SwePub - sökning: AMNE:(ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLO...

Numrering	Referens	Omslagsbild	Hitta
1.	Munthe, Christian, 1962 (författare) Precaution and Ethics: Handling risks, uncertainties and knowledge gaps in the regulation of new biotechnologies 2017 Bok (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract This volume outlines and analyses ethical issues actualized by applying a precautionary approach to the regulation of new biotechnologies. It presents a novel way of categorizing and comparing biotechnologies from a precautionary standpoint. Based on this, it addresses underlying philosophical problems regarding the ethical assessment of decision-making under uncertainty and ignorance, and discusses how risks and possible benefits of such technologies should be balanced from an ethical standpoint. It argues on conceptual and ethical grounds for a technology neutral regulation as well as for a regulation that not only checks new technologies but also requires old, inferior ones to be phased out. It demonstrates how difficult ethical issues regarding the extent and ambition of precautionary policies need to be handled by such a regulation, and presents an overarching framework for doing so.
2.	Eivazihollagh, Alireza, et al. (författare) On chelating surfactants : Molecular perspectives and application prospects 2019 Ingår i: Journal of Molecular Liquids. - : Elsevier BV. - 0167-7322 .- 1873-3166. ; 278, s. 688-705 Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract Chelating agents, molecules that very strongly coordinates certain metal ions, are used industrially as well as in consumer products to minimize disturbances and increase performance of reactions and applications. The widely used sequestering agents, nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) belong to this branch of readily water-soluble compounds. When these chemical structures also have hydrophobic parts, they are prone to adsorb at air-water interfaces and to self-assemble. Such bifunctional molecules can be called chelating surfactants and will have more extended utilization prospects than common chelating agents or ordinary ionic surfactants. The present review attempts to highlight the fundamental behavior of chelating surfactants in solution and at interfaces, and their very specific interactions with metal ions. Methods to recover chelating surfactants from metal chelates are also described. Moreover, utilization of chelating surfactants in applications for metal removal in environmental engineering and mineral processing, as well as for metal control in the fields of biology, chemistry and physics, is exemplified and discussed.
3.	Munthe, Christian, 1962 (författare) The Price of Precaution and the Ethics of Risk 2011 Bok (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract Since a couple of decades, the notion of a precautionary principle plays a central and increasingly influential role in international as well as national policy and regulation regarding the environment and the use of technology. Urging society to take action in the face of potential risks of human activities in these areas, the recent focus on climate change has further sharpened the importance of this idea. However, the idea of a precautionary principle has also been problematised and criticised by scientists, scholars and policy activists, and been accused of almost every intellectual sin imaginable: unclarity, impracticality, arbitrariness and moral as well as political unsoundness. In that light, the very idea of precaution as an ideal for policy making rather comes out as a dead end. On the basis of these contrasting starting points, Christian Munthe undertakes an innovative, in-depth philosophical analysis of what the idea of a precautionary principle is and should be about. A novel theory of the ethics of imposing risks is developed and used as a foundation for defending the idea of precaution in environmental and technological policy making against its critics, while at the same time avoiding a number of identified flaws. The theory is shown to have far-reaching consequences for areas such as bio-, information- and nuclear technology, and global environmental policy in areas such as climate change. The author argues that, while the price we pay for precaution must not be too high, we have to be prepared to pay it in order to act ethically defensible. A number of practical suggestions for precautionary regulation and policy making are made on the basis of this, and some challenges to basic ethical theory as well as consumerist societies, the global political order and liberal democracy are identified
4.	Petersson, Jesper, 1974 (författare) Blurring the shoreline: De- and re-infrastructuring and the changing colors of European flood policy 2021 Ingår i: Environment and Planning E: Nature and Space. - : SAGE Publications. - 2514-8494 .- 2514-8494 .- 2514-8486. ; 4:2, s. 623-644 Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract This paper provides a genealogy of the emergence of a common EU flood policy, including the scope and direction of this policy. Noticing how EU policy proposes green infrastructure (associated with using nature as a buffer zone in managing floods) as an alternative to grey infrastructure (implying fixed installations of concrete and cement), this paper adopts the theoretical lens of the so-called infrastructural turn, which advocates a relational investigation of infrastructure. By engaging this approach, the paper shows how flood infrastructure can contain very different compositions of (unruly) water and (settled) land. A narrative of a historically strong focus on guarding society from the powerful forces of nature through a fixed line of defense is increasingly giving way to more muddy states—quite literally—where society is expected to learn to live with flooding and show ecological consideration. To capture the EU’s, and especially the European Commission’s efforts to establish a pan-European flood infrastructure that accommodates this turn, the concepts of de- and re-infrastructuring are developed. These concepts act as heuristic devices to capture how policy performs some combinations between water and land as constituting an attractive and functional flood infrastructure, but constitutes other infrastructural relations of the aquatic and the terrestrial as undesirable and, hence, as malfunctioning. This performative act of distinguishing between what constitutes “good and proper” versus “bad and undesirable” infrastructure is referred to as a politics of infrastructure.
5.	Ekener, Elisabeth, 1963-, et al. (författare) Developing Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment methodology by applying values-based sustainability weighting - Tested on biomass based and fossil transportation fuels 2018 Ingår i: Journal of Cleaner Production. - : Elsevier BV. - 0959-6526 .- 1879-1786. ; 181, s. 337-351 Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract The production and use of transportation fuels can lead to sustainability impacts. Assessing them simultaneously in a holistic way is a challenge. This paper examines methodology for assessing the sustainability performance of products in a more integrated way, including a broad range of social impacts. Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA) methodology is applied for this assessment. LSCA often constitutes of the integration of results from social LCA (S-LCA), environmental life cycle assessment (E-LCA) and life cycle costing (LCC). In this study, an S-LCA from an earlier project is extended with a positive social aspect, as well as refined and detailed. E-LCA and LCC results are built from LCA database and literature. Multi Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) methodology is applied to integrate the results from the three different assessments into an LCSA. The weighting of key sustainability dimensions in the MCDA is performed in different ways, where the sustainability dimensions are prioritized differently priority based on the assumed values of different stakeholder profiles (Egalitarian, Hierarchist, and Individualist). The developed methodology is tested on selected biomass based and fossil transportation fuels - ethanol produced from Brazilian sugarcane and US corn/maize, and petrol produced from Russian and Nigerian crude oils, where it delineates differences in sustainability performance between products assessed. The outcome in terms of relative ranking of the transportation fuel chains based on sustain ability performance differs when applying different decision-maker profiles. This result highlights and supports views that there is no one single answer regarding which of the alternatives that is most sustainable. Rather, it depends strongly upon the worldview and values held by the decision maker. A key conclusion is that sustainability assessments should pay more attention to potential differences in underlying values held by key stakeholders in relevant societal contexts. The LCSA methodology still faces challenges regarding results integration but MCDA in combination with stakeholder profiles appears to be a useful approach to build on further.
6.	Rämö, Robert, et al. (författare) Sediment Remediation Using Activated Carbon: Effects of Sorbent Particle Size and Resuspension on Sequestration of Metals and Organic Contaminants. 2022 Ingår i: Environmental toxicology and chemistry. - : Wiley. - 1552-8618 .- 0730-7268. ; 41:4, s. 1096-1110 Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract Thin-layer capping using activated carbon (AC) has been described as a cost-effective in situ sediment remediation method for organic contaminants. In this study, we compare the capping efficiency of powdered AC (PAC) against granular AC (GAC) using contaminated sediment from Oskarshamn harbor, Sweden. The effects of resuspension on contaminant retention and cap integrity were also studied. Intact sediment cores were collected from the outer harbor and brought to the laboratory. Three thin-layer caps, consisting of PAC or GAC mixed with clay, or clay only, were added to the sediment surface. Resuspension was created using a motor-driven paddle to simulate propeller wash from ship traffic. Passive samplers were placed in the sediment and in the water column to measure the sediment-to-water release of PAHs, PCBs, and metals. Our results show that a thin-layer cap with PAC reduced sediment-to-water fluxes of PCBs by 57 % under static conditions and 91 % under resuspension. Thin-layer capping with GAC was less effective than PAC, but reduced fluxes of high-molecular weight PAHs. Thin-layer capping with AC was less effective in retaining metals, except for Cd, which release was significantly reduced by PAC. Resuspension generally decreased water concentrations of dissolved cationic metals, perhaps due to sorption to suspended sediment particles. Sediment resuspension in treatments without capping increased fluxes of PCBs with log Kow > 7 and PAHs with log Kow 5 6, but resuspension reduced PCB and PAH fluxes through the PAC thin-layer cap. Overall, PAC performed better than GAC, but adverse effects on the benthic community and transport of PAC to non-target areas are drawbacks that favor the use of GAC. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.© 2022 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.
