Swedish Environmental Protection Agency Research Articles

A Cross-Sectional Study of Circadian Stimulus in Swedish Radiographers' Light Environment.

Background: Timely light exposure is a vital aspect to achieve better sleep and well-being. As there are risks with a disturbed circadian rhythm and benefits with light settings that stimulate the rhythm, the circadian effective light, circadian stimulus (CS), for radiographers was examined. Aim: The aim of the study was to compare radiographers' light environment on the workstations, at a university hospital in Southern Sweden in the form of CS and relate that to recommendations published by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency. Method: A cross-sectional method has been applied. The measurements for CS were collected in all labs in the radiology department in the middle of January. Result: A total of 804 measures were evenly collected resulting in a median for the 19 labs, where the observed median for all labs was 0.091 CS which is significantly lower than the recommended value of 0.3 CS (p < .001). Comparing work light settings with maximum light levels in the brightest and darkest labs showed a significant difference (p < .001). Conclusion: The CS values in the labs, at the radiology department at a university hospital in Southern Sweden, do not reach the recommended values of circadian stimulus published by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency when the radiographers themselves set the light. There is a potential for improvement as a significant difference could be seen between the chosen level of light and the maximum possible level of light.

Do we have enough space for the trees we need?

In 2021, two guidelines were introduced with the purpose of increasing cities’ tree canopy coverage (TCC): Konijnendijk’s 3–30–300 rule, where 30 represents the goal to achieve at least 30 % TCC, and the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency’s (SEPA) guideline, aiming for all Swedish cities to increase their TCC by two percentage points (%pts) within a period of 10 years. While these ambitious goals are positive, not least from a sustainability perspective, there is a lack of research on whether these goals are feasible and how to reach them in practice. The overall TCC in Uppsala, Sweden’s fourth largest city, is 28 %, with considerably lower TCC in the eastern parts of the city. In this study, we will investigate, and visualise, how a 2 %pts increase as well as 30 % TCC could be achieved in two areas in eastern Uppsala: Fålhagen, a residential area, and Boländerna, a commercial and industrial area. We used geographical information systems (GIS) and a scenario approach to calculate the number of trees needed, and possible locations for them, to achieve a 2 %pts increase or the 30 % TCC goal. The results show that an increase of 2 %pts seems possible in both areas, particularly if the municipality and private property owners collaborate. However, it is difficult to estimate the time needed until the canopies of the proposed trees have become large enough to reach the 2 %pts increase. It does not seem likely to reach 30 % TCC in eastern Uppsala with today’s land use. To be able to reach the goals presented in this paper, it seems necessary to include them in municipality policies. Perhaps Konijnendijk’s and SEPA’s guidelines can be starting points for such policies and applied as rules-of-thumb rather than applicable planning tools.

Long-term dataset for contaminants in fish, mussels, and bird eggs from the Baltic Sea

Widespread persistent contaminants are a global environmental problem. In the Baltic Sea, wildlife contamination was first noticed in the 1960s, prompting the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency to establish a comprehensive Swedish National Monitoring Programme for Contaminants in Marine Biota (MCoM) in 1978 run by the Swedish Museum of Natural History. Eight species have been analysed, four fish species (Atlantic herring, Atlantic cod, European perch, viviparous eelpout), one bivalve species (blue mussel), and egg from three bird species (common guillemot, common tern, Eurasian oystercatcher). Here, we present a dataset containing MCoM data from its start until 2021. It includes 36 sets of time-series, each analysed for more than 100 contaminants. The longest time-series is for common guillemot and starts in 1968. We describe the structure of MCoM including historic changes to the number of stations, sample treatment, analytical methods, instruments, and laboratories. The MCoM data is available at the Bolin Centre repository and on GitHub through our R package mcomDb. The latter will be updated yearly with new MCoM records.

