Unravelling the legacy of historical, emerging, and future groundwater pollution to the coastal ocean
The project investigates long-term groundwater pollution from legacy sources of nutrients and pollutants and related coastal water pollution through submarine groundwater discharge.
The aim is to reveal whether coastal groundwater is being continuously polluted and in turn drives considerable seepage of nutrients and pollutants out to coastal waters along shorelines, leading to water quality issues in the coastal ocean at large scales, such as at Baltic Sea and pan-European scale. This research will bridge disciplines to challenge common assumptions about the sources of chemical pollution to coastal waters, using an innovative combination of novel geochemical tracer techniques, laboratory investigations and advanced modelling. The project outcomes will be important for developing large-scale pollutant and nutrient budgets and models, which are required for the creation of effective management solutions in iconic Baltic and European coastal waterways experiencing persistent, unresolved water quality issues.
Project period
2023–2028
Funding
Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation
Contact persons
