| 1. |
- Bayona-Valderrama, Ángela, et al.
(författare)
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Water quality for citizen confidence: The implementation process of 2020 EU Drinking Water Directive in Nordic countries
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Ingår i: Water Policy. - 1366-7017.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The European Union Drinking Water Directive aims to protect human health and promote safe water consumption. The 2020 revision, Article 17 in particular, directed member states to provide public access to information on drinking water. This update was a response to citizen initiatives calling for the active participation of end-users in water services and greater transparency from water utilities. Difficulties implementing previous versions of the directive have highlighted divergences between policy purposes, local capacity to implement, and public response. These divergences are explored within eight case studies in Nordic countries and analysed using the policy implementation framework. We employed a mixed-method, multi-stage approach. Policy formulation was characterized through a literature review, policy design by the synthesis of legislative instruments, and policy implementation via an analysis of delivery behaviour based on interviews. We identified the main drivers of the directive’s update and contrast these with the ongoing implementation process in the countries of study. Our results point to a differential and highly contextual implementation, which differs from the primary drivers of the policy update, namely, the establishment of public confidence in water services.
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| 2. |
- Gunnarsdottir, Maria J., et al.
(författare)
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Implementing risk-based approaches to improve drinking water quality in small water supplies in the Nordic region – barriers and solutions
- 2023
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Ingår i: Journal of Water and Health. - 1477-8920. ; 21:12, s. 1747-1760
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Small water supplies face similar problems worldwide, regardless of ownership or management type. Non-compliance with water quality regulations is more frequent in small supplies than in large ones, as are waterborne disease outbreaks. The new EU Drinking Water Directive requires risk-based approach (RBA) to secure water safety as is recommended in the WHO's Guidelines for drinking water quality through ‘water safety plans’. This is already in regulation in the Nordic countries, although less used in small supplies. In this research, we explore the challenges, barriers and possible solutions to implementing RBA and improving compliance in small supplies. This was achieved by conducting and analysing interviews with 53 stakeholders from all 8 Nordic countries to produce recommendations for action by the different implicated actors. Our findings suggest the centrality of governmental policy, including support for continuous training, provision of simple RBA guidelines and increasing cooperation in the water sector. The Nordic experience reflects global challenges with small water supplies and the trend towards systematic preventive management epitomized in the framework for drinking water safety advocated by the World Health Organization since 2004.
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| 3. |
- Gunnarsdottir, Maria J., et al.
(författare)
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Status of risk-based approach and national framework for safe drinking water in small water supplies of the Nordic water sector
- 2020
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Ingår i: International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health. - : Elsevier BV. - 1438-4639. ; 230
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Reliable safe water supply is a pillar of society and a key to public health. The Nordic countries have an abundance of clean fresh water as a source for drinking water supplies. They have followed developments in safeguarding water, both the recommendations of the World Health Organization framework for safe drinking water and European legislation. Worldwide, including the Nordic countries, small water supplies are less compliant with water safety regulation. The forthcoming EU directive on drinking water require risk-based approaches and improved transparency on water quality. This research looks at the Nordic frameworks for safe water supply, with emphasis on risk-based approaches and smaller systems. We analyzed the legal frameworks for safe water, the structure of the water sector across the Nordic countries and explored how prepared these countries are to meet these requirements. Our findings show that, while legal requirements are mostly in place, delivery of information to the public needs to be improved. Most Nordic countries are in the process of implementing risk-based management in large and medium size water supplies, whereas small supplies are lagging. We conclude that a key to success is increased training and support for small supplies. We suggest wider adoption of the Nordic model of cooperation with benchmarking of safe water for all to transfer knowledge between the countries. This work provides insights into challenges and opportunities for the Nordic countries and provides insights relevant to countries worldwide in their effort towards realization of SDG Target 6.1.
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
- Hietala, Heidi, et al.
(författare)
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Modes of Collaboration in Digital Transformation of Municipal Wastewater Management
- 2021
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Ingår i: ECIS 2021 PROCEEDINGS. - : Association for Information Systems.
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Digital transformation introduces new opportunities for public services, such as wastewater management. The opportunities include better interoperability and data availability, leading to such benefits as predictive maintenance and efficient allocation of resources. To reach the envisioned benefits, inter-organisational collaboration is essential. However, municipal water utilities have varying objectives, expectations, and challenges related to collaboration. This paper reports a field study on the digitalisation opportunities of municipal water services in Finland. We report the observed collaboration forms, rationale, expected benefits, and recognised challenges (i.e., the modes of inter-organizational collaboration) for deploying digitalised operations. This study provides insight into inter-organisational collaboration on the digital transformation of municipal water management. On a theoretical level, the study supports and complements the previously theorised collaboration modes of autonomous development, standardisation, and central service organization. The results also describe why and how limited company mode emerges in the sector, corresponding to the previously described consortium mode.
