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The utilization aspects of debarking residue originating from the debarking of roundwood at an integrated pulp and board mill complex were investigated from the point of view of utilization under Finnish legislation. In Finland, the landfill deposition of organic material was restricted in 2016. The very high total organic carbon value of 385 g kg−1 (d.w.) and the loss on ignition value of 91.0% (d.w.) of the studied debarking residue both exceeded the limit value of 10% for organic materials allowed to landfill at a conventional landfill in Finland. Therefore, this residue is not allowed to be sent for landfill disposal. Due to the low dry matter content of 27.5%, this residue is also uneconomic to incinerate. Therefore, other options than incineration or landfilling must be found for its management. Due to the low total heavy metal concentrations, which were lower than their current Finnish limit values for ash used as a forest fertilizer, this material is a potential industrial residue to be used, e.g. as a fertilizer or a soil amelioration agent. According to the sequential extraction procedure, heavy metals are tightly bound to the sample matrix and this supports the possible utilization of this residue. The total heavy metal concentrations in the debarking residue were lower than the current Finnish limit value for maximum allowable heavy metal concentrations for materials used as an earth construction agent. Therefore, this residue is also suitable for use for various landscaping purposes.

In this study, we have determined the main important physical and chemical properties as well as the heavy metal concentrations of the primary and secondary wastewater treatment sludge from a pulp and board mill complex located in Finland in order to evaluate the utilization of these by-products as a soil amendment agent or a fertilizer product. Easily soluble Ca, Mg, K, Na, P and S concentrations in the sludges were extracted by ammonium acetate (CH 3 COONH 4 ) and easily soluble Cu, Mn and Zn concentrations by CH 3 COONH 4 + Na 2 EDTA. For the determination of total nutrient and total heavy metal concentrations in sludges, they were digested using aqua regia (3 mL HCl + 9 mL HNO 3 ). The total heavy concentrations in the primary sludge were lower than the Finnish heavy metal limit values for fertilizer products. In the secondary sludge, all other total heavy metals than the total Cd concentration (4.8 mg/kg; d.w.) were lower than the heavy metal limit values for fertilizer products. Due to the low total heavy metal concentrations, which were lower than the Finnish limit values for fertilizer products, the primary sludge is a potential fertilizer. Although the total Cd concentration (4.8 mg/kg; d.w.) in the secondary sludge exceed the limit value of 1.5 mg/kg (d.w.) for fertilizer products, this residue may be used as a soil improver, a growing media or as a fertilizer product in landfill sites or in other closed industrial areas, because the Finnish limit values for fertilizer products are not applied at these sites.

In this study, we have determined the main important physical and chemical properties of municipal sewage sludge and compared them to the requirements of the Finnish Fertilizer Product Act and Fertilizer Product Decree in order to assess the potential utilization of this by-product as a fertilizer. Except for Hg (1.4 mg/kg d.m.), the total concentrations of Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, Cr and As in our sewage sludge were lower that the Finnish maximum permissible heavy metal concentrations for sewage sludge used as a fertilizer products. However, the sewage sludge may be utilized as a soil improver, a growing media or as a fertilizer product in landfill sites (e.g. surface structures) or in other closed industrial areas, because the above mentioned Finnish limit values are not applied at these sites. If the sewage sludge is to be utilized in these kinds of areas, an environmental permit may be needed. According to BCR-extraction, the lowest release potential (solubility) from the sample matrix was observed for sulphur (58.4 %) and the highest for Cd (100 %).