Practice, Pathways and Lessons Learned from Building a Digital Data Flow with Tools: Focusing on alien invasive species, from occurrence via measures to documentation

The SLU Swedish Species Information Centre (SSIC, SLU Artdatabanken) accumulates, analyses and disseminates information concerning species and habitats occurring in Sweden. The SSIC provides an open access biodiversity reporting and analysis infrastructure including the Swedish Species Observation System, the Swedish taxonomic backbone Dyntaxa, and tools for species information including traits, terminology, quality assurance and species identification.*1 The content is available to scientists, conservationists and the public. All systems, databases, APIs and web applications, rely on recognized standards to ensure interoperability. The SSIC is a leading partner within the Swedish Biodiversity Data Infrastructure (SBDI). Here we present a data flow (Fig. 1) that exemplifies the strengthening of the cooperation and transfer of experiences between research, community, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), citizen science and governmental agencies, and also presents solutions to current data challenges (e.g., data fragmentation, taxonomic issues or platform relations). This data flow aimed to facilitate the process for evaluating and understanding the distribution and spread of species (e.g., invasive alien species). It provides Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable (FAIR) data and links related information between different parties such as universities, NGOs, county administrative boards (CABs) and environmental protection agencies (EPAs). The digital structure is built on the national Swedish taxonomic backbone Dyntaxa, which prevents data fragmentation due to taxonomic issues and acts as a common standard for all users. The chain of information contains systems, tools and a linked data flow for reporting observations, verification procedures, and it can work as an early warning system for surveillance regarding certain species. After an observation is reported, an alert can be activated, field checks can be carried out, and if necessary, eradication measures can be activated. The verification tool that traditionally has been focused on the quality of species identification has been improved, providing verification of geographic precision. This is equally important for eradication actions as is species accuracy. A digital catalogue of eradication methods is in use by the CABs but there are also recommendations on methods for ‘public’ use, and collaboration between Invasive Alien Species (IAS) coordinators in regional CABs is currently being developed. The CABs have a separate tool for documentation of eradication measures and, if/when measures are carried out (by CABs), this information can be fed back from the CAB-tool into the database in SSIC where it is possible to search for, and visualize, this information. Taxonomic integrity over time should be intact and related to the taxon identifier (ID) provided by Dyntaxa. However, metadata, such as geographic position, date, verification status, mitigation results, etc., will be fully used when reporting under the IAS Regulation 1143/2014 (EU). The development of the digital structure is a collaboration with the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (Naturvårdsverket) and the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management (Havs-och Vattenmyndigheten).

Fly ashes generated from coal-fired thermoelectric power plants on the Balkan Peninsula – Organic geochemical study

Organic matter (OM) presence in fly ashes (FA) might be a serious obstacle towards their utilization or beneficial use. Though, it is imperative to enhance the knowledge of FA geochemical composition and environmental impact. Feed coals and FA from thermoelectric power plants (TPP) in Bulgaria (Maritza East 2 TPP), Greece (Megalopolis TPP and Agios Dimitrios TPP) and Serbia (TENT A, Nikola Tesla A TPP and TENT B, Nikola Tesla B TPP) were comparatively studied by geochemical proxies. Extractable organic matter, 0.45–6.10% for the feed coals and 0.013–0.025% for the FA, was subjected to extensive chromatographic separation and species in different chemical series were GC–MS identified and quantified. Changes in the biomarker assemblages triggered by combustion in the pairs feed coal/FA were picked up, series of chemical classes quantified and subsequently alterations in chemical series were expressed in rel. %.Combustion has affected the biomarkers separation mode though the signatures for FA keep some features of the parent coals. Feed coal biomarker were rich in functionalities as were composed by a broad range of series, i.e., n-alkanes, regular isoprenoids, terpenoids, hopanoids and their aromatized counterparts. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are of especial environmental concern. After combustion, FA biomarkers pattern of distribution was simplified as only two main series remained at appreciable amounts, n-alkanes and diterpenoids. Aromatic triterpenoids were also recognizable. Combustion has altered the n-alkanes separation mode as in the distribution curves for FA samples was visualized well-expressed shift to the shorter-chain n-alkanes, nC15-nC19.There were some similarities in PAH assemblages for FA from the studied thermoelectric power plants (TPP) as the combination of fluoranthene, pyrene, benzo[a]anthracene, chrysene and benzo[k]fluoranthene was rather frequent. Also, in all samples (except Maritza East 2 TPP) there was a preponderance of the four rings (4R) PAH and considerable presence of 5R PAH, i.e., benzo[k]fluoranthene. Ranges for ΣPAH (16 USEPA) and ΣCPAH for FA were: ΣPAH (16 USEPA), 1.5–33.0 μg/kg, and ΣCPAH, 0–12.0 μg/kg. Respectively, values for FA Benzo[a]pyrene equivalent (B[a]Peq) up to 0.80 μg/kg and toxic equivalency quantities (TEQ) up to 1.22 μg/kg values were calculated. The range of 4–12 μg/kg for ƩCPAH was considerably lower than 300 μg/kg designated by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (Swedish EPA) for FA used in soil remediation. Enrichment ratios, ER < 1, for all TPP located on the Balkan Peninsula implied that PAH were mostly emitted into the atmosphere by the flue gases.