7.	Andersson, Viktor, 1983 (författare) Excess heat utilisation in oil refineries - CCS and algae-based biofuels 2016 Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract The main objective of this thesis is to investigate two different concepts for CO2 mitigation, from a system perspective, in relation to the oil refining industry: CO2 capture and storage; and algae-based biofuels. For all these processes, process integration with an oil refinery is assumed. The oil refinery sector is a major emitter of CO2 and is responsible for 9% of the industrial emissions of CO2 worldwide. Oil refineries have large amounts of unused excess heat, which can be used to satisfy the heat demands of a CO2 capture plant, a land-based algal cultivation facility, or an algae-based biofuel process. The use of this excess heat significantly reduces the cost for CO2 capture, while an economic evaluation for algae-based biofuels has not been made.Since the amount of heat available from the oil refinery´s processes increase with decreasing temperature in the stripper reboiler, it was investigated how much heat was available at different temperatures. It was also investigated how the decreased temperature would affect the heat demand of CO2 capture processes that use MEA or ammonia as the absorbent. The findings show that it is possible to capture more CO2 using excess heat when the temperature in the stripper reboiler is decreased. For the MEA process, the lower limit of the temperature interval investigated showed the maximum CO2 capture rate, while the ammonia process benefitted from a lower temperature than the standard temperature but showed maximal CO2 capture rate above the lower limit. These results are valid only when using excess heat to satisfy the entire heat demand. At the case study refinery, the available excess heat could satisfy between 28% and 50% of the heat demand of the MEA process when treating the flue gases from all chimneys, depending on the temperature in the stripper reboiler. This utilisation of excess heat represents a way to reduce significantly the costs for CCS in an oil refinery. Land-based cultivation of algae proved to be unsuitable for the utilisation of excess heat. Since the cultivation pond is exposed to wind, rain, and cold, the heat demand fluctuates strongly over the year, making the pond an unstable recipient of the excess heat.Three types of biofuel processes based on microalgae and macroalgae were investigated with respect to integration with the oil refinery. For the algae-based biofuel processes, heat integration and material integration combined to increase the efficiency of the system. When two different build margin technologies (with different CO2 emission factors) are employed for electricity production, macroalgae-based biofuel production appears to be the more robust process from the perspective of CO2 due to the lower electricity demands of the algal cultivation and harvesting phases.
8.	Munthe, Christian, 1962 (författare) David B. Resnik. Environmental Health Ethics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012. xii + pp. 305. ISBN: 9781107617896 2013 Ingår i: Public Health Ethics. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1754-9981 .- 1754-9973. Recension (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
9.	Xiaoli, Liu, et al. (författare) Concept Note on China-EU Energy Cooperation Roadmap 2020 2015 Ingår i: EU project report. ; , s. 39- Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
10.	Cossio Grageda, Claudia, 1974, et al. (författare) Wastewater management in small towns - understanding the failure of small treatment plants in Bolivia 2018 Ingår i: Environmental Technology (United Kingdom). - : Informa UK Limited. - 1479-487X .- 0959-3330. ; 39:11, s. 1393-1403 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.
11.	Boons, Frank, et al. (författare) Comparing industrial symbiosis in Europe : towards a conceptual framework and research methodology 2015 Ingår i: International perspectives on industrial ecology. - Cheltenham : Edward Elgar Publishing. - 9781781003565 - 9781781003572 ; , s. 69-88 Bokkapitel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract Industrial symbiosis (IS) continues to raise the interest of researchers and practitioners alike. Individual and haphazard attempts to increase linkages among co-located firms have been complemented by concerted efforts to stimulate the development of industrial regions with intensified resource exchanges that reduce environmental impact. Additionally, there are examples of both spontaneous and facilitated linkages between two or more firms involving flows of materials/energy waste. A striking feature of IS activities is that they are found across diverse social contexts and vary considerably in form (Lombardi et al., 2012); there are substantial differences in the ways in which IS manifests itself. Equally diverse are the activities of policy makers to stimulate such linkages. Such diversity can already be found within Europe, as became apparent in a first meeting among some of the present authors in 2009 (Isenmann and Chernykh, 2009). Researchers present there decided to create a network of European researchers on IS, with the explicit aim to develop a comparative analysis. We can thus provide insight to the relationship between the style of IS and its context and thereby the potential for policy makers in different contexts to learn from each other. Policy learning can be a tempting route to IS, but is fraught with difficulties if the influence of context is not appreciated (e.g., Wang et al., Chapter 6, this volume).
12.	Peters, Greg, et al. (författare) LCA on fast and slow garment prototypes 2018 Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract This report summarises the environmental assessment work done in the Mistra Future Fashion program focussed on the potential to improve the environmental performance of garments and adapt them to a circular economy. The approaches examined in this report include reducing the environmental impacts from fast-fashion trends by making garments from paper-based materials, or by extending garment life cycles.This assessment considers two paper-based garments. One is made primarily from paper pulp but enhanced with a polylactic acid polymer. This garment is worn between two to five times before being recycled as newspaper. The other fast garment is made of paper pulp, polylactic acid and nanocellulose. It has a similar life cycle but is composted after use life. These garments are compared with a standard t-shirt. The report also considers a slow-paced scenario in which a polyester garment passes between several owners and is regularly changed to maintain its appeal. It is updated with a transfer sublimation overprint three times, making the garment darker each time. Later it is joined with an outer shell of new material using laser technology to make a cropped, box-cut jacket.The assessment was performed using environmental life cycle assessment. More particularly, the assessment was based on attributional process analysis with cutoff allocation procedures and comparison with a traditional reference garment life cycle. Key environmental effect categories considered here include climate change (greenhouse gas emissions), freshwater eutrophication, freshwater ecotoxicity and human toxicity (cancer and non-cancer).The results indicate that the environmental outcomes of the paper-based garments can be competitive with the reference garment, particularly when the user is assumed to throw away a fully functional reference garment after five uses. This assumption may be true for some users, but the number of uses is considerably lower than the typical or the potential lifespan of the reference garment. The main factor assisting the paper-based garments is the reduction in the impacts per mass associated with material manufacturing (fibres, spinning, knitting), and also their lighter masses. Avoided impacts in the use phase play a secondary role on account of their location in Sweden with its low-carbon energy mix. The long-life garments are also competitive compared with their reference garments. This is primarily a consequence of how extending garment life avoids the production of new garments. The environmental impacts associated with transfer sublimation dye reprinting and laser processing do not significantly impact the overall environmental performance of the extended longlife garments, though confidentiality of data prevents a full assessment of these.The garments in this report are pilot products and explorative scenarios rather than attempts to model existing business or behavioural patterns. The reader should therefore take care to keep the results in context when interpreting them. Nevertheless, the results suggest the value of pursuing the potential associated with these garment life cycles. We should also bear in mind that while the reference garments in this assessment are based on typical usage patterns, other more sustainable patterns are feasible.
13.	Sanli, Kemal, et al. (författare) Metagenomic Sequencing of Marine Periphyton: Taxonomic and Functional Insights into Biofilm Communities 2015 Ingår i: Frontiers in Microbiology. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 1664-302X. ; 6:1192 Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract Periphyton communities are complex phototrophic, multispecies biofilms that develop on surfaces in aquatic environments. These communities harbor a large diversity of organisms comprising viruses, bacteria, algae, fungi, protozoans and metazoans. However, thus far the total biodiversity of periphyton has not been described. In this study, we use metagenomics to characterize periphyton communities from the marine environment of the Swedish west coast. Although we found approximately ten times more eukaryotic rRNA marker gene sequences compared to prokaryotic, the whole metagenome-based similarity searches showed that bacteria constitute the most abundant phyla in these biofilms. We show that marine periphyton encompass a range of heterotrophic and phototrophic organisms. Heterotrophic bacteria, including the majority of proteobacterial clades and Bacteroidetes, and eukaryotic macro-invertebrates were found to dominate periphyton. The phototrophic groups comprise Cyanobacteria and the alpha-proteobacterial genus Roseobacter, followed by different micro- and macro-algae. We also assess the metabolic pathways that predispose these communities to an attached lifestyle. Functional indicators of the biofilm form of life in periphyton involve genes coding for enzymes that catalyze the production and degradation of extracellular polymeric substances, mainly in the form of complex sugars such as starch and glycogen-like meshes together with chitin. Genes for 278 different transporter proteins were detected in the metagenome, constituting the most abundant protein complexes. Finally, genes encoding enzymes that participate in anaerobic pathways, such as denitrification and methanogenesis, were detected suggesting the presence of anaerobic or low-oxygen micro-zones within the biofilms.
