In this project we demonstrate the cost-benefit value of the current wastewater treatment and nitrogen removal processes, for the first time by integrating the hydrological and chemical data and mass-balance calculations with the measured values of denitrification - the missing nitrogen sink. The most advanced stable isotope techniques will be used in the measurement allowing us to get accurate values of how much we can depend on the ecosystem services in the nitrogen removal in the current systems. Monitoring and modelling results will be used, for the first time, to evaluate the denitrification in natural system and enhanced by the wastewater nitrate.

 Sediment has a remarkable capacity to reduce nitrate load to nitrogen gas through denitrification. Denitrification is most importantly related to nitrogen concentration above the sediment and water residence time in the lake, as previous studies have consistently shown. Therefore we claim that spatial optimization of the wastewater discharge would be an efficient way to reduce nitrate-based nutrient load in the environment now, when most new environmental permits for new or reconstructed treatment plants have a nitrification sanction in Finland and many Baltic countries which care for the sensitive Baltic sea ecosystem. Currently the discharge of purified waste water has mostly been implemented using a one-point outlet system, either through a drain or a pipe, and many times the water is further mixed to the productive water layers of the lake. A new sediment filtration approach is suggested in which the nitrified water will be in contact with the reducing microbes of the sediment for longer period, which will result in the efficient denitrification of a portion of the nitrate load. Compared to the point outlet method/practice, nitrate will be spread to the sediment-water interphase, instead of mixing with the productive water layers. Nitrate is also expected to temporarily increase the redox-potential of the sediment layers, thus improving the quality of near-bottom layers and preventing phosphorus release. N2O emissions are predicted to be minor compared to the forced denitrification in wastewater treatment plants, where the N2O gas can be easily discharged to the atmosphere in the high water circulation speed and mixing.

 In the implementation action we demonstrate this new technical innovation for nitrogen removal –N-SINK sediment filtration. This technique is based on the observed field results and small-scale laboratory experiments, where we have shown the relationship between nitrogen concentration and denitrification in the above-sediment layers. The set of demonstration actions will be the first full-scale trial to test the sediment filtration technique, and it is unique both in its scale (will be tested in wastewater treatment utilities treating up to 20000 m3/day) and top-scientific monitoring techniques. This method would be a promising and minimum-cost way for the reduction of the nitrogen load by the ecosystem services itself. More information on project pages  http://www.helsinki.fi/lammi/NSINK/

(Director Per Bovbjerg Pedersen, DTU, JyU work group leader Marja Tiirola, Bonus -project EU/Academy of Finland 2017-2019)

CLEANAQ develops novel procedures for end-of-pipe nutrient removal to improve the cost-efficiency and to further reduce environmental impact of fish farming in recirculating aquaculture systems in the Baltic area. Innovative technical solutions will support one of the main aims of the BONUS program – development of a food production system with a balanced nutrient budget.

Fish farming in recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) provides possibilities for optimized food production for the benefit of the environment and farming in closed confinements virtually eliminates the risk of escapees and diseases spreading to the environment. Within the recirculation loop, nutrients are mainly converted and subsequently removed from the farming system through particle separation (e.g. mechanical filters) and water replacement

Alongside the maturation of RAS technology and an increasing commercialization of this method of farming, focus is slowly shifting from mechanical/engineering issues towards more integrated and complex issues such as water quality and end-of-pipe treatment. The prospective of being able to construct not only a farming system but actually a complete unit that can handle intake -and especially discharge water and sludge is gaining more and more attention as system size and commercialization increases (Dalsgaard et al, 2015). Although recirculation technology has now reached a fully commercial scale, practical solutions to the removal or retrieval of the concentrated nutrients in the RAS discharge are still missing, in particular for brackish and salt water farming. Cost-efficient solutions are needed for further development of the industry and CLEANAQ will search for such innovative solutions.

 MUTTE - Mutation screening using ultrasensitive transistor technology

 (Project PI  Marja Tiirola, Tekes – the Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation  2017-2018)

Even if the throughput of the modern next-generation sequencing (NGS) devices is tremendous, there is still no ultrasensitive diagnosis technology available in the market, which limits the detection of circulating tumor cells or tumor DNA from liquid biopsies. New technology can enable a novel way to utilize the widely spread NGS device for detection of mutations. Ultimate sensitivity is gained through amplification of the target signal using an exponential chemical reaction and tracking the signal using commonly available semiconductor sequencing device. This is one implication of the on-going ERC consolidator grant project “Micro-RIP”, which has enabled determination of radiation from single molecules using semiconductor transistor array. When adopted into chemiluminescense detection in the MUTTE project, the technology aims to decrease the cost of cancer therapy and lead to higher treatment success. This can build an enormous value in terms of money and human wellbeing. The cost of cancer in the European Union is estimated €126 billion in 2009, with healthcare accounting for €51 billion (40%). The worldwide cancer diagnostic markets have been predicted to increase to $13 billion by 2020. TEKES funding is used for setting up the protocol in the chemiluminescense mode, testing the sensitivity and needed software in screening colorectal cancer KRAS mutations, evaluation of the best commercialization options and defining the business models for the scientific and hospital scale solutions