Atmospheric aerosols are tiny particles suspended in the air that represent one of the greatest uncertainties in our knowledge about climate change. Earth system models are the scientists’ best tool to forecast future scenarios of climate change but they require accurate information to produce reliable predictions. Now a new study by researchers at the Department of Environmental Science and colleagues …
Interested in Masters studies in environmental science? Meet us at the Stochkolm University Masters Fair!
The Stockholm University Virtual Master’s Fair will take place on 18 November and is a unique opportunity to meet online with admissions representatives, students and alumni to learn more about our programmes, the application process, and to get your questions answered. Join us from wherever you are to learn more about our master’s programmes taught in English. The event is …

New study unravels potential new source of mercury-containing neurotoxin in oceans
Mercury is highly toxic to humans, where exposure can lead to, for example, developmental impairment among children, loss of motor function and senses, and even death. The most common route of mercury exposure is through ingestion of fish and seafood, in the form of monomethylmercury. Now, scientists at the Department of Environmental Science have discovered a pathway that could produce …
Bacterial community composition affects persistence of chemicals in aquatic sediments
Current methods for risk assessment of persistent chemicals in aquatic sediments do not take into account the effect of bacterial communities on degradation. Now, a new study by researchers at the Department of Environmental Science and international colleagues, published in Environmental Science and Technology shows that the composition of bacterial communities present in aquatic sediments influences how long chemicals can …
Christina Rudén selected advisor to EU on chemicals
Professor Christina Rudén at the Department of Environmental Science has been selected as an observer to CARACAL, an expert group under the European Commission. Stockholm University is the only academic organisation in this important advisory group on chemicals. “To now be able to closely follow the decision-making process in the EU, we can directly contribute to the discussions with scientific knowledge and …
Swedish-Russian expedition finds new hotspots of methane emissions in Siberian Arctic seabed
Twelve researchers from the Department of Environmental Science participate in the ISSS-2020 expedition on board a Russian research vessel to study the link between biogeochemical cycles and climate change. The international research team has recently observed emissions of methane gas from new systems in the Arctic seabed. Thawing permafrost and collapsing methane hydrates in the Siberian-Arctic coast could trigger increasing emissions …
Arctic Ocean sediments reveal permafrost thawing during past climate warming
Sea floor sediments of the Arctic Ocean can help scientists understand how permafrost responds to climate warming. A multidisciplinary team from Stockholm University has found evidence of past permafrost thawing during climate warming events at the end of the last ice age. Their findings, published in Science Advances, caution about what could happen in the near future: That Arctic warming …

Iodic acid may play pivotal role in Arctic cloud formation
An international team of scientists from the Department of Environmental Science and the Bolin Centre of Climate Research at Stockholm University, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), and the Paul Scherrer Institute’s Laboratory of Atmospheric Chemistry (PSI), both in Switzerland, has identified iodic acid as a novel driver of new aerosol particle formation in the Arctic during the …
Launch of Department’s New Seminar Series a Great Success
More than 250 participants from all over the world tuned in on September 17th to watch the first webinar in the new Seminar Series at the Department of Environmental Science. Co-organized together with the European Environmental Bureau and the PERFORCE3 European Training Network, the kick-off webinar on “PFAS and the Essential Use Concept” brought together experts from academia, industry, an NGO, …
Climate researchers on Swedish-Russian expedition to study greenhouse gases from sleeping giants of the Arctic
Thawing permafrost and collapsing methane hydrates, a.k.a the “sleeping giants” of the global carbon cycle, in the Siberian Arctic coastal regions can trigger the release of climate-warming gases. This autumn, twelve researchers from the Department of Environmental Science will join Swedish-Russian expedition ISSS-2020 onboard the Russian vessel Akademik Keldysh to look for answers to some of the most pressing questions …
Claudia Mohr receives prestigious award for outstanding research in Aerosol Science
Claudia Mohr, Assistant Professor at the Department of Environmental Science, is the co-recipient of the Schmauss Award 2020 of the German Association for Aerosol Research for her outstanding contributions to the understanding of atmospheric aerosol interactions and their impact on air quality and climate.According to the jury, Mohr’s work has advanced the understanding of aerosol composition, sources, and interactions as …
Priming effect of plant roots boosts carbon emissions from thawing permafrost
A key uncertainty in climate projections is the amount of carbon emitted by thawing permafrost in the Arctic. Plant roots in soil stimulate microbial decomposition, a mechanism called the priming effect. An international research team from Stockholm University, Umeå University and the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE) shows that the priming effect alone can cause …