Participants: AAU (MLC);SDU (KR), All partners 

A major strength of the project is the interdisciplinary research and development towards the common goal of transforming lake sediment and P polluted lake water into valuable resources without any harmful effects on the environment and to enable this transformation through technology development. To fulfill such an ambitious goal, interdisciplinary collaboration is a prerequisite and it will have top priority throughout the project. WP8 serves as a base to foster an optimal scientific collaboration between the project partners. The practical coordination of the project activities at the Lake Ormstrup is carried out in an inclusive manner, updating and not at least engaging all project partners (from PhD students to senior researchers) in the major tasks.  In addition, the WP serves as a cradle for new ideas, which will undoubtedly grow during the project - undoubtedly because numerous new ideas at TRL levels of 1-2 continuously grew between the project partners already in the process of writing the proposal. At the end of the project, all findings will be compiled into a report and a flow chart, which enables direct, generic, and practical use of the results when entering into the shifted paradigm on how to restore lakes.

Objectives

1. Overall scientific coordination of the project inclusive the activities at the Lake Ormstrup
2. Continuous ideation and identification of novel technologies or supplementing technologies to those already developed in the project
3. First exploration of the most interesting new technologies from TRL1 to TRL2
4. Compiling project results into a booklet for the wide dissemination

Activity

Task 8.1: Coordination of sampling and experiment at Ormstrup Lake

Overall coordination of the activities at Lake Ormstrup, including help for establishing the dredging and dewatering process (WP2). Operate the pilot-scale equipment at Ormstrup, and develop schedules for the dewatering process to produce the required materials for WP2, WP3 and WP4 when it is needed. Develop plans for the dewatered and treated lake sediment for plant growth experiment in collaboration with WP5.

Task 8.2: Identifying additional novel methods to treat lake sediment and lake water

A systematic and thorough literature study will be performed to identify novel and alternative methods that can be used 1) to treat and reuse lake sediment, 2) for continuous removal of P and nitrogen from lake water and 3) in other ways can be used to reduce the nutrient load in lakes and for recovery of resources from the lake sediment or lake water. 

At least two novel technologies will be identified and tested at Lake Ormstrup. These technologies will be identified in the literature survey or be fostered in the interdisciplinary research environment of the project group. Examples of ideas, which were already identified as interesting through the work with this application, are e.g. biological treatment of filtrate and lake water for P and nitrogen recovery, and use of fungi for P removal and biopolymer production. During the project, upcoming ideas like these will continuously be compiled in a catalog with 1-page descriptions. The new ideas with the most promising perspectives in relation to supporting the technologies in development during the project or addressing new challenges identified will be chosen for an experimental investigation to a TRL level of 2. This offers the choice of conducting preliminary research into the ideas if they show sufficiently interesting potential in supplementing or following projects. Other relevant academic and industrial partners will be identified as well as relevant research activities and funding possibilities. 

Task 8.3: Strategy for lake treatment 

Together with WP 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 a report, booklet and flowchart will be developed, compiling the best strategies for lake sediment treatment identified based on lake size and location and sediment characteristics, including P content, heavy metal concentration, and organic content. 

Project structure 

The work in this WP will be carried out by two postdocs hired for a total of three year shared between AAU and SDU. The Postdocs will be responsible for the daily coordination of the project in close collaboration with the five other WP’s and will conduct research on novel strategies described above

Post-project plans

These are currently at the idea stage.  

Test of methods at other lakes in Denmark and recovery of other resources from sediment identified as part of WP 8.

Lake sediment dredging and treatment from more heavily polluted lakes e.g. lakes with high concentration of heavy metals e.g. lakes located in big cities.

Method to continuously remove P from lake water without dredging as a continuation of the work done in WP3. Such methods will be required to ensure permanent solutions for lakes with high external P load.

Test and upscaling of a novel and promising method identified during WP 8