Finland launched a new Government Decree, the so-called MARA-regulation, on the utilization of certain wastes in earth construction on 1.1.2018. This statutory regulation sets limit values for the solubility of heavy metals (Sb, As, Ba, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Mo, Ni, Se, Zn, V, Hg), chloride, sulphate, fluoride and dissolved organic carbon, as well as for organic substance (petroleum hydrocarbons, benzene, naphthalene, TEX (toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene), PAH-, phenolic- and PCB-compounds). In this case study, the concentrations of these harmful substances in the used traction sand collected in the city of Kemi, Northern Finland, were lower than their limit values set in the MARA-regulation. Therefore, this residue is a potential material to be used at earth construction sites such as in roads and roadways, in field and embankment structures, as well as in floor structures of industrial or storage buildings. However, if the used traction sand is to be utilized for these kinds of civil engineering purposes, an environmental permit is still needed because this material is not yet included in the scope of the MARA-regulation. This paper also gives an overview of the relevant Finnish environmental legislation on the utilization of wastes as an earth construction material.

The bottom ash and fly ash from the co-combustion of wood residues and peat at a bubbling fluidised bed boiler (296 MW) contained only quartz (SiO 2 ), microcline (KAlSi 3 O 8 ) and albite (NaAlSi 3 O 8 ). Thus, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) was not useful for clarifying the difference in the release of associated heavy metals from ash matrices. In order to assess the release of heavy metals from ashes under changing environmental conditions, they were sequentially extracted and fractionated by the BCR-procedure into acid soluble/exchangeable (CH 3 COOH), reducible (NH 2 OH–HCl) and oxidizable (H 2 O 2 /CH 3 COONH 4 ) phases. The CH 3 COOH extractable fraction in conjunction with the total heavy metals concentrations were used to calculate the risk assessment code values for heavy metals leaching from the ash matrix. The leaching studies indicate that the heavy metals in the bottom ash and fly ash are bound to different fractions with different strengths. From the environmental and utilization perspectives, heavy metals in ashes posed different levels of environmental contamination risk. Only As in the bottom ash posed a very high risk. High risk metals were Cd in the bottom ash as well as As, Cd and Se in the fly ash.

This study assesses the policy/legal status of both multistream residues and potential secondary products ('symbiosis products') and whether there could be environmental benefits associated with the utilization of residues from integrated pulp and paper and carbon steel mills as raw materials for such secondary products. Waste-related European Union (EU) and Finnish policy and legal instruments were reviewed to identify potential constraints for, and suggested next steps in, the development of potential process industry residue-based symbiosis products. The products were soil amendment pellets, low-grade concrete, and mine filler. A global warming potential (GWP) assessment and an exergy analysis were applied to these potential symbiosis products. Some indicative GWP calculations of greenhouse gas emissions associating similar and/or analogous products based on virgin primary raw materials, more energy-intensive processes, and the alternative treatment of these residues as wastes are also presented. This study addresses GWP, exergy, and legal aspects in a holistic manner to determine the potential environmental benefits of secondary products within the EU legal framework. The GWP assessment and exergy analysis indicate that the utilization of multistream residues causes very low environmental burdens in terms of GWP. The utilization option can have potential environmental benefits in terms of GWP through process replacement and avoided landfilling and waste treatment impacts, as well as potentially through emission reductions from product replacement if suitable and safe applications can be identified. Waste regulation does not define the legal requirements under which utilizing residues in such novel concepts as introduced in this study would be possible, nor how waste status could be removed and product-based legislation be applied to the potential products instead. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The most important driver for management is successful business that increases its value to shareholders. The adoption of environmentally responsible business practices can open up an additional range of opportunities for companies, for example by improving material efficiency. The choice to improve environmental performance of a company tends to also improve its financial performance. In this paper, our aim is to study the value of sustainability in process and mining industry from the perspective of interest groups such as investors, customers and the public, by using case examples. Interviews and workshops were employed to investigate whether or not investors and customers are interested in sustainability in the process and mining industries. We also illustrate how easy it can be to jeopardize corporate reputation through. The present situation and challenges faced in bringing sustainability into everyday business practices are summarized and proposals made concerning ways to achieve increased sustaina...

