| 1. |
- Göransson, Gunnel, et al.
(författare)
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A methodology for estimating risks associated with landslides of contaminated soil into rivers
- 2014
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Ingår i: Science of the Total Environment. - : Elsevier BV. - 0048-9697 .- 1879-1026. ; 472, s. 481-495
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Urban areas adjacent to surface water are exposed to soil movements such as erosion and slope failures (landslides). A landslide is a potential mechanism for mobilisation and spreading of pollutants. This mechanism is in general not included in environmental risk assessments for contaminated sites, and the consequences associated with contamination in the soil are typically not considered in landslide risk assessments. This study suggests a methodology to estimate the environmental risks associated with landslides in contaminated sites adjacent to rivers. The methodology is probabilistic and allows for datasets with large uncertainties and the use of expert judgements, providing quantitative estimates of probabilities for defined failures. The approach is illustrated by a case study along the river Gota Alv, Sweden, where failures are defined and probabilities for those failures are estimated. Failures are defined from a pollution perspective and in terms of exceeding environmental quality standards (EQSs) and acceptable contaminant loads. Models are then suggested to estimate probabilities of these failures. A landslide analysis is carried out to assess landslide probabilities based on data from a recent landslide risk classification study along the river Gota Alv. The suggested methodology is meant to be a supplement to either landslide risk assessment (LRA) or environmental risk assessment (ERA), providing quantitative estimates of the risks associated with landslide in contaminated sites. The proposed methodology can also act as a basis for communication and discussion, thereby contributing to intersectoral management solutions. From the case study it was found that the defined failures are governed primarily by the probability of a landslide occurring. The overall probabilities for failure are low; however, if a landslide occurs the probabilities of exceeding EQS are high and the probability of having at least a 10% increase in the contamination load within one year is also high.
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| 2. |
- Göransson, Gunnel, et al.
(författare)
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Impact of climate change and natural hazard on the quality of surface waters
- 2012
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Ingår i: 4th Join Nordic Meeting on Remediation of Contaminated Sites, Sept. 18-21, Oslo.
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Climate change increased rainfall and increased risk of rising groundwater levels in urban areas and its impact on the pollution of urban water has received little attention until now. As well has the impact from natural hazards on the distribution and spreading of pollutant received little attention. This short paper for the NORDROCS 2012 conference summarises the result from two projects that aims to highlight these issues.
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| 3. |
- Göransson, Gunnel
(författare)
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Landslide of contaminated soil into rivers: Environmental impacts and risks
- 2013
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Landslide risk assessments and environmental risk assessments are routinely carried out in many countries exposed to landslide hazards and/or contaminated soil hazards, but separately from each other. By combining results from different types of risk assessments and superimposing the results, possible multi-hazards may be revealed, which is not the case when the results are only displayed independently. Such a combined assessment was done for one part of the river Göta Älv in Sweden and it was found that several contaminated sites adjacent to the river were also exposed to a landslide risk. A qualitative description and a conceptualisation of the problem domain were then carried out to identify the system under study and the governing factors. The unique observation of a landslide-generated increase in turbidity from a minor landslide in Göta Älv allowed for the testing of analytical solutions to the advection-dispersion equation (ADE) for describing the transport of suspended sediment and associated contaminants from a landslide. Although analytical solutions simplifies a complex system, it facilitates quick estimation of suspended sediment and contaminant concentrations as well as the arrival time of the peak and the decrease in maximum concentration from the landslide location. Such solutions to ADE are simple enough so that a large number of scenarios can be evaluated and it provides quantitative outputs that may be easy to include in socio-economic models. Data from Göta Älv was further analysed with respect to turbidity to be able to distinguish landslide-generated suspended sediment peaks from other factors. The river flow is governed by the regulated outflow from a large lake and further controlled at several hydropower stations, making the response of the turbidity to river flow and precipitation slow and complex. A step-wise statistical analysis proved to be a good approach to analyse variation in turbidity with flow and precipitation in such a system. In addition, ship traffic causes short turbidity peaks due to wave-induced bed and bank erosion. A study was therefore conducted to analyse the impact from ship waves on turbidity. Ship-induced bed and bank erosion is also one of the triggering mechanisms behind landslides in the area. Finally, a methodology for risk estimation was developed and tested in the Göta Älv river valley. The approach is probabilistic and allows for the analysis of datasets with large uncertainties and the use of expert judgements, providing quantitative estimates of probabilities for defined failures. The approach was illustrated by a case study along Göta Älv, where failures were defined and probabilities for those failures were estimated. The approach provides a quantitative analysis of the risks associated with landslides in contaminated areas; thus, the methodology makes the problem of landslides in contaminated areas visible. It can also act as a basis for communication and discussions between stakeholders, thereby contributing to intersectoral management solutions. The approach is meant to be a complement to existing landslide risk assessment methodologies as well as to environmental risk assessment methodologies.
