Industrial waste sites containing naturally occurring radioactive material represent long-term and globally relevant environmental challenges, particularly where chemical and radiological stressors affect terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The study site is a legacy alum shale mining waste pile and is one of the most contaminated sites in Sweden. Ongoing exothermic reactions within the pile maintain elevated temperatures, creating a challenging and complex environment with evolving contaminant mobility and exposure pathways. As the pile cools, increased water infiltration is expected to increase leaching of heavy metals and radionuclides into the environment. Thus, a comprehensive radiological characterisation and ecological risk assessment was conducted across multiple compartments to evaluate current and future environmental impacts. A total of 68 samples of soil, shale ash, sediment, surface water, groundwater, and plants were analysed for radionuclides from the 238U and 232 Th decay series. Ambient dose rates were measured in situ, and radiological risk to humans and non-human biota was assessed using the ERICA Tool. Activity concentrations and dose rates across the surface of the site showed pronounced spatial variability associated with the presence of alum shale residues. Among the analysed radionuclides, 230Th dominated in soil and shale ash, uranium isotopes in surface water, and 210Po in vegetation. Soil-to-plant concentration ratios for uranium, thorium, radium, and polonium were generally low, averaging a few percent across 15 plant species, indicating limited bioavailability despite elevated source term concentrations. Similar ratios were observed for isotopes of the same element, suggesting that gamma spectrometry, when applicable, could provide a cost-effective alternative for large-scale environmental risk assessment. The ecological risk assessment indicated that radiological risk to biota at the waste pile and aquatic systems cannot be considered negligible. Although radiological risk to members of the public from external exposure was low, prolonged daily visits revealed potential doses approaching regulatory reference levels.

The Stripa mine, located in Bergslagen, Sweden operated from the Middle Ages until 1977 and later served as a research facility for SKB until 1991, after which it was flooded. Recent studies show a notable increase in uranium concentrations in the mine water, reaching nearly 1 mg/L at 200 m depth, compared to historical levels of 10 mu g/L. This increase is linked to uranium(IV) oxidation by elevated dissolved oxygen. Further research should investigate key biogeochemical processes controlling uranium transport and long-term environmental persistence. The findings highlight regional environmental risks, including potential contamination of wells, emphasizing the mine's long-term environmental impact.

Phosphorus (P) is a key component in agricultural fertilizers, but it is also a scarce resource, why its recycling has been thoroughly investigated and one promising resources is sewage sludge. Because of stricter regulations in terms of sludge disposal, thermal treatment (e.g. incineration) has become an attractive option. The incineration process alters the chemical speciation of P in favour to calcium-associated (apatite, apatite phosphorus (AP)) species, which is preferred for P recovery. In order to achieve qualitatively transformation, it is important to identify limiting or promoting factors. This study reports on the impact of iron, aluminium and calcium on the transformation of iron- and aluminium-phosphate (NAIP) to AP species, assessed by studying sludge and ash from 10 municipal wastewater treatment plants in Sweden. The effect of iron and aluminium added in the treatment processes was also evaluated. The obtained results show that high calcium concentration favours formation of AP species in both sludge and ashes, whereas high concentration of iron and aluminium favours formation of NAIP species in the sludge. The transformation from NAIP to AP species is hampered by aluminium, irrespectively of its origin, whereas no such correlations could be seen for iron. Therefore, in order to enable efficient P recovery from sewage sludge ash, the amount of aluminium added in the treatment process, as well as its concentration in influent streams to the treatment plants, must be limited.

A black substance exuding from fractures was observed in 2012 in Ytterby mine, Sweden, and identified in 2017 as birnessite with the composition Mx[Mn(III,IV)]2O4∙(H2O)n. M is usually calcium and sodium, with x around 0.5. The Ytterby birnessite is unique, with M being calcium, magnesium, and also rare earth elements (REEs) constituting up to 2% of the total metal content. The biogenic origin of the birnessite was established in 2018. Analysis of the microbial processes leading to the birnessite formation and the REE enrichment has continued since then. The process is fast and dynamic, as indicated by the depletion of manganese and of REE and other metals in the fracture water during the passage over the precipitation zone in the mine tunnel. Studies of the exchangeability of metals in the structure are the main objective of the present program. Exposure to solutions of sodium, calcium, lanthanum, and iron led to exchanges and altered distribution of the metals in the birnessite, however, generating phases with almost identical structures after the exchanges, and no new mineral phases were detected. Exchangeability was more efficient for trivalent elements (REE) over divalent (calcium) and monovalent (sodium) elements of a similar size (ionic radii 90–100 pm).