14.	Sandhi, Arifin, 1986-, et al. (författare) Phytofiltration of arsenic by aquatic moss (Warnstorfia fluitans) 2017 Ingår i: Environmental Pollution. - : Elsevier BV. - 0269-7491 .- 1873-6424. Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract This work investigates whether aquatic moss (Warnstorfia fluitans) originating from an arsenic (As)-contaminated wetland close to a mine tailings impoundment may be used for phytofiltration of As. The aim was to elucidate the capacity of W. fluitans to remove As from arsenite and arsenate contaminated water, how nutrients affect the As uptake and the proportion of As adsorption and absorption by the moss plant, which consists of dead and living parts.Arsenic removal from 0, 1, or 10% Hoagland nutrient solution containing 0–100 μM arsenate was followed over 192 h, and the total As in aquatic moss after treatment was analysed. The uptake and speciation of As in moss cultivated in water containing 10 μM arsenate or arsenite were examined as As uptake in living (absorption + adsorption) and dead (adsorption) plant parts.Results indicated that W. fluitans removed up to 82% of As from the water within one hour when 1 μM arsenate was added in the absence of nutrients. The removal time increased with greater nutrient and As concentrations. Up to 100 μM As had no toxic effect on the plant biomass. Both arsenite and arsenate were removed from the solution to similar extents and, independent of the As species added, more arsenate than arsenite was found in the plant. Of the As taken up, over 90% was firmly bound to the tissue, a possible mechanism for resisting high As concentrations. Arsenic was both absorbed and adsorbed by the moss, and twice as much As was found in living parts as in dead moss tissue. This study revealed that W. fluitans has potential to serve as a phytofilter for removing As from As-contaminated water without displaying any toxic effects of the metalloid.
15.	Cowie, A. L., et al. (författare) Applying a science-based systems perspective to dispel misconceptions about climate effects of forest bioenergy 2021 Ingår i: Global Change Biology Bioenergy. - : John Wiley and Sons Inc. - 1757-1693 .- 1757-1707. ; 13:8, s. 1210-1231 Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract The scientific literature contains contrasting findings about the climate effects of forest bioenergy, partly due to the wide diversity of bioenergy systems and associated contexts, but also due to differences in assessment methods. The climate effects of bioenergy must be accurately assessed to inform policy-making, but the complexity of bioenergy systems and associated land, industry and energy systems raises challenges for assessment. We examine misconceptions about climate effects of forest bioenergy and discuss important considerations in assessing these effects and devising measures to incentivize sustainable bioenergy as a component of climate policy. The temporal and spatial system boundary and the reference (counterfactual) scenarios are key methodology choices that strongly influence results. Focussing on carbon balances of individual forest stands and comparing emissions at the point of combustion neglect system-level interactions that influence the climate effects of forest bioenergy. We highlight the need for a systems approach, in assessing options and developing policy for forest bioenergy that: (1) considers the whole life cycle of bioenergy systems, including effects of the associated forest management and harvesting on landscape carbon balances; (2) identifies how forest bioenergy can best be deployed to support energy system transformation required to achieve climate goals; and (3) incentivizes those forest bioenergy systems that augment the mitigation value of the forest sector as a whole. Emphasis on short-term emissions reduction targets can lead to decisions that make medium- to long-term climate goals more difficult to achieve. The most important climate change mitigation measure is the transformation of energy, industry and transport systems so that fossil carbon remains underground. Narrow perspectives obscure the significant role that bioenergy can play by displacing fossil fuels now, and supporting energy system transition. Greater transparency and consistency is needed in greenhouse gas reporting and accounting related to bioenergy.
16.	Dymitrow, Mirek, et al. (författare) Crossing dichotomies and breaking mental patterns: Green business development when all else fails? 2017 Ingår i: 8th International Scientific Conference “Rural Development 2017: Bioeconomy Challenges”, 23–24 November, 2017 Kaunas, Lithuania. Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract Obtaining sustainable and inclusive societal organization is not merely a simple matter of ‘doing it’ by subscribing to some winning formula. Given that conceptual frameworks always guide our thoughts, judgments and actions (Latour, 2013; Harvey, 1996; Dennett, 1993), the ways in which we relate to concepts chosen to serve as guiding forces for future development will eventually determine its outcome. As scholarly evidence continuously suggests the concepts ‘rural’ and ‘urban’ are increasingly recognized as artificial barriers for conducting sound and integrated development endeavors in a globalized reality of interconnectedness. In line with the Sustainable Development Goals, which aim to eradicate poverty, shield the planet and safeguard prosperity for all, commitment to universal access to healthy food year round has become an important agenda point. This, however, has been exacerbated by binary thinking and separate ways of doing policy. This paper aims to share experiences from a unique project launched in the northern parts of Gothenburg, Sweden’s second largest city. While the area offers ample resources and immense opportunities for areal economies, it at the same time remains one of Gothenburg’s most segregated, with high levels of unemployment, ill health and crime. The uniqueness of the project lies not only in its way of abridging the rural-urban divide, but also by consciously deferring from the debilitating rhetoric of previous ‘immigrant policies’, and instead focusing on agricultural productivity, small-scale food producers and sustainable food strategies. Such exhortations to bridge between philosophical and material polarities, however, have not come without conceptual and practical challenges, something this paper aims to subsume and open up to debate.
17.	Munthe, Christian, 1962 (författare) Regulating New Biotechnologies for the Non-human Domain: Ethical issues in the handling of risks, uncertainties and knowledge gaps 2017 Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
18.	Profile Area Smart Cities and Communities : 2019 Annual Report 2020 Annan publikation (populärvet., debatt m.m.)
19.	Åkesson, Sofia, et al. (författare) Characterizing natural degradation of tetrachloroethene (PCE) using a multidisciplinary approach 2020 Ingår i: Ambio: a Journal of the Human Environment. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0044-7447 .- 1654-7209. ; 50, s. 1074-1088 Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract A site in mid-western Sweden contaminated with chlorinated solvents originating from a previous dry cleaning facility, was investigated using conventional groundwater analysis combined with compound-specific isotope data of carbon, microbial DNA analysis, and geoelectrical tomography techniques. We show the value of this multidisciplinary approach, as the different results supported each interpretation, and show where natural degradation occurs at the site. The zone where natural degradation occurred was identified in the transition between two geological units, where the change in hydraulic conductivity may have facilitated biofilm formation and microbial activity. This observation was confirmed by all methods and the examination of the impact of geological conditions on the biotransformation process was facilitated by the unique combination of the applied methods. There is thus significant benefit from deploying an extended array of methods for these investigations, with the potential to reduce costs involved in remediation of contaminated sediment and groundwater.
