In Noord-Holland zijn zeer gevaarlijke en verboden stoffen aangetroffen in het water. Het gaat om het onkruidbestrijdingsmiddel dinoterb en de insecticide fenchloorfos. Op de vergadering van het... Show moreIn Noord-Holland zijn zeer gevaarlijke en verboden stoffen aangetroffen in het water. Het gaat om het onkruidbestrijdingsmiddel dinoterb en de insecticide fenchloorfos. Op de vergadering van het waterschap spraken heel veel geschrokken burgers hun zorgen uit. Over gif in de regenton, of ze nog wel kunnen zwemmen in openbaar water en of het drinkwater wel veilig is. Een verslag van de insprekers Een verslag van de insprekers, de eerste reactie van de GGD Hollands Noorden en de visie van ecotoxicoloog Martina Vijver. Show less
Environmental contextDecades of research tried to understand the inherent complexity of biodegradation of contaminants. We describe calculus of biodegradation driven by bioavailability, redox,... Show moreEnvironmental contextDecades of research tried to understand the inherent complexity of biodegradation of contaminants. We describe calculus of biodegradation driven by bioavailability, redox, geometry and acclimation (adaptation) of microbiota. We tested predictions for thousands of contaminants across wastewater treatment plants, explaining up to 70% of the variance in observations. This competes with more intensive methods, and enables more efficient monitoring, experimentation and data interpretation.RationaleRelease of harmful contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in the environment prompts possible adverse toxicological effects. Increasing population, water use and process wastewater generation require more efficient removal of contaminants that allows for effluent discharge within environmental regulatory limits. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) can remove hazardous contaminants, limiting unwanted release. Fine-tuning WWTP settings to fit the location, time, season, wastewater type, etc. may enhance removals to reduce CEC concentrations and toxic pressures.MethodologyFor this purpose, we need robust tools to calculate removal efficiencies. We studied influences of operational settings and CEC properties on their removal in WWTPs. For this purpose, we parameterised thermochemical properties of CECs: for their (1) speciation and acidification, (2) (re/im)mobilisation due to (de)sorption into solid/water, (3) redox-mediated biotransformation and (4) acclimation of biomass so to utilise metabolic pathways for biotransformation. By combining these parameters, we developed an energy-based framework for calculating biotransformation rates.ResultsWe evaluated our calculus using removal efficiency (%) data for 373 measurements of 60 CECs in 14 different Dutch WWTPs and an additional 667 CECs in 49 WWTPs across the world. Our prediction precision, R2 ≈ 0.65 (P < 10−5), captures influences of wastewater characteristics (multiple measurements for each WWTP). It is higher than R2-values of modelling approaches currently available. Our model explains CEC removal with appreciative certainty. We identified outliers during evaluation. These outliers were attributed mostly to back-transformation and uncertainty in long-term background concentrations of contaminants, causing consequent acclimation of microbial consortia.DiscussionBiodegradability and CEC-degrading biomass can be estimated from concentration and environmental residence time. Our framework and underlying parametrisations have a mechanistic basis, utilising simple WWTP operational information (CEC concentration, temperature, suspended solids concentration, oxygen demand, etc.). Thereby, our work has wide potential for implementation. Our approach can supplement current fate assessment for CECs for improved environmental risk assessments. We conclude by discussing the potential for removal enhancement. Show less
High-tech industries power the modern digital world, but their supply chains are particularly vulnerable to geopolitical and economic disruption. Urgent action is needed to improve supply-chain... Show moreHigh-tech industries power the modern digital world, but their supply chains are particularly vulnerable to geopolitical and economic disruption. Urgent action is needed to improve supply-chain resilience. Show less
Morpurgo, J.; Helmrich, A.; Voets, D.; Alphen, C. van; Schuurkamp, J. 2023
Urban green infrastructure has the ability to make cities more sustainable. However, the exact implementation of green infrastructure and the choices that must be made during implementation are... Show moreUrban green infrastructure has the ability to make cities more sustainable. However, the exact implementation of green infrastructure and the choices that must be made during implementation are still topics for discussion. Recently, the Consolidated Urban Green Infrastructure Classification (CUGIC) was published as a tool to help policymakers, practitioners and researchers assess the state of their urban green infrastructure relevant to urban biodiversity, human well-being, and ecosystem services. In this podcast, Joeri Morpurgo (Leiden University), Dirk Voets (Head remote sensing, Cobra-Groeninzicht), Ciska van Alphen (Policy officer, Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality), and Jacco Schuurkamp (Senior policy officer, Municipality The Hague) discuss the challenges and opportunities for implementing green infrastructure and how CUGIC helps! Show less
