Chlorine is one of the most abundant elements on the surface of the earth. A common view is that all chlorinated organic compounds are xenobiotic, that chlorine does not participate in biological processes and that it is present in the environment only as chloride (mostly known as ’salt‘, NaCl). Our research group has revealed that chlorine plays an active role in a complex biogeochemical cycle. There is extensive natural chlorination of organic material in different ecosystems and not least in our soils. This can have great importance for turnover of organic material in soil, risk assessment and handling of radioactive waste, but also how we view organochlorine compounds. We have seen both in lab and field studies that chlorination of organic material contributes to extending the time chlorine is in the soil (i.e. retention of chloride) and thus affects the view of chloride as conservative and its use as a tracer. It also turns out that the vegetation seems to have a substantial importance for how much chlorine accumulates in the ecosystems and turnover rate of chlorine in ecosystems.
For several years, I have worked with education with program development with student-centred and student-active pedagogy, and especially with education in environmental science. I am interested in how to work with progression in education, integrating theory and practice in courses and programs, problem-based learning (PBL), information literacy, skills and career competence, portfolio, interdisciplinary education and, but also quality assurance of higher education.
