Page 23 - MELLBY_MAGASIN_2021_EN
P. 23

“Nature itself takes
centuries to achieve results,

  whereas we can see the
  difference in a few days”

Vattenresurs uses a patented technology to restore the balance          provides fertiliser for algae, causing algal blooms which in turn remove
          of nature quickly. This is achieved by binding phosphorus,    oxygen from the lake and block sunlight. This means that no other
          the most common cause of dead lakes. More and more local      vegetation can assert itself. Eutrophicated lakes can take centuries to
authorities are becoming aware of the unique technology deployed by     recover naturally. Vattenresurs technique of binding phosphorus in the
Vattenresurs.                                                           bottom sediment increases visibility in the water that can be observed
                                                                        within a few days; and the results last, with long-term recovery of fish
  “We’re restoring lakes that have been eutrophicated by phosphorus.    populations and healthy vegetation.
Phosphorus is the most common pollutant and comes from sewage,
manure and general runoff from households and urban areas. As a         PATENTED TECHNOLOGY
society, we’ve become good at stopping new phosphorus escaping into     Vattenresurs is wholly owned by Mellby Gård subsidiary Feralco, which
nature, but lakes that are already eutrophicated are unable to clean    in turn produces the chemicals used by Vattenresurs to clean lakes.
themselves. And there’s an awful lot out there that needs to be done,”  This involves polyaluminium chloride, which is the same additive used
says Göran Andersson, Marketing Manager at Vattenresurs.                at regular water treatment plants. Aluminium binds to phosphorus
                                                                        and causes the phosphorus to clump together, or flocculate, to form
   Many of the lakes that were eutrophicated in the first half of the   something that looks like snowflakes. These settle on the bottom and
20th century still have algal blooms today, even though discharges      eventually mineralise to form bauxite, which is a naturally occurring
have decreased or stopped altogether. Eutrophicated lakes can           soil that contains aluminium.
suffer from something known as internal loading. This means that
phosphorus is released from the bottom sediment into the water and

                                                                                                                                                  23
   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28