Given the high efficiency in phosphorus removal at municipal wastewater treatment plants (MMWWTP), sewage sludge constitutes a promising resource for phosphorus (P) recovery. Sewage sludge is, however, a complex matrix and its direct use as fertiliser is limited by its content of metals/metalloids and organic pollutants. In order to increase its usability as a potential resource of P, there is a need for increased knowledge on phosphorus speciation in these matrices. The sludge composition is highly influenced by local conditions (i.e. wastewater composition and treatment method), and it is therefore important to study sludge from several MMWWTPs. In this study, three different protocols for sequential extraction were utilised to investigate the chemical speciation of phosphorus in sludge from three different MMWWTP sludges in Sweden, as well as in corresponding ashes following incineration. The results showed that the total amounts of phosphorus ranged from 26 to 32 mg g(-1) sludge (dry weight), of which 79-94% was inorganically bound (IP). In the sludge, 21-30% of the IP was associated with calcium (Ca-P), which is the preferred species for fertiliser production. Following incineration, this fraction increased to 54-56%, mainly due to transformation of iron-associated phosphorus (Fe-P), while aluminium-associated species of phosphorus (Al-P) remained unaltered. The results from this study confirm that incineration is a suitable treatment for sewage sludge in terms of potential phosphorus recovery.

Manganese oxides occur in a wide range of environmental settings either as coatings on rocks, sediment, and soil particles, or as discrete grains. Although the production of biologically mediated Mn oxides is well established, relatively little is known about microbial-specific strategies for utilizing Mn in the environment and how these affect the morphology, structure, and chemistry of associated mineralizations. Defining such strategies and characterizing the associated mineral properties would contribute to a better understanding of their impact on the local environment and possibly facilitate evaluation of biogenicity in recent and past Mn accumulations. Here, we supplement field data from a Mn rock wall deposit in the Ytterby mine, Sweden, with data retrieved from culturing Mn oxidizers isolated from this site. Microscopic and spectroscopic techniques are used to characterize field site products and Mn precipitates generated by four isolated bacteria (Hydrogenophaga sp., Pedobacter sp., Rhizobium sp., and Nevskia sp.) and one fungal-bacterial co-culture (Cladosporium sp.-Hydrogenophaga sp. Rhizobium sp.-Nevskia sp.). Two of the isolates (Pedobacter sp. and Nevskia sp.) are previously unknown Mn oxidizers. At the field site, the onset of Mn oxide mineralization typically occurs in areas associated with globular wad-like particles and microbial traces. The particles serve as building blocks in the majority of the microstructures, either forming the base for further growth into laminated dendrites-botryoids or added as components to an existing structure. The most common nanoscale structures are networks of Mn oxide sheets structurally related to birnessite. The sheets are typically constructed of very few layers and elongated along the octahedral chains. In places, the sheets bend and curl under to give a scroll-like appearance. Culturing experiments show that growth conditions (biofilm or planktonic) affect the ability to oxidize Mn and that taxonomic affiliation influences crystallite size, structure, and average oxidation state as well as the onset location of Mn precipitation.

Worldwide, black shales and shale waste are known to be a potential source of metals to the environment. This project demonstrates ongoing weathering and evaluates leaching processes at a 100-m-high shale waste deposit closed in the 1960s. Some deep parts of the deposit are still burning with temperatures exceeding 500 °C. To demonstrate ongoing weathering and leaching, analyses of groundwater and solid samples of shale and shale waste have been undertaken. Largest impact on groundwater quality was observed downstream the deposit, where elevated temperatures also indicate a direct impact from the burning waste deposit. Groundwater quality is largely controlled by pH and redox conditions (e.g., for arsenic, nickel, molybdenum, uranium and vanadium), and the mixture of different waste materials, including pyrite (acidic leachates) and carbonates (neutralizing and buffering pH). Analyses of shale waste from the deposit confirm the expected pyrite weathering with high concentrations of iron, nickel and uranium in the leachates. No general time trends could be distinguished for the groundwater quality from the monitoring in 2004–2019. This study has shown that black shale waste deposits can have a complex long-term impact on the surrounding environment.