Sustainability has become a major focus area within forest products industry. The European operational environment and national environmental steering in EU member states highlight the importance of sustainable development and the development of associated new management approaches to promote sustainability. This article reviews some key elements of sustainability management, covering examples of both Finnish forest products industry initiatives and public environmental steering at the European level. An assessment is made of the current situation and an outline of a future outlook for sustainability management, with special emphasis on bridging the gap between industry initiatives and environmental steering in the form of legislation, policies and strategies at the EU level. This study applied a hybrid approach comprising a review of EU sustainability initiatives, a policy and legal review and a questionnaire survey of forest industry actors. The results of the future outlook indicate that energy efficiency is perceived to be the most important focus area in addition to e.g. environmental and waste management and recycling. Less than half of the companies aim at applying sustainability management. Life-cycle management is also considered to be important whereas product-based approaches, climate change and local industrial symbiosis receive very little attention. All responding companies aim to integrate the principles of sustainability into their operations and most companies consider that life-cycle thinking, management and assessment are useful for them. Energy efficiency is identified as the most important focus area with energy and materials efficiency seen as the most crucial factors for the achievement of responsible competitive advantage and building of sustainable value-added. The findings indicate that sustainability and life-cycle management are not receiving enough management focus at the moment and neither is the industry receiving enough guidance at either the EU level or via national steering and regulatory frameworks.

The sustainable utilisation of natural resources requires a new focus on optimal material cycles and material efficiency. Recycling and sustainable industrial development through improved process design are therefore key in this context. In this study, we assessed the potential barriers within the Finnish legal framework regarding the development of novel residue-based industrial symbiosis products. A review is also made of the UK based Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) and Finnish MOTIVA initiatives both of which aim at promoting sustainable and efficient use of materials focussing on the examination of End of Waste (EoW) approaches and quality protocols that guide residue recovery. The research approach was based on both legal review and analysis of relevant policy instruments. The research material includes interviews of actors in both operations and environmental management in various process industry companies in Finland. An industrial symbiosis case study is presented based on previous research and close collaboration between the metals and forest products process industry. The main research question is “does EU policy and the legal framework at the national level create barriers to the development of innovative residue based symbiosis products despite the fact that achievement of the stated goals of ‘recycling society’ and ‘sustainable industry’ require sustainable use of natural resources and high level of material efficiency such as enhanced waste utilisation and prevention?” The results suggest that an innovative approach to environmental permitting and a comprehensive approach to recycling, encompassing new quality and environmental compliance criteria for certain recycled materials, should receive more focus in future decision-making. Material and energy efficiency, as well as life-cycle and systems thinking are all found to be essential elements of this new approach to inter-industrial residues streams. We find that the institutional status of one of our case study products in particular (a fertiliser product, based on multiple residue stream derived raw materials), should be clarified. This paper focuses on Finnish domestic framework issues. It is continuation of the article Watkins et al. (2013) Overcoming institutional barriers in the development of novel process industry residue based novel symbiosis products – case study at the EU level. However, it can be read as an individual research paper.

The development of novel symbiosis products based on primary industrial residues in accordance with the systemic approaches of Industrial Ecology (IE) and Industrial Symbiosis (IS) has significant potential to increase the environmental performance of process industry, including more material and energy efficient processes and with lower environmental impacts. What is more, functionally innovative symbiosis products have the potential to promote residue utilisation and recovery and to prevent or reduce waste generation in line with the EU level ‘recycling society’ concept. However, successful product development requires an enabling institutionally aligned environmental approach that includes appropriate market incentives and regulatory instruments. This paper aims to identify the possible institutional barriers in the EU legal framework that have to be addressed to promote the development of such primary residue based process industry symbiosis products, with thorough consideration of full product life-cycles. Recommendations for overcoming these barriers and on the design of new approaches that support industrial symbiosis and contribute to progress towards sustainable societies are also outlined. These include enhanced focus on creating an enabling institutional environment for industrial innovations and the promotion of material efficiency through incentives policies and regulations, as well as soft law guidance on novel uses of materials and closure of resource cycles. Making a wider system more sustainable on an eco-efficiency basis also calls the definition of system boundaries into question. Applying a systemic approach, such as that offered by both IE and IS, which cover sustainability and recycling to achieve more resource efficient systems, appears to offer a way forward. We argue that the development of process industry residue based products can be significantly promoted and advanced by co-operative and joint design of appropriate incentives, policies and regulations. A major question is whether the REACH Regulation would apply to residue based symbiosis products if their creation makes them no longer legally classified as waste under end-of-waste legislation. We use a synthetic symbiosis product group concept based on the utilisation of steel, paper and pulp process industry primary residues as a case study to assess the development potential of such products against legal requirements and policy objectives.

