As critical transition zones between the land and the sea, estuaries are not only hotspots of hydrogeochemical and microbial processes/reactions, but also play a vital role in processing and transferring terrestrial fluxes of metals and nutrients to the sea. This study focused on three estuaries in the Gulf of Bothnia. All of them experience frequent inputs of acidic and Mn/metal-rich creek waters due to flushing of acid sulfate soils that are widespread in the creekś catchments. Analyzing existing long-term water chemistry data revealed a strong seasonal variation of Mn loads, with the highest values in spring (after snow melt) and autumn (after heavy rains). We sampled surface waters, suspended particulate matter (SPM), and sediments from the estuarine mixing zones and determined the loads and solid-phase speciation of Mn as well as the composition and metabolic potentials of microbial communities. The results showed that the removal, cycling, and lateral transport of Mn were governed by similar phases and processes in the three estuaries. Manganese X-ray absorption spectroscopy data of the SPM suggested that the removal of Mn was regulated by silicates (e.g., biotite), organically complexed Mn(II), and MnOx (dominated by groutite and phyllomanganates). While the fractional amounts of silicate-bound Mn(II) were overall low and constant throughout the estuaries, MnOx was strongly correlated with the Mn loadings of the SPM and thus the main vector for the removal of Mn in the central and outer parts of the estuaries, along with organically complexed Mn(II). Down estuary, both the fractional amounts and average Mn oxidation state of the MnOx phases increased with (i) the total Mn loads on the SPM samples and (ii) the relative abundances of several potential Mn-oxidizing bacteria (Flavobacterium, Caulobacter, Mycobacterium, and Pedobacter) in the surface waters. These features collectively suggested that the oxidation of Mn, probably mediated by the potential Mn-oxidizing microorganisms, became more extensive and complete towards the central and outer parts of the estuaries. At two sites in the central parts of one estuary, abundant phyllomanganates occurred in the surface sediments, but were converted to surface-sorbed Mn(II) phases at deeper layers (>3–4 cm). The occurrence of phyllomanganates may have suppressed the reduction of sulfate in the surface sediments, pushing down the methane sulfate transition zone that is typically shallow in estuarine sediments. At the outermost site in the estuary, deposited MnOx were reduced immediately at the water–sediment interface and converted most likely to Mn carbonate. The mobile Mn species produced by the Mn reduction processes (e.g., aqueous Mn(II) and ligand complexed Mn(III)) could partly diffuse into the overlying waters and, together with the estuarine Mn loads carried by the surface waters, transfer large amounts of reactive Mn into open coastal areas and subsequently contribute to Mn shuttling and inter-linked biogeochemical processes over the seafloor. Given the widespread occurrence of acid sulfate soils and other sulfidic geological materials on many coastal plains worldwide, the identified Mn attenuation and transport mechanisms are relevant for many estuaries globally.

Coastal waters such as those found in the Baltic Sea already suffer from anthropogenic related problems including increased algal blooming and hypoxia while ongoing and future climate change will likely worsen these effects. Microbial communities in sediments play a crucial role in the marine energy- and nutrient cycling, and how they are affected by climate change and shape the environment in the future is of great interest. The aims of this study were to investigate potential effects of prolonged warming on microbial community composition and nutrient cycling including sulfate reduction in surface (similar to 0.5 cm) to deeper sediments (similar to 24 cm). To investigate this, 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing was performed, and sulfate concentrations were measured and compared between sediments in a heated bay (which has been used as a cooling water outlet from a nearby nuclear power plant for approximately 50 years) and a nearby but unaffected control bay. The results showed variation in overall microbial diversity according to sediment depth and higher sulfate flux in the heated bay compared to the control bay. A difference in vertical community structure reflected increased relative abundances of sulfur oxidizing- and sulfate reducing bacteria along with a higher proportion of archaea, such as Bathyarchaeota, in the heated compared to the control bay. This was particularly evident closer to the sediment surface, indicating a compression of geochemical zones in the heated bay. These results corroborate findings in previous studies and additionally point to an amplified effect of prolonged warming deeper in the sediment, which could result in elevated concentrations of toxic compounds and greenhouse gases closer to the sediment surface.