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| 6. |
- Kinnunen, Juho, et al.
(författare)
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Factors affecting effluent quality in on-site wastewater treatment systems in the cold climates of Finland and Sweden
- 2023
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Ingår i: Journal of Cleaner Production. - : Elsevier. - 0959-6526 .- 1879-1786. ; 404
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Decentralized sanitation facilities serving single households to small communities can offer a more flexible way of improving global sanitation. In Nordic countries, on-site wastewater treatment systems (OWTS) are mostly used in sparsely populated areas and are regulated for the removal of phosphorus (Tot-P), organic matter (biological oxygen demand, (BOD7)) and total nitrogen (Tot-N). However, available reports, albeit commonly using small data sets, call attention to often low and variable treatment performance. In this work, a statistical analysis of 1301 samples from 395 units reported in 10 studies from Finland and Sweden was conducted. The objective was to increase knowledge regarding the effluent water quality of OWTS and their compliance with regulations. In addition, the goal was to identify possible factors affecting contaminant concentrations. Overall, compliance with base-level BOD7 removal requirements was met by most units while 10% of units exceeded Tot-N and >25% exceeded Tot-P limits. Non-compliance rates were high, especially for Tot-P, considering the studied data set was composed mostly of semi-new units (median 3.8 years). Neither weather (air temperature, precipitation, and snowmelt), age or load factors were found to strongly explain the data variability in either soil-based systems (SBS) or package plants (PP). Tot-N and Tot-P effluent concentrations of the two systems were not significantly different. Effluent BOD7 concentrations were lower in SBS (median 3.0 mg/L) when compared to PP (median 7.7 mg/L). Units with P-sorbing filters (median 0.69 mg/L) and chemical precipitation (median 1.54 mg/L), presented lower Tot-P effluent concentrations in contrast to traditional sand filters (median 4.0 mg/L). The biological process used in PP had a measurable effect on effluent BOD7 concentrations, with attached growth units presenting higher values (median 8.1 mg/L) than suspended growth units (median 7.1 mg/L). Although the data set utilized was large, its analysis revealed intrinsic bias in data collection, especially regarding system types and sampling seasonality with colder winter periods sampling underrepresented. There is a need for data collection to improve to allow conclusive treatment efficiency assessment including possible effects of climate and process-related factors.
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| 7. |
- Klove, Bjorn, et al.
(författare)
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Climate change impacts on groundwater and dependent ecosystems
- 2014
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Ingår i: Journal of Hydrology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0022-1694. ; 518, s. 250-266
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aquifers and groundwater-dependent ecosystems (GDEs) are facing increasing pressure from water consumption, irrigation and climate change. These pressures modify groundwater levels and their temporal patterns and threaten vital ecosystem services such as arable land irrigation and ecosystem water requirements, especially during droughts. This review examines climate change effects on groundwater and dependent ecosystems. The mechanisms affecting natural variability in the global climate and the consequences of climate and land use changes due to anthropogenic influences are summarised based on studies from different hydrogeological strata and climate zones. The impacts on ecosystems are discussed based on current findings on factors influencing the biodiversity and functioning of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. The influence of changes to groundwater on GDE biodiversity and future threats posed by climate change is reviewed, using information mainly from surface water studies and knowledge of aquifer and groundwater ecosystems. Several gaps in research are identified. Due to lack of understanding of several key processes, the uncertainty associated with management techniques such as numerical modelling is high. The possibilities and roles of new methodologies such as indicators and modelling methods are discussed in the context of integrated groundwater resources management. Examples are provided of management impacts on groundwater, with recommendations on sustainable management of groundwater. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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| 8. |
- Kløve, Bjørn, et al.
