Analytical analyses conducted at the Himmerfjärden WWTP (285.000 PE connected) identified 70 pharmaceutical compounds belonging to different therapeutic classes. Such organic micropollutants at low detected concentration range of µg - ng l-1 did not affect the treatment processes at WWTP. Results from analytical studies indicated continuous discharge of organic micropollutants to the surface water with a calculated load amounting to 1.51 kg day-1. Metoprolol, carbamazepine and naproxen were chosen for testing different removal methods. Oxygen Uptake Rate (OUR) tests were conducted to assess the bacterial activity of an activated sludge taken from a full scale aeration plant with the presence of selected target compounds. A semi-technical scale membrane bioreactor ZeeWeed10™, treating final effluent from the Himmerfjärden WWTP (Sweden) was seeded with activated sludge from full scale biological stage. The membrane bioreactor (MBR) system placed after the final treatment appeared to be an insufficient technology for removal of residual amounts of organic micropollutants from WWTP effluents. Batch test studies with activated sludge taken from the membrane bioreactor and with application of granular activated carbon (GAC) filtration resulted in giving an overall assessment of removal efficiency. Metoprolol and carbamazepine tend to be resistant to the biodegradation process and in the dosed high concentration lead to bacterial cell decomposition in the activated sludge. Apparently, removal efficiency for naproxen exceeded the value of 46% with the spiked initial amount of 3.3 mg NAP g-1 MLSS. Application of the GAC filtration proved to be an efficient technique for removal of pharmaceutical compounds from treated wastewater. Application of the statistical programme Modde7 was a time saving tool in studies of fouling occurrence. The effect of fouling phenomenon, which is a highly limiting factor for MBR performance, was minimised by adjusting the operational parameters as predicted by the Modde7 programme. / QC 20101104

Many nations in Sub-Saharan Africa, supported by donors, have increased efforts in their rural water supply programmes within the last few decades. However, these programmes suffer from a range of challenges and problems and, according to recent figures, over half of rural inhabitants in Sub-Saharan Africa lack access to safe water supplies. In order to improve the delivery of rural water services, effective monitoring and evaluation can provide support. Uganda has recently been recognised for improving its national programme for rural water supply. Furthermore, the country has also introduced programme monitoring and evaluation. However, these undertakings have not been unproblematic. Based on interviews and a document review, this study identifies challenges and difficulties that Uganda has encountered in developing both rural water supply and the corresponding monitoring and evaluation framework. From an analysis of the results, it is apparent that both the rural water supply programme and the monitoring and evaluation frame-work are constrained by political and institutional factors at district level. As a way forward, it is suggested that the roles and responsibilities currently accorded to district politicians are re-thought. Capacity-building efforts should be expanded, and should encompass other district actors such as politicians and extension workers. Monitoring and evaluation of the rural water supply programme could be improved by strengthening its relevance at district level. While further capacity-building efforts may promote its relevance, monitoring and evaluation could also be developed together with district actors in order to better support district decision-making processes. Such actions could help in overcoming current difficulties, and could lead to better information management in support of the rural water supply programme. / <p>QC 20101124</p>

Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras, has experienced an unsatisfied water demand during the last three decades. The state owned water utility in charge of the water supply of the country, SANAA, has faced this deficit by providing an intermittent water supply. The intermittent water supply has increased the gap between the rich and the poor, who cannot afford water storage facilities. Theories explain water scarcity either by low precipitation or by lack of investment in water structures. This thesis investigates the applicability of both explanations by quantifying the annual precipitation in the sub catchments with water supply potential for Tegucigalpa, and identifying the problems which caused the lack of investment into the water infrastructure. The analysis concluded that even if the annual precipitation is abundant, it is not evenly distributed in time and in space. Furthermore, it is argued that the financial limitations which hindered the lack of investment in water structures originated in the low tariffs imposed, and to the practices of the patronage system. / QC 20111207

Household air pollution annually kills around 14 300 people in Kenya, due to the hazardous smoke of incomplete combustion coming from inefficient stoves. Exposure to this smokeleads to lethal health issues for the women and children staying in these kitchens, but the smoke also leads to a contribution to global warming. Which makes it important finding are placement for the inefficient traditional cooking methods. This report presents results from a field work situated in Kibugu, Embu in central Kenya. It includes testing of three stoves, the traditional Three stone open fire and two biochar producing stoves, the previously tested stove Gastov made by KIRDI and the MiG|BioCooker made by Make It Green Solutions AB. The data was collected using participatory cooking tests where five households got to cook the traditional meal Ugali with Sukuma wiki and Githeri (maize and beans). Firewood consumption, emissions of CO and PM, user experience and char production were measured during the test, to be able to compare the stoves. The results indicate that the MiG|BioCooker can decrease the emissions of PM2.5 and CO in the kitchens and produce biochar. But on the other hand, cooking with three stone open fire more effective in terms of cooking time. Even though the MiG|BioCooker could improve the conditions of the household’s indoor air, the users seems to prioritize the practical characteristics of the three stone open fire that gives them more time and making it easier to cook. But with some modifications and by further use of the MiG|BioCooker, it might be apossible substitute to the three stone open fire in the future.