Inter-industry utilization of solid residues for soil amendment was investigated by combining desulphurization slag, fly ash, paper mill sludge and lime waste arising within the steel, pulp and paper industries. Manufactured sample analysis included relevant physicochemical properties, easily available plant nutrient concentrations and trace element availability (CH 3 COOH, NH 2 OH·HCl, H 2 O 2 + CH 3 COONH 4 , HCl + HNO 3 ) with respective pseudo-total concentrations according to USEPA 3051A (HCl + HNO 3 ). Additionally, the relevant regulatory framework is discussed with respect to inter-industry residue utilization as opposed to disposal. Based on the acquired data, the attained soil amendment shows promise in the replacement of commercial liming materials (neutralizing value 38.3% Ca equivalents, d.w.). Additionally, as attested by the sequential extraction procedure and respective pseudo-total concentration determination, the pseudo-total concentrations of regulated trace elements were lower than the Finnish statutory limit values for fertilizers ( Decree on Fertilizer Products 24/11 ) and the European limit values for awarding the Community eco-label for soil improvers ( Commission Decision, 2006/799/EC ). Only Ba and V showed potential availability (Ba, 85.4 mg kg −1 , d.w., by CH 3 COOH; and V, 54.4 mg kg −1 , d.w., by NH 2 OH·HCl) under natural conditions. However, the industrial residues used in the proposed soil amendment are defined as waste in accordance with the Waste Framework Directive (2008/98/EC) . The feasibility of utilizing the material is also influenced by the prerequisites for losing this waste status and for applying product based legislation to the potential product instead. European Union's waste policy is built on the waste hierarchy which strongly supports recycling and re-use of waste materials, but innovative material and product solutions, such as the proposed soil amendment, may face a challenge under the waste-stream based regulatory regime. Enabling such residue utilization would, from a life-cycle perspective, improve the material efficiency of industrial processes and contribute to the sustainable use of natural resources.

The long-term goal of the European Union is to become a recycling society that uses waste as a resource ( COM, 2005 , p. 666). The basic objectives of current EU waste policy are to prevent waste and promote re-use, recycling and recovery so as to reduce negative environmental impact. In this paper we focus on drivers and barriers for increasing material efficiency by using industrial by-products instead of raw material. Environmental legislation, which includes both traditional categories such as environmental protection, pollution control, environmental assessment and waste, and new categories such as emissions trading, is one of the main drivers in improving material efficiency, but it may also become one of the main barriers (2008/98/EC). We find that the most important barriers for environmentally friendly innovations seem to be the cost of investment and the high risk involved in committing capital to unproven technology. Other drivers, like corporate social responsibility, stakeholder pressure and general public pressure, will also affect the final decision. The EU encourages member states to increase the use of a combination of regulatory and economic instruments. An important mental barrier is still the lack of realisation that there is an opportunity to choose, and that there is no obligatory need for a change and no sanctions for operating in a traditional way. Such a realisation might only come from legislation.

