Publications
NIBIOs employees contribute to several hundred scientific articles and research reports every year. You can browse or search in our collection which contains references and links to these publications as well as other research and dissemination activities. The collection is continously updated with new and historical material.
2026
Abstract
Fish sludge (faeces and fish residues from farmed fish) is currently not permitted as an ingredient in CE-marked fertilising products under the EU Fertilising Product Regulation No. 2019/2009 (FPR). This report provides the scientific basis for a potential proposal to include fish sludge in the FPR by 1) summarising existing knowledge on contaminant levels and the agronomic efficiency, and 2) identifying knowledge gaps. The legal status of fish sludge under the Animal by-products regulation (EU) No. 1069/2009 (ABP) has to be clarified first but is outside the scope of the report. Most available data on fish sludge originate from land-based Atlantic salmon production in Norway. A major knowledge gap is therefore the lack of data on contaminant levels and the agronomic efficiency of fish sludge from sea-based systems, as well as from other countries and aquaculture species. With respect to contaminant levels in fish sludge from land-based smolt systems in Norway, additional data are required for hexavalent chromium, inorganic arsenic, pharmaceuticals, and certain pesticides. The agronomic efficiency of fish sludge from land-based smolt systems in Norway is relatively well documented.
Authors
Getachew Birhanu AberaAbstract
Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a biological process where microorganisms degrade organic waste under anaerobic condition and produce biogas consisting of 50–75% methane (CH4), 25–50% carbon dioxide (CO2), and other trace gases. However, the presence of non-methane gases reduces the heating value of biogas and impurities, such as H2S, reduces its desirability. To improve the quality, biomethanation could upgrade biogas via converting CO2 using green hydrogen (H2) into additional CH4 by the action of methanogenic archaea. Despite this potential, the presence of process inhibitors like H2S and NH3-N can impact the efficiency of this environmentally friendly method. To address this challenge, the application of biofilm has emerged as a promising approach to improve system performance and stability under varying operational parameters and inhibitory conditions. For instance, a case study from a Norwegian full-scale biofilm plug flow reactor (BPFR) included in this study demonstrated the potential of biofilm-based AD in maintaining stable CH4 yield, even under a higher FOS/TAC ratio of greater than 0.4 and NH3-N concentration of 5500 ppm. Based on this foundation, this PhD study investigated the impact of H2S and NH3-N on biomethanation and the role of biofilm-based biomethanation in mitigating these effects.
Authors
Gunhild Bødtker Claire Coutris Eva Marie-Louise Denison Barbara Alexandra Bukhvalova Åsa Frostegård Erik J. Joner Bjørn Tore Lunestad Kaare Magne Nielsen Pål Trosvik Siamak Pour Yazdankhah Elisabeth Henie MadslienAbstract
There is an increasing global production and demand for biodegradable plastics. But there are still many uncertainties about how and to what extent these plastics degrade and their environmental impacts. To gain a better understanding of these aspects, the Scientific Committee for Food and Environment (VKM) has conducted a self-initiated scoping review of existing scientific literature on biodegradable plastics and their environmental impacts. VKM has specifically focused on studies that are relevant to Norwegian and Nordic conditions. The first literature search (June 2024) revealed 2428 international research studies, including primary studies and systematic and non-systematic review articles. The primary studies were divided into three categories: materials, microbiology and ecotoxicology, based on the main focus of the studies. From each category, a quarter of the primary studies and non-systematic review articles were randomly selected for full text analysis. A total of 168 articles were included in the final mapping. A new literature search (October 2025), with a focus on Nordic research and particularly Norwegian conditions, revealed 178 articles, of which 19 were subject to further analysis. The most studied types of biodegradable plastics were polylactic acid (PLA), polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) and polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT). Many of the studies focused on the degradation process of biodegradable mulch film used in agriculture, and how their use affects the environmental conditions in agricultural soils. Most studies reported incomplete degradation during the trial period, which underlines the concern for accumulation of plastic material with repeated use. Other studies simulated different pollution scenarios, such as lost fishing gear, an area that has received attention in recent Nordic studies. Ecotoxicological effects of biodegradable plastics were often only observed at concentrations far above those expected to occur in natural environments. There were indications that effects observed in soil and aquatic ecosystems could just as well be indirect, resulting from changes in physical and chemical properties of soil and water. In general, the effects of biodegradable plastics are comparable to those of conventional (micro)plastics in both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. However, there were studies that suggest that biodegradable plastics are more toxic than conventional plastics under specific conditions, such as after UV exposure, or for certain test organisms. Testing the ecotoxicity of commercial biodegradable plastics was complicated by the lack of transparency about their chemical composition. Only a minority of studies investigated the ecotoxicity of chemical substances leaching from plastic materials, and the results reported were inconsistent. There is a lack of studies that combined degradation studies with toxicological effects. This knowledge gap has also been pointed out in systematic review articles. The review revealed several weaknesses in the existing research, related to study design, analytical methods, definitions and terminology. Current research practice provides many individual studies that are difficult to compare. Thus, they provide limited insight into how degradation and environmental impact occur over time, and in different environments. The review points to the need for strengthened and standardized research, so that the knowledge base becomes more robust and a better understanding of the environmental impact of plastics over time and in different environments can be gained.