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| 4. |
- Göransson, Gunnel, et al.
(författare)
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Mass transport of contaminated soil released into surface water by landslides (Göta River, SW Sweden)
- 2012
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Ingår i: Hydrology and Earth System Sciences. - : Copernicus GmbH. - 1607-7938. ; 16:7, s. 1879-1893
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Landslides of contaminated soil into surface water represent an overlooked exposure pathway that has not been addressed properly in existing risk analysis for landslide hazard, contaminated land, or river basin management. A landslide of contaminated soil into surface water implies an instantaneous exposure of the water to the soil, dramatically changing the prerequisites for the mobilisation and transport of pollutants. In this study, an analytical approach is taken to simulate the transport of suspended matter released in connection with landslides into rivers. Different analytical solutions to the advection-dispersion equation (ADE) were tested against the measured data from the shallow rotational, retrogressive landslide in clayey sediments that took place in 1993 on the Göta River, SW Sweden. The landslide encompassed three distinct events, namely an initial submerged slide, followed by a main slide, and a retrogressive slide. These slides generated three distinct and non-Gaussian peaks in the online turbidity recordings at the freshwater intake downstream the slide area. To our knowledge, this registration of the impact on a river of the sediment release from a landslide is one of few of its kind in the world and unique for Sweden. Considering the low frequency of such events, the data from this landslide are highly useful for evaluating how appropriate the ADE is to describe the effects of landslides into surface water. The results yielded realistic predictions of the measured variation in suspended particle matter (SPM) concentration, after proper calibration. For the three individual slides it was estimated that a total of about 0.6% of the total landslide mass went into suspension and was transported downstream. This release corresponds to about 1 to 2% of the annual suspended sediment transport for that river stretch. The studied landslide partly involved an industrial area, and by applying the analytical solution to estimate the transport of metals in the sediments, it was found that landslides may release a significant amount of pollutants if large contaminated areas are involved. However, further studies are needed to develop more detailed descriptions of the transport processes. There is also a need to increase the knowledge on possible environmental consequences in the near and far field, in a short- and long-time perspective. In summary, the release of pollutants should not be neglected in landslide risk assessments.
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| 5. |
- Göransson, Gunnel, et al.
(författare)
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Variation in turbidity with precipitation and flow in a regulated river system - river Gota Alv, SW Sweden
- 2013
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Ingår i: Hydrology and Earth System Sciences. - : Copernicus GmbH. - 1607-7938. ; 17:7, s. 2529-2542
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The turbidity variation in time and space is investigated in the downstream stretch of the river Gota Alv in Sweden. The river is heavily regulated and carries the discharge from the largest fresh water lake in Sweden, Lake Vanern, to the outflow point in Goteborg Harbour on the Swedish west coast. The river is an important waterway and serves as a fresh-water supply for 700 000 users. Turbidity is utilised as a water quality indicator to ensure sufficient quality of the intake water to the treatment plant. The overall objective of the study was to investigate the influence of rainfall, surface runoff, and river water flow on the temporal and spatial variability of the turbidity in the regulated river system by employing statistical analysis of an extensive data set. A six year long time series of daily mean values on precipitation, discharge, and turbidity from six stations along the river were examined primarily through linear correlation and regression analysis, combined with nonparametric tests and analysis of variance. The analyses were performed on annual, monthly, and daily bases, establishing temporal patterns and dependences, including; seasonal changes, impacts from extreme events, influences from tributaries, and the spatial variation along the river. The results showed that there is no simple relationship between discharge, precipitation, and turbidity, mainly due to the complexity of the runoff process, the regulation of the river, and the effects of Lake Vanern and its large catchment area. For the river Gota Alv, significant, positive correlations between turbidity, discharge, and precipitation could only be found during periods with high flow combined with heavy rainfall. Local precipitation does not seem to have any significant impact on the discharge in the main river, which is primarily governed by precipitation at catchment scale. The discharge from Lake Vanern determines the base level for the turbidity in the river, whereas local surface runoff and tributary discharge induced by rainfall govern the temporal variability in turbidity. Autocorrelation analysis indicates a temporal persistence in turbidity of about 10 days. The results also show that erosion along the main river, from the river bed and banks, is not a dominant contributor to the suspended sediment transport in the river under normal conditions. Further studies on the correlation between turbidity and suspended sediment transport and its relation to erosion processes are suggested.
