Torleif Bramryd

Silvicultural use of wood ashes — Effects on the nutrient and heavy metal balance in a pine (Pinus sylvestris, L) forest soil

In a sustainable forestry recirculation of nutrients through the application of ashes from forest residues can be an essential way to guarantee healthy and vital forests. Wood ashes can also be regarded as a measure against soil acidification. Wood ashes were applied at various rates to the soil in a 35 years old pine (Pinus sylvestris, L) stand at Ringamåla in Blekinge, South Sweden. The experiments started in 1984. The different treatments gave a clear effect on soil chemistry with decreased acidity and aluminum ion concentrations. The base saturation increased in both mor and upper mineral soil layers. Generally no significant increases were found in soil concentrations of heavy metals, except for Cu which increased significantly in the mor layer. Also the extractable Mn concentration increased, in spite of the increased pH in the soil after application of ashes. In order to achieve a biological circulation of nutrients through ash application without polluting the environment, it is of ultimate importance that the wood chips used in power plants and other furnaces have a low concentration of heavy metals and other pollutants.

Physical, Biological and Chemical Effects of Unsorted Fractions of Industrial Solid Waste in Waste Fuel Storage

Technical, biological and environmental problems encountered in the storage of industrial waste fuel are analysed and discussed. Measurements of temperature, moisture content, oxygen, methane and carbon dioxide during the storage period are presented. It is shown that the temperature increases rapidly to 70-90°C and the oxygen content decreases to almost zero in the lower parts of the storage pile. After several months of high but stable temperature conditions, self-ignition occurred in the storage piles. The test results are related to the proper design of storage piles.

Effects of liquid and dewatered sewage sludge applied to a Scots pine stand (Pinus sylvestris L.) in Central Sweden

Ecological effects of application of sewage sludge with 4 and 20% dw, respectively, were compared at Jadraas, Central Sweden, in a 50-year old pine forest (Pinus sylvestris L.) on a sandy soil with low initial nutrient contents. Each type of sludge was applied in a dose of approximately 20 t dw per hectare, and in three replicates. The sludge application produced significantly increased pH, ammonium-N and nitrate-N concentrations as well as decreased C/N ratios in the mor layer. The effects on pH and C/N ratios were still significant after 11 years. The ammonium-N and nitrate-N concentrations increased to significantly higher values in the mineral soil 1 year after application of the liquid (4% dw) sewage sludge, than after application of the dewatered (20% dw) sludge. Dewatered sludge gave more pronounced long-term effects. Sewage sludge increased the concentrations of many nutrients in the soil, as well as in the pine needles (Pinus sylvestris L.) of N, Ca and Mg, and in current shoots of Vaccinium vitis-idaea of P, K and Mg. No significant differences were observed between liquid and dewatered sludge except for P, with higher concentrations observed in the mor layer after application of liquid sludge. In spite of similar concentrations of Cd and Ni in the soil, a higher uptake in pine needles was found after application of 4% dw sewage sludge. Cu and Ni increased slightly in Vaccinium vitis-idaea with both types of sludge. Basal area growth and volume production increased strongly, but no significant differences between the two types of sludge were found, except a slight tendency for a somewhat faster response on the relative basal area increment after application of the liquid sludge with 4% dw. It was concluded from the ecological viewpoints that dewatered sludge with approximately 20% dw would be most beneficial.

Impact of Sewage Sludge Application on the Long-Term Nutrient Balance in Acid Soils of Scots Pine (Pinus Sylvestris, L.) Forests

The objective of the investigation was to determine the effectsof sewage sludge application on nutrient concentrations in soil and plant biomass fractions in Scots pine forests (Pinus sylvestris, L.), situated on sandy soils with low pH, in a south to north temperature gradient in Sweden. Twenty tons dw ha-1 of sewage sludge was applied in 50 to 60 yr old pine forests at foursites from Brösarp in South Sweden to Jukkasjärvi in thenorthern parts of the country.Application of 20 ton dw ha-1 of sewage sludge significantlyincreased the concentrations of extractable N, P, K, Ca, Mg and Na, in both the mor layer and in the upper 10 cm of the mineral soil. Three years after sludge application K concentrations were only significantly increased in the upper 10 cm of the mineral soil. After 11 yr the concentrations of P were still at the samelevel in the mor layer as after three years. The concentrations of Ca, Mg and Na had slightly decreased only in the mor layer. There was, in most cases, a statistically significant positive correlation between the amount of applied sludge and nutrientconcentrations in the soil, as well as in pine needles and in leaves of Vaccinium vitis-idaea.In all sites, Mg concentrations in the mor layer was positivelyand significantly correlated with Mg concentrations in current-year pine needles. Similarly, concentrations of Ca, Mg,and P in the mor layer were correlated with concentrations of these elements in current-year shorts of Vaccinium vitis-idaea.