Global resource limits and increasing demand for non-fossil energy sources have expanded the research on alternative fuels. Among them, algal biomass is designated as a third-generation feedstock with promising opportunities and the capability to be utilized for energy production in the long term. The paper presents the potential for converting beach wrack containing macroalgal biomass into gaseous fuel as a sustainable option for energy production, simultaneously improving the organic waste management that the coastline is facing. Beach wrack collected in the northern Baltic Sea region was converted by gasification technology applicable for carbon-based feedstock thermal recovery, resulting in syngas production as the main product and by-product biochar. Proximate and ultimate analysis, trace and major element quantification, detection of calorific values for macroalgal biomass, and derived biochar and syngas analysis were carried out. A higher heating value for beach wrack was estimated to be relatively low, 5.38 MJ/kg as received (or 14.70 MJ/kg on dry basis), but produced syngas that contained enough high content of CH4 (42%). Due to macroalgal biomass specifics (e.g., high moisture content and sand admixture), an adjusted gasification process, i.e., the combination of thermochemical procedures, such as mild combustion and pyrolytic biomass conversion, might be a better choice for the greater economic value of biowaste valorization.

The deep biosphere is an energy constrained ecosystem yet fosters diverse microbial communities that are key in biogeochemical cycling. Whether microbial communities in deep biosphere groundwaters are shaped by infiltration of allochthonous surface microorganisms or the evolution of autochthonous species remains unresolved. In this study, 16S rRNA gene amplicon analyses showed that few groups of surface microbes infiltrated deep biosphere groundwaters at the Äspö Hard Rock Laboratory, Sweden, but that such populations constituted up to 49% of the microbial abundance. The dominant persisting phyla included Patescibacteria, Proteobacteria, and Epsilonbacteraeota. Despite the hydrological connection of the Baltic Sea with the studied groundwaters, infiltrating microbes predominantly originated from deep soil groundwater. Most deep biosphere groundwater populations lacked surface representatives, suggesting that they have evolved from ancient autochthonous populations. We propose that deep biosphere groundwater communities in the Fennoscandian Shield consist of selected infiltrated and indigenous populations adapted to the prevailing conditions.

Coastal marine ecosystems are some of the most diverse natural habitats while being highly vulnerable in the face of climate change. The combination of anthropogenic influence from land and ongoing climate change will likely have severe effects on the environment, but the precise response remains uncertain. This study compared an unaffected “control” Baltic Sea bay to a “heated” bay that has undergone artificial warming from cooling water release from a nuclear power plant for ~50 years. This heated the water in a similar degree to IPCC SSP5-8.5 predictions by 2100 as natural systems to study temperature-related climate change effects. Bottom water and surface sediment bacterial communities and their biogeochemical processes were investigated to test how future coastal water warming alters microbial communities; shifts seasonal patterns, such as increased algae blooming; and influences nutrient and energy cycling, including elevated respiration rates. 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and geochemical parameters demonstrated that heated bay bottom water bacterial communities were influenced by increased average temperatures across changing seasons, resulting in an overall Shannon's H diversity loss and shifts in relative abundances. In contrast, Shannon's diversity increased in the heated surface sediments. The results also suggested a trend toward smaller-sized microorganisms within the heated bay bottom waters, with a 30% increased relative abundance of small size picocyanobacteria in the summer (June). Furthermore, bacterial communities in the heated bay surface sediment displayed little seasonal variability but did show potential changes of long-term increased average temperature in the interplay with related effects on bottom waters. Finally, heated bay metabolic gene predictions from the 16S rRNA gene sequences suggested raised anaerobic processes closer to the sediment-water interface. In conclusion, climate change will likely alter microbial seasonality and diversity, leading to prolonged and increased algae blooming and elevated respiration rates within coastal waters.

Objectives

This article introduces a practical, economic instrument based on the Naturally Optimised Revenue Demand in Communities, the NORDIC model, to improve the management of beach wrack. Tourism is an important sector in a country’s or region’s economy, as it generates employment and business opportunities. Verifiably, sandy shorelines have served as areas for amusement and as attractions upon which tourism advancement has been based. The accumulations of beach wrack result in a significant decrease in the recreational value of a coastal area. The decomposition of beach wrack emits an unpleasant odor, as it releases essential nitrate, phosphate and hydrogen sulfide (H2S). In this investigation, we provide coastal communities with a powerful tool to address the harmful damage inflicted on their beaches, by marine biomass mounds.

Methods

We adapted the NORDIC model and used a case study to illustrate how the adapted NORDIC model could alleviate the municipalities’ burden, caused by beach wrack.

Results

The application of a versatile tool, the NORDIC model, by various managers in manage and promote a sustainable use of beach wrack would boost the tourism industry in coastal areas.

Conclusions

We recommend the application of the NORDIC model to beach wrack management in general, and in particular to the tourism sector, to enhance the economic value of attractive shores. Future research should focus on developing additional algorithms for valuation of specific kinds of beach wrack.

