Decentralised sanitation technologies based on source separation of toilet waste have attracted a lot of research attention – the social sustainability of these technologies, not so much. To attempt to fill this gap, members of the Kretsloppsteknik group collaborated with researchers at VIT University, to explore what food consumers in India think of urine recycling. The results were recently published in the journal Water Research, where a survey of 1252 consumers at the VIT University campus revealed: 68% stated human urine should not be disposed but recycled, 55% considered it as fertiliser, but only 44% would consume food grown using it. 
Author: Prithvi Simha
The Market for Biochar in Sweden
Stockholm Exergi and Waste Sweden has conducted a study to investigate the market for biochar and specifically the willingness to pay within five industrial applications: biochar as soil improvers, biochar filling material in concrete, biochar in agriculture, biochar as filter material for water and wastewater, and biochar as additive to animal feed.
Sahar Dalahmeh (Environmental technology group – Institute for Energy and Technology) and Mikael Pell (Department of Molecular Sciences) participated in the study and contributed with their knowledge regarding the market for biochar as a filter material for water and sewage treatment. Click here to access the press release and summary where the report can also be downloaded from:Â https://www.avfallsverige.se/kunskapsbanken/rapporter/rapportera/?tx_news_pi1%5Bnews%5D=2583&tx_news_pi1%5Bcontroller%5D=News&tx_news_pi1%5Baction%5D=detail&cHash=68ee39223998ccc35409d625c9eaf41a
Besök i fluglarvskomposteringslaboratoriet frÄn Nigeria
Under torsdagen den 28 juni hade vi Àran att fÄ besök av en delegation frÄn Nigeria, dÀribland Nigerias Sverigeambassadör H.E. Musa Ilu Mohammed samt Guvernören i Borno H.E. Hon. Kashim Shettima, nÀr de besökte SLU. Björn presenterade varför vi strÀvar efter ett kretslopp och hur vi ser att man kan minska mÀngden avfall som deponeras genom att anvÀnda sig av fluglarvskompostering. Dessutom genomfördes ett besök i vÄrt flugkomposteringslaboratorium dÀr Viktoria och Giulio förevisade processerna i fluglarvskompostering och insekternas olika levnadsstadier.
PC:Â Giulio Zorzetto
PC: Emelie Zonabend König
Marknaden för Biokol i Sverige
Stockholm Exergi och Avfall Sverige har genomfört en studie för att undersöka marknaden för biokol och specifikt betalningsviljan inom fem anvÀndningsomrÄden: som jordförbÀttringsmedel, som fyllnadsmedel i betong, inom lantbruket, som filtermaterial, och som tillsats i djurfoder.
Sahar Dalahmeh (kretslopp teknik- Institionen för energi och teknik) och Mikael Pell (Institutionen för molekylÀra vetenskaper) del tog i studien och bidrog med deras kunskap om marknaden för biokol som filtermaterial for vatten och avloppvatten rening. Nedan finns det lÀnkar till pressmeddelande och sammanfattning dÀr rapporten ocksÄ kan laddas ner: https://www.avfallsverige.se/kunskapsbanken/rapporter/rapportera/?tx_news_pi1%5Bnews%5D=2583&tx_news_pi1%5Bcontroller%5D=News&tx_news_pi1%5Baction%5D=detail&cHash=68ee39223998ccc35409d625c9eaf41a
Biokol i smÄ avloppsanlÀggningar
Nu finns rapporten â Biokol i smĂ„ avloppsanlĂ€ggningar- Rening av övergödande Ă€mnenâ pĂ„ Havs- och vattenmyndighetens hemsida. I Rapporten sammanstĂ€llde Sahar Dalahmeh, forskare i Kretsloppteknik grupp, hennes senaste resultat on biokols förmĂ„ga för rening av fosfor och kvĂ€ve i smĂ„ avlopp.
Med finansiering frĂ„n Havs- och vatten myndigheten genomförde Sahar Dalahmeh projektet âBiokol i smĂ„ avloppsanlĂ€ggningarâ. Projektet syftade till att utveckla biokol som filtermaterial för att förbĂ€ttra reningen av avloppsvatten i smĂ„ och enskilda avlopp. Projektet visade att kalk- och jĂ€rnimpregnering av biokol förbĂ€ttrade dess förmĂ„ga att binda fosfor, vilket innebĂ€r att det passar vĂ€l som filtermaterial i smĂ„ avloppsanlĂ€ggningar. För att inte mĂ€tta materialet bör impregnerat biokol anvĂ€ndas som en separat filtermodul för fosforrening efter huvudreningen (dĂ€r organiskt material och ammonium renas frĂ„n avloppsvattnet).