20.	Saheb Alam, Soroush, 1986 (författare) A long journey from bioanode to biocathode 2018 Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract Better utilization of renewable sources of energy and recovery of resources from waste streams are important challenges for researchers. Bioelectrochemical systems (BESs) are new technologies which e.g. could be used to produce green energy from waste sources or store renewable electricity as chemical fuels. They rely on microorganisms which can catalyse oxidation/reduction reactions on anodes/cathodes. BESs have a wide range of potential applications such as sensing, bioremediation, recovery of nutrients and metals, valorisation of wastewater organics, and production of energy carriers and other chemicals. However, further research is needed before these applications can be realized. The goal of this thesis was to understand the effect of three different dynamic conditions and disturbances that bioanodes and biocathodes may encounter namely storage, starvation, and potential change. Storage and starvation are disturbances that can affect biological electrodes in all kinds of systems, and it is important to understand their consequences for performance. Changing electrode potential has been shown as a promising method for start-up of biocathodes from enriched bioanodes, but little is known about the long-term performance and changes in microbial community composition as the biocathode develops. First, the possibility for storage of acetate-oxidizing bioanodes using refrigeration, glycerol freezing, and acetone dehydration was investigated. It was shown that storage of acetate-oxidizing bioanodes was possible. Bioanodes stored using refrigeration were the only electrodes that showed biological activity right after five weeks of storage. Then, starvation of acetate-and glucose-fed bioanodes was investigated. It was shown that the acetate- and glucose-fed bioanodes can survive 10 days starvation. However, the overall performance of the glucose-fed bioanodes deteriorated more after each starvation phase compared to the acetate-fed bioanodes. The conversion of acetate- and glucose-fed bioanodes to biocathodes was also compared. Immediately after the potential change, the glucose-fed bioanodes showed better cathodic activity but over time the performance converged. Then, we compared the conversion of bioanodes to biocathodes with direct start-up of biocathodes from a wastewater inoculum. Bare electrodes started-up faster compared to pre-enriched bioanodes. In the end, both types of enrichment procedures led to very similar biocathode communities, which were completely different from the bioanode communities. Indeed, for the microbial communities, it was a long journey from bioanode to biocathodes. Hydrogen appeared to be an important intermediate in the biocathode biofilms, therefore, start-up of biocathodes with pre-enriched hydrogenotrophic cultures was investigated. Hydrogenotrophic microorganisms could facilitate start-up of the biocathodes. All the microbial electrolysis cells inoculated by the enrichment cultures started to generate noticeable current directly after inoculation. In summary, the bioelectrodes in our experiments were robust and could handle storage and starvation periods although the results depended on the experimental conditions, the feed, and the microbial communities. Conversion of bioanodes into biocathodes was less successful and resulted in a complete transition of the microbial community on the electrode. Start-up of biocathodes with hydrogen-oxidizing enrichment cultures was a more successful strategy.
21.	Beheshtinia, Mohammad Ali, et al. (författare) Prioritizing healthcare waste disposal methods considering environmental health using an enhanced multi-criteria decision-making method 2023 Ingår i: Environmental Pollutants and Bioavailability. - : Taylor & Francis Group. - 2639-5932 .- 2639-5940. ; 35:1, s. 250-269 Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract The Healthcare Waste Disposal Method Selection (HCWDMS) is a complicated problem due to multiple and often contradictory criteria with different importance degrees. Thus, decision-makers are restored to multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods to prioritize and select the best HCW disposal methods. This study introduces an enhanced MCDM method to deal with the HCWDMS problem. To address the problem, a comprehensive list of criteria and HCW disposal methods are identified. All the criteria are categorized into four main criteria, and Fuzzy Analysis Hierarchy Process is used to determine the weights of considered criteria and sub-criteria. The study results show that environmental, economic, technical, and social criteria are the most important in selecting disposal methods, respectively. Moreover, the sub-criteria of ‘Health Risk’, ‘Release with health effects’, and ‘Capital cost’ have the highest importance, respectively. Additionally, the methods of ‘Microwave’, ‘Sterilization by autoclave’, and ‘Reverse polymerization’ have the highest priority, respectively.
22.	Kharazmi, Parastou, 1977- (författare) Evaluation of Innovative Rehabilitation Technologies Utilising Polymer Composites for Aging Sewer Systems 2019 Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract Water and wastewater sewer system maintenance is among the costliest aspects of infrastructure investment. The replacement of deteriorated lines is a difficult and expensive process that causes community disturbance and is generally not conducted fast enough to meet demand. To keep up with the rate of deterioration, the use of alternative rehabilitation technologies using polymer linings has increased significantly in recent years, both within Sweden and worldwide. Compared to the traditional pipe replacement method, these technologies are cost-effective, create less community disturbance, and offer a quick return to the service for the line. The main function of polymeric lining is to stabilise the condition of the pipeline, eliminate deterioration, and thereby extend the pipeline’s service life. Although rehabilitation technologies employing polymeric systems have been in use for over 30 years, there have been few technical assessments of either these technologies or the materials involved. Data gathered through the evaluation of these innovative technologies can make their benefits and limitations more widely understood, and can also be used to increase the effectiveness of the rehabilitation process in future.The main objective of this work was to contribute to an improved understanding of the most commonly used materials and methods employed in rehabilitation of wastewater and other applicable sewer lines in residential buildings in Sweden. The primary objective was not to prove that the emerging rehabilitation technologies work, but rather to increase knowledge of their weaknesses and strengths, identify any issues, and provide a technical assessment to support realistic expectations of pipeline rehabilitation. Gathering technical information in this way will help with the planning of future investigations; moreover, collecting extensive data will help to increase the effectiveness of the renewal works, aid progress in the field, and improve predictions regarding longevity and service life. As pipeline rehabilitation is still considered novel, and owing to the general lack of available data on the subject, a multi-approach study was carried out: this included evaluation of the polymeric materials’ performance in the presence of deteriorative factors, assessing the in-service state of the materials and lined sewers previously installed, monitoring the level of quality control implemented during previous rehabilitation works, and evaluating the environmental impacts of using pipe-lining technologies compared to pipe replacement. The techniques discussed included rehabilitation with epoxy and polyester resin-based lining materials, applied with brush-on and spray-on techniques, and cured-in-place pipe lining (installed by sending a resin-impregnated flexible tube inside the host pipe). Degradation of the resin-based lining materials was investigated via artificial aging involving immersion in water at elevated temperatures. The changes in materials that occurred during accelerated laboratory aging were tracked by means of various tests, including thermal and mechanical analyses, water absorption measurements and microscopy. The analysis focused on reinforced polyester-based and toughened epoxy-based lining materials in order to gain a better understanding of their performance as pipe lining. Moreover, the previously installed lined pipes and lining materials were also studied during laboratory examinations to evaluate the in-service performance of the materials and techniques under operating conditions over time, as well as to identify common defects. The state of the materials and the lined pipe were studied by means of different investigative methods, including visual inspection, microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thickness measurement, thermal and mechanical analyses. This PhD work also includes an investigation to determine the level of quality control carried during some previous rehabilitation works. Data on the quality evaluation of previous rehabilitation works were gathered during visits to the work sites, as well as by analysing lined pipes that had already been installed. Finally, a comparative life-cycle assessment was undertaken to compare the environmental impacts of pipe replacement with those of alternative innovative rehabilitations, such as CIPP and coatings with polyester and epoxy polymeric systems. Data obtained from an LCA tool were used to facilitate comparison from an environmental perspective.Results from artificial aging in the lab indicated that the properties of polymeric lining materials changed significantly when high temperatures were combined with water exposure. However, the aging testing conducted for this study also found that the materials performed relatively well at temperatures close to the average temperatures inside sewerage systems. The results revealed that the polyester-based lining material was less sensitive when compared with epoxy-based lining materials during stimulated aging. Moreover, results from the in-service field demonstration (involving examination of 12 samples with up to 10 years of service, including reinforced polyester and modified epoxy linings or cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) lining) showed minimal evidence that the materials underwent significant deterioration after installation; instead, a majority of the common defects were found to be related to poor-quality installation practices. Because very few field samples were available to study, conclusions regarding overall performance could not be drawn. However, there is no evidence that these materials will not perform as expected during their service life when properly installed.Evaluating quality control of previous rehabilitation work revealed a gap between theory and practice where the level of quality control and documentation was concerned; furthermore, it also emerged that quality control and documentation is crucial to both the prevention of common issues and the overall effectiveness of the rehabilitation. Accordingly, a series of recommendations regarding the development of comprehensive quality control and quality assurance procedures (QC/QA) are provided in this work. These recommendations highlight the aspects that are most important to consider at each of several key stages (before installation, during installation, and after rehabilitation work is completed).Results from comparative life-cycle assessment (LCA) showed that alternative technologies, including cured-in-place (flexible sleeve) and coating techniques, have some advantages over pipe replacement from an environmental perspective. However, the choice to use one rehabilitation technology over another is a multi-stage decision-making process that should not be based solely on a single factor.This PhD work promotes an improved understanding of the limitations and benefits of polymeric lining through the testing performed and analyses conducted. This work highlights the need for improved quality control, and further suggests that developing a detailed and comprehensive quality control plan for each technology would provide higher and more consistent quality overall. The study also demonstrates that the long-term strength of any rehabilitation work depends on various factors, and that selecting one method over another must be a process based on extensive knowledge and understanding of each rehabilitation technology. No evidence was found to indicate that the materials could not perform well under working conditions if selected and installed appropriately. However, a larger number of field samples with longer in-service time and a more detailed technical history, along with a more extended experimental plan for laboratory investigations based on the results of this PhD work, will allow for the gathering of the data required to answer questions regarding life expectancy with a higher degree of certainty.