Vanadium - a transition metal - is found in the ferrous-ferric mineral, magnetite. Vanadium has many industrial applications, such as in the production of high-strength low-alloy steels, and its increasing global industrial consumption requires new primary sources. Bioleaching is a biotechnological process for microbially catalyzed dissolution of minerals and wastes for metal recovery such as biogenic organic acid dissolution of bauxite residues. In this study, 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing was used to identify microorganisms in Nordic mining environments influenced by vanadium containing sources. These data identified gene sequences that aligned to the Gluconobacter genus that produce gluconic acid. Several strategies for magnetite dissolution were tested including oxidative and reductive bioleaching by acidophilic microbes along with dissimilatory reduction by Shewanella spp. that did not yield significant metal release. In addition, abiotic dissolution of the magnetite was tested with gluconic and oxalic acids, and yielded 3.99 and 81.31% iron release as a proxy for vanadium release, respectively. As a proof of principle, leaching via gluconic acid production by Gluconobacter oxydans resulted in a maximum yield of 9.8% of the available iron and 3.3% of the vanadium. Addition of an increased concentration of glucose as electron donor for gluconic acid production alone, or in combination with calcium carbonate to buffer the pH, increased the rate of iron dissolution and final vanadium recoveries. These data suggest a strategy of biogenic organic acid mediated vanadium recovery from magnetite and point the way to testing additional microbial species to optimize the recovery.

The project Baltic Phytoremediation (BAPR), an implementing project of the Interreg South programme, aims to raise cross-border awareness about the availability of green phytoremediation technologies to remove environmental pollutants from soil or water, such as oil, industry-related contaminants, hazardous substances, heavy and toxic metals, nutrients and microplastics, through new arenas of cooperation that focus on circular economy approach. Contamination of land and soil increases and is a serious concern around the Baltic Sea region but further worldwide. The most common remedial technologies for related to the clean-up of soil is excavation, removal and disposal to a contained landfill. Therefore, heavily contaminated soils in landfills, can in some instances, mixing with another disposal of hazardous materials. In the Kalmar, a region of south-eastern Sweden, on the Baltic Sea, the glass waste dumps are removed in such old fashion way with no contribution towards the Circular Economy. The best available remediation strategy is soil washing strategy, an ex-situ technology with a chemical additive application to remove contaminants from the soil and wastewater. Recently, many studies have been carried out encouragingly the phytoremediation processes in different plant species. For instances, food crops, sunflower and Indian mustard are considered as the best plants for phytoremediation, as they have a role in phytoextraction of heavy metals. Phytoremediation research has gained the interest of the scientific society and governments over the last two decades, leading to the development of urban greening and ecology national parks. Orrefors park is one of the largest innovative urban site parks in Sweden with ecologically, socially and economically sustainable way with phytoremediation. The present project aims to explore the combination of phytoextraction with biomass generation and commercial utilization as an energy source, using the ash (bio-ore) that increase energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. The project includes pilot cases using innovative plant-based phytoremediation methods that cleaning of the contaminated soil.

The CONTRA- Baltic Beach Wrack- Conversion of Nuisance to a Resource and Asset project aims to transform Beach Wrack into a Resource. In collaboration with CONTRA project, the Environmental Science and Engineering Group (ESEG) aims to demonstrate the technological and economic feasibility of using beach wrack raw materials for energy production and bio-based compost as practical approaches towards the circular economy. In the present study, the purpose is to concentrate the nutrients from four different biological materials (beach wrack, sawdust or wood chips, degraded sediments and Coffee powder), through the composting process.

The Agriculture is the main source of ammonia emissions. It generates around 75% of global emissions of ammonia to the atmosphere and soil fertilisation accounts for half of agricultural emissions. Ammonia emissions have a negative impact on ecosystems and human health, as it is able to accumulate both as solid particles and as an integral part of acid cases. Measures to reduce ammonia emissions can be divided into three large groups: the first group is ammonia-reducing measures in animal housing, the second group is ammonia-reducing measures during manure storage, and the third group is ammonia-reducing measures during the application of manure. Measurements of ammonia emissions were carried out in the parish of Jaunberze, which took place on 30 April and 1 May 2018. Sulphuric acid was used for acidification of pig slurry digestate. Picarro G2508 was used for on field measurement of ammonia concentrations with 1 second interval, a measurement time of one session was 400 seconds. The volume of the chamber was 60 l and was connected to the Picarro G2508 using a 10 m long Teflon tube. The measurement of ammonia emissions was with three repetitions for each measurement, with a reference error of less than 5%. Emissions were measured at different time intervals: immediately after digestate distribution, 2 hours, 4 hours and the 24 hours after digestate application. The emission of ammonia from digestate without vegetation after 24 hours was 13 kg ha-1, for acidified digestate without vegetation 8.5 kg ha -1, while the acidified digestate with vegetation within 24 hours reached 2.5 kg of ha -1 ammonia emissions, five times lower than that of non-vegetation.