Practical Examples of Cooperation and of Visualizing Species Information: Species identification and invasive alien species (IAS)

The SLU Swedish Species Information Centre (SSIC, SLU Artdatabanken) accumulates, analyses and disseminates information concerning species and habitats occurring in Sweden. The work is frequently carried out in cooperation with various experts and non-governmental organisations. The SSIC produces the Swedish Red List of threatened species and works on commission by the Government and other authorities within the field of Swedish biodiversity, e.g. risk assessment of invasive alien species (IAS) and the Habitats Directive. Since 2002, when the Swedish Taxonomy Initiative (STI) was established, the SSIC is commissioned by the Swedish Parliament to identify and describe all species of multicellular plants, fungi and animals in Sweden and to make the information available to scientists, conservationists and the public. The SSIC provides an open access biodiversity reporting and analysis infrastructure including for example the Swedish Species Observation System, the Swedish taxonomic backbone Dyntaxa and tools for species information including traits, terminology and species identification (artfakta.se). All systems, including the Swedish LifeWatch (SLW) Analysis Portal, rely on recognized standards to ensure interoperability and consist of databases, APIs and web applications. In addition, the SSIC was the leading partner within the former SLW consortium and now cooperates in the Swedish Biodiversity Data Infrastructure and the Living Atlases Community. In the first example we show what data from Hygrophorus, one of the genera where taxon concepts are mapped within Fennoscandia, is available in the SSIC web applications and hence what kind of data could be shared, based on the ongoing collaboration within the Nordic Taxonomy Initiatives. The Hygrophorus data consists of a identification key, descriptions (characters, distribution, ecology), names &amp; classification, nature conservation lists (for red listed species descriptions of threats, conservation measures and assessments). Furtheremore, there are different classfications for filter functions (e.g. landscape type, habitat, substrate, ecological group, mycorrhiza/symbiosis), an image gallery and observation maps generated from sightings. Most come from Artportalen, which in total contains more than 93,000,000 georeferenced observations, along with 3,000,000 images, videos or sounds of some 37,000 species from Sweden. Observation records are harvested by the national Species Observation System (SOS) (serving, amongst others, the Swedish authorities with data) and by the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). The SSIC also offers tool for image-based species identification, collaborating with PlantNet and Artsoraklet/Naturalis. The second example demonstrates the Swedish network and collaboration on invasive alien species (IAS), which is another example of species information of international interest when it comes to sharing and vizualiazing data. In collaboration with the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (Naturvårdsverket) and the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management (Havs- och vattenmyndigheten) a reporting system focusing firstly on the species listed in the IAS Regulation 1143/2014 (EU) has been developed in Sweden (invasivaarter.nu). Here, anyone can report an observation of one of these species, with information on geographic position, date and a photo. This information will be directed to a network of experts verifying both the species identification and the place, if necessary in dialogue with the reporting individual. Once verified occurrence data is published, responsible authorities (often County Administrative Boards, CABs) can carry out field checks and, if necessary, instigate appropriate eradication measures. A digital catalogue of such eradication methods is under development and collaboration between IAS coordinators in regional CABs is being established. The CABs have a separate tool for documentation of eradication measures and since the beginning of this year the complete digital chain is working, from observation to documentation of eradication measures taken. If/when measures are carried out (by CABs) this information is fed back from the CAB-tool into the database in SSIC where it is possible to search for and visualize this information.

Gender and climate action

It is well-known that men and women differ in their views regarding the severity of climate change, but do they also differ in their support for climate policy and in undertaking climate action in their everyday lives? Previous survey evidence on these questions is inconclusive, but we can answer them using unique survey data from the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA). Regression analysis confirms that Swedish women believe more strongly than men that climate change will affect Sweden. Furthermore, women engage in more climate-mitigating behavior than men, even conditional on climate beliefs. The association between gender and climate policy support is less robust, and disappears altogether when climate beliefs are controlled for, demonstrating that climate beliefs are the main mechanism explaining the relationship between gender and policy support.