23.	Waara, Sylvia, et al. (författare) Performance of a constructed wetland system for treatment of landfill leachate. 2008 Ingår i: Waste 2008. Waste and Resource management-A shared responsibility. - Stanton-on-the-Wolds : Waste Conference Ltd.. ; , s. 655-667, s. 655-667 Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract The performance of a constructed wetland for treatment of landfill leachate has been evaluated based upon data obtained during 4 years (2003-2006). It consists of a series of 10 ponds with a total capacity of 52.000 m3 covering 8 ha. Using univariate and multivariate statistics (PCA) the reduction pattern of a large number of chemical parameters including heavy metals has been investigated in 3 parts of the wetland with equal volume. Analyses show that many parameters are removed to the greatest extent in the first part of the system (e.g. many heavy metals, total suspended solids) or the second part of the system (N-NH4) while other parameters such as total nitrogen are more gradually reduced (10 ton/year removed). Toxicity testing with 5 bioassays showed that toxicity was sometimes observed at the inlet but no toxicity was observed at the outlet for 4 of the test species. The data presented will be used for optimizing the treatment process as well as to improve the monitoring program.
24.	Davidsson, Åsa, et al. (författare) Effect of anaerobic digestion at 35, 55 and 60 °C on pharmaceuticals and organic contaminants 2014 Ingår i: Water Science and Technology. - : IWA Publishing. - 0273-1223 .- 1996-9732. ; 69:6, s. 1282-1288 Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract The application of treated sewage sludge on farmland is a suggested method for recycling nutrients and reducing demand for commercial fertilizer. However, sludge needs to be safe from possible contaminants which can cause acute and long-term health and environmental problems. Residual pharmaceuticals and organic contaminants are mentioned as emerging threats since wastewater treatment plants are not designed to degrade these substances. The aim of this study was to screen and evaluate the presence, and reduction, of pharmaceuticals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) during anaerobic digestion of mixed primary and waste-activated sludge at 35, 55 and 60°C and during pasteurization at 70°C. The study showed the difficulty of analysing pharmaceutical compounds in low concentrations in the sludge matrix. No general reduction of these compounds was seen during treatment, but for individual substances some reduction occured. The PAHs were generally not reduced during digestion or pasteurization, but for three substances (indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene and dibenzo[a,h]anthracene (analysed together) and benzo[g,h,i]perylene) reduction (up to 60%) during digestion was seen. Digestion at 35 and 55°C resulted in about the same order of reduction of the three individual PAHs, which was higher than for digestion at 60°C.
25.	Punzi, Marisa, et al. (författare) Combined anaerobic-ozonation process for treatment of textile wastewater : Removal of acute toxicity and mutagenicity 2015 Ingår i: Journal of Hazardous Materials. - : Elsevier BV. - 0304-3894 .- 1873-3336. ; 292, s. 52-60 Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract A novel set up composed of an anaerobic biofilm reactor followed by ozonation was used for treatment of artificial and real textile effluents containing azo dyes. The biological treatment efficiently removed chemical oxygen demand and color. Ozonation further reduced the organic content of the effluents and was very important for the degradation of aromatic compounds, as shown by the reduction of UV absorbance. The acute toxicity toward Vibrio fischeri and the shrimp Artemia salina increased after the biological treatment. No toxicity was detected after ozonation with the exception of the synthetic effluent containing the highest concentration, 1. g/l, of the azo dye Remazol Red. Both untreated and biologically treated textile effluents were found to have mutagenic effects. The mutagenicity increased even further after 1. min of ozonation. No mutagenicity was however detected in the effluents subjected to longer exposure to ozone. The results of this study suggest that the use of ozonation as short post-treatment after a biological process can be beneficial for the degradation of recalcitrant compounds and the removal of toxicity of textile wastewater. However, monitoring of toxicity and especially mutagenicity is crucial and should always be used to assess the success of a treatment strategy. © 2015 Elsevier B.V.
26.	Sandin, Per, et al. (författare) Technology neutrality and regulation of agricultural biotechnology 2018 Ingår i: Professionals in food chains: ethics, rules and responsibility. EurSafe 2018, Vienna, Austria 13 – 16 June 2018 / edited by: Svenja Springer, Herwig Grimm. - Wageningen, Netherlands : Wageningen Academic Publishers. - 9789086863211 Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract Agricultural biotechnology, in particular genetically modified organisms (GMOs), is subject to regulation in many areas of the world, not least in the European Union (EU). A number of authors have argued that those regulatory processes are unfair, costly, and slow and that regulation therefore should move in the direction of increased ‘technology neutrality’. The issue is becoming more pressing, especially since new biotechnologies such as CRISPR increasingly blur the regulatory distinction between GMOs and non-GMOs. This paper offers a definition of technology neutrality, uses the EU GMO regulation as a starting point for exploring technology neutrality, and presents distinctions between variants of the call for technology neutral GMO regulation in the EU.
27.	Samuelsson, Oscar, et al. (författare) Fault signatures and bias progression in dissolved oxygen sensors 2018 Ingår i: Water Science and Technology. - : IWA Publishing. - 0273-1223 .- 1996-9732. ; 78:5, s. 1034-1044 Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract Biofilm fouling is known to impact the data quality of sensors, but little is known about the exact effects. We studied the effects of artificial and real biofilm fouling on dissolved oxygen (DO) sensors in full-scale water resource recovery facilities, and how this can automatically be detected. Biofilm fouling resulted in different drift direction and bias magnitudes for optical (OPT) and electrochemical (MEC) DO sensors. The OPT-sensor was more affected by biofilm fouling compared to the MEC-sensor, especially during summer conditions. A bias of 1 mg/L was detected by analysing the impulse response (IR) of the automatic air cleaning system in the DO sensor. The IR is an effect of a temporal increase in DO concentration during the automatic air cleaning. The IRs received distinct pattern changes that were matched with faults including: biofilm fouling, disturbances in the air supply to the cleaning system, and damaged sensor membrane, which can be used for fault diagnosis. The results highlight the importance of a condition-based sensor maintenance schedule in contrast to fixed cleaning intervals. Further, the results stress the importance of understanding and detecting bias due to biofilm fouling, in order to maintain a robust and resource-efficient process control.
28.	Zambrano, Jesús, et al. (författare) Optimal steady-state design of zone volumes of bioreactors with Monod growth kinetics 2015 Ingår i: Biochemical Engineering Journal. - : Elsevier BV. - 1369-703X .- 1873-295X. ; 100, s. 59-66 Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract This paper deals with steady-state analysis and design of bioreactors consisting of a number of completely stirred tank reactors (CSTRs) in series. The study is confined to one consumed (substrate) and one consuming constituent (biomass). The specific microbial growth rate is assumed to be described by Monod kinetics. The death of biomass is assumed to be negligible. Two optimal design problems for a large number of CSTRs in series are studied: to minimize the effluent substrate concentration for a given total volume, and to minimize the total volume for a given effluent substrate concentration. As an appealing alternative to solve these problems numerically, it is proposed to consider the asymptotic case where the number of CSTRs tends to infinity. This is shown to correspond to one CSTR in series with a plug flow reactor (PFR). A CSTR with a sufficient large volume is needed to avoid wash-out of the biomass. The main result is that both design problems for the CSTR + PFR configuration have the same solution with respect to the optimal volume of the CSTR, which is given as an explicit function of the incoming substrate concentration, the volumetric flow rate and the coefficients of the Monod growth rate function. Numerical results indicate that the plug flow approach may be used as a feasible design procedure even for a reasonably low number of CSTRs in series.
