Clean water is a crucially important natural resource in Finland. However, the aquatic ecosystems are threatened by climate change and increasing land use. The amount of nutrients and metals increase in the catchments, slowing down the organic matter decomposition and disrupting the aquatic biodiversity. This results in water brownification and threatens the quality of drinking water. There is an urgent need for sustainable and cost-effective water treatment solutions in the cold conditions of the Arctic. We aim to 1) test moss-microbe combinations for their metal and nutrient removal potential, 2) Understand the mechanism of phytoremediation of brownified water, and 3) Formulate recommendations and encourage stakeholders on using mosses in phytoremediation. We bring sustainable nature-based solutions for cleaning water contamination that results from climate change and intensive exploitation of nature at the Arctic.

2026

2027