling is reduced by direct analysis of the accumulated metals on the receiving membrane by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Passive sampling also solves the problem of metal speciation change during transport to the laboratory, which is a potential problem for bottle samples. The low cost and convenience of the passive sampler and subsequent analysis should allow significantly more extensive spatial and temporal monitoring of metals in the aquatic environment than has previously been possible.
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| 5. |
- Carugati, Gabriele, 1980, et al.
(författare)
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Experimental assessment of a large sample cell for laser ablation-ICP-MS, and its application to sediment core micro-analysis
- 2010
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Ingår i: Mikrochimica Acta. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1436-5073 .- 0026-3672. ; 170:1-2, s. 39-45
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The coupling of laser ablation (LA) to inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) enables the direct analysis of solid samples with micrometric resolution. Analysis is often restricted to relatively small samples owing to the dimensions of conventional ablation cells. Here, we assess the performance of a large rectangular, commercially-available sample cell which enables analysis over a 10.2 x 5.2 cm(2) area. Comparison with the conventional cell shows a small to moderate performance decrease for the large cell resulting from the dilution of ablated particles in a larger volume with a 4-31% lower signal output and longer signal tailings. The performance of this cell is however sufficient for the determination of both major and trace elements in many kinds of samples. The applicability of the large cell LA-ICP-MS setup was demonstrated by the determination of Al, Si, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn Pb and U in sediment core sections at a resolution of 0.6 mm. Detection limits for sediment analysis were 7 mg Al kg(-1), 68 mg Si kg(-1), 0.5 mg Mn kg(-1), 20 mg Fe kg(-1), 0.2 mg Cu kg(-1), 0.3 mg Zn kg(-1), 0.08 mg Pb kg(-1) and 0.003 mg U kg(-1). Cyclic patterns, which would have been overlooked by conventional analysis at cm resolution, were observed in analysed sediments. This study demonstrates the potential of LA-ICP-MS in environmental analysis, with the large sample cell setup offering the possibility to analyse a wider range of samples without sectioning.
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| 6. |
- Cobelo-García, A., et al.
(författare)
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COST action TD1407: network on technology-critical elements (NOTICE)—from environmental processes to human health threats
- 2015
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Ingår i: Environmental Science and Pollution Research. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0944-1344 .- 1614-7499. ; 22:19, s. 15188-15194
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The current socio-economic, environmental and public health challenges that countries are facing clearly need common-defined strategies to inform and support our transition to a sustainable economy. Here, the technology-critical elements (which includes Ga, Ge, In, Te, Nb, Ta, Tl, the Platinum Group Elements and most of the rare-earth elements) are of great relevance in the development of emerging key technologies—including renewable energy, energy efficiency, electronics or the aerospace industry. In this context, the increasing use of technology-critical elements (TCEs) and associated environmental impacts (from mining to end-of-life waste products) is not restricted to a national level but covers most likely a global scale. Accordingly, the European COST Action TD1407: Network on Technology-Critical Elements (NOTICE)—from environmental processes to human health threats, has an overall objective for creating a network of scientists and practitioners interested in TCEs, from the evaluation of their environmental processes to understanding potential human health threats, with the aim of defining the current state of knowledge and gaps, proposing priority research lines/activities and acting as a platform for new collaborations and joint research projects. The Action is focused on three major scientific areas: (i) analytical chemistry, (ii) environmental biogeochemistry and (iii) human exposure and (eco)-toxicology.
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| 7. |
- Cornelis, Geert, et al.
(författare)
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Drift correction of the dissolved signal in single particle ICPMS
- 2016
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Ingår i: Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1618-2642 .- 1618-2650. ; 408:19, s. 5075-5087
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A method is presented where drift, the random fluctuation of the signal intensity, is compensated for based on the estimation of the drift function by a moving average. It was shown using single particle ICPMS (spICPMS) measurements of 10 and 60 nm Au NPs that drift reduces accuracy of spICPMS analysis at the calibration stage and during calculations of the particle size distribution (PSD), but that the present method can again correct the average signal intensity as well as the signal distribution of particle-containing samples skewed by drift. Moreover, deconvolution, a method that models signal distributions of dissolved signals, fails in some cases when using standards and samples affected by drift, but the present method was shown to improve accuracy again. Relatively high particle signals have to be removed prior to drift correction in this procedure, which was done using a 3 x sigma method, and the signals are treated separately and added again. The method can also correct for flicker noise that increases when signal intensity is increased because of drift. The accuracy was improved in many cases when flicker correction was used, but when accurate results were obtained despite drift, the correction procedures did not reduce accuracy. The procedure may be useful to extract results from experimental runs that would otherwise have to be run again.
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| 8. |
- Cornelis, G., et al.
(författare)
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Sludge concentration, shear rate and nanoparticle size determine silver nanoparticle removal during wastewater treatment
- 2017
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Ingår i: Environmental Science-Nano. - : Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). - 2051-8153 .- 2051-8161. ; 4:11, s. 2225-2234
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Wastewater treatment (WWT) is generally efficient in removing nanoparticles (NPs) from sewage effluent, but the variety in removal rates has not yet been explained. WWT parameters such as the activated sludge (AS) concentration, shear rate and ionic strength were varied in kinetic batch attachment and sedimentation studies using silver NPs having nominal 20 or 80 nm sizes and citrate or PEG coatings. The fitted attachment and detachment rate constants and the resulting distribution ratios at steady state varied with WWT process parameters, but most notably with the NP size, which was also found to influence the settling rates most. The NP coating molecules had a limited or no effect. A meta-analysis of literature distribution ratios (attached/detached concentration) of NPs composed of Ag and other materials showed the NP (aggregate) size as the only significant parameter. However, while the distribution ratio of silver NPs to AS increased linearly with AS concentration, the final effect of NP effluent concentrations is partly offset by decreased sedimentation rates. The results thus confirm that a WWT process is efficient in removing NPs from wastewater, but relatively small (<20 nm) non-aggregated NPs are somewhat more likely to exit a WWT process via the effluent into aquatic compartments compared to relatively larger NPs, which nearly entirely leave the WWT plants with the AS towards soils, incineration plants or landfills.
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| 9. |
- Cossio Grageda, Claudia, 1974, et al.
(författare)
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Wastewater management in small towns - understanding the failure of small treatment plants in Bolivia
- 2018
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Ingår i: Environmental Technology (United Kingdom). - : Informa UK Limited. - 1479-487X .- 0959-3330. ; 39:11, s. 1393-1403
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Wastewater management in developing countries is a challenge, especially in small towns with rapid population growth. This study aims at assessing the performance and management of five treatment plants (TPs) in rural areas of Cochabamba, Bolivia. Pollutants’ concentrations, wastewater flows, hydraulic and organic loads and hydraulic retention times were determined in three small treatment plants (2000–10,000 population equivalent [p.e.]; flow > 432 m3/d) and two very small treatment plants (<2000 p.e.; flow < 432 m3/d). The performance assessment was based on operational parameters, treatment efficiency and effluent quality. Management data were collected through semi-structured interviews with managers of local water associations. The results support that the poor performance of the TPs is due to lack of operational expertise and financial resources for adequate operation and maintenance (O&M). Additionally, effective treatment was affected by the type of technology used and whether the plant design included plans for O&M with available resources. This study contributes to a better understanding of actual operating conditions of wastewater TPs in small towns, thus providing needed information regarding technology selection, design, implementation and operation.
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| 10. |
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