| 1. |
- Petersson, Jesper, 1974
(author)
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Blurring the shoreline: De- and re-infrastructuring and the changing colors of European flood policy
- 2021
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In: Environment and Planning E: Nature and Space. - : SAGE Publications. - 2514-8494 .- 2514-8494 .- 2514-8486. ; 4:2, s. 623-644
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)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.
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| 2. |
- Rämö, Robert, et al.
(author)
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Sediment Remediation Using Activated Carbon: Effects of Sorbent Particle Size and Resuspension on Sequestration of Metals and Organic Contaminants.
- 2022
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In: Environmental toxicology and chemistry. - : Wiley. - 1552-8618 .- 0730-7268. ; 41:4, s. 1096-1110
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)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.
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| 3. |
- Cowie, A. L., et al.
(author)
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Applying a science-based systems perspective to dispel misconceptions about climate effects of forest bioenergy
- 2021
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In: Global Change Biology Bioenergy. - : John Wiley and Sons Inc. - 1757-1693 .- 1757-1707. ; 13:8, s. 1210-1231
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)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.
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
- Åkesson, Sofia, et al.
(author)
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Characterizing natural degradation of tetrachloroethene (PCE) using a multidisciplinary approach
- 2020
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In: Ambio: a Journal of the Human Environment. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0044-7447 .- 1654-7209. ; 50, s. 1074-1088
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)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.
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| 6. |
- Beheshtinia, Mohammad Ali, et al.
(author)
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Prioritizing healthcare waste disposal methods considering environmental health using an enhanced multi-criteria decision-making method
- 2023
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In: Environmental Pollutants and Bioavailability. - : Taylor & Francis Group. - 2639-5932 .- 2639-5940. ; 35:1, s. 250-269
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)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.
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| 7. |
- Betsholtz, Alexander, et al.
(author)
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Tracking 14C-labeled organic micropollutants to differentiate between adsorption and degradation in GAC and biofilm processes
- 2021
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In: Environmental Science and Technology. - : The American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0013-936X .- 1520-5851. ; 55:16, s. 11318-11327
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)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.
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| 8. |
- Ekholm, Jennifer, 1992
(author)
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Application of aerobic granular sludge for municipal wastewater treatment - Process performance and microbial community dynamics under fluctuating conditions
- 2023
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)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.
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| 9. |
- Yewale, Priti, et al.
(author)
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Studies on Biosmotrap : A multipurpose biological air purifier to minimize indoor and outdoor air pollution
- 2022
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In: Journal of Cleaner Production. - : Elsevier. - 0959-6526 .- 1879-1786. ; 357
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)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.
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| 10. |
- Zetterholm, Jonas, 1989-, et al.
(author)
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Large-scale introduction of forest-based biorefineries : Actor perspectives and the impacts of a dynamic biomass market
- 2020
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In: Biomass and Bioenergy. - : Elsevier. - 0961-9534 .- 1873-2909. ; 142
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Large-scale implementation of forest-based biofuel production will have an impact on biomass prices, something which in turn will affect biofuel production costs. The profitability of emerging biofuel production technologies is usually assessed using techno-economic or market approaches. While techno-economic approaches have a detailed description of technologies within plant-level or supply chain system boundaries, they build on exogenously given static biomass prices. Conversely, market approaches have a consistent description of the economic system including market interactions for prices within local or national boundaries, but they generally lack technological depth. This paper combines these two approaches using an iterative framework for a case study optimising the production cost of liquefied biomethane (LBG) using different configurations of sawmill-integrated biomass gasification.Cost estimates are developed using system boundaries surrounding a LBG production plant, and the Swedish national borders, reflecting the plant-owner and policymaker perspectives, respectively. The results show that different plant configurations are favoured depending on the choice between minimising the biofuel production cost for the plant-owner or for the policymaker. Market dynamics simulated by the iterative procedure show that a direct policy support of 36–56 EUR/MWh would be needed to sustain large-scale LBG production, which is 12–31% higher than the necessary policy support estimated based on static biomass prices.
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