Water management measures in Arctic areas

Challenge the practice is addressing: Building active water treatment units to remove harmful substances from water bodies is often not cost-effective in Arctic areas due to cold climate. There are individual passive solutions used for the purpose, but these individual solutions are often not enough to purify water sufficiently – instead, a more holistic solution combining many passive solutions is needed. The HybArkt project produces knowledge on passive hybrid purification solutions for cleaning nitrogen and heavy metals in run-off waters. It also examines how plants, fungus and bacteria adapted to harsh environmental conditions can be optimised to filter nitrogen and heavy metals found in run-off water, and furthermore, develops solutions for constructing hybrid passive treatment systems that allow year-round removal of nitrogen and heavy metals in arctic conditions.

Concrete practice to achieve the expected goal: To achieve the goal, first, a literature research on different, passive water management measures and a desk research on pilot sites were conducted. Then, based on the knowledge extracted from literature and desk research, hybrid pilot structures were designed and built. The structures designed and tested consisted of, for example, pH raising units, sedimentation basins, oxidation processes, certain types of fungus, biochar, moss and wetlands.

Expected impact/goal of the practice: The aim of the practice is to reduce the negative environmental affects mining activities and agricultural activities pose on water bodies by developing and implementing passive, cost-effective methods to filter harmful substances found in run-off waters.

Who is the target user group of the practice/intervention or implementing the practice/intervention? The target group of the practice are researchers, engineers and industry representatives aiming to develop the water management methods in their activities.