In this study, five real-life problem situations were used to explore the challenges of developing and implementing decision support tools for management of an urban water utility in Uganda. The study sought to explore how the degree of adoption of formal decision support tools in practice, generally perceived to be low, could be improved. In the study, an Action Research (AR) approach was used. AR is an inquiry process that involves partnership between researchers and practitioners for the purpose of addressing a real-life problem issue, while simultaneously gener-ating scientific knowledge. Unlike other research methods where the researcher seeks to study organizational phenomena but not to change them, the action researcher attempts to create or-ganizational change and simultaneously to study the process. It is recognized that AR methods provide a potential avenue to improve the practical relevance of Information Systems (IS) re-search. The five cases that were considered in the study involved participatory problem structuring to address water distribution bottlenecks; identification of Non-Revenue Water (NRW) reduction strategies; facilitation of decentralized management of customer accounts; monitoring and con-trol of procurements and expenditure; and geospatial investigation of declining water sales. Dur-ing the study, participation in problem identification was achieved through discussions and brain-storming sessions bringing together top and middle managers within the organization. A number of prototype decision support tools were developed and implemented. Maps and other geovisu-alization tools were also used to inform and enhance the processes of collective problem identifi-cation and structuring. Results of the study emphasized the need for proper problem structuring prior to the formula-tion of actions; the challenge of moving from planning to action; the importance of user in-volvement in the development of tools; and the need to manage IS implementation as part of a holistic, organization-wide change process. The challenges of embedding formal decision support within existing work systems in organizations were highlighted, and recommendations were made on how best to achieve this. The AR approach was found to be useful in bridging the gap be-tween academic research and technological practice, thus supporting the development of IS with immediate and practical benefits to organizations. / QC 20101115

The accumulation of microplastics (MPs) are a growing concern for the environment, the maximum contributor to the MP pollution is tyre wear particles or TWPs. TWPs can accumulate in the environment and remain there for long periods of time and hence have the ability to disrupt ecosystems. With nearly 6,000,000 tons of TWPs being emitted each year globally there is a need to study theiroccurrence and fate in terms of why and how these particles get created and where they end up in the environment. The occurrence and fate of tyre wear particles (TWPs) were investigated, and a model was created in Python to simulate the flow of TWPs in a stormwater system at a test site on Highway E18 in Sweden. In the literature review it was found that the generation of TWPs is highly dependent on annual average daily traffic and the type of the road; it is also dependent on the driving behaviour such as acceleration, making unnecessary turns and the use of studded tyres in the winter. The TWPs are generally transported via stormwater but wind also plays a crucial role in transporting TWPs which are of a smaller size than 10 µm. Although the common notion is that the TWPs get washed into rivers,the literature review also suggests that most TWPs get trapped in soil that is covered with vegetation. Three processes were simulated in the developed model, namely transport, hetero-aggregation and settling. The results clearly show that a rainfall with an intensity of 40 mm during 15 min providesminimum settling in the stormwater system, and a 10 mm rainfall with a duration of more than 30 hasmaximum settling. Hetero-aggregation and settling is directly dependent on particle size and hence larger particle sizes have a higher probability of attaching to another particle or to settle in the pipes or wells of the stormwater system. It was also observed that the flow patterns such as depth, discharge and velocity of flow largely affect the settling and hetero-aggregation in the stormwater system. Most particles remain unaffected in short duration and high intensity rainfalls; the opposite is true for the longer duration and lower intensity rainfalls. Using the model, a stormwater system can be designed to trap or to flush out TWPs from the system. Also, the concentration of TWPs in the sinks can be known using the model that is created in this study

