CBH student awarded for Best degree project
The Trade Association Swedish Water (Svenskt Vatten) every year awards Best degree project within the area of water and wastewater. One of the winners 2022 is Louise Ulveland from the Degree programme in Chemical Engineering at CBH. She has studied how to measure algae bloom in water.
Every year, Swedish Water (Svenskt Vatten) awards prizes for best Degree project in the categories 15 and 30 credits. This is a way to increase the interest and status for the area water and wastewater. The prize is a scholarship of 25 000 and 12 500 SEK respectively.
The winner of 2022 in the category 15 credits is Louise Ulveland from the Degree Programme in Chemical Engineering at CBH. In her work Feasibility study for the implementation of algae cell monitoring in raw water using an optical sonde at the Görväln drinking-water treatment plant she has studied if it’s possible to measure the amount of algae cells at Görvälnverket drinking-water treatment plantin Jakobsberg.
Algae bloom is a big problem in Mälaren every year – and it’s something that will increase with the climate change. Algae bloom can cause problems for drinking water producers, when the water is purified. The algae can for example clog the filters, which means they have to be cleaned more often.
In her project, Louise Ulveland has looked at ways to use a sensor for early measurement of the amount of chlorophyll in the water through an automatic system. When the concentration of chlorophyll increases, the algae bloom is on its way and it’s possible to take necessary steps. Today, there are no reliable methods to measure the algae bloom.
The biggest threat with algae bloom are the cyanobacteria, since they can excrete different toxins. The next step could be to measure the actual cyanobacteria. They are not only a problem for the filters but can be dangerous for humans and animals.
Hear Louise talk about her work (in Swedish):
Text: Åsa Karsberg