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Background: The substitution of hazardous chemicals with safer alternatives is an important objective in European chemical policy, but implementation has been slower than expected. We conduct a comprehensive analysis and comparison of the implementation of the substitution principle in European regulations for pesticides, biocides, and industrial chemicals. Specifically, we examine and compare the criteria and processes associated with the identification of candidates for substitution and the assessment of alternatives. Results: We find only minor differences in the criteria applied to identify candidates for substitution amongst pesticides, biocides, and industrial chemicals, but larger differences concerning the processes used. While all substances that are to be approved as a pesticide and biocide are systematically evaluated against the established criteria for substitution, the substitution process for industrial chemicals only focuses on those substances identified as substances of very high concern. The main reason candidates for substitution remain on the market is the lack of identified safer chemical alternatives and the insufficient consideration of non-chemical alternatives, caused, at least to a large extent, by the comparatively weak incentives provided by current regulations. Conclusions: The systematic approach for the identification of industrial substances of very high concern (SVHC) under ECHAs “Integrated Regulatory Strategy” is much welcome. However, no final conclusion on SVHC properties or the need for regulatory action has been drawn for approximately 90% of the REACH-registered substances, as often even basic hazard and exposure data are missing. Hence, at least a screening-level evaluation of SVHC properties should become a mandatory part of the substance registration under REACH. To reduce the risk of strategic behaviour in the search for alternatives to industrial chemicals identified as SVHC, a setup in which regulatory authorities play, Open access funding provided by University of Gothenburg. The study was funded by the Swedish Research Council FORMAS, Reference Nos. 2016-01238 and 2020-00920, and the Centre for Future Chemical Risk Assessment and Management (FRAM) at the University of Gothenburg. The funders had no role in the design of the study, the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data or in writing the manuscript.

Background: The substitution of hazardous chemicals with safer alternatives is an important objective in European chemical policy, but implementation has been slower than expected. We conduct a comprehensive analysis and comparison of the implementation of the substitution principle in European regulations for pesticides, biocides, and industrial chemicals. Specifically, we examine and compare the criteria and processes associated with the identification of candidates for substitution and the assessment of alternatives. Results: We find only minor differences in the criteria applied to identify candidates for substitution amongst pesticides, biocides, and industrial chemicals, but larger differences concerning the processes used. While all substances that are to be approved as a pesticide and biocide are systematically evaluated against the established criteria for substitution, the substitution process for industrial chemicals only focuses on those substances identified as substances of very high concern. The main reason candidates for substitution remain on the market is the lack of identified safer chemical alternatives and the insufficient consideration of non-chemical alternatives, caused, at least to a large extent, by the comparatively weak incentives provided by current regulations. Conclusions: The systematic approach for the identification of industrial substances of very high concern (SVHC) under ECHAs “Integrated Regulatory Strategy” is much welcome. However, no final conclusion on SVHC properties or the need for regulatory action has been drawn for approximately 90% of the REACH-registered substances, as often even basic hazard and exposure data are missing. Hence, at least a screening-level evaluation of SVHC properties should become a mandatory part of the substance registration under REACH. To reduce the risk of strategic behaviour in the search for alternatives to industrial chemicals identified as SVHC, a setup in which regulatory authorities play, Open access funding provided by University of Gothenburg. The study was funded by the Swedish Research Council FORMAS, Reference Nos. 2016-01238 and 2020-00920, and the Centre for Future Chemical Risk Assessment and Management (FRAM) at the University of Gothenburg. The funders had no role in the design of the study, the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data or in writing the manuscript.

Vattenbrist är en akut global, och i många områden växande, utmaning. Pågående klimatförändringar och växande behov i stora delar av världen förändrar både tillgången och efterfrågan på rent vatten. Europa står inför flera akuta vattenrelaterade utmaningar med betydande säkerhets- och miljömässiga konsekvenser. Perioder av återkommande vattenbrist är en av de främsta utmaningarna som redan har drabbat flertalet europeiska länder, särskilt utsatt är området kring medelhavet. Men, även i Sverige är vattenbrist en utmaning som äventyrar försörjning av både dricksvatten och vatten till industri och jordbruk i flera regioner i de södra och sydöstra delarna av landet. I både Vimmerby och Visby, Kalmar och Gotlands län, ses vattenbrist i dag som den främsta utmaningen för att säkra dricksvattenförsörjningen. Risken för vattenbrist förväntas öka i framtiden för båda dessa städer då pågående klimatförändringar bidrar till ökade säsongsvariationer i både nederbörd och temperatur. Utöver vattenbrist brottas båda städerna dessutom med att upprätthålla en god vattenkvalitet. Avrinning från jordbruket (bekämpningsmedel, gödselmedel, etc.) och föroreningar från urbana hårdgjorda ytor som letar sig ned i grund- och ytvattenkällor utgör en ständig risk för vattenkvaliteten i den samhällsviktiga dricksvattenförsörjningen. För att adressera dessa utmaningar och säkra tillgången till dricksvatten i tillräcklig mängd och av god kvalitet även i framtiden behövs ett övergripande tillvägagångssätt, som omfattar hållbara metoder för hantering av grundvatten, förbättrad övervakning av vattenkvalitet och utveckling av robusta strategier som möjliggör anpassning till att klara av ett föränderligt klimat. I detta projekt har konceptet industriell-urban vattensymbios utforskats som en möjlig lösning för att bidra till säkrad vattentillgång och minskad belastning på lokala dricksvattenresurser, med städerna Visby och Vimmerby som fallstudieobjekt. Vattensymbios är ett systematiskt samarbete där o

