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Li PC, Shih HC, Ma HW. Applying probabilistic material flow analysis for quality control and management of waste recycling in steelmaking. WASTE MANAGEMENT (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2022; 144:67-75. [PMID: 35313144 DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2022.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2021] [Revised: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
In modern steelmaking, multiple processes comprise a continuous manufacturing system, but not all phosphorus content data are connected or integrated into a holistic and systematic database. Disconnected data hinder the improvement of material management and resource efficiency in the industry. The objective of this study was to establish a method to evaluate material flows, reduce uncertainty, and perform quality control for waste recycling in the steelmaking industry. The results indicate that 10% of the phosphorus input is present in the final products, 30% accumulates in the slags, and more than 60% of the total mass remains in the processes. Comparing the material flow analysis results obtained using static and probabilistic approaches, the partition ratio of the phosphorus content in slags changes from 24.07% to 40.78%, but that in processes changes from 49.10% to 68.05%. This indicates that the variations in phosphorus content in slags and processes might affect the effectiveness of slag recycling and might increase the resource consumption required to maintain the quality of final products. The probability of forming substandard products in the baseline scenario is 0.43. Adopting a 50% removal rate, the probabilities of forming substandard products are reduced to 0.36 (waste removal scenario), 0.38 (slag reduction scenario), and 0.31 (raw material treatment scenario). The performance of raw material treatment and waste removal is more efficient for quality control. The method used in this study can be applied to evaluate the possible outcomes of waste recycling and reduce the probability of forming substandard products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei-Chiun Li
- Graduate Institute of Environmental Engineering, National Taiwan University, 71 Chou-Shan Road, Taipei 106, Taiwan
| | - Hsiu-Ching Shih
- Graduate Institute of Environmental Engineering, National Taiwan University, 71 Chou-Shan Road, Taipei 106, Taiwan
| | - Hwong-Wen Ma
- Graduate Institute of Environmental Engineering, National Taiwan University, 71 Chou-Shan Road, Taipei 106, Taiwan.
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Choudhury M, Jyethi DS, Dutta J, Purkayastha SP, Deb D, Das R, Roy G, Sen T, Bhattacharyya KG. Investigation of groundwater and soil quality near to a municipal waste disposal site in Silchar, Assam, India. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENERGY AND WATER RESOURCES 2021. [PMCID: PMC7930903 DOI: 10.1007/s42108-021-00117-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Unscientific management of municipal solid waste is one of the direct sources of contamination in developing countries, such as India. The present investigation carried out during Oct–Dec 2019 attempts to assess the parameters, such as quality of groundwater and soil along three depths (0–5, 5–15 and 15–30 cm), in proximity to a dumping site in Silchar, a rapidly evolving city of North-East India. Standard protocols of soil and water quality assessments were carried out. The pH values of the surface soils were found to be slightly acidic. Decrease in acidity with increasing depth was observed in the study site. The relative abundance of the analyzed elements at all soil depths was Zn > Fe > Ni > Cu > Cr. Weak correlation between the concentration of Cu, Fe and Zn, and the bulk density of the soil highlighted the micronutrient status of the soil. The impact of the nearby dumpsite on trace element contamination is indicated by the ‘extremely contaminated’ status of the soils with respect to geo-accumulation index. Majority of the groundwater samples exhibited pH levels below the desired limits, making it unfit for consumption by local communities. While Fe, Cu and Ni levels in groundwater samples exceeded the guideline values, Cr and Zn concentrations were found to be within limits except one sample. Principal Component Analysis of the observed data was carried out to ascertain the predominant sources of contamination. The observations indicate the negative impacts of nearby dumpsite on environmental parameters, such as groundwater and soil quality, as highlighted in this research.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Choudhury
- Voice of Environment, Guwahati, 781034 Assam India
| | - D. S. Jyethi
- Indian Statistical Institute, North East Centre, Tezpur, 784028 Assam India
| | - J. Dutta
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Sant Gahira Guru Vishwavidyalaya, Sarguja, Ambikapur, 497001 India
- Commission on Ecosystem Management (CEM), South Asia, IUCN, 110016 New Delhi, India
| | - S. P. Purkayastha
- Department of Chemistry, Karimganj College, Karimganj, 788710 Assam India
| | - D. Deb
- Department of Chemistry, Karimganj College, Karimganj, 788710 Assam India
| | - R. Das
- Department of Chemistry, Karimganj College, Karimganj, 788710 Assam India
| | - G. Roy
- Voice of Environment, Guwahati, 781034 Assam India