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| 6. |
- Ke, Rongqin, et al.
(författare)
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Colorimetric Nucleic Acid Testing Assay for RNA Virus Detection Based on Circle-to-Circle Amplification of Padlock Probes
- 2011
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Ingår i: Journal of Clinical Microbiology. - 0095-1137 .- 1098-660X. ; 49:12, s. 4279-4285
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We developed a molecular diagnostic method for detection of RNA virus based on padlock probes and colorimetric readout. The feasibility of our approach was demonstrated by using detection of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) virus as a model. Compared with conventional PCR-based methods, our approach does not require advanced equipment, involves easier assay design, and has a sensitivity of 103 viral copies/ml. By using a cocktail of padlock probes, synthetic templates representing different viral strain variants could be detected. We analyzed 34 CCHF patient samples, and all patients were correctly diagnosed when the results were compared to those of the current real-time PCR method. This is the first time that highly specific padlock probes have been applied to detection of a highly variable target sequence typical of RNA viruses.
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| 7. |
- Nordmark, Gunnel, et al.
(författare)
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Association of EBF1, FAM167A(C8orf13)-BLK and TNFSF4 gene variants with primary Sjögren's syndrome
- 2011
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Ingår i: Genes and Immunity. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1466-4879 .- 1476-5470. ; 12:2, s. 100-109
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We performed a candidate gene association study in 540 patients with primary Sjögren's Syndrome (SS) from Sweden (n=344) and Norway (n=196) and 532 controls (n=319 Swedish, n=213 Norwegian). A total of 1139 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 84 genes were analyzed. In the meta-analysis of the Swedish and Norwegian cohorts, we found high signals for association between primary SS and SNPs in three gene loci, not previously associated with primary SS. These are the early B-cell factor 1 (EBF1) gene, P=9.9 × 10−5, OR 1.68, the family with sequence similarity 167 member A–B-lymphoid tyrosine kinase (FAM167A–BLK) locus, P=4.7 × 10−4, OR 1.37 and the tumor necrosis factor superfamily (TNFSF4=Ox40L) gene, P=7.4 × 10−4, OR 1.34. We also confirmed the association between primary SS and the IRF5/TNPO3 locus and the STAT4 gene. We found no association between the SNPs in these five genes and the presence of anti-SSA/anti-SSB antibodies. EBF1, BLK and TNFSF4 are all involved in B-cell differentiation and activation, and we conclude that polymorphisms in several susceptibility genes in the immune system contribute to the pathogenesis of primary SS.
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| 8. |
- Norheim, Katrine Brække, et al.
(författare)
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A possible genetic association with chronic fatigue in primary Sjögren's syndrome : a candidate gene study
- 2014
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Ingår i: Rheumatology International. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0172-8172 .- 1437-160X. ; 34:2, s. 191-197
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Fatigue is prevalent and disabling in primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS). Results from studies in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) indicate that genetic variation may influence fatigue. The aim of this study was to investigate single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) variations in pSS patients with high and low fatigue. A panel of 85 SNPs in 12 genes was selected based on previous studies in CFS. A total of 207 pSS patients and 376 healthy controls were genotyped. One-hundred and ninety-three patients and 70 SNPs in 11 genes were available for analysis after quality control. Patients were dichotomized based on fatigue visual analogue scale (VAS) scores, with VAS <50 denominated "low fatigue" (n = 53) and VAS ≥50 denominated "high fatigue" (n = 140). We detected signals of association with pSS for one SNP in SLC25A40 (unadjusted p = 0.007) and two SNPs in PKN1 (both p = 0.03) in our pSS case versus control analysis. The association with SLC25A40 was stronger when only pSS high fatigue patients were analysed versus controls (p = 0.002). One SNP in PKN1 displayed an association in the case-only analysis of pSS high fatigue versus pSS low fatigue (p = 0.005). This candidate gene study in pSS did reveal a trend for associations between genetic variation in candidate genes and fatigue. The results will need to be replicated. More research on genetic associations with fatigue is warranted, and future trials should include larger cohorts and multicentre collaborations with sharing of genetic material to increase the statistical power.
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