@misc{10481/96416,
year = {2007},
url = {https://hdl.handle.net/10481/96416},
abstract = {The RAMAS Project has investigated the occurrence of arsenic in the Tampere re-
gion (Pirkanmaa) and has endeavored to assess the potentially arising health and eco-
logical risks in regional scale, followed by the presentation of recommendations for the
preventive and remediation actions. The three-year project (2004-2007) received  nancial
support from the LIFE Environment -program. The implementing partners were the
Geological Survey of Finland, the Helsinki University of Technology, the Pirkanmaa
Regional Environment Centre, the Finnish Environment Institute, the Agrifood Research
Finland, Esko Rossi Oy and Kemira Kemwater.
As a part of the work the project has mapped the areas where the natural arsenic con-
centrations are elevated in bedrock, the soil cover or in ground water and surface waters.
Also arsenic contents in arable land, crops, and in some wild berries and mushrooms were
studied. Correspondingly, the most important potential anthropogenic sources have been
located and evaluated.
As to the health risk, the potable water from drilled wells turned out to be the main
exposure route. The exposure for arsenic was demonstrated in the biomonitoring study.
Arsenic concentrations in urine were clearly elevated among those households using
arsenic-bearing well water. Additionally, an epidemiological survey showed that certain
cancer types linked to arsenic are statistically more frequent in those areas where the
limit of arsenic in well waters is commonly exceeded. Many of the local municipali-
ties have made major efforts to extend the public water supply network to the areas suf-
fering from elevated arsenic concentrations. This work is very important and should be
continued. Arsenic is not a problem in arable lands and also the intake of plants seems
to be very low. However, it is less appreciated that locally both the till cover and bed-
rock in the region may contain naturally high arsenic concentrations. The most important
anthropogenic arsenic sources in the region include few wood treatment plants, which
have utilized copper-chromium-arsenic solutions in their production and closed sulphide
mine sites.
The environmental and ecological risks related to the various arsenic sources have been
evaluated and the targets requiring remediation measures most urgently have been identi-
 ed. It is evident that preventive decisions made already during the planning phases of
land use are the most effective risk management.
The zone of naturally enriched arsenic extends southwards from the Tampere Region,
through the Province of Häme towards the metropolitan area of Helsinki. Therefore, the
work carried out will also bene t other parts of Finland. The Project outcome has been
presented in numerous conferences held in Europe as well. Since arsenic is known to be a
much more severe health and environmental problem in many other EU countries, such as
Hungary and Romania, the risk management procedure developed in the RAMAS Project
is expected to rise interest in other EU countries as well.
The RAMAS Project has published several reports and risk area maps, which can be
downloaded from the project’s website: www.gsf. /projects/ramas.},
organization = {RAMAS (LIFE04 ENV/FI/000300) is a three-year project, which is jointly funded by the LIFE
ENVIRONMENT – program, by the beneficiary, the Geological Survey of Finland (GTK), and by
the partners: the Helsinki University of Technology (TKK), the Pirkanmaa Regional Environment
Center (PREC), the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE), the Agrifood Research Finland (MTT),
Esko Rossi Oy (ER) and Kemira Kemwater (Kemira).},
keywords = {environmental geology},
keywords = {arsenic},
keywords = {soil pollution},
keywords = {water pollution},
keywords = {wood preservatives},
keywords = {shooting ranges},
keywords = {mines},
keywords = {tailings},
keywords = {leaching},
keywords = {stream sediments},
keywords = {lake sediments},
keywords = {ecotoxicity},
keywords = {waste management},
keywords = {Pirkanmaa},
keywords = {Finland},
title = {Arseeni Pirkanmaalla - esiintyminen, riskinarviointi ja riskinhallinta (Summary and conclusions in English: Arsenic in the Pirkanmaa region in Finland: Occurrence in the Environment, Risk Assessment and Risk Management. Final results of the RAMAS project)},
author = {Loukola-Ruskeeniemi, Kirsti and Ruskeeniemi, Timo and Parviainen, Annika Jenni Johana and Backman, Birgitta},
}