Operationalizing ecosystem-based adaptation : harnessing ecosystem services to buffer communities against climate change

Ecosystem-based approaches for climate change adaptation are promoted at international, national, and local levels by both scholars and practitioners. However, local planning practices that support these approaches are scattered, and measures are neither systematically implemented nor comprehensively reviewed. Against this background, this paper advances the operationalization of ecosystem-based adaptation by improving our knowledge of how ecosystem-based approaches can be considered in local planning (operational governance level). We review current research on ecosystem services in urban areas and examine four Swedish coastal municipalities to identify the key characteristics of both implemented and planned measures that support ecosystem-based adaptation. The results show that many of the measures that have been implemented focus on biodiversity rather than climate change adaptation, which is an important factor in only around half of all measures. Furthermore, existing measures are limited in their focus regarding the ecological structures and the ecosystem services they support, and the hazards and risk factors they address. We conclude that a more comprehensive approach to sustainable ecosystem-based adaptation planning and its systematic mainstreaming is required. Our framework for the analysis of ecosystem-based adaptation measures proved to be useful in identifying how ecosystem-related matters are addressed in current practice and strategic planning, and in providing knowledge on how ecosystem-based adaptation can further be considered in urban planning practice. Such a systematic analysis framework can reveal the ecological structures, related ecosystem services, and risk-reducing approaches that are missing and why. This informs the discussion about why specific measures are not considered and provides pathways for alternate measures/designs, related operations, and policy processes at different scales that can foster sustainable adaptation and transformation in municipal governance and planning.

The business model of solid waste management in Sweden – a case study of two municipally-owned companies

This paper describes the business model of municipally-owned MSW (municipal solid waste) companies in Sweden. A comparative study of two of these companies shows that they combine three types of activities: public service activities that collect solid waste from households, commercial establishments, and industry; processing activities that transform this waste; and marketing activities that enable products and recycled material to re-enter the economy. The historical success of the two companies rests on their ability to create value by combining these three distinct yet mutually dependent types of activities. However, an ongoing legal controversy may develop into a threat to this business model and to the entire organization of Swedish waste management.

The multiple market-exposure of waste management companies: A case study of two Swedish municipally owned companies

This paper describes how the business model of two leading Swedish municipally owned solid waste management companies exposes them to four different but related markets: a political market in which their legitimacy as an organization is determined; a waste-as-material market that determines their access to waste as a process input; a technical market in which these companies choose what waste processing technique to use; and a commercial market in which they market their products. Each of these markets has a logic of its own. Managing these logics and articulating the interrelationships between these markets is a key strategic challenge for these companies.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF LANDFILL BIOREACTORCELLS IN COMPARISON TO FORMER LANDFILL TECHNIQUES

Former and present landfill techniques at the Filbornaplant in Helsingborg, South Sweden are compared withrespect to impacts on the environment. This includes thepotential for nutrient recovery and heavy metalimmobilisation in the waste residue. The results showthat optimised landfill bioreactor-cells have a higherturn-over rate for organic matter compared to the formerlandfills, whereas the retention capacity for heavymetals in both systems was surprisingly high. Full scaleleachate data, as well as a laboratory leachingexperiments confirmed the role of bioreactor cells asanaerobic filters enabling a separation of nutrients froma mixed waste, while the toxic metals are retained. Theconclusion of this article is that by simple measures, thebiological processes can be optimised, resulting inhigher turn-over rates for organic matter and thusaccelerated waste stabilisation.

Physical, Chemical and Biological Processes for Optimizing Decentralized Composting

On-site composting of nonpolluted organic wastes avoids costs and energy for transportation since the volume to be transported can be reduced to about 20% of the original. This paper describes the aerobic processes in a small-scale composting reactor, and evaluates how these processes can be optimized. The optimized composting process has a relatively short turnover time for organic matter; at the same time the temperature of about 60°C decreases the problems with pathogens and weeds in the mature compost. The compost produced has a high nutritional value, with high concentrations of especially nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus, while the contamination by heavy metals and other toxic substances are very low.

Microbial community structure and function in sediments from e-waste contaminated rivers at Guiyu area of China

The release of toxic organic pollutants and heavy metals by primitive electronic waste (e-waste) processing to waterways has raised significant concerns, but little is known about their potential ecological effects on aquatic biota especially microorganisms. We characterized the microbial community composition and diversity in sediments sampled along two rivers consistently polluted by e-waste, and explored how community functions may respond to the complex combined pollution. High-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing showed that Proteobacteria (particularly Deltaproteobacteria) dominated the sediment microbial assemblages followed by Bacteroidetes, Acidobacteria, Chloroflexi and Firmicutes. PICRUSt metagenome inference provided an initial insight into the metabolic potentials of these e-waste affected communities, speculating that organic pollutants degradation in the sediment might be mainly performed by some of the dominant genera (such as Sulfuricurvum, Thiobacillus and Burkholderia) detected in situ. Statistical analyses revealed that toxic organic compounds contributed more to the observed variations in sediment microbial community structure and predicted functions (24.68% and 8.89%, respectively) than heavy metals (12.18% and 4.68%), and Benzo(a)pyrene, bioavailable lead and electrical conductivity were the key contributors. These results have shed light on the microbial assemblages in e-waste contaminated river sediments, indicating a potential influence of e-waste pollution on the microbial community structure and function in aquatic ecosystems.