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Peatlands require soil improvement to be suitable for cultivation. Creating eco-friendly and cost-effective carbon sinks in peatlands originated from peat production has several benefits. For this purpose various valuable biomass can be used by utilizing industrial by-products also as soil conditioners and fertilizers. For example, the addition of such materials has potential to transform peat bogs, which otherwise would slowly release methane, into productive cultivated areas. The rehabilitation of peat bogs from unused land into various agricultural and forestry areas is also a viable business activity. The examined industrial by-products could have many agricultural applications in non-food potato production, wherein monoculture causes problems such as condensed soil, lost humus or soil organic matter, and reduced nutrient retention capacity, leading to increased leaching of nutrients and negative impacts on the environment. Five industrial by-products were examined in this study as soil conditioners and fertilizers: fiber sludge, biocarbon, hygienic biodigestate, paper mill sludge, and gypsum waste. Based on the results of a nutrient content analysis, hygienic biodigestate and fiber sludge were the most effective fertilizers.

This article focuses on the dioxin problem of Baltic herring and salmon fisheries and its governance that is based on natural scientific knowledge. The dioxin problem weakens the perceived quality of Baltic salmon and herring as food and affects the way the catches can be used. This influences negatively the fishing livelihood, the coastal culture, and the availability of the fish for consumers. We explored how the governance of the dioxin problem could be improved, to better address its socio-economic and cultural implications. We identified four main actions: (1) adopt environmental, economic and social sustainability, and food security and safety as shared principles between the environmental, food safety/public health, and fisheries policies, (2) establish collaboration between the environmental, public health, and fisheries sectors at the regional level, (3) enhance interaction around the dioxin problem within the fisheries sector, and (4) support the participation of the Baltic fisheries stakeholders in the EU-level food safety governance. Viewing dioxins in fish not only as a natural scientific problem but as a multidimensional one would enable a wider toolbox of governing instruments to be developed to better address the different dimensions. This would support steps towards collaborative governance and a food system approach.

This publication describes the various approaches to the techno–economic assessment of a project for the long term operation of a nuclear power plant in its specific market environment. It examines the process of defining the technical scope required to prolong the operating licences of nuclear power plants and highlights the need for further studies on technical cost drivers and economic assessments in order to better define the cost boundaries of long term operation. Information is also provided on the new IAEA software LTOFIN, which was developed to assist in performing long term operation economic assessments within the process described in the publication.

