Environmental Challenge — Substance Flows and Pollution

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Many of the chemicals that we often use are toxic to humans and ecosystems or cause environmental problems in other ways. Within this environmental challenge fits research on pollutants, on substances that affect ecosystems in other ways, and greenhouse gases from both natural habitats and society.

We focus on various chemicals that cause problems. Many of the chemicals that we often use every day are toxic to humans and ecosystems. Other substances, such as nutrients and greenhouse gases, are not exactly toxic but can cause major environmental problems in other ways.

Concerns about the large amount of substances that society disseminates and their impact on the environment requires better analytical methods and strengthened monitoring and control, as well as further knowledge about their flows and interaction with organisms. It is also vital to study substances’ natural cycles to understand and prevent environmental problems. Substance emissions are difficult to evaluate on a large scale and methodological development is therefore important.

We also study the biological, chemical and physical processes and cycles. Our research ranges from the molecular to the global scale, and aims to identify the mechanisms that drive biogeochemical cycles and their effects in time and space. We want to create new knowledge that can lead to effective measures.

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Research project

Water in a tap

Drinking Water Disinfection By-products

Disinfection of drinking water is necessary in order to reduce the risk of disease transmission, but instead it provides byproducts that can be toxic and carcinogenic. With new analytical methods, the production of such byproducts can be examined.

Small bottles in a lab environment

Environmental Challenge – Substance flows and pollution

Many of the chemicals that we use every day are toxic to humans. The concern for these chemicals’ increasing environmental impact requires strengthened monitoring. To  estimate emissions and greenhouse gas balance is another part of this challenge.

Klorets vägar

The behavior of radioactive chlorine in soils

Radioactive chlorine is part of the waste from nuclear power plants. It has a long half-life of 300 000 years, is highly mobile and bioavailable. In cooperation with e.g. French Nuclear Safety Authority, we examine the chlorine cycling in nature.

Researchers in the field