Total Release of 21 Indicator Pharmaceuticals Listed by the Swedish Medical Products Agency from Wastewater Treatment Plants to Surface Water Bodies in the 1.3 Million Populated County Skåne (Scania), Sweden.

In 2017, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency published a report on advanced wastewater treatment for the removal of pharmaceutical residues and stated that advanced treatment should be implemented where it will make the largest difference from an environmental perspective. However, the report also concluded that this need cannot be specified with existing data, but consideration must be made of local conditions. Two considerations are (1) the discharged amount of pharmaceutical into receiving water bodies and (2) the turnover of water in the recipient, where the highest risks are related to recipients with a low water turnover and low dilution. The current project comprised eight different WWTPs distributed throughout the entire County Skåne (Scania) in Sweden, with a population of ca. 1,300,000 persons. In total, 21 of 22 pharmaceuticals were analyzed according to the list proposed by the Swedish Medical Products Agency 2015. The results show that large amounts of pharmaceuticals are released from the WWTPs yearly to Scanian recipients. The total discharge of pharmaceuticals from the eight treatment plants adds up to 71 kg of these 21 substances alone, mainly comprising metoprolol, which is a drug that lowers blood pressure, and the analgesic drug diclofenac. Additionally, carbamazepine, losartan, naproxen and oxazepam were present in significant concentrations. These represented three illnesses that are very common: high blood pressure, inflammation/pain and depression/anxiety. The concentrations were generally in line with previous national Swedish screenings. It was estimated that, when one million cubic meters (1,000,000 m3) of wastewater is discharged, almost 4 kg of the 21 pharmaceuticals is released. The total volume wastewater release by the >90 WWTPs in Scania was estimated to 152,887,000 m3, which corresponded to 590 kg/year. The investigated 21 drugs cover only a small part of many hundred pharmaceuticals that are in use in Sweden. Thus, most likely, one or several tons of pharmaceuticals leak out to the Scanian recipients annually. The analysis of river samples shows that the dilution of wastewater is a key parameter in reducing concentrations. However, some locations have remarkably high concentrations, which occur when the volume wastewater is large in relation to the flow in the river. These kinds of regional results are of importance when selecting where advanced treatment should be prioritized in a first instance, as requested by the Swedish EPA.

Background concentrations and extent of Cu, As, Co, and U contamination in Baltic Sea sediments

This study established background (pre-industrial) values of copper (Cu), arsenic (As), cobalt (Co), and uranium (U) in Baltic Sea sediments. The indicated background values could help identifying the spatial and temporal anthropogenic loads of these elements (metals and metalloids) in the Baltic Sea. In this study, 137 sediment samples were collected from cores obtained from 13 monitoring stations in the Gulf of Bothnia (Bothnian Bay and Sea) and the entire Baltic Proper. To understand the extent of contamination, we used direct and combined methods to define the geochemical background values as inputs for the geochemical index (Igeo) calculation. The obtained values were then compared with the background values established by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency. From the direct method, Cu, Co, As, and U had background values of 39, 21.5, 12.4, and 6.3 mg kg−1 DW. Copper and U exhibited concentrations above the background values in surface sediment in the western and eastern Baltic Proper (maximum Igeo indicates moderate contamination). Arsenic was above background concentrations in the Baltic Sea and highest in the Gulf of Bothnia (maximum Igeo indicates strong contamination). Cobalt concentrations were within the range of background values (no contamination).

Benefits of protected areas for nonbreeding waterbirds adjusting their distributions under climate warming.