29.	Munthe, Christian, 1962 (författare) From synthetic genome to synthetic life: prospects as well as perils of gene technology exponentially multiplied : Från syntetiska gener till syntetiskt liv: såväl framtidsutsikter som risker med gentekniken exponentiellt mångfaldigade 2010 Ingår i: Philosophical Comment Blog. ; :2010-05-20 Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
30.	Betsholtz, Alexander, et al. (författare) Tracking 14C-labeled organic micropollutants to differentiate between adsorption and degradation in GAC and biofilm processes 2021 Ingår i: Environmental Science and Technology. - : The American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0013-936X .- 1520-5851. ; 55:16, s. 11318-11327 Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract Granular activated carbon (GAC) filters can be used to reduce emissions of organic micropollutants via municipal wastewater, but it is still uncertain to which extent biological degradation contributes to their removal in GAC filters. 14C-labeled organic micropollutants were therefore used to distinguish degradation from adsorption in a GAC-filter media with associated biofilm. The rates and extents of biological degradation and adsorption were investigated and compared with other biofilm systems, including a moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) and a sand filter, by monitoring 14C activities in the liquid and gas phases. The microbial cleavage of ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac, and mecoprop was confirmed for all biofilms, based on the formation of 14CO2, whereas the degradation of 14C-labeled moieties of sulfamethoxazole and carbamazepine was undetected. Higher degradation rates for diclofenac were observed for the GAC-filter media than for the other biofilms. Degradation of previously adsorbed diclofenac onto GAC could be confirmed by the anaerobic adsorption and subsequent aerobic degradation by the GAC-bound biofilm. This study demonstrates the potential use of 14C-labeled micropollutants to study interactions and determine the relative contributions of adsorption and degradation in GAC-based treatment systems.
31.	Naqvi, Muhammad, et al. (författare) Polygeneration system integrated with small non-wood pulp mills for substitute natural gas production 2018 Ingår i: Applied Energy. - : Elsevier. - 0306-2619 .- 1872-9118. ; 224, s. 636-646 Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract This study aims to examine the potential substitute natural gas (SNG) production by integrating black liquor gasification (BLG) island with a small wheat straw-based non-wood pulp mills (NPM), which do not employ the black liquor recovery cycle. For such integration, it is important to first build knowledge on expected improvements in an overall integrated non-wood pulp mill energy system using the key performance indicators. O2-blown circulating fluidized bed (CFB) gasification with direct causticization is integrated with a reference small NPM to evaluate the overall performance. A detailed economic analysis is performed together with a sensitivity analysis based on variations in the rate of return due to varying biomass price, total capital investment, and natural gas prices. The quantitive results showed considerable SNG production but significantly reduced electricity production. There is a substantial CO2 abatement potential combining CO2 capture and CO2 mitigation from SNG use replacing compressed natural gas (CNG) or gasoline. The economic performance through sensitivity analysis reflects significant dependency on both substitute natural gas production and natural gas market price. Furthermore, the solutions to address the challenges and barriers for the successful commercial implementation of BLG based polygeneration system at small NPMs are discussed. The system performance and discussion on the real application of integrated system presented in this article form a vital literature source for future use by large number of small non-wood pulp industries.
32.	Goddek, Simon, et al. (författare) Aquaponics and Global Food Challenges 2019 Ingår i: Aquaponics Food Production Systems. - : Springer Verlag. - 9783030159436 Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)
33.	Gunnarsson, Lina-Maria, 1977, et al. (författare) Comparison of six different sewage treatment processes-Reduction of estrogenic substances and effects on gene expression in exposed male fish 2009 Ingår i: Science of the Total Environment. - : Elsevier. - 0048-9697 .- 1879-1026. ; 407:19, s. 5235-5242 Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract Treated sewage effluents often contain a mixture of estrogenic compounds in low concentrations. The total combined activity of these, however, may be sufficiently high to affect the reproduction of aquatic vertebrates. The introduction of advanced treatment technologies has been suggested as a way to remove micro-contaminants, including estrogenic substances. In this study, one municipal influent was treated with six different processes in parallel on a semi-large scale in order to assess their potential to reduce substances that could contribute to estrogenic effects in male fish. The effluent from a conventional, activated sludge treatment line was compared to a similarly treated effluent with a final sand-filtering step. The addition of ozonation (15 g O-3/m(3)). a moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) or both in combination was also evaluated. There was also a separate treatment line that was based on a membrane bioreactor. A small battery of hepatic estrogen-responsive genes was measured in the exposed fish using quantitative PCR. Concentrations of steroid estrogens and estrogenic phenols in the effluents were measured by GC-ECNI-MS. The ozonated effluents were the only tested effluents for which all measured biological effects in exposed fish were removed. Chemical data suggested that the MBBR technology was equally effective in removing the analyzed estrogens; however, elevated expression of estrogen-responsive genes suggested that some estrogenic substances were still present in the effluent. The membrane bioreactor removed most of the measured estrogens and it reduced the induction of the estrogen-responsive genes. However, fish exposed to this effluent had significantly enlarged livers. Given that the same influent was treated in parallel with a broad set of technologies and that the chemical analyses were combined with an in vivo assessment of estrogenic responses, this study provides valuable input into the assessment of advanced treatment processes for removing estrogenic substances.
34.	Sandhi, Arifin, et al. (författare) Moss based constructed wetland system : is it possible to use aquatic moss (warnstorfia fluitans) for removal of as in an eco-friendly approach? 2018 Ingår i: Book of Abstracts. - Kalmar, Växjö : Linnaeus university. - 9789188898289 ; , s. 17- Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract The heavy metal and metalloid contaminated groundwater is considered as one of the major global environmental disasters that need sustainable solutions. One sustainable environment-friendly solution is using plant-based remediation, or phytoremediation. For contaminated water aquatic plant based phytofiltration could be applied. A Swedish aquatic moss species (Warnstorfia fluitans) have been discovered to accumulate high levels of As (arsenic) from the water. In a number of areas in Sweden, the As content in the groundwater is high due to mining activities and geochemical conditions. Our hypothesis was that since this moss species could accumulate As from contaminated water it would be possible to apply in constructed wetland system for removal of As from water. The aim of this study was to investigate the removal of As from the outlet water by using W. fluitans in constructed mesocosm type wetland systems with various water flow speeds under greenhouse conditions. Besides these, As content in the vegetables (lettuce, Latuca sativa) grown in this outlet water was also analysed. The total As concentration was analysed with hydride generated atomic absorption spectrophotometry (HG-AAS). Results showed that W. fluitans could reduce the As concentration in the water with 36 and 56% from initial As concentration at high (5 mL/min) and low (1.5 mL/min) water flow rate, respectively. The As concentration in the vegetables was also lower when low flow outlet has been applied as irrigation water. In conclusion, the result fits our hypothesis that aquatic moss could be used in the constructed wetland system to reduce As content in irrigation water and by that also in the irrigated vegetables.
35.	Martin, Michael, et al. (författare) Life cycle sustainability evaluations of bio-based value chains: Reviewing the indicators from a Swedish perspective 2018 Ingår i: Sustainability. - : MDPI AG. - 2071-1050. ; 10:2 Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract Policymakers worldwide are promoting the use of bio-based products as part of sustainable development. Nonetheless, there are concerns that the bio-based economy may undermine the sustainability of the transition, e.g., from the overexploitation of biomass resources and indirect impacts of land use. Adequate assessment methods with a broad systems perspective are thus required in order to ensure a transition to a sustainable, bio-based economy. We review the scientifically published life cycle studies of bio-based products in order to investigate the extent to which they include important sustainability indicators. To define which indicators are important, we refer to established frameworks for sustainability assessment, and include an Open Space workshop with academics and industrial experts. The results suggest that there is a discrepancy between the indicators that we found to be important, and the indicators that are frequently included in the studies. This indicates a need for the development and dissemination of improved methods in order to model several important environmental impacts, such as: water depletion, indirect land use change, and impacts on ecosystem quality and biological diversity. The small number of published social life cycle assessments (SLCAs) and life cycle sustainability assessments (LCSAs) indicate that these are still immature tools; as such, there is a need for improved methods and more case studies.