2025
Abstract
presentation Sludge network meeting, 2025
Authors
Mette Thomsen Liina Edesi Cecilie Thonar Marta Aranguren Margot Dulais Cagri Akyol Jingsi Zhang Astrid Solvåg NesseAbstract
Presentaion at SEA2LAND -NOVAFERT Final Conference 5 June 2025
Authors
Aasim M. Ali Are Sæle Bruvold Astrid Solvåg Nesse Charlotte L. Nakken Roland Peter Kallenborn Monica Sanden Christopher P. Higgins Stig ValdersnesAbstract
To achieve a circular bioeconomy, nutrients within residues such as food waste (FW) and sewage sludge (SS) must be recycled to e.g., food production. However, these biowastes often contain numerous contaminants which are recycled alongside the nutrients. Identifying these contaminants is crucial to prevent potential harmful effects when residues from circular processes, including biogas digestates, are utilized as fertilizers or soil amendments in agriculture. In this study, suspect and nontarget screening was used to comprehensively assess contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) and their transformation products (TPs) in biogas digestates derived from FW and SS. A total of 133 CECs and five TPs were tentatively identified, including 61 pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), eight pesticides, and 64 industrial chemicals, with 44 of these CECs confirmed using analytical standards. Concentrations ranged from low μg kg−1 dry matter (DM) to several hundred mg kg−1 DM. SS based digestates were found to be more heavily contaminated with industrial chemicals and PPCPs, while FW based digestates contained higher levels of pesticides. These findings highlight the importance of stringent contaminant surveillance to ensure the safe agricultural application of biogas digestates and to mitigate potential risks associated with the recycling of organic residues.
Authors
Begum BilgicAbstract
The work was funded by the Research Council of Norway through grants 257622 (Bio4Fuels) and 319723 (BioSynGas)
Authors
Zahra Bitarafan Wiktoria Kaczmarek-Derda Rafael de Andrade Moral Pierre-Adrien Rivier Therese With Berge Christian AndreasenAbstract
Weed seeds are potential contaminants of composts derived from biowastes. We assessed the effect of steam treatment alone and in combination with composting on the mortality of barnyardgrass [ Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) P. Beauv.] seeds in a biowaste substrate consisting of a mixture of onion ( Allium spp.) waste (60%), horse ( Equus spp.) manure (20%), and wood shavings (20%). In the first study, seeds of six populations of E. crus-galli exposed to temperatures ranging from ca. 60 to 99 C followed by a 3-min residence time exhibited a decline in seed germination from approximately 25% to 0%. The E. crus-galli populations varied greatly in germinability and responded differently to high temperatures. Samples with lower germinability as assessed in controls were killed at lower temperatures than samples with higher initial germinability. However, to ensure an almost 100% kill of all seeds in the populations, a mean temperature of 100 C was necessary. In another study, seed germination was assessed after steaming the biowaste mixture to a mean temperature of about 60 C and subsequently composting. A short steaming period of the biowaste mixture at approximately 60 C before composting was unnecessary, as all composted seed samples, including the non-steamed control seeds, died during the composting process.
Authors
Thiago Inagaki Junbin Zhao Claire Douheret Pierre-Adrien Rivier Jihong Liu Clarke Nicholas ClarkeAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Abstract
No abstract has been registered