Climate warming is driving changes in species distributions and community composition. Many species have a so‐called climatic debt, that is, shifts in range lag behind shifts in temperature isoclines. Inside protected areas (PAs), community changes in response to climate warming can be facilitated by greater colonization rates by warm‐dwelling species, but also mitigated by lowering extirpation rates of cold‐dwelling species. An evaluation of the relative importance of colonization‐extirpation processes is important to inform conservation strategies that aim for both climate debt reduction and species conservation. We assessed the colonization‐extirpation dynamics involved in community changes in response to climate inside and outside PAs. To do so, we used 25 years of occurrence data of nonbreeding waterbirds in the western Palearctic (97 species, 7071 sites, 39 countries, 1993–2017). We used a community temperature index (CTI) framework based on species thermal affinities to investigate species turnover induced by temperature increase. We determined whether thermal community adjustment was associated with colonization by warm‐dwelling species or extirpation of cold‐dwelling species by modeling change in standard deviation of the CTI (CTISD). Using linear mixed‐effects models, we investigated whether communities in PAs had lower climatic debt and different patterns of community change than communities outside PAs. For CTI and CTISD combined, communities inside PAs had more species, higher colonization, lower extirpation, and lower climatic debt (16%) than communities outside PAs. Thus, our results suggest that PAs facilitate 2 independent processes that shape community dynamics and maintain biodiversity. The community adjustment was, however, not sufficiently fast to keep pace with the large temperature increases in the central and northeastern western Palearctic. Our results underline the potential of combining CTI and CTISD metrics to improve understanding of the colonization‐extirpation patterns driven by climate warming.

Gender and Climate Action

It is well-known that men and women differ in their views regarding the severity of climate change, but do they also differ in their support for climate policy and in undertaking climate action? Previous evidence on this question is inconsistent, but unique survey data from the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency enable us to answer it in the affirmative. Swedish women worry more about climate change and perceive it to be a bigger threat than men do. Furthermore, women report a greater support than men for policies to mitigate climate change through political interventions, and also undertake more voluntary actions to achieve this goal. More generally, the results suggest that women and men differ in their willingness to alter behavior and support policy to help mitigate other large scale crises, such as global pandemics.

Different Worldviews as Impediments to Integrated Nature and Cultural Heritage Conservation Management: Experiences from Protected Areas in Northern Sweden

In the management of protected nature areas, arguments are being raised for increasingly integrated approaches. Despite an explicit ambition from the responsible managing governmental agencies, Swedish Environmental Protection Agency and Swedish National Heritage Board, attempts to initiate and increase the degree of integrated nature and cultural heritage conservation management in the Swedish mountains are failing. The delivery of environmental policy through the Swedish National Environmental Objective called Magnificent Mountains is dependent on increased collaboration between the state and local stakeholders. This study, using a group model building approach, maps out the system’s dynamic interactions between nature perceptions, values and the objectives of managing agencies and local stakeholders. It is identified that the dominance of a wilderness discourse influences both the objectives and management of the protected areas. This wilderness discourse functions as a barrier against including cultural heritage conservation aspects and local stakeholders in management, as wilderness-influenced objectives are defining protected areas as environments “untouched” by humans. A wilderness objective reduces the need for local knowledge and participation in environmental management. In reality, protected areas depend, to varying degrees, on the continuation of traditional land-use practices.

Connecting Air Pollution Exposure to Socioeconomic Status: A Cross-Sectional Study on Environmental Injustice among Pregnant Women in Scania, Sweden.

Environmental injustice, characterized by lower socioeconomic status (SES) persons being subjected to higher air pollution concentrations, was explored among pregnant women in Scania, Sweden. Understanding if the general reduction of air pollution recorded is enjoyed by all SES groups could illuminate existing inequalities and inform policy development. “Maternal Air Pollution in Southern Sweden”, an epidemiological database, contains data for 48,777 pregnancies in Scanian hospital catchment areas and includes births from 1999–2009. SES predictors considered included education level, household disposable income, and birth country. A Gaussian dispersion model was used to model women’s average NOX and PM2.5 exposure at home residence over the pregnancy period. Total concentrations were dichotomized into emission levels below/above respective Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Clean Air objectives. The data were analyzed using binary logistic regression. A sensitivity analysis facilitated the investigation of associations’ variation over time. Lower-SES women born outside Sweden were disproportionately exposed to higher pollutant concentrations. Odds of exposure to NOX above Swedish EPA objectives reduced over time, especially for low-SES persons. Environmental injustice exists in Scania, but it lessened with declining overall air pollution levels, implying that continued air quality improvement could help protect vulnerable populations and further reduce environmental inequalities.