36.	Diehl, S., et al. (författare) Steady-state analyses of activated sludge processes with plug-flow reactor 2017 Ingår i: Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering. - : Elsevier BV. - 2213-3437. ; 5:1, s. 795-809 Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract Activated sludge processes (ASPs) consisting of a plug-flow reactor (PFR) and a settler are analyzed in steady-state operation using a reduced model consisting of one soluble substrate and one particulate biomass component modelling the dominating biological process. Monod biomass growth rate is assumed. Two settler models are studied. One is the commonly used ideal settler, or point settler, which is assumed to never be overloaded and to have unlimited flux capacity. The other recently published steady-state settler model includes hindered and compressive settling, and models a realistic limiting flux capacity. Generally, the steady-state concentration profiles within the PFR and the settler are governed by nonlinear ordinary differential equations. It is shown that the steady-state behaviour of the ASP can, however, be captured by equations without derivatives. New theoretical results are given, such as conditions by means of inequalities on input variables and parameters for a steady-state solution to exist. Another novel finding is that, if the incoming substrate concentration is increased from a low or moderate stationary value and the solids residence time is kept fixed, then this results in a lower effluent concentration in the new steady state. The steady-state equations are solved numerically for different operating conditions. For common parameter values, numerical solutions reveal that an ASP having a PFR, instead of a continuously stirred tank reactor, is far more efficient in reducing the effluent substrate concentration and this can be obtained for much lower recycle ratios, which reduces the pumping energy considerably.
37.	Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Material Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing Technology (MEAMT 2018) 2018 Proceedings (redaktörskap) (refereegranskat)
38.	Ahlgren, Serina, et al. (författare) Review of methodological choices in LCA of biorefinery systems - key issues and recommendations 2015 Ingår i: Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining. - : Wiley. - 1932-1031 .- 1932-104X. ; 9:5, s. 606-619 Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract The current trend in biomass conversion technologies is toward more efficient utilization of biomass feedstock in multiproduct biorefineries. Many life-cycle assessment (LCA) studies of biorefinery systems have been performed but differ in how they use the LCA methodology. Based on a review of existing LCA standards and guidelines, this paper provides recommendations on how to handle key methodological issues when performing LCA studies of biorefinery systems. Six key issues were identified: (i) goal definition, (ii) functional unit, (iii) allocation of biorefinery outputs, (iv) allocation of biomass feedstock, (v) land use, and (vi) biogenic carbon and timing of emissions. Many of the standards and guidelines reviewed here provide only general methodological recommendations. Some make more specific methodological recommendations, but these often differ between standards. In this paper we present some clarifications (e.g. examples of research questions and suitable functional units) and methodological recommendations (e.g. on allocation).
39.	Munthe, Christian, 1962 (författare) Utmaningar och vägar för funktionell bioetisk lagstiftning : Challenges and pathways for functional bioethical regulation 2017 Ingår i: Genombrott inom gentekniken – var finns etiken?, Statens medicinsk-etiska råds etikdag, Stockholm, 7 december, 2017. Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
40.	Munthe, Christian, 1962 (författare) Forget the "Editing" Hype: Human Genome Action Painting Attempted in China 2015 Ingår i: Philosophical Comment Blog. ; :2015-04-25 Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
41.	Cutas, Daniela, 1978, et al. (författare) Legal imperialism in the regulation of stem cell research and therapy: the problem of extraterritorial jurisdiction 2010 Ingår i: Capps BJ & Campbell AV (eds.). CONTESTED CELLS: Global Perspectives on the Stem Cell Debate. - London : Imperial College Press. - 9781848164376 ; , s. 95-119 Bokkapitel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract Countries worldwide have very different national regulations on human embryonic stem (ES) cell research, informed by a range of ethical values. Some countries find reason to extend the applicability of their regulations on such research to its citizens when they visit other countries. Extraterritorial jurisdiction has recently been identified as a potential challenge towards global regulation of ES cell research. This chapter explores the implications and impact of extraterritorial jurisdiction and global regulation of ES cell research on researchers, clinicians and national health systems, and how this may affect patients. The authors argue that it would make ethical sense for ES cell restrictive countries to extend its regulations on ES cell research beyond its borders, because, if these countries really consider embryo destruction to be objectionable on the basis on the status of the embryo, then they ought to count it morally on par with murder (and thus have a moral imperative to protect embryos from the actions of its own citizens). However, doing so could lead to a legal situation that would result in substantial harm to central values in areas besides research, such as health care, the job market, basic freedom of movement, and strategic international finance and politics. Thus, it seems that restrictive extraterritorial jurisdiction in respect to ES cell research would be deeply problematic, given that the ethical permissibility of ES cell research is characterised by deep and wide disagreement.
42.	Dienus, Olaf, et al. (författare) Norovirus Dynamics in Wastewater Discharges and in the Recipient Drinking Water Source: Long-Term Monitoring and Hydrodynamic Modeling 2016 Ingår i: Environmental Science & Technology. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0013-936X .- 1520-5851. ; 50:20, s. 10851-10858 Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract Norovirus (NoV) that enters drinking water sources with wastewater discharges is a common cause of waterborne outbreaks. The impact of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) on the river Gota alv (Sweden) was studied using monitoring and hydrodynamic modeling. The concentrations of NoV genogroups (GG) I and II in samples collected at WWTPs and drinking water intakes (source water) during one year were quantified using duplex real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. The mean (standard deviation) NoV GGI and GGII genome concentrations were 6.2 (1.4) and 6.8 (1.8) in incoming wastewater and 5.3 (1.4) and 5.9 (1.4) log(10) genome equivalents (g.e.) L-1 in treated wastewater, respectively. The reduction at the WWTPs varied between 0.4 and 1.1 log(10) units. In source water, the concentration ranged from below the detection limit to 3.8 log(10) g.e. L-1. NoV GGII was detected in both wastewater and source water more frequently during the cold than the warm period of the year. The spread of NoV in the river was simulated using a three-dimensional hydrodynamic model. The modeling results indicated that the NoV GGI and GGII genome concentrations in source water may occasionally be up to 2.8 and 1.9 log(10) units higher, respectively, than the concentrations measured during the monitoring project.
43.	Ekholm, Jennifer, 1992 (författare) Application of aerobic granular sludge for municipal wastewater treatment - Process performance and microbial community dynamics under fluctuating conditions 2023 Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract Pressures of growing cities, competition for use of urban areas and higher influent loads, are pushing for innovative technologies for wastewater treatment with low demands for land footprint and costs. Furthermore, wastewater treatment is needed to move towards a circular economy by harvest of valuable resources such as nutrients and energy. Aerobic granular sludge (AGS) is a biofilm process without a carrier material for wastewater treatment, exhibiting efficient treatment performance, excellent settleability, high biomass retention, tolerance to toxicity and high loads of organic matter. In this thesis, the first implementation of the AGS process in the Nordic countries was studied to assess the treatment performance, microbial community structure, energy usage, land footprint, and volume needs. The results in this project suggested that selective sludge withdrawal, retaining long solids retention time, sufficient substrate availability, and operational flexibility are important factors for granulation. Both the AGS and parallel conventional activated sludge (CAS) process achieved stable organic matter, nitrogen, and phosphorus removal with low average effluent concentrations. Seasonal variations and environmental factors were identified as important for microbial community succession. The granular biofilm demonstrated higher biomass concentration, diversity, and lower seasonal fluctuations in community composition than the flocculent sludge. A one-year energy comparison resulted in lower specific energy usages (kWh m-3 and kWh reduced P.E.-1) and land footprint for the AGS compared to the CAS process. However, a potential for decreased energy usage was recognised for both systems, leading to the conclusion that operational optimisation and process design might be as important as the type of technology. Additionally, the influence of decreasing temperature on AGS was studied in lab-scale reactors, revealing different responses of the functional groups in the microbial community, and even various response of ASVs at the genus level. In conclusion, the AGS technology for municipal wastewater treatment under fluctuating conditions achieved low average effluent concentrations, was more compact and energy efficient compared to the CAS.