The potential of producing biogas by digestion from substrates in Västra Götaland, Halland and Skåne has in this study been estimated to approximately 5 900 GWh per year, of which 2 300 GWh are found in Västra Götaland, 650 GWh in Halland and 3 000 GWh in Skåne. The estimated potential is based on the current amounts of the substrate categories food waste, agricultural residues, manure, sludge from sewage treatment plants and industrial organic residues. For each of the three regions, the largest contributor to the current substrate potential is agricultural residues. This category contributes with approximately 3 900 GWh annually in total for the three regions. However, to be able to fully realize the potential of the agricultural residues there are logistic and technical challenges to be solved. Manure accounts for the second largest contribution to the potential, approximately 1 000 GWh per year for the three regions. The conditions to realize the manure potential are good with national production support in place for this substrate category. The study also includes a brief investigation of future substrate categories focused on marine substrates, grass and hay harvesting, industrial wastewater and biological methanation. From the future substrates, a contribution of a total of 3 600 GWh per year will be added to the estimated potential for the three regions. The largest addition is potential biological methanation of the carbon dioxide streams from the total substrate potential from the current categories, approximately 3 000 GWh annually. Thereafter, the largest contributing future substrate category is industrial wastewater. Including the future substrate flows, a total biogas potential of 9 500 GWh per year was estimated for Västra Götaland, Skåne and Halland together. To realize the potential, close cooperation between substrate owners, gas producers and municipalities are needed together as well as a long-term policy landscape.

Water use and opportunities for water savings at the chemical industry cluster in Stenungsund Water scarcity is a growing problem in Sweden, as well as internationally, due to increasing demand for water and the impact of climate change. This is the case in Stenungsund where the ability for the municipality and industry to expand is limited by the availability of water from the local lake, Stora Hällungen. Working with the four largest industrial sites in the Stenungsund industrial cluster, Perstorp, Nouryon, Borealis and INOVYN, this project focused on mapping water use in the cluster by testing and further developing a tool for mapping of water use in industry. The flow of water through the industrial sites, its uses, treatment approaches and aggregated water quality data were included in the mapping and is presented using visual outputs generated from the tool. A methodology for water quality assessment and grouping was also developed and included in the tool. Results of the mapping were used as foundation to investigate opportunities for water savings through improved efficiency and reuse of wastewater streams. Measures to improve water efficiency include minimisation of the volume of reject water in treatment processes, sequence optimisation for reducing water use in cleaning and optimisation of steam and cooling systems. Opportunities for water reuse include the reuse of wastewater or stormwater for cooling at Perstorp and the Borealis PE site, and the recirculation of wastewater from the Borealis Cracker. Critically, the incentives for individual companies to implement water savings and reuse measures are a decisive factor in their implementation. Given this, a next step from this work would be to conduct a more comprehensive risk analysis to investigate future needs of the various stakeholders with respect to water and water supply risks. From these results a pinch analysis considering water quality could also be conducted to find further opportunities for w

The potential of producing biogas by digestion from substrates in Västra Götaland, Halland and Skåne has in this study been estimated to approximately 5 900 GWh per year, of which 2 300 GWh are found in Västra Götaland, 650 GWh in Halland and 3 000 GWh in Skåne. The estimated potential is based on the current amounts of the substrate categories food waste, agricultural residues, manure, sludge from sewage treatment plants and industrial organic residues. For each of the three regions, the largest contributor to the current substrate potential is agricultural residues. This category contributes with approximately 3 900 GWh annually in total for the three regions. However, to be able to fully realize the potential of the agricultural residues there are logistic and technical challenges to be solved. Manure accounts for the second largest contribution to the potential, approximately 1 000 GWh per year for the three regions. The conditions to realize the manure potential are good with national production support in place for this substrate category. The study also includes a brief investigation of future substrate categories focused on marine substrates, grass and hay harvesting, industrial wastewater and biological methanation. From the future substrates, a contribution of a total of 3 600 GWh per year will be added to the estimated potential for the three regions. The largest addition is potential biological methanation of the carbon dioxide streams from the total substrate potential from the current categories, approximately 3 000 GWh annually. Thereafter, the largest contributing future substrate category is industrial wastewater. Including the future substrate flows, a total biogas potential of 9 500 GWh per year was estimated for Västra Götaland, Skåne and Halland together. To realize the potential, close cooperation between substrate owners, gas producers and municipalities are needed together as well as a long-term policy landscape.