Tiivistelmä Perunantuotannossa maan käsittely on intensiivistä, joka yhdessä monokulttuurin kanssa aiheuttaa maan tiivistymistä ja sitä kautta ravinteiden huuhtoutumista ja sadon määrä- ja laatutappioita. Noin 40 prosenttia Suomen perunantuotannosta sijaitsee alueilla, joissa on happamia sulfaattimaita. Sulfaattimailla on usein suuret luontaiset typpivarat, jonka johdosta peruna saa liian paljon typpeä maaperästä kasvukauden loppuvaiheessa, jolloin perunan tuleentuminen viivästyy, joka heikentää perunan laatua. Tässä Maa- ja metsätalousministeriön (Makera) tutkimushankkeessa tutkittiin perunan kasvinvuorotuksen, maanmuokkausmenetelmien sekä metsä- ja puuteollisuuden sivutuotteina saatavan biohiilen, biotuhkan, kuitulietteen ja kuitusaven lisäämisen vaikutusta maan ravinnetilaan, vesitalouteen, tiivistymien estämiseen ja tiivistymien korjaamiseen sekä ravinteiden käyttökelpoisuuden parantamiseen. Toisena osiona tutkimushankkeessa tutkittiin menetelmiä eloperäisestä sulfaattimaasta mobilisoituvan typen sitomiseksi niin, ettei se viivästyttäisi perunan tuleentumista ja sitä kautta aiheuttaisi sadon laatutappioita. Pellon tiivistymistä osoittavat maan vedenjohtavuusmittaukset tehtiin Ksat-menetelmällä (painegradientti vakio) ja vedenpidätysmittaukset ali- ja ylipainemenetelmillä jankosta 30 cm syvyydeltä otetuilla rakenteellisilla maanäytteillä. Lisäksi juuristonäytteet ja pohjamaan rakennenäytteet otettiin 22 cm:n halkaisijaltaan olevalla teräslieriöllä 70 cm:n syvyyteen saakka. Maan tiivistymiä mitattiin myös penetrometrillä kolme kertaa kasvukauden aikana. Penetrometrin mittaustulos vakioitiin maan kosteuden perusteella mittaamalla maan kosteus percometrillä kolmesta eri syvyydestä. Maanparannusaineiden vaikutuksia maan ravinnepitoisuuteen tutkittiin sylinterikokeilla pellossa. Maalajiltaan ja olosuhteiltaan perunantuotantoon soveltuvilla pelloilla upotettiin maahan 50 cm:n halkaisijaltaan, pohjasta auki olevia lieriöitä, jonka pintamaahan sekoitettiin tutkittavana olevia maanparannusaineita. Kuhunkin lieriöön istutettiin kolme siemenmukulaa. Lieriössä kasvatettiin perunoita. Satomittauksen lisäksi ravinnemittauksia otettiin sekä mukulasadosta että maa-aineksesta. Maanmuokkausmenetelmät ja pohjamaahan lisätyt metsä- ja puuteollisuuden sivutuotteet vähensivät tiivistymiä, mutta niiden vaikutus kesti vain kaksi vuotta. Sen sijaan vilja- ja nurmiviljelykierrolla saatiin tiivistymiä vähennettyä pitkäaikaisesti. Erittäin tiivistyneessä pohjamaassa perunantuotannon monokulttuuripelloilla ei tiivistymiä voitu millään muokkausmenetelmällä parantaa. Kaikki suoritetut maanmuokkaustoimenpiteet vähensivät typen kulkeutumista pellolta valumaveden mukana. Jo pelkkä jankkurointi on vähentänyt typen huuhtoutumista, mutta maanparannusaineiden lisäykselläkin näyttäisi olleen lisäksi pieni typen huuhtoutumista vähentävä vaikutus. Jankkurointi ja metsäteollisuuden sivutuotteiden lisääminen pohjamaahan ei vaikuttanut koeruutujen perunasatoon, mutta kahden vuoden viljanviljelykierto paransi perunasatoa keskimäärin 5 t/ha ja nurmiviljelykierto keskimäärin 12 t/ha. Tulokset olivat tilastollisesti merkitseviä. Sylinterikokeen perusteella maanparannusaineiden vaikutukset maaperän ravinnetilaan eivät tässä tutkimuksessa olleet huomattavia, mutta selviä eroja käsittelyiden välillä kuitenkin oli. Kuituliete- ja kuitusavikäsittelyt nostivat maan pH-, P-, K-, Ca- ja Mg-pitoisuuksia eli ne vaikuttivat tehostavan ravinteiden liikkuvuutta, mutta oletettavasti korkean pH:n ja johtoluvun takia ravinteet eivät kulkeutuneet kasviin tai satoon. Kun pohjamaa on typpirikasta hapanta sulfaattimaata ja muokkauskerros on multamaata, ei typen mobilisaation haittavaikutuksia kyetty tutkimuksessa estämään muokkauskerrokseen sekoitetulla oljella, sahajauholla, tai perunapenkkien välikasviksi kylvetyllä ”typpisieppari”-kasvilla. Peruna kykenee käyttämään tehokkaasti hyväkseen kaiken saatavilla olevan typen ja siksi myöhään kasvukaudella saatavilla oleva typpi aiheuttaa ongelmia kasvuston tuleentumisen viivästymisen kautta. Hankkeen taloustutkimusosion mukaan ruokaperunantuotannossa yksivuotinen viljanviljelykierto kerran kolmessa vuodessa on juuri ja juuri kannattavaa, mutta erityisesti nurmiviljelykierto siten, että kolmannes perunantuotantoalasta nurmiviljelykierrossa, on hyvin kannattavaa. Tärkkelysperunantuotannossa, jossa kannattavuus perustuu enemmän suoraan hehtaarikohtaiseen tulotukeen kuin tuotteen myyntituloon, tarvitsisi viljelykiertoon kannustavan tuen.