Monitoring of Urbanization and Analysis of Environmental Impact in Stockholm with Sentinel-2A and SPOT-5 Multispectral Data

There has been substantial urban growth in Stockholm, Sweden, the fastest-growing capital in Europe. The intensifying urbanization poses challenges for environmental management and sustainable development. Using Sentinel-2 and SPOT-5 imagery, this research investigates the evolution of land-cover change in Stockholm County between 2005 and 2015, and evaluates urban growth impact on protected green areas, green infrastructure and urban ecosystem service provision. One scene of 2015 Sentinel-2A multispectral instrument (MSI) and 10 scenes of 2005 SPOT-5 high-resolution instruments (HRI) imagery over Stockholm County are classified into 10 land-cover categories using object-based image analysis and a support vector machine algorithm with spectral, textural and geometric features. Reaching accuracies of approximately 90%, the classifications are then analyzed to determine impact of urban growth in Stockholm between 2005 and 2015, including land-cover change statistics, landscape-level urban ecosystem service provision bundle changes and evaluation of regional and local impact on legislatively protected areas as well as ecologically significant green infrastructure networks. The results indicate that urban areas increased by 15%, while non-urban land cover decreased by 4%. In terms of ecosystem services, changes in proximity of forest and low-density built-up areas were the main cause of lowered provision of temperature regulation, air purification and noise reduction. There was a decadal ecosystem service loss of 4.6 million USD (2015 exchange rate). Urban areas within a 200 m buffer zone around the Swedish environmental protection agency’s nature reserves increased 16%, with examples of urban areas constructed along nature reserve boundaries. Urban expansion overlapped the deciduous ecological corridor network and green wedge/core areas to a small but increasing degree, often in close proximity to weak but important green links in the landscape. Given these findings, increased conservation/restoration focus on the region’s green weak links is recommended.

Physico-chemical characteristics of fine fraction materials from an old crystal glass dumpsite in Sweden

ABSTRACTPhysico-chemical characteristics of waste, particularly fine fraction (FF), from an old crystal glass waste dump in Sweden were studied to assess recycling or disposal alternatives. Hand-sorting of the waste indicated glass content of 44.1% while sieving established the FF as a more soil-like mix of glass and other materials constituting 33.3% of all excavated waste. The FF was around neutral pH with 24.4% moisture content, low values of Total Dissolved Solids, Dissolved Organic Carbon and fluorides, but hazardous concentrations of As, Cd, Pb and Zn according to the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency guidelines. While the FF leached metals in low concentrations at neutral pH, it leached considerably during digestion with nitric acid, implying leaching risks at low pH. Thus, the waste requires safe storage in hazardous waste class ‘bank account’ storage cells to avoid environmental contamination as metal recovery and other recycling strategies for the glass waste are being developed. The study could fill the information gap regarding preservation of potential resources in the on-going, fast-paced excavation and re-landfilling of heavy metal contaminated materials in the region.

Constructed wetlands as a treatment method for landfill leachate

On-site treatment of landfill leachate may soon be recommended by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency. Various methods and concepts are currently used or have been proposed to this end. This paper describes a treatment system for landfill leachate using a constructed wetland as a tool for; water volume reduction, leachate recycling, bioremoval of organics and nutrients, precipitation and adsorption of metals, gas production enhancement, gaseous emissions minimisation and as pre-treatment before a polishing step using other methods, for example, reverse osmosis. Assuming precipitation values corresponding to Southern Sweden a wetland covering 25 % of the drained area will reduce the annual leachate flow by 30%. If 80 % is covered by wetland all precipitation will be lost as evapotranspiration. A test plant has been established at the Swedish waste company ASSY:s landfill in Hedeskoga, both a constructed wetland and the reverse osmosis pilot plant, to test the effectiveness of these methods

Targeting the reduction of shipping emissions to air

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify and classify the various initiatives developed and implemented across the globe for the abatement of maritime air emissions. Design/methodology/approach In this paper, an extensive survey of various sources was conducted, including the official reports of international and regional institutions, government policy documents, port authority websites, classification society pages, private firms’ sites and the academic literature. The initiatives were then categorized in accordance with the classification of the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency and analyzed using the SPSS Statistics software to give some insight into their frequencies and the interrelationships between them. Findings This exploratory review resulted in the establishment of a comprehensive global database of initiatives encouraged by the whole range of shipping stakeholders and decision-makers for the reduction of shipping air emissions. According to the findings, economic incentives that provide motivation for the adoption of less environmentally damaging practices are the most commonly used initiative, followed by infrastructure investments and informative policies. Research limitations/implications The results provide implications for further research that include an in-depth analysis of ports’ policies, as well as an evaluation of initiatives applied on a large scale to map their emissions reduction potential for shipping. Originality/value The main contribution of this paper is the identification and analysis of all the diverse initiatives implemented globally in a comprehensive way and its dealing with air pollution from shipping as a whole.

