The bedrock of southwestern Lapland, Kainuu and Oulu region naturally contains black shales and other rock and soil types containing sulphur and heavy metals. Land use, such as peatland drainage and infrastructure construction, exposes sulphur-containing rocks and soils to oxygen or surface water, leading to acidification, and dissolution and transport of harmful metals into waterways. Climate change increases these land use risks, as warming, increased precipitation and extreme weather events accelerate black shale-related acidification and the transport of harmful substances. Climate risks are reflected for example in drained peatland forests located in black shale areas, and in the consideration of their restoration in accordance with the EU Restoration Regulation (EU 2024/1991). The impact of climate change in black shale areas is an unexplored area and requires adaptation measures in planning and implementation of land use and restoration solutions. Preparation for the adverse effects of climate change in land use planning of black shale areas requires knowledge of their location and possible concentrations of harmful substances. The adverse effects of black shales and black shale impacted soils are currently assessed in various land use projects, in issuing environmental permits and in land use planning. Ability to distinguish areas where the risk of environmental deterioration is elevated should be a priority. However, there are currently no common guidelines for site-specific localization or risk assessment of black shales to guarantee uniform and reliable basis for decision-making and risk management that accounts for climate change. There is also relatively little monitoring data on their environmental impacts at different types of land use sites. The impacts can be assessed with geochemical research of soils and surface water, supplemented with studies of aquatic sediments, that reflect wide catchment areas and enable an impact assessment in the light of historical land use, which can be valuable when long-term or continuous monitoring of water quality has not been carried out. This project focuses on identifying the occurrence of black shales and determining their contaminant concentrations and acid production capacity in rock, soil and surface waters. In addition, the impact of contaminant sources originating from black shales on river and stream sediments and the leaching losses of suspended solids, nutrients and heavy metals from newly restored peatland forests and their retention capacity of constructed wetlands will be assessed. The methods used include targeted geophysical field measurements, surface geochemistry and sediment sampling and analysis experiments, and field and laboratory experiments on peatlands. The project will create operating models and develop cost-effective and appropriate methods that will help land use planners and operators to identify black shales and their environmental impacts and manage the risks arising from black shales in a changing climate. The results can be widely used in land use planning and land construction or land cultivation, as well as in national application of the EU Soil Health Law and in planning the implementation of the EU Restoration Regulation (EU 2024/1991). The project results and the resulting risk management guidelines will actively influence decision-making, regional planning and land use in the black shale areas, reducing adverse impacts on the environment, biota and people living in the areas. Part of the results is a risk management guideline that also takes into account the impact of climate change on the observed environmental and health risks and provides recommendations for avoiding potential adverse impacts from land use in the long term.