44.	Mahapatra, Krushna, et al. (författare) Swedish energy advisers' perceptions regarding and suggestions for fulfilling homeowner expectations 2011 Ingår i: Energy Policy. - : Elsevier BV. - 0301-4215 .- 1873-6777. ; 39:7, s. 4264-4273 Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract Municipality energy advice services were re-introduced in Sweden in 1998 as a way of advising end-users, mainly owners of detached houses, on energy issues. In this paper, we investigate Swedish energy advisers' perceptions of homeowners' awareness of the energy advice service and their perceived ability to fulfil homeowners' expectations. Our study is based on a mail-in questionnaire survey conducted in 2009 and distributed to municipality energy advisers in all municipalities in Sweden. About 66% of the energy advisers responded. The results show that 43% of the energy advisers thought that fewer than 50% of the homeowners were aware of the service and that mass media advertisements and presentations at different organisations could improve homeowner awareness. Energy adviser attitudes, job satisfaction, and the perception that the advisers possessed up-to-date and good knowledge and sufficient financial resources to execute their duties had a significant influence on their perceived ability to fulfil homeowner expectations. Increased training in technical aspects of energy measures and increased financial support were the two measures most widely suggested as a means to improve energy advisers' performance.
45.	Santos, Graziely Cristina, 1983-, et al. (författare) Redox mediator evaluation in the azo dye biodegradation 2015 Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract Azo dye degradation occurs by means of the oxidation–reduction reactions which have the azo dye acting as final electron acceptor. Some carbon sources can act as electron donors because the products of their metabolism act as redox mediators. In order to enhance the dye biodegradation process, the present study aims to evaluate the decolorization of an artificial wastewater, containing the azo dye Direct Red 75 (DR75), led by a microbial consortium from rice husks, testing the effect in the process of glucose and yeast extract as carbon sources. Samples with and without 0.1 M Sodium phosphate buffer were also analysed. The decolorization was measured by means UV-VIS spectrophotometry. The percentage of decolorization of the samples over the time indicates that the sample with yeast extract, rinse water of rice husks and without buffer presented the best decolorization rate, about 80%. Therefore, the results presented in this study may also suggest that yeast extract is a better carbon source for dye biodegradation than glucose.
46.	Sundberg, Sebastian, et al. (författare) Våtmarker 2015 Ingår i: Tillstånd och trender för arter och deras livsmiljöer - rödlistade arter i Sverige 2015. - 9789187853135 ; :17, s. 41-45 Bokkapitel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract Våtmarker, bl.a. myrar och sötvattensstränder, hyser totalt drygt 800 rödlistade arter, och för nästan 470 av dessa är våtmarkerna särskilt viktiga livsmiljöer. De flesta artgrupper har representanter här, men kärlväxter, lavar, tvåvingar och skalbaggar är särskilt artrika. Även mossor, fjärilar, fåglar och landmollusker är väl representerade. Rikkärr och sötvattensstränder är de artrikaste våtmarksmiljöerna. De rödlistade våtmarksarterna hotas främst av igenväxning, dikning, vattenreglering och eutrofiering. Restaurering, fortsatt och utökad hävd samt nyskapande av våtmarker är viktiga åtgärder, liksom återgång till naturlig vattenföring och vattenståndsdynamik i strandnära miljöer.
47.	Gustavsson, Leif, et al. (författare) Climate effects of bioenergy from forest residues in comparison to fossil energy 2015 Ingår i: Applied Energy. - : Elsevier BV. - 0306-2619 .- 1872-9118. ; 138, s. 36-50 Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract Forest residues can be left at the harvest site to gradually decompose, or can be collected for energy purposes. This study analyzes the primary energy and climate impacts of bioenergy systems where forest residues are collected and used for electricity, heat and transportation, compared to fossil-based energy systems where fossil fuels provide the same services while forest residues are left on site to decompose. Time profiles are elaborated of primary energy use and carbon dioxide emissions from various energy applications fulfilled by bioenergy or fossil energy systems. Different biological decay functions are considered based on process-based modeling and inventory data across various climate zones. For all scenarios, the changes in cumulative radiative forcing (CRF) are calculated over a 300-year period, to evaluate the short- and long-term contributions of forest residue to climate change mitigation. A life cycle perspective along the full energy chains is used to evaluate the overall effectiveness of each system. The results show largest primary energy and climate benefits when forest residues are collected and used efficiently for energy services. Using biomass to substitute fossil coal provides greater climate change mitigation benefits than substituting oil or fossil gas. Some bioenergy substitutions result in positive CRF, i.e. increased global warming, during an initial period. This occurs for relatively inefficient bioenergy conversion pathways to substitute less carbon intensive fossil fuels, e.g. biomotor fuel used to replace diesel. More beneficial bioenergy substitutions, such as efficiently replacing coal, result immediately in reduced CRF. Biomass decay rates and transportation distance have less influence on climate benefits.
48.	Stanicic, Ivana, 1994, et al. (författare) Combined manganese oxides as oxygen carriers for biomass combustion — Ash interactions 2019 Ingår i: Chemical Engineering Research and Design. - : Elsevier BV. - 0263-8762 .- 1744-3563. ; 149, s. 104-120 Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract © 2019 Institution of Chemical Engineers Carbon capture and storage (CCS) has been acknowledged as an important strategy for mitigation of climate change. Although highly applicable for fossil fuels, CCS with biomass could have the added advantage of resulting in negative emissions of carbon dioxide. One promising carbon capture technology is chemical-looping combustion (CLC). In CLC the reactors are filled with metal oxide bed material called oxygen carriers. Before CLC can be implemented for biomass combustion at a large scale, biomass ash components interaction with oxygen carriers needs to be further understood. Four combined manganese oxides Mn3O4-SiO2, Mn3O4-SiO2-TiO2, Mn3O4-Fe2O3 and Mn3O4-Fe2O3-Al2O3 were exposed to common biomass ash components K, Ca and P. The ash components can exist in many forms, but here the compounds CaCO3, K2CO3 and CaHPO4 were used. Exposures were performed at 900 °C for six hours in oxidising, reducing and inert conditions. Crystalline phases were analysed by XRD and morphology examined with SEM-EDX. Results show that oxygen carrier particles containing silicon were more likely to form agglomerates, especially in combination with potassium, whereas the particles including iron were more stable. MnFeAl was the oxygen carrier that showed least agglomerating behaviour while simultaneously showing a propensity to absorb some ash components. Some inconsistencies between thermodynamic predictions and experimental results is observed. This may be explained by lack of relevant data in the used databases, were only a few of the oxygen carrier-ash systems and subsystems have been optimised. Further optimisation related to manganese rich systems should be performed to obtain reliable results.
49.	Munthe, Christian, 1962 (författare) US Approval of the GMO Salmon "Frankenfish" - Reasons for Continuous Caution Remain in the Absence of Added Value 2012 Ingår i: Philosophical Comment Blog. ; :2012-12-28 Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
50.	Yewale, Priti, et al. (författare) Studies on Biosmotrap : A multipurpose biological air purifier to minimize indoor and outdoor air pollution 2022 Ingår i: Journal of Cleaner Production. - : Elsevier. - 0959-6526 .- 1879-1786. ; 357 Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract Air pollution is a serious health concern that affects many people across the globe. The major air pollutants are particulate matter, carbon oxides, nitrogen oxides, sulphur oxides, volatile organic compounds, polycyclic aromatics and free radicals which cause severe respiratory distress and infections. The existing air cleaning systems suffer from drawbacks of high cost and generation of secondary pollutants. A novel biological air filter “Biosmotrap” which is a laminate composite of sponge gourd and algae was developed. Biosmotrap placed in a carrier assembly on exhaust of vehicles, could remove carbon monoxide, nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) from the vehicular emissions resulting in cleaner emissions. Biosmotrap decreased carbon monoxide from 1,423,992 μg/m3 to 76,756 μg/m3, nitric oxide from 71,128 μg/m3 to 9982 μg/m3, nitrogen dioxide from 565 μg/m3 to 188 μg/m3 and PM2.5 from 3200 μg/m3 to 60 μg/m3 from a polluting vehicle. Biosmotrap removed 60–80% of indoor pollutants from cigarette smoke and incense-stick smoke. Biosmotrap could protect the human cells from oxidative DNA damage induced by indoor air pollutants. Hibiscus rosa-sinensis plants exposed to air filtered through Biosmotrap were healthy as compared to the plants directly exposed to polluted air. Biosmotrap is an economic, efficient, eco-friendly filter that is superior to existing air filtration methods.

Skapa referenser, mejla, bekava och länka

Länka till träfflistan

Träfflista för sökning "AMNE:(ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY Environmental Biotechnology) "

Avgränsa träffmängd

År