Microbial mats or biofilms are known to colonize a wide range of substrates in aquatic environments. These dense benthic communities efficiently recycle nutrients and often exhibit high tolerance to environmental stressors, characteristics that enable them to inhabit harsh ecological niches. In some special cases, floating biofilms form at the air-water interface residing on top of a hydrophobic microlayer. Here, we describe biofilms that reside at the air-air interface by forming gas bubbles (bubble biofilms) in the former Ytterby mine, Sweden. The bubbles are built by micrometer thick membrane-like biofilm that holds enough water to sustain microbial activity. Molecular identification shows that the biofilm communities are dominated by the neuston bacterium Nevskia. Gas bubbles contain mostly air with a slightly elevated concentration of carbon dioxide. Biofilm formation and development was monitored in situ using a time-lapse camera over one year, taking one image every second hour. The bubbles were stable over long periods of time (weeks, even months) and gas build-up occurred in pulses as if the bedrock suddenly exhaled. The result was however not a passive inflation of a dying biofilm becoming more fragile with time (as a result of overstretching of the organic material). To the contrary, microbial growth lead to a more robust, hydrophobic bubble biofilm that kept the bubbles inflated for extended periods (several weeks, and in some cases even months).

ABSTRACT Microbe-mediated precipitation of Mn-oxides enriched in rare earth elements (REE) and other trace elements was discovered in tunnels leading to the main shaft of the Ytterby mine, Sweden. Defining the spatial distribution of microorganisms and elements in this ecosystem provide a better understanding of specific niches and parameters driving the emergence of these communities and associated mineral precipitates. Along with elemental analyses, high-throughput sequencing of the following four subsystems were conducted: (i) water seeping from a rock fracture into the tunnel, (ii) Mn-oxides and associated biofilm; referred to as the Ytterby Black Substance (YBS) biofilm (iii) biofilm forming bubbles on the Mn-oxides; referred to as the bubble biofilm and (iv) fracture water that has passed through the biofilms. Each subsystem hosts a specific collection of microorganisms. Differentially abundant bacteria in the YBS biofilm were identified within the Rhizobiales (e.g. Pedomicrobium), PLTA13 Gammaproteobacteria, Pirellulaceae, Hyphomonadaceae, Blastocatellia and Nitrospira. These taxa, likely driving the Mn-oxide production, were not detected in the fracture water. This biofilm binds Mn, REE and other trace elements in an efficient, dynamic process, as indicated by substantial depletion of these metals from the fracture water as it passes through the Mn deposit zone. Microbe-mediated oxidation of Mn(II) and formation of Mn(III/IV)-oxides can thus have considerable local environmental impact by removing metals from aquatic environments.

Climate change is not only about changes in means of climatic variables such as temperature, precipitation and wind, but also their extreme values which are of critical importance to human society and ecosystems. To inspire the Swedish climate research community and to promote assessments of international research on past and future changes in extreme weather events against the global climate change background, the Earth Science Class of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences organized a workshop entitled ‘Extreme weather events in a warming world’ in 2019. This article summarizes and synthesizes the key points from the presentations and discussions of the workshop on changes in floods, droughts, heat waves, as well as on tropical cyclones and extratropical storms. In addition to reviewing past achievements in these research fields and identifying research gaps with a focus on Sweden, future challenges and opportunities for the Swedish climate research community are highlighted.

A porous black substance exuding from fractures in an underground tunnel leading to the shaft of the Ytterby mine, Sweden, was observed in 2012 and characterized as a secondary manganese (Mn) oxide ...