(författare)
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Groundwater dependent ecosystems : Part I: Hydroecological status and trends
- 2011
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Ingår i: Environmental Science and Policy. - : Elsevier BV. - 1462-9011 .- 1873-6416. ; 14:7, s. 770-781
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Groundwater dependent ecosystems (GDEs) include valuable ecosystems such as springs, wetlands, rivers, lakes and lagoons. The protection of these systems and services they provide is highlighted by international agreements, i.e. Ramsar convention on wetlands, and regional legislation, i.e. the European Water Framework Directive. Groundwater provides water, nutrients and a relatively stable temperature. However, the role of groundwater in surface ecosystems is not fully understood. The ecosystem can depend on groundwater directly or indirectly, and the reliance can be continuous, seasonal or occasional. This has implications for the vulnerability of ecosystems, as some may be easily affected by external pressure. Conceptual models and quantitative assessments of how groundwater interacts with the environment are needed. GDEs are also threatened by different land use activities and climate change. Hence, we need to understand how GDEs are affected by changes in groundwater quantity and quality, as severe groundwater changes have been observed in many regions. This study examines key aspects of GDEs (hydrogeology, geochemistry and biodiversity) in order to improve conceptual understanding of the role of groundwater in such ecosystems. The status and baseline of different types of GDEs are discussed, with particular emphasis on past evidence of environmental change and potential thresholds and threats in GDEs in various parts of Europe with different land use, climate and geology
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| 9. |
- Kløve, Bjørn, et al.
(författare)
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Groundwater surface water interaction in GDE
- 2012
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Rapport (populärvet., debatt m.m.)abstract
- This report reviews and discussed the interaction of groundwaterin GDEs. The report presents and integrates past and new results.Different methods used to measure groundwater interaction withecosystems are presented. Various GENESIS case studies acrossEurope to demonstrate the variable and complex role ofgroundwater in GDEs. The basis for developing conceptual for GDEsis presented. Various methods to model GDEs are discussed.
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| 10. |
- Lembrechts, Jonas J., et al.
(författare)
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SoilTemp : A global database of near-surface temperature
- 2020
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Ingår i: Global Change Biology. - : Wiley. - 1354-1013 .- 1365-2486. ; 26:11, s. 6616-6629
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Current analyses and predictions of spatially explicit patterns and processes in ecology most often rely on climate data interpolated from standardized weather stations. This interpolated climate data represents long-term average thermal conditions at coarse spatial resolutions only. Hence, many climate-forcing factors that operate at fine spatiotemporal resolutions are overlooked. This is particularly important in relation to effects of observation height (e.g. vegetation, snow and soil characteristics) and in habitats varying in their exposure to radiation, moisture and wind (e.g. topography, radiative forcing or cold-air pooling). Since organisms living close to the ground relate more strongly to these microclimatic conditions than to free-air temperatures, microclimatic ground and near-surface data are needed to provide realistic forecasts of the fate of such organisms under anthropogenic climate change, as well as of the functioning of the ecosystems they live in. To fill this critical gap, we highlight a call for temperature time series submissions to SoilTemp, a geospatial database initiative compiling soil and near-surface temperature data from all over the world. Currently, this database contains time series from 7,538 temperature sensors from 51 countries across all key biomes. The database will pave the way toward an improved global understanding of microclimate and bridge the gap between the available climate data and the climate at fine spatiotemporal resolutions relevant to most organisms and ecosystem processes.
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| 11. |
- Liu, Xueping, et al.
(författare)
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Variants in the fetal genome near pro-inflammatory cytokine genes on 2q13 associate with gestational duration.
- 2019
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Ingår i: Nature communications. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2041-1723. ; 10:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The duration of pregnancy is influenced by fetal and maternal genetic and non-genetic factors. Here we report a fetal genome-wide association meta-analysis of gestational duration, and early preterm, preterm, and postterm birth in 84,689 infants. One locus on chromosome 2q13 is associated with gestational duration; the association is replicated in 9,291 additional infants (combined P=3.96×10-14). Analysis of 15,588 mother-child pairs shows that the association is driven by fetal rather than maternal genotype. Functional experiments show that the lead SNP, rs7594852, alters the binding of the HIC1 transcriptional repressor. Genes at the locus include several interleukin 1 family members with roles in pro-inflammatory pathways that are central to the process of parturition. Further understanding of the underlying mechanisms will be of great public health importance, since giving birth either before or after the window of term gestation is associated with increased morbidity and mortality.
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| 12. |
- Nygren, Michelle, et al.