Arbetet syftar till att analysera retentionseffekterna av anlagda våtmarker i anslutning till jordbruk i Sverige. För att uppnå detta har följande tre frågeställningar besvarats; Vad är retentions-effekten av anlagda våtmarker i anslutning till jordbruket? Vilka är de styrande faktorerna för de effektiva våtmarkerna med avseende på näringsretention? Hur många fler våtmarker behöver anläggas för att sjöar och vattendrag ska uppnå god status med avseende på jordbrukets näringsutsläpp? Frågeställningarna har besvarats med hjälp av en litteraturstudie, datainsamling, beräkningar och en modellanalys. Insamlingen av data gjordes för 44 våtmarker angående näringsretention samt ett antal parametrar som ansågs betydelsefulla för retentionen. Effektiviteten av de anlagda våtmarkerna beräknades utifrån en genomsnittlig retentionskvot, genomsnittlig procentuell retention samt utifrån 10 %, 15 %, 85 % och 90 % percentilerna framtagna genom en normalfördelning av de procentuella retentionerna. Detta resulterade i en retentionseffekt från 7,1 % till 33 % för kväve och från 31 % till 57 % för fosfor. De styrande faktorerna för retention är främst näringsbelastning och uppehållstid. Dessa styrs i sin tur av flera andra faktorer som utformning, hydrauliska förhållanden och tillrinningsområdets utformning. Beräkningen av hur många fler våtmarker som behöver anläggas gjorde baserat på målet att minska fosforutsläppet till sjöar och vattendrag med 670 ton/år. Detta gjordes utifrån de retentionseffekter som beräknades i frågeställning 1 samt utifrån två scenarion där jordbruket hade 100 % respektive 45,8 % av ansvaret, vilket resulterade i ökningar av antalet våtmarker mellan 1 813 och 37 757 stycken. Slutsatsen som kan dras av detta är att retentionen skiljer sig betydligt från våtmark till våtmark och vidare fastställning av vad som gör en våtmark effektiv bör göras. / The thesis aims to analyze the retention effects of constructed wetlands connected to agricultural land in Sweden. To achieve this, the following questions have been answered; What is the retention effects of constructed wetlands in connection to agriculture? What are the governing factors for the efficient wetlands regarding nutrition retention? How many more wetlands are needed for lakes and watercourses to achieve a good status regarding agricultural nutrient emissions? The questions have been answered through a literature study, collection of data, calculations, and an analysis of models. Collection of data from 44 wetlands was done regarding nutrient retention and several parameters that were considered significant. The efficiency of the wetlands was calculated based on an average retention ratio, an average percentage retention and based on the 10 %, 15 %, 85 % and 90 % percentiles from a normal distribution of the percentage retentions. This resulted in efficiencies from 7.1 % to 33 % for nitrogen and 31 % to 57 % for phosphorous. The governing factors for retention are mainly the nutrition load and the residence time of the water. These are in turn governed by several other factors such as geometrical factors of the wetland, hydraulic conditions, and properties of the catchment area. The calculation of how many more wetlands that need to be constructed was based on the goal of reducing phosphorous emissions to lakes and watercourses by 670 tones/year. This was done based on the efficiencies calculated to answer question 1 as well as two scenarios where agriculture land had 100 % respectively 45.8 % of the responsibility, which resulted in increases of the number of wetlands from 1,813 to 37,757. In conclusion, retention differs significantly from wetland to wetland and further determination of what makes a wetland efficient should be done.

Floods is a serious concern across Europe due to the enormous material damage and death toll. Of alltypes of floods, flash floods and large-scale river floods have become major natural hydrological hazardsin most countries. The city of Halmstad was chosen due to its placement on the southern west coast ofSweden, a region for which climate projections have indicated more precipitation and potential forflooding. In recent years a number of floods have also been observed with associated damages. Usingextreme value analysis on observed data these events can be interpreted in terms of return level valuesand their frequency of occurrence. The seasonal variation of the precipitation and discharge of thecatchment were analyzed based on 43-year precipitation and 25-year discharge observation data and therelationship to NAO index was investigated to give a preliminary overview of the hydrologicalconditions in Halmstad and its causes. The results showed that Halmstad was seasonally characterizedby high discharge in winter and lower discharge in summer with the highest rainfall. The effect of stormtracks represented by the NAO index on the precipitation and discharge in winter months was evident.This study focused on the analysis of extreme data of precipitation and discharge. The return levels forup to 50-year return period were estimated by GEV fitting. The estimated return level of discharge fora 50-year return period is 250 m³/s, and the return levels of precipitation for a 50-year flood was foundto be 68 mm/day. Two cases were selected from a compiled annual maxima discharge data set foranalyzing and comparing their weather conditions based on ERA5 data. The results showed that differentweather conditions do have an impact on the total rainfall, and there were similar patterns but largedifferences between ERA5 reanalysis data and observed SMHI data was also shown emphasizing theneed for long-term observational data sets and further evaluation of reanalysis data.