In Finland, the new limit values of total heavy metal, polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), as well as the extractable heavy metal, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), fluoride, sulphate, and chloride concentrations for bed sand material used as an earth construction agent came into force in June 2009. The total heavy metal (i.e. Cd, Cu, Pb, Cr, Zn, As, V, Ba and Mo) concentrations in the studied bed sand material were clearly lower than the current Finnish limit values for the maximum allowable heavy metal concentrations for materials used as an earth construction agent. However, the extractable concentration of Ba (24.6 mg kg −1 ; d.w.) in the bed sand material exceeded the limit value for covered structures (20 mg kg −1 ; d.w.). However, in Finland, the competent environmental authority may relax the maximum limit values up to 30% in certain circumstances. Therefore, if, the environmental authority relaxes the maximum limit value for the extractable concentration of Ba by up to 30% to the value of 26 mg kg −1 (d.w.) for covered structures, the extractable concentration of Ba (24.6 mg kg −1 ; d.w.) in the bed sand material is below this relaxation.

The utilization of solid residues allows industry to reduce and recycle waste materials and produce beneficial by-products. The total heavy metal concentrations in slaker grits originating ...

The total and size fractionated concentrations of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn in bottom ash and two fly ash fractions from a large-sized (246 MW) fluidized bed boiler were compared to Finnish statutory limit values for forest fertilizers, which came into force in March 2007. Fly ashes were sampled from the different fields (i.e. electrodes) of the electrostatic precipitator (ESP) unit treating the stack gases. The bottom ash and the fly ash from the first ESP field are suitable for use a forest fertilizer. Due to the elevated As concentration (40 mg/kg; d.w.), which exceeded its Finnish limit value of 30 mg/kg (d.w.), the fly ash from the second ESP field is not suitable as a forest fertilizer alone. The results of ash sieving indicated that an As concentration of 40 mg/kg (d.w.) for particle size less than 0.125 mm for fly ash 2 from the second ESP electrode field exceeded the As limit value of 30 mg/kg (d.w.). In addition, a Pb concentration of 170 mg/kg (d.w.) for fly ash 1 from the first ESP electrode field for particle size 0.5–2.0 mm exceeded the Pb limit value of 150 mg/kg (d.w.). These two specific fractions are therefore not suitable for used as a forest fertilizer alone.

Investment in environmental protection, in connection with all productive investments in industrial processes and plants, is obligatory and routine in industrialized and high-income countries. The quality of the environmental regulatory system, including regulatory stringency, has been found to have a connection with national wealth. In this study, the relationships between environmental performance, the cost of environmental protection and the wealth of nations are examined by using international statistics on industry, economics and the environment. Environmental performance is studied using data on emissions of organic water pollutants resulting from industrial activities as well as the investments and current expenditure on wastewater management in selected countries. Variations in environmental performance discovered among countries are both absolute and relative with respect to the level of expected BOD intensity based on the wealth of these countries. The costs of wastewater management to Finnish industry are presented. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.

In this study, the physical and chemical properties of bottom ash and fly ash originating from the co-combustion of biomass-derived fuels (i.e. wood chips, sawdust, bark, and peat) from a 32 MW fluidized bed boiler at a municipal district heating plant were investigated. Silicate minerals were predominant in the bottom ash and calcium minerals in the fly ash, with most of the inorganic nutrients and heavy metals being enriched in the fly ash. The enrichment factors for heavy metals in the fly ash varied between 0.2 for silicon and 16.3 for lead, and for plant nutrients, between 1.5 for phosphorous and 108 for potassium. However, all heavy metal concentrations in both the bottom ash and fly ash were significantly lower than the current Finnish limit for maximum allowable heavy metal concentrations for forest fertilizers, which came into force in March 2007. According to the particle size distribution, the mass loadings of heavy metals in the fly ash were more than 90% contributed by the smallest particle size fraction lower than 0.074 mm. In the bottom ash, between 83.6 and 91.9% of the mass loadings of heavy metals were contributed by the particle size fraction between 0.5 and 2.0 mm.

