Non-toxic life cycles

The project will investigate factors that control the mobility of cadmium, lead, and mercury in various contaminated soils. Researchers will study the metals' availability for biological uptake and transport, examining how these processes depend on the chemical forms of the metals, soil conditions, and the chemistry of water interacting with the soil. Contaminated soils of different types will be collected, and the mobility of metals will be examined using both standardised and modified tests. The project will also study bacteria resistant to metals, as they can influence the chemical forms of metals and their bioavailability. The results will provide better conditions for interpreting data from standard leaching and exposure tests currently in use. The goal is to enhance risk assessment for contaminated land areas. Improved knowledge of risk assessment will allow authorities to focus costly remediation efforts on sites where they are most effective.

Project Leader: Sofi Jonsson, Stockholm University

Project Duration: 1 March 2024 – 28 February 2027

Funding: SEK 4,999,652

The overarching goal of the TRACED project is to develop a new, user-friendly source tracing method for dioxins at a local level. The method will be applied to explore, evaluate, and challenge the understanding of contemporary, active dioxin sources. Previous methodologies focused on tracing "source types" on a regional scale. However, knowledge is needed on a local level to make well-informed decisions about cost-effective and efficient risk management. Local-scale source tracing will be conducted in case studies at Vättern and the Bothnian Sea. Existing data and new data from field measurements within the project will be used to develop the methodology and investigate active primary and secondary dioxin sources. The results from TRACED will provide authorities with better conditions to address existing dioxin pollution sources. The methodology developed in the project will be made accessible for future studies to be conducted transparently and robustly.

Project Leader: Karin Wiberg, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

Project Duration: 1 March 2024 – 28 February 2027

Funding: SEK 4,999,942

The "Exposed?" project aims to increase knowledge about actual exposure from contaminated soil and develop methods to assess risks to human health. The project combines a human biological study of arsenic, lead, and cadmium with the development of models for health risk assessment of lead and arsenic in soil, as well as an operational framework for assessing oral bioavailability. Human exposure is studied regarding the contributions from soil, dust, water, and diet to blood or urine levels in a population living in a contaminated area (Falun). The project examines at which soil concentrations risk-reducing measures can significantly affect total metal exposure in humans. The goal is to develop specific models for lead and arsenic and to produce sets of operational and health-protective guidelines for different scenarios. Researchers also aim to establish best practices for site-specific assessment of oral bioavailability of metals in contaminated soils.

Project Leader: Charlotta Tiberg, Swedish Geotechnical Institute (SGI)

Project Duration: 1 March 2024 – 28 February 2027

Funding: SEK 4,835,094

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent, environmentally and health-hazardous substances with complex dispersion behaviours in the environment. This project aims to develop practically usable models to better understand the dispersion mechanisms of PFAS. Practical modelling tools are needed to comprehend how these pollutants behave over larger areas, predict PFAS dispersion from contaminated sites, and assess risks. Researchers will test existing models and further develop them to better account for transport processes that are particularly significant for PFAS, including retention processes at air-water interfaces, interaction/competition among different PFAS, and PFAS-specific sorption phenomena. The results will enable authorities and other stakeholders to enhance practical work in risk assessment and remediation strategies..

Project Leader: Fritjof Fagerlund, Uppsala University

Project Duration: 1 March 2024 – 28 February 2027

Funding: SEK 4,791,750

Millions of tonnes of residual products from waste incineration and construction and demolition activities are generated annually. Elevated levels of hazardous substances in these residual products pose risks to human health and the environment. This project seeks to develop tools to prevent increased exposure to hazardous substances in material cycles through targeted supervision and guidance. The study examines the mobility and bioavailability of lead, chromium, arsenic, cadmium, and copper in recycled residual products. A combination of methods is used to understand the stability and mobility of hazardous substances and the associated risks to human health and the environment. References include slag from the ferrochrome industry, natural rock material, and historical mining pollution in Falun municipality. The project aims to propose adjustments or revisions to existing risk assessment models and guidelines for residual products in construction and engineering works in consultation with authorities.

Project Leader: Martijn van Praagh, Lund University

Project Duration: 1 March 2024 – 28 February 2027

Funding: SEK 4,982,000

Sewage sludge, a by-product of wastewater treatment, is rich in nutrients and used as fertiliser. During wastewater treatment, many unwanted pollutants, including PFAS, end up in the sludge. This project investigates the fate of PFAS in agricultural land fertilised with sludge. The aim is to assess whether repeated sludge application leads to PFAS accumulation in the soil or if it becomes a diffuse source of pollution to surrounding environments and water bodies. Field trials are conducted in Uppsala, Skåne, and Lidköping, where sludge has been used as fertiliser for 25–67 years. Field investigations are complemented by laboratory experiments to measure environmental concentrations, mobility, and distribution of PFAS in sludge-fertilised soils. The project also examines the relationships between geochemical and microbial factors in the soil and the distribution and mobility of PFAS. The new knowledge generated will inform recommendations for the use of sludge as fertiliser.

Project Leader: Sahar Dalahmeh,  KTH Royal Institute of Technology

Project Duration: 1 March 2024 – 28 February 2027

Funding: SEK 4,999,995

The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental Research Fund supports efforts to achieve Sweden’s environmental objectives

Senior Research Officer: Kari Stange
kari.stange@naturvardsverket.se
+46-(0)10 698 1286

Senior Research Officer: Neda Farahbakhshazad
neda.farahba@naturvardsverket.se
+46-(0)10 698 1250

Analyst: Bengt Fjällborg
bengt.fjallborg@havochvatten.se
+46-(0)10 698 6060