Spillvattenvåtmarker är vattenmiljöer skapade i syfte att avskilja näringsämnen ur spillvatten från avloppsreningsverk med hjälp av naturliga nedbrytningsprocesser. Anläggningarna bidrar till att minska belastningen av näringsämnen och föroreningar till våra sjöar och hav samtidigt som de skapar mervärden som ökad biologisk mångfald. Fåglar vistas gärna i och omkring näringsrika spillvattenvåtmarker till följd av den goda födotillgången samt att det råder en brist på våtmarksmiljöer i Sverige. Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka hur kombinerade fågel- och spillvattenvåtmarker bör utformas och skötas för att uppnå bästa möjliga avskiljning av näringsämnen samtidigt som livsmiljöer för våtmarksfåglar skapas och upprätthålls. Genom att studera litteratur och rapporter om hur respektive våtmarkstyp utformas och sköts på bästa sätt för sitt specifika ändamål kunde en checklista över utformningar som gynnar båda syftena tas fram. Vidare applicerades denna checklista på ett utformningsförslag av en kombinerad fågel-och spillvattenvåtmark i syfte att utvärdera listans potential. Utformningar som stränder med låg släntlutning, öar och öppna vattenpartier står inte i konflikt med de reningsprocesser som krävs för en god avskiljning av näringsämnen.Däremot bidrar denna studie inte med några bevis för att reningseffekten inte påverkas av att spillvattenvåtmarker utformas för att gynna fåglar. Vidare utgör checklistan en övergripande guide för implementering av utformningar och skötsel som främjar fågellivet. Bedömningen av ett utformningsförslag med hjälp av checklistan visade att skötsel spelar en avgörande roll för en lyckad fågel- och spillvattenvåtmark. Slutsatsen av studien är att det finns stora möjligheter att kombinera spillvattenrening med lämpliga miljöer för våtmarksfåglar i en spillvattenvåtmark. / Treatment wetlands are water features created with the purpose of removing nutrients from wastewater treatment effluent by natural processes. These wetlands help to reduce the amount of nutrients and pollution being released into our lakes and seas. At thesame time as they contribute to increased biodiversity. Birds congregate in and around nutrient rich treatment wetlands due to the abundance of food and general lack of wetland habitats in Sweden. The purpose of this study was to evaluate how combined bird and treatment wetlands should be constructed and maintained in order to achieve the best possible retention of nutrients and concurrently provide valuable habitats for wetland birds. By studying literature and reports, regarding how the two specific wetland types are most appropriately shaped and maintained, a checklist of features that support both purposes could be presented. Furthermore, this checklist was applied to an existing proposal of a combined bird and treatment wetland to evaluate the checklists applicability. Constructions such as banks with low slope gradient, islands and areas of open water are not considered to cause a conflict with the processes required for effective nutrient retention. However, this study does not bring data to conclude that the overall nutrient retention is not affected by changes made to improve the wetland for birds. The checklist provides a general guide concerning what structures and maintenance routines support a variety of birds in a treatment wetland. By evaluating the proposed bird and treatment wetland using the checklist the results showed that management of vegetation structures plays an important role in creating a successful bird and treatment wetland. In conclusion, the possibilities of creating treatment wetlands that support nutrient retention and a rich and diverse birdlife simultaneously are plentiful.

In this project, the flow field characteristics of the simplified 2D rectangular primary sedimentation tank in Syvab wastewater treatment plant were achieved by a transient water-air two phases finite-volume method, applying Volume-Of-Fluid (VOF) model. RNG k-ε turbulence model was also employed to calculate the turbulent kinetic energy and its dissipation rate. The undesired hydraulic phenomenon for solid sedimentation was detected in original tank. To reduce the velocity and turbulence intensity of the influent, two categories of optimization methods were proposed, which are installing the baffle and changing the velocity inlet. The modifying effects of different methods were compared by the velocity profiles and the contours of kinetic energy. It turns out that both ways provide a preferred condition for particle settling. In the end, further research was forecasted and the work direction were given. / I detta projekt uppnåddes 2D modellering av avloppsflödesfältets karaktär hos en förenklade och rektangulär primära sedimenteringsbassäng, Syvab avloppsreningsverk, genom en transient-tvåfas-finita-volymmetoden med vatten och luft, som tillämpades med Volume-Of-Fluid (VOF) modellen. RNG k-ε turbulensmodellen användes även för att beräkna den kinetiska energin av turbulas och dess dissipationshastighet. Detta för att oönskade hydrauliska fenomen har uppmärksammats hos sedimenteringsbassängen hos avloppsreningsverket. För att minska flödeshastigheten och turbulens föreslås två optimeringsmetoder, vilket är att installera skärm och att ändra inloppets hastighet. Eeffekterna av de olika metoderna jämförs med hjälp av hastighets- och kinetisk energiprofiler. Det visar sig att båda metoderna kan ge gynsammare tillstånd för sedimentering av partikelar. Som avslutning ges prognos för den fortsatta forskningen och arbetsriktningen inom ämnet.