Trace element speciation of an integrated soil amendment matrix was studied with a modified BCR sequential extraction procedure. The analysis included pseudo-total concentration determinations according to USEPA 3051A and relevant physicochemical properties by standardized methods. Based on the results, the soil amendment matrix possessed neutralization capacity comparable to commercial fertilizers. Additionally, the pseudo-total concentrations of all trace elements included in the Finnish regulation for agricultural fertilizers were lower than the respective statutory limit values. According to chemical speciation, the lability of trace elements increased in the following order: Hg < Cr < Co < Cu < As < Zn < Ni < Pb < Cd < V < Mo < Ba. The validity of the BCR approach as a tool for chemical speciation was confirmed by the additional acid digestion phase. 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Industrial residue application to soil was investigated by integrating granulated blast furnace or converter steel slag with residues from the pulp and paper industry in various formulations. Specimen analysis included relevant physicochemical properties, total element concentrations (HCl+HNO3 digestion, USEPA 3051) and chemical speciation of chosen heavy metals (CH3COOH, NH2OH·HCl and H2O2+H2O2+CH3COONH4, the BCR method). Produced matrices showed liming effects comparable to commercial ground limestone and included significant quantities of soluble vital nutrients. The use of converter steel slag, however, led to significant increases in the total concentrations of Cr and V. Subsequently, total Cr was attested to occur as Cr(III) by Na2CO3+NaOH digestion followed by IC UV/VIS-PCR (USEPA 3060A). Additionally, 80.6% of the total concentration of Cr (370 mg kg(-1), d.w.) occurred in the residual fraction. However, 46.0% of the total concentration of V (2470 mg kg(-1), d.w.) occurred in the easily reduced fraction indicating potential bioavailability.

Aim: The non-process elements (NPEs) in slaker grits, which are solid residues from the causticizing process of a pulp mill, were sequentially extracted with water (H2O), ammonium-acetate (CH3COONH4) and hydrochloride acid (HCl) in order to evaluate their mobile forms and their release potential from the sample matrix under changing environmental conditions. Materials and Methods: The slaker grits investigated in this study were sampled on November 2013 from a sulfate (kraft) pulp mill located in Finland. The slaker grits were extracted as follows: (1) once in 30-50 mL ultra-pure H2O for 24 h under stirring (65 rpm), (2) 3 times in 3 mL × 25 mL 1.0 M CH3COONH4 (aq) for 3 h ×24 h under stirring, and (3) twice in 2 mL × 25 mL 1.0 M HCl (aq) for 2 h ×24 h under stirring and heating (80°C). Results: Compared with the total NPE concentrations, the efficiencies of H2O in extracting S (6020 mg/kg; dry weight [d.w.]) and Na (17200 mg/kg; d.w.) were highest, being 92.6% and 88.7%, respectively. Compared with the total NPE concentrations, the efficiencies of CH3COONH4 in extracting Mg (4010 mg/kg; d.w.) and B (5.0 mg/kg; d.w.) were highest, being 39.7% and 31.3%, respectively. Conclusion: From the environmental and utilization perspectives the greatest hazards to the environment are those metals, which leach out as a result of contact with H2O or CH3COONH4. Therefore, it is worth noting the ability of H2O and CH3COONH4 to release high concentrations of alkali metals (Na, K), alkaline earth metals (Mg, Ca), and sulfur (S) from slaker grits, and the need to apply for an environmental permit if this residue is to be utilized.

