AbstractThis research is about pre-school children?s conceptions of the river and the water environment. The aim of this study was to apply a new teaching method based on the outside learning, as well as to test the method and see if it works, i.e. if children get more knowledge this way compared to ordinary methods like teaching in the class-room which involves showing pictures and discussion of them.The main questions in this study were how children get new knowledge through outside learning and how effective this learning method is, i.e. how much they noticed and learned about the river and the water environment as a result of that outside observation.

The purpose of this report is to find a model of statistics for construction and demolition waste, which makes it useful for the local manager at the building site. The intention with the model is that it will be used as a support of the local manager, to direct his project towards reduced strain of the environment. The model will also be used to make it easier to control that the claims from authority and aims for the environment are achieved. To familiarise with the subject waste handling within the building and construction sectorI have done a literature search. I have also been studying rules and regulations regarding the waste handling.

This study has examined if importation of waste for energy recovery can reduce the climate impacts of Waste Management Systems. Using Systems Analysis this study will try to examine the complex waste systems in a systematical and strictly logical way to see how these systems interact and affect each other. Specifically examining the climate impact of waste management systems in England. The traditional way of handling waste in England is through Landfills. Land filling leads to emissions of the greenhouse gas Methane. The EU has put in place a landfill directive that is supposed to lead the member states away from land filling as a method of waste management. Today in Sweden there is a competition for the waste available for incineration. The worsening economical situation together with less product packaging and an increase in source separation leads to a lack of waste available for incineration.

The purpose of this study is to compare the energy related and environmental consequences of implementing optical sorting as a means of waste collection with those of reducing food waste. In addition to studying the possibility of implementing optical sorting in downtown Stockholm, the yielded amounts of energy from waste collection and reduced wastage will be calculated. This is done by way of literature reviews and interviews. The amount of energy that can be generated through optical sorting and biogas production via anaerobic digestion in downtown Stockholm is 29-44 TJ/year, compared to 118 TJ/year saved by completely eliminating food waste. The generated biogas can replace fossil fuels, but the required food waste contributes to increased greenhouse gas emissions as well as reduced bio diversity and eutrophication during the wasted food?s lifecycle.

Abstract (in English)During the last fifty years, the waste in an average Swedish household has increased by about five hundred percent. In order to manage (eller take care of) all of this new waste, Swedes need a method of facilitating the handling process. In this report, both the habits and needs among private households across Sweden are investigated, followed by a pertinent solution to the waste problem. This solution is a container with two compartments, using the standarddimensions of a grocery store paper bag..

Ensåsengruvan is a mine situated within Ljusdals municipality in central Sweden. Themine was in use from 1984 to 1991 and has since been undergoing a remediation program. Mine tailings from sulfide rich ore is a potential environmental hazard due to its tendency to cause acid waters and heavy metal leakage. Lake Ensjön is situated one kilometer from the mine area. Due to the hydrological conditions it was not expected to receive inflowing water from the mining area.

This report deals with issues related to construction waste. Building material that has not been built into the project is defined as construction waste. Cost of construction waste amounts to 4-12 % of the total cost of the project. Moreover, cost of construction waste is 1-3 % of the production cost. The aim of this study is to increase knowledge about the main causes of waste within the construction industry.

The most common way to treat wastewater in Sweden today is by a combination of an activated sludge process and a chemical treatment. These processes are not very energy efficient and may not be the most environmentally friendly. That is why it is interesting to evaluate new alternative methods to see if they can be less harmful to the environment and help to a lower resource consumption. New techniques are tested in a pilot installation at Hammarby Sjöstad, Sjöstadsverket. To be able to evaluate these techniques in a wide perspective system analyses are conducted where different impacts can be considered, advantages and disadvantages in the systems.Five system structures for water treatment have been constructed in Matlab/Simulink in this study.

The mining industry, in terms of ore excavation and metal production, is and has been important to the Swedish economy. In connection with the ore excavation process, large amounts of partly sulphidic waste are produced. When the metal sulphides are exposed to air and water they are eventually oxidised, which leads to the formation of acidic water with high concentrations of metal cations and sulphate ions, so called Acid Mine Drainage (AMD). This water may reach the nearest surroundings and cause negative environmental effects. By covering the waste with soil or water, the oxidation process can be minimised. At the Rävlidmyran mine in the county of Västerbotten open pit mining took place between 1951 and 1991.

Emissions of insufficiently treated wastewater, mainly blackwater (i.e. wastewater from toilets), contributes to the eutrophication of lakes and seas. At the same time, blackwater is a fraction with a low content of heavy metals and, after sanitization, it can recirculate plant nutrients to arable land using the liquid composting treatment method. Liquid composting means that organic material is degraded under aerobic conditions. For sanitization, the blackwater needs to be treated together with energy-rich complementary material.

The objective of this report was to analyse and compare vulnerability and preparation in Swedish municipal drinking water production, in case the commonly used water sources were inoperative. Methods used were a questionnaire and a less extensive study of regulations for water protection areas. The questionnaire was answered by 41 Swedish municipalities. A handful of them were companies co-owned by a few municipalities. Only one out of four municipalities had source protection areas to all their water sources and for many sources the protection was not satisfactory.

Because of the increasing trends in energy consumption and increased environmental awareness, greater focus has been placed on improvement and development of renewable energy sources. An already proven and accepted method is biogas production from anaerobic digestion at municipal wastewater treatment plants.In the waste water treatment process solid material and dissolved pollutants are separated from the water, forming a sludge. The sludge is separated from the process and stabilized during anaerobic digestion or aerobic aeration. Most often, mesophilic anaerobic digestion is used. Because of degradation by microorganisms, biogas with a high content of methane is formed during the digestion.

The waste of material is a big expense for manufacture companies caused by lack of quality. The cost by lack of quality often totaled to a big percentage share of the turnover when all cost related to lack of quality is included. New manufacturing systems like Lean production or Just In Time demands better internal quality for the manufacturer. To make those manufacturing system with small and none buffer stock successful the quality improvement continuously have to be developed.Measuring of waste of material in Bubs Candy?s factory where not simple due to the products does not have a permanent weight during the manufacturing process.

This project is focusing on a future park that will surround Hyllie water tower in the outskirts of Malmö. The water tower will be located in the central part of the new building area Hyllievång. The park will function as a town park with a special focus on water. The water council of the municipality, Va-verket, has for the last 7 years built up and been in charge for a pedagogical programme in the water tower, were schoolchildren come to learn about the cycle of water and how we use water in our daily life. In the park they want to build a new part that gives experience of water, as a compliment to the information in the tower. What will that park look like, and what shall it be constructed of? How do you bring water to the surface in a park? How can landscape architecture work to enhance the presence of water and make people more interested in water issues? In the search to find the answers to all my questions I have meet with people, read books and visited different places.

Water is the most essential resource for life. In cases where drinking water is processed from surface water it is important to ensure the raw water is of good quality, and is suitable for processing through the water treatment plant.The drinking water for Västerås is sourced from Västeråsfjärden, in the western side of Lake Mälaren. The city itself is home to marinas, ports, a wastewater treatment plant, the Svartån outlet, sewage pumping stations and stormwater outlets. Because of the negative effects these activities have on surface water quality, Mälarenergi AB is interested in relocating the raw water intake point to Granfjärden, 10 km east of Västeråsfjärden. At Granfjärden the intake point would be less exposed to the activities in Västerås, and could be placed at a greater depth, resulting in better water quality.In this Master?s thesis the water quality and the pollution risks at Västeråsfjärden and Granfjärden sites are compared.