Biokolsfilter i tvÄ steg med vertikalflöde följt av horisontallflöde var effektivt för att reducera organiskt material och hade lovande prestanda för reduktion av totalkvÀve. Filtersystemets utformning behöver dock undersökas och optimeras. Projektet har studerat möjligheten att anvÀnda simuleringar för att optimera filterdjup, identifiera bÀsta belastningsförhÄllanden, utvÀrdera risken för igensÀttning av biokolet vid kontinuerlig belastning och dÀrmed biokolets effektiva funktionstid.
Nigerian visit to the fly larvae lab
On Thurday, June 28th, we had the honour to show our research activities to a Nigierian delegation, including the Nigeria ambassador to Sweden, H.E. Musa Ilu Mohammed and the Govenour of Borno, H.E. Hon. Kashim Shettima, who were visiting SLU. Björn was presenting our visions for future solid waste management, using fly larvae composting to recycle the food waste and decrease the amount of landfilling. Additionally we visited the fly larvae lab where Victoria and Giulio presented the processes in fly larvae composting and the different stages of the insects. PC: Giulio ZorzettoPC: Emelie Zonabend König
Capacity of Biochar Filters for Onsite Wastewater Treatment: Phosphorus and Nitrogen Removal
The report âCapacity of Biochar Filters for Onsite Wastewater Treatment: Phosphorus and Nitrogen Removalâ is now published at Havs- och vatten myndigheten website. Capacity of Biochar Filters for Onsite Wastewater Treatment: Phosphorus and Nitrogen Removalâ. In this report, Sahar Dalahmeh, researcher in the environmental technology group, has compiled her projects results on the capacity of impregnated biochar filters and two stage biochar filters for removal of phosphorus and nitrogen from wastewater in small and onsite wastewater systems.
With funding from the Havs- och vattenmyndigheten- Sweden, Sahar Dalahmeh carried out and reported the project “Biochar for small and onsite wastewater treatment”. The project aimed at developing biochar as filter material to improve the treatment of wastewater in small and individual sewers. The project showed that lime and iron impregnation of biochar improved its ability to bind phosphorus, which means that it fits well as filter material in small sewage plants. In order not to saturate the material, impregnated biochar filters  should be used as a separate filter module for phosphorous purification after main purification (where organic matter and ammonium are purified from sewage).
Two-step biochar filter with vertical flow followed by horizontal flow was effective to reduce organic material and had promising performance for total nitrogen reduction. However, the design of the filter system needs to be investigated and optimized.
To read more, please follow the following link. https://www.havochvatten.se/download/18.4c271c50163bf560e38d56e1/1528791738532/rapport-slu-biokol-i-sma-avloppsanlaggningar.pdf
Contact Sahar Dalahmeh
Post published by Prithvi Simha
Teaching at the UN-IHE
Close to midsummer, Björn VinnerĂ„s was in Delft teaching students from the new MSc program in Sanitation at the UN-IHE. The lectures were in the module of âSanitation Technologyâ talking about pathogens and hygienisation technologies. Lectures ended up discussing four case studies on how to manage a recycling sanitation system without spreading any diseases. A really inspiring group of students eager to learn and discuss this topic. They will be a good resource in the future of on-site sanitation and reuse of plant nutrients.
      The new MSc program in Sanitation at UN-IHE, Delft PC: Shirish Singh
One year meeting of the EU-program Run4Life in Helsingborg
The one year meeting was hosted by the wastewater organisation of Helsingborg NSVA, who showed the exiting plans for the new development of central Helsingborg H+ and their visions for sustainable wastewater management in Recolab. The meeting was very fruitful, looking into what was achieved during last year and the planning of the coming year, including trying to fit in field trials of the new wastewater based fertiliser substrates that will be produced in the project. SLU representatives Björn VinnerÄs & Annika Nordin.
EttÄrsmöte för EU-programmet Run4Life i Helsingborg
VÀrdarna för ettÄrsmötet var Helsingborgs VA-organisation NSVA, som bland annat presenterade de spÀnnande planerna för explateringen av det nya omrÄdet H+ i centrala Helsingborg, inklusive visionerna för ett uthÄlligare avloppssystem med Recolab. Det var ett givande möte med tillbakablickar pÄ projektets första Är samt planeringen av kommande Är nÀr vi bland annat skall förbereda odlingsförsök med de olika avloppsbaserade gödselmedlen som produceras inom projektet. SLU representanter Björn VinnerÄs & Annika Nordin.