Aim: The non-process elements (NPEs) or more correctly inorganic process contaminants are compounds that are not necessary for the chemistry of kraft pulping, e.g. heavy metals. The aim of this study was to determine the extractability of NPEs in the slaker grits using artificial sweat and gastric fluids to assess the potential occupational risk from grits handling. Methods: The slaker grits investigated in this study were sampled in November 2013 from the outlet of the causticizing process at a pulp mill located in Finland. The bio-accessible concentrations of NPEs in the slaker grits were determined using their solubility (extractability) in synthetic sweat (pH = 6.4) and gastric (pH = 1.5) fluids. Results: The highest bio-accessible concentration of non-process elements (NPEs) in the synthetic sweat fluid was observed for Al (14.0 mg/kg; d.w.), and in the synthetic gastric fluid for Al (4920 mg/kg; d.w.) and Ba (163 mg/kg; d.w.). If we disregard the NPEs whose concentrations were lower than the detection limits, the synthetic gastric fluid was able to release between 42.6% (Pb) and 81.8% (Ni) of the total element concentrations of NPEs in the slaker grits. Conclusion: We conclude that due to the very high bio-accessible concentration of certain NPEs in the synthetic gastric fluid, it is necessary to prevent the ingestion and penetration of slaker grits particles across the human gastrointestinal tract.

Inter-industrial utilisation of solid residues for soil amendment was investigated by combining secondary steel mill slags with residuals from a pulp and paper mill. Sample analysis included mineralogical characterisation by X-ray diffraction, relevant physicochemical properties and trace element availability by the original three-stage sequential BCR extraction procedure (CH3COOH, NH2OH·HCl and H2O2 + CH3COONH4) and residual fraction determination by acid digestion (USEPA 3051A). Respectively, the pseudo-total concentrations of trace elements were determined according to USEPA method 3051A. Consequently, the alkalinity of the samples (pH values 12.1–12.2) suggests significant buffering and acid neutralisation capacity with liming effect values (34.9%–35.6%, Ca-equivalents, d.w.) comparable to commercial ground limestone. This was supported by XRD, which only revealed the existence of portlandite [Ca(OH)2] an calcite [CaCO3]. Additionally, the pseudo-total concentrations of trace elements were lower than the respective limit values for EU soil improvers (2006/799/EC). However, Ba and V recovery during sequential extraction (Ba: 40.1–56.0 mg·kg–1, d.w., by CH3COOH; and V: 72.2–96.5 mg·kg–1, d.w., by NH2OH·HCl) indicates potential phytoavailability.

The total heavy metal concentrations in the slaker grits were clearly lower than current Finnish limit values for fertilisers used in agriculture and in forestry. This result, together with the strongly alkaline pH (13), the elevated total calcium concentration (331 g kg−1; d.w.), the existence of calcite (CaCO3), as well as the neutralising value of 39.4-% (Ca equivalents, d.w.), according to which, 0.96 tonnes of slaker grits would be required to replace 1 tonne of a commercial ground limestone product, indicate that the slaker grits are a potential fertiliser and liming agent material for use in agriculture and forestry.

A more holistic approach to the utilisation of process industry residues is a major theme of current research. The beneficial utilisation of industrial residues, as a logical step towards the goal of sustainability through sustainable development, is crystallised within the concept of industrial symbiosis (IS). The reduction of environmental impacts, including CO2 emissions from industrial production by encouraging the utilisation of raw materials and process residues with smaller emission footprints is a current mitigation option. Through the lens of materials flow systems thinking provided by industrial symbiosis, we have arrived at fruitful research opportunities in steel, pulp and paper mill waste, by-product and residues' utilisation that can enhance the development of larger and more diverse industrial symbiosis systems. We present a literature review and rationale for the inter-industry utilisation of residues between the steel, pulp and paper sectors, proposing a spectrum of residue-based product concepts for further research.

A teacher guide incorporating objectives, learner practice, and assessment was developed for use with an existing instructional booklet on electricity. Eight classes of fourth graders were randomly assigned by class to one of two conditions: the booklet taught by teachers using their own teaching styles or using the objectives-based guide. Mean pretest scores of the two groups were comparable. Posttest means were 15.28 (76 percent) for objectives-based subjects and 10.29 (51 percent) for those under the more traditional instruction,t(126)=8.11,p