(författare)
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Changes in seasonality of groundwater level fluctuations in a temperate-cold climate transition zone
- 2020
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Ingår i: Journal of Hydrology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0022-1694 .- 2589-9155. ; 8
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In cold (i.e. boreal, subarctic, snowy) climate zones, dynamic groundwater storage is greatly affected by the timing and amount of snowmelt. With global warming, cold climates in the northern hemisphere will transition to temperate. As temperatures rise, the dominant type of precipitation will change from snow to rain in winter. Further, the growing season is prolonged. This has a direct impact on the aquifer recharge pattern. However, little is known about the effect of changing annual recharge regimes on groundwater storage. The present work deduces the impact of shifting climate zones on groundwater storage by evaluating the effect of climate seasonality on intra-annual hydraulic head fluctuations. The work compares intra-annual hydraulic head fluctuations in a temperate-cold climate transition zone (Fennoscandia) from two different periods (1980–1989, 2001–2010). This is done by associating rising vs. declining hydraulic heads with hydrometeorology. Due to the northwards migration of the temperate climate zone, there is a shift in seasonality between the two periods. This has a negative impact on groundwater levels, which are significantly lower in 2001–2010, particularly near the climate transition zone. The results demonstrate that increasing temperatures in cold climate regions may change the seasonality of groundwater recharge, by altering the main recharge period from being snowmelt-dominated (spring) to rain-dominated (winter). Additionally, this is connected to the duration of the growing season, which impedes groundwater recharge. The coupled effect of this on groundwater in the study area has led to a significant decrease in groundwater storage.
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| 13. |
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| 14. |
- Vidal, Brenda, et al.
(författare)
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Treatment efficiency of package plants for on-site wastewater treatment in cold climates
- 2023
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Ingår i: Journal of Environmental Management. - : Elsevier. - 0301-4797 .- 1095-8630. ; 342
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Package plants (PP) are implemented around the world to provide on-site sanitation in areas not connected to a sewage network. The efficiency of PP has not been comprehensively studied at full scale, and the limited number of available studies have shown that their performance varies greatly. Their performance under cold climate conditions and the occurrence of micropollutants in PP effluents have not been sufficiently explored. PP are exposed to environmental factors such as low temperature, especially in cold regions with low winter temperatures and deep frost penetration, that can adversely influence the biochemical processes. The aim of this study was to investigate the treatment efficiency and possible effects of cold temperatures on PP performance, with focus on traditional contaminants (organics, solids, nutrients and indicator bacteria) and an additional assessment of micropollutants on two PP. Eleven PP hosting different treatment processes were monitored. Removal of biological oxygen demand (BOD) was high in all plants (>91%). Six out of the 11 PP provided good phosphorus removal (>71%). Small degrees of nitrification were observed in almost all the facilities, despite the low temperatures, while denitrification was only observed in two plants which achieved the highest nitrification rates (>51%) and had sludge recirculation. No strong correlation between wastewater temperature and BOD, nutrients and indicator bacteria concentration in the effluents was found. The high data variability and the effects of other process parameters as well as snow-melt water infiltration are suggested as possible reasons for the lack of correlation. However, weak negative relations between effluent concentrations and wastewater temperatures were detected in specific plants, indicating that temperature does have effects. When managed adequately, package plants can provide high BOD and phosphorus removal, but nitrogen and bacteria removal remain challenging, especially at low temperatures. Pharmaceutical compounds were detected in the effluents at concentrations within or above ranges reported for large treatment plants while phthalate ester concentrations were below commonly reported effluent concentrations.
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| 15. |
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| 16. |
- Yi, Chuixiang, et al.
(författare)
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Climate control of terrestrial carbon exchange across biomes and continents
- 2010
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Ingår i: Environmental Research Letters. - : IOP Publishing. - 1748-9326. ; 5:3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Understanding the relationships between climate and carbon exchange by terrestrial ecosystems is critical to predict future levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide because of the potential accelerating effects of positive climate-carbon cycle feedbacks. However, directly observed relationships between climate and terrestrial CO2 exchange with the atmosphere across biomes and continents are lacking. Here we present data describing the relationships between net ecosystem exchange of carbon (NEE) and climate factors as measured using the eddy covariance method at 125 unique sites in various ecosystems over six continents with a total of 559 site-years. We find that NEE observed at eddy covariance sites is (1) a strong function of mean annual temperature at mid-and high-latitudes, (2) a strong function of dryness at mid-and low-latitudes, and (3) a function of both temperature and dryness around the mid-latitudinal belt (45 degrees N). The sensitivity of NEE to mean annual temperature breaks down at similar to 16 degrees C (a threshold value of mean annual temperature), above which no further increase of CO2 uptake with temperature was observed and dryness influence overrules temperature influence.
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