Beach-cast as biofertiliser in the Baltic Sea region-potential limitations due to cadmium-content

Macroalgal mass blooms and accumulating beach-cast are increasing problems in many coastal areas. However, beach-cast is also a potentially valuable marine bioresource, e.g. as a biofertiliser in coastal agriculture. One limiting factor in use of beach-cast as a fertiliser is uncertainty regarding the cadmium (Cd) concentration depending on beach-cast composition and location. In this study, chemical analyses were performed on beach-cast from Burgsviken Bay off Gotland, in the Baltic Sea. The results revealed large variations in cadmium concentration depending on sampling location and beach-cast composition, with levels ranging between 0.13 and 2.2 mg Cd/kg dry matter (DM). Of 15 beach-cast samples analysed, one had a cadmium content above the Swedish statutory limit for sewage sludge biofertiliser (2 mg Cd/kg DM) and four had values above the limit suggested by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency for 2030 (0.8 mg/kg DM). Species-specific analysis revealed that eelgrass (Zostera marina) contained significantly higher cadmium concentrations than filamentous red algae species (Ceramium and Polysiphonia spp.). Avoiding eelgrass-rich beach-cast by seasonal timing of harvesting and monitoring differences in cadmium concentrations between harvesting sites could thus facilitate use of beach-cast as biofertiliser.

KANDUNGAN LOGAM BERAT TIMBAL (PB) DAN KADMIUM (CD) PADA SEDIMEN DI PERAIRAN SUNGAI PAKIL KABUPATEN BANGKA

This study aimed to analyze the content of Pb and Cd in sediments in the river Pakil, Bangka, analyze the content of TOC and texture characteristics of sediments and fine sediment menganallisis relationship with heavy metals, as well as analyze the relationship between TOC with heavy metals. The experiment was conducted in April in Pakil River. Sampling in this research field as muchthree stations and three repetitions. Results of measurement of heavy metals in sediment Pb with an average range of 3.96 to 12.26 mg / kg. The measurement results Cd heavy metal content in the sediment with average range &lt;.0004 to 0.53 mg / kg. Pb heavy metal content in the above mentioned stations have not passed the quality standard limits, for heavy metals Cd (Station 1) has passed the quality standard threshold based on the quality standards according to the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA, 2000).The results of the correlation between heavy metals Pb with Sediment Texture positive correlation with R ² value of 0.5021, the correlation between the heavy metals Cd in Sediment Texture positive correlation with R² value of 0.7154. Correlation between heavy metals Pb with TOC in sediments positive correlation with R ² value of 0.9764, the correlation between heavy metals Pb with TOC in sediments positive correlation with R² value of 0.9956.

Landscape Planning—Paving the Way for Effective Conservation of Forest Biodiversity and a Diverse Forestry?

Globally, intensive forestry has led to habitat degradation and fragmentation of the forest landscape. Taking Sweden as an example, this development is contradictory to international commitments, EU obligations, and to the fulfillment of the Parliament’s environmental quality objective “Living Forests”, which according to Naturvårdsverket (The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency) will not be achieved in 2020 as stipulated. One important reason for the implementation deficit is the fragmented forestry management. In a forest landscape, felling and other measures are conducted at different times on separate forest stands (often relatively small units) by different operators. Consequently, the authorities take case by case decisions on felling restrictions for conservation purposes. In contrast, conservation biology research indicates a need for a broad geographical and strategical approach in order to, in good time, select the most appropriate habitats for conservation and to provide for a functioning connectivity between different habitats. In line with the EU Commission, we argue that landscape forestry planning could be a useful instrument to achieve ecological functionality in a large area. Landscape planning may also contribute to the fulfilment of Sweden’s climate and energy policy, by indicating forest areas with insignificant conservation values, where intensive forestry may be performed for biomass production etc. Forest owners should be involved in the planning and would, under certain circumstances, be entitled to compensation. As state resources for providing compensation are scarce, an alternative could be to introduce a tax-fund system within the forestry sector. Such a system may open for voluntary agreements between forest owners for the protection of habitats within a large area.