The dominant initial phase formed during microbially mediated manganese oxidation is a poorly crystalline birnessite-type phyllomanganate. The occurrence of manganese deposits containing this mineral is of interest for increased understanding of microbial involvement in the manganese cycle. A culture independent molecular approach is used as a first step to investigate the role of microorganisms in forming rare earth element enriched birnessite-type manganese oxides, associated with water bearing rock fractures in a tunnel of the Ytterby mine, Sweden. 16S rRNA gene results show that the chemotrophic bacterial communities are diverse and include a high percentage of uncultured unclassified bacteria while archaeal diversity is low with Thaumarchaeota almost exclusively dominating the population. Ytterby clones are frequently most similar to clones isolated from subsurface environments, low temperature milieus and/or settings rich in metals. Overall, bacteria are dominant compared to archaea. Both bacterial and archaeal abundances are up to four orders of magnitude higher in manganese samples than in fracture water. Potential players in the manganese cycling are mainly found within the ferromanganese genera Hyphomicrobium and Pedomicrobium, and a group of Bacteroidetes sequences that cluster within an uncultured novel genus most closely related to the Terrimonas. This study strongly suggest that the production of the YBS deposit is microbially mediated.

Characterization of a black substance exuding from fractured bedrock in a subterranean tunnel revealed a secondary manganese oxide mineralisation exceptionally enriched in rare earth elements (REE). Concentrations are among the highest observed in secondary ferromanganese precipitates in nature. The tunnel is located in the unsaturated zone at shallow depth in the former Ytterby mine, known for the discovery of yttrium, scandium, tantalum and five rare earth elements.Elemental analysis and X-ray diffraction of the black substance establish that the main component is a manganese oxide of the birnessite type. Minor fractions of calcite, other manganese oxides, feldspars, quartz and about 1% organic matter were also found, but no iron oxides were identified. The Ytterby birnessite contains REE, as well as calcium, magnesium and traces of other metals. The REE, which constitute 1% of the dry mass and 2% of the metal content, are firmly included in the mineral structure and are not released by leaching at pH 1.5 or higher. A strong preference for the trivalent REE over divalent and monovalent metals is indicated by concentration ratios of the substance to fracture water. The REE-enriched birnessite has the general formula Mx(Mn3+,Mn4+)(2)O-4 center dot(H2O)(n) with M = (0.37-0.41) Ca + 0.02 (REE + Y), 0.04 Mg and (0.02-0.03) other metals, and with [Mn3+]/[Mn4+] = 0.86-1.00.The influence of microorganisms on the accumulation of this REE enriched substance is demonstrated by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. Results show that it is composed of two or more manganese phases, one of which has a biogenic signature. In addition, the occurrence of C-31 to C-35 extended side chain hopanoids among the identified lipid biomarkers combined with the absence of ergosterol, a fungal lipid biomarker, indicate that the in-situ microbial community is bacterial rather than fungal. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Metal transport in small streams in boreal catchments is a function of weathering rate, water balance and redistribution mechanisms. Because of these highly dynamic processes long term water qualit ...

Summary Black shales (BS) accumulate economic and biologically important trace metals such as Re, precious metals, U, V, Mo, Cu, Ni and Co above expected Clarke concentrations. We extracted colloid-salt fraction with particle size <1000 nm from BS with water under special conditions. In nano-fraction the detection limit for rare and trace elements are lower by 2–3 orders of magnitude, show maximum content for Re-22, 6 mg/l; Ag-9, 7 mg/l; Au-1, 4 mg/l; Pd-1, 7 mg/l; and Pt-0,5. Our data reveals a BS nanogeochemistry that could enhance geochemical ore prospecting methods and open new ways for extracting low concentration elements from BS.

The Ytterby mine, Sweden, is known for the discovery of eight elements, including yttrium and five of the rare earth elements (REE). The mine was in operation from 1750 to 1933 and was after closur ...

Characterization of a black substance seeping from fractured bedrock in a subterranean tunnel revealed a manganese and calcium bearing substance highly enriched in rare earth elements (REE). This t ...

The study has shown that in a soil with a logKd of 4–5 for uranium between the aqueous and the solid phase only some 20 % of the soil inventory of uranium is mobilized. Five consecutive L/S 10 extractions with alkali released some 75 % of the uranium inventory but not the entire content of organic matter. The mobilization of uranium coincides with that of organic matter as evidenced by size exclusion chromatography and ICP-MS. The stationary uranium coelutes with to a high extent with humic and fulvic substances.