Ut ur Östersjön genom vassen : beskrivning av övergödningsproblematiken samt optimering av en reningsmetod genom skörd av vattenväxter

Abstract: This study is based on AgroSeas business idea from environmental problems to valuable resource, with the objective to optimize a method to purify the already eutrophicated Baltic Sea by harvesting water plants, mainly reed. The nutrients will then be recirculated to arable land through residues from biogas production. The amount of nutrients that can be removed by harvesting the biomass depends on the amounts of biomass and the nutrient content of it, which in turn is strongly dependent on the nutrient concentration of the surrounding water. Vegetation suggested in the study for an effective nutrient uptake is helophytes: reed, cattails, reed canary grass, reed sweet grass in shallower water and lemnoideaes: duckweed and nymphaeids in the deeper parts. Competitive species has high purification ability but requires regular maintenance to avoid channeling and overgrowth. Regarding time and method of harvest, effectiveness may be improved by: harvesting plants above the water level and after flowering, a border is kept, harvesting twice a season, a bigger machine and a regular maintenance. This literature has illuminated a major environmental problem and it has been suggested optimizations for a method for cleaning the Baltic Sea through harvesting water plants, but to get a definite answer for the optimal method for each site tests should be carried out, this because many factors determine to what is suitable for each, specific environment.