Background: Green house gas (GHG) mitigation policies can be evaluated by showing their co-benefits to health. Method: Health Impact Assessment (HIA) was used to quantify co-benefits of GHG mitigation policies in Rotterdam. The effects of two separate interventions (10% reduction of private vehicle kilometers and a share of 50% electric-powered private vehicle kilometers) on particulate matter (PM2.5), elemental carbon (EC) and noise (engine noise and tyre noise) were assessed using Years of Life Lost (YLL) and Years Lived with Disability (YLD). The baseline was 2010 and the end of the assessment 2020. Results: The intervention aimed at reducing traffic is associated with a decreased exposure to noise resulting in a reduction of 21 (confidence interval (CI): 11-129) YLDs due to annoyance and 35 (CI: 20-51) YLDs due to sleep disturbance for the population per year. The effects of 50% electric-powered car use are slightly higher with a reduction of 26 (CI: 13-116) and 41 (CI: 24-60) YLDs, respectively. The two interventions have marginal effects on air pollution, because already implemented traffic policies will reduce PM2.5 and EC by around 40% and 60% respectively, from 2010 to 2020. Discussion: The evaluation of planned interventions, related to climate change policies, targeting only the transport sector can result in small co-benefits for health, if the analysis is limited to air pollution and noise. This urges to expand the analysis by including other impacts, e.g. physical activity and well-being, as a necessary step to better understanding consequences of interventions and carefully orienting resources useful to build knowledge to improve public health. © 2016 Elsevier Inc.

Knowledge, innovations and their implementation in effective practices are essential for development in all fields of societal action, e.g. policy, business, health, education, and everyday life. However, managing the interrelations between knowledge, innovation and practice is complicated. Facilitation by suitable knowledge services is needed. This paper explores the theory of converging knowledge, innovation, and practice, discusses some advances in information systems development, and identifies general requirements for pragmatic knowledge services. A trialogical approach to knowledge creation and learning is adopted as a viable theoretical basis. Also three examples of novel knowledge services Opasnet, Innovillage, and Knowledge Practices Environment (KPE), are presented. Eventually, it is concluded that pragmatic knowledge services, as hybrid systems of information technology and its users, are not only means for creation of practical knowledge, but vehicles of a cultural change from individualistic perceptions of knowledge work towards mediated collaboration.

Background: Substantial policy changes to control obesity, limit chronic disease, and reduce air pollution emissions, including greenhouse gasses, have been recommended. Transportation and planning policies that promote active travel by walking and cycling can contribute to these goals, potentially yielding further co-benefits. Little is known, however, about the interconnections among effects of policies considered, including potential unintended consequences. Objectives and methods: We review available literature regarding health impacts from policies that encourage active travel in the context of developing health impact assessment (HIA) models to help decision-makers propose better solutions for healthy environments. We identify important components of HIA models of modal shifts in active travel in response to transport policies and interventions. Results and discussion: Policies that increase active travel are likely to generate large individual health benefits through increases in physical activity for active travelers. Smaller, but population-wide benefits could accrue through reductions in air and noise pollution. Depending on conditions of policy implementations, risk tradeoffs are possible for some individuals who shift to active travel and consequently increase inhalation of air pollutants and exposure to traffic injuries. Well-designed policies may enhance health benefits through indirect outcomes such as improved social capital and diet, but these synergies are not sufficiently well understood to allow quantification at this time. Conclusion: Evaluating impacts of active travel policies is highly complex; however, many associations can be quantified. Identifying health-maximizing policies and conditions requires integrated HIAs. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

First perspective on the paper by Ortega Garcia et al (see page 642) For 30 years cancers have been the most feared diseases linked to environmental chemicals. Recently developmental effects, especially those of the central nervous system, appear to have taken their place at least in part. Both the chemicals involved and the ways of exposure are manifold. Methyl mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and dioxins derive from fish. Lead comes from multiple sources, historically from leaded gasoline and paints, in some countries also from plumbing. Polybrominated diphenylethers are added to synthetic materials as flame retardants. We are exposed to pesticide residues in our food as well as in our home environment. Most of these potential new dangers are plagued with controversy. In many cases it is a question of dose. There is no doubt about the developmental neurotoxicity of lead or methyl mercury, but are the present environmental exposures high enough to cause risk? In some cases there are disputes on plausible mechanisms. Such is the case with effects based on endocrine disruption. Is sufficient disturbance of oestrogen or the thyroid hormone system likely, if we are exposed to environmental chemicals which are orders of magnitude weaker than natural hormones, or to chemicals having weak effects on hormone synthesis or metabolism? One of the tricky questions is: When? An otherwise innocuous exposure might be important at a certain developmental stage, within a time window perhaps only lasting a few days during embryonic or fetal development. All of these …