Automated workflow to generate a tailored set of keywords and index academic articles. Designed to be used in combination with reference editors, and markdown-based personal knowledge management... Show moreAutomated workflow to generate a tailored set of keywords and index academic articles. Designed to be used in combination with reference editors, and markdown-based personal knowledge management systems like obsidian and notion. Show less
Kan rijst een alternatief zijn voor gras in het Nederlandse veenweide-gebied?In Oude Ade bij Leiden is een test-veld aangeplant, door onderzoekers van de universiteiten Leiden en Wageningen.Ze... Show moreKan rijst een alternatief zijn voor gras in het Nederlandse veenweide-gebied?In Oude Ade bij Leiden is een test-veld aangeplant, door onderzoekers van de universiteiten Leiden en Wageningen.Ze willen kijken of rijst een duurzaam alternatief zou kunnen zijn voor melkveehouders. Want met de teelt van rijst -die onder water staat - zouden bodemdaling en Co2 uitstoot kunnen worden beperkt. De rijst is geplant in een polder van Land van Ons, een burgercoöperatie die biodiversiteit op landbouwgrond wil herstellen. Mattijs van de Wiel was erbij voor Nieuws en Co. Show less
Wetenschappers van de universiteiten van Wageningen en Leiden willen weten of het verbouwen van rijst een duurzaam alternatief is voor bijvoorbeeld veehouderij. In een weiland bij Oud Ade, vlak bij... Show moreWetenschappers van de universiteiten van Wageningen en Leiden willen weten of het verbouwen van rijst een duurzaam alternatief is voor bijvoorbeeld veehouderij. In een weiland bij Oud Ade, vlak bij Leiden, proberen ze daarom risottorijst te laten groeien. Show less
Not a territory escapes contamination. Microplastics have infiltrated agricultural soils and therefore potentially what we eat. Recently, in the Netherlands, researchers are studying the extent of... Show moreNot a territory escapes contamination. Microplastics have infiltrated agricultural soils and therefore potentially what we eat. Recently, in the Netherlands, researchers are studying the extent of the phenomenon. And for now, they have more questions than answers. Show less
An Arduino-based data-logger for meteorological data including: air pressure/altitude, gas, humidity, temperature, wind direction, wind speed. Data is collected with a specified interval, starting... Show moreAn Arduino-based data-logger for meteorological data including: air pressure/altitude, gas, humidity, temperature, wind direction, wind speed. Data is collected with a specified interval, starting from the moment the device is powered and saving the measurements to a csv file on a SD card. Show less
This book uses text and photographs to highlight a transdisciplinary research project (2018-2022) about artisanal and small-scale gold mining that involved transdisciplinary collaboration between... Show moreThis book uses text and photographs to highlight a transdisciplinary research project (2018-2022) about artisanal and small-scale gold mining that involved transdisciplinary collaboration between academics, artists, and gold miners. With the title Exploring Transformations to Sustainability in Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Mining: Trans-regional and Multi-Actor Perspectives, or Gold Matters for short, the project examined whether and how societal transformations towards sustainable mining futures are possible in artisanal and small-scale gold mining. It brought together a multi-national team to conduct research in Brazil, Suriname, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Guinea Conakry, and Uganda. Show less
Ligtvoet, W.; Bouwman, A.; Bakkenes, M.; Beusen, A.; van Bemmel, B.; de Blois, F.; ... ; Righart, A. 2023
The rare earth magnet market experiences serious turmoil: prices fluctuate heavily while the demand is growing exponentially driven by wind turbines and electric vehicles. Recycling helps to reduce... Show moreThe rare earth magnet market experiences serious turmoil: prices fluctuate heavily while the demand is growing exponentially driven by wind turbines and electric vehicles. Recycling helps to reduce the pressure on rare earth mining, while presenting a solution for growing waste flows. While the development of recycling technologies is ongoing, we investigate the further development of short-loop recycling from small scale to industrial scale. This ex-ante LCA study combines input from expert technology forecasts, thermodynamic modelling, manufacturer data for equipment, and energy scenarios. Our approach systematically considers all mechanisms for performance changes when upscaling, from size scaling to decarbonizing electricity. The results show the effect of process design choices and the effect of end-of-life product inputs. Moreover, the assessment of multiple process improvements leads to an outlook of potential development pathways towards low-emission magnet recycling. Our systematic approach, which involves the active participation of technology developers, can be extended to support the upscaling of other emergent technologies. Show less
Thakur, M.; Sloot, M. van der; Wilschut, R.; Hannula, S.E; Hooven, F. ten; Geisen, S.; ... ; Putten, W. van der 2023