- Department of Chemistry, Karimganj College, Karimganj, 788710 Assam India
| | - T. Sen
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering (BSBE), Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, Assam India
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Fältström E, Anderberg S. Towards control strategies for microplastics in urban water. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2020; 27:40421-40433. [PMID: 32666462 PMCID: PMC7546980 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-020-10064-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics (plastic particles < 5 mm) is a pollution of growing concern. Microplastic pollution is a complex issue that requires systematic attempts to provide an overview and avoid management solutions that have marginal effects or only move the pollution problem. Substance flow analysis (SFA) has been proposed as a useful tool to receive such an overview and has been put forward as valuable for substance management. However, as the research on microplastics has only emerged recently, detailed and reliable SFAs are difficult to perform. In this study, we use three SFA studies for three pollutants (cadmium, copper and pharmaceuticals) to compare flows and strategies to control the flows. This in order to seek guidance for microplastic management and evaluate potential strategies for controlling microplastics. The analysis shows that there has been rigorous control on different levels to abate pollution from cadmium, copper and pharmaceuticals, but where in the system the major control measures have been carried out differ. For microplastics, there are many potential solutions, both in terms of preventive actions and treatment depending on the type of source. When forming management plans for microplastics, the responsibility for each measure and the impact on the whole urban system should be taken into consideration as well as which receiving compartments are particularly valuable and should be avoided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Fältström
- Environmental Technology and Management, Department of Management and Engineering, Linköping University, SE-581 83, Linköping, Sweden.
- Sweden Water Research AB, Ideon Science Park, Scheelevägen 15, SE-223 70, Lund, Sweden.
| | - Stefan Anderberg
- Environmental Technology and Management, Department of Management and Engineering, Linköping University, SE-581 83, Linköping, Sweden
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Lanau M, Liu G, Kral U, Wiedenhofer D, Keijzer E, Yu C, Ehlert C. Taking Stock of Built Environment Stock Studies: Progress and Prospects. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2019; 53:8499-8515. [PMID: 31246441 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.8b06652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Built environment stocks (buildings and infrastructures) play multiple roles in our socio-economic metabolism: they serve as the backbone of modern societies and human well-being, drive the material cycles throughout the economy, entail temporal and spatial lock-ins on energy use and emissions, and represent an extensive reservoir of secondary materials. This review aims at providing a comprehensive and critical review of the state of the art, progress, and prospects of built environment stocks research which has boomed in the past decades. We included 249 publications published from 1985 to 2018, conducted a bibliometric analysis, and assessed the studies by key characteristics including typology of stocks (status of stock and end-use category), type of measurement (object and unit), spatial boundary and level of resolution, and temporal scope. We also highlighted the strengths and weaknesses of different estimation approaches. A comparability analysis of existing studies shows a clearly higher level of stocks per capita and per area in developed countries and cities, confirming the role of urbanization and industrialization in built environment stock growth. However, more spatially refined case studies (e.g., on developing cities and nonresidential buildings) and standardization and improvement of methodology (e.g., with geographic information system and architectural knowledge) and data (e.g., on material intensity and lifetime) would be urgently needed to reveal more robust conclusions on the patterns, drivers, and implications of built environment stocks. Such advanced knowledge on built environment stocks could foster societal and policy agendas such as urban sustainability, circular economy, climate change, and United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maud Lanau
- SDU Life Cycle Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Biotechnology, and Environmental Technology , University of Southern Denmark , 5230 Odense , Denmark
| | - Gang Liu
- SDU Life Cycle Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Biotechnology, and Environmental Technology , University of Southern Denmark , 5230 Odense , Denmark
| | - Ulrich Kral
- Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management , Technische Universität Wien , 1040 Vienna , Austria
| | - Dominik Wiedenhofer
- Institute of Social Ecology, Department for Economics and Social Sciences , University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences , Vienna , 1090 , Austria
| | - Elisabeth Keijzer
- TNO Climate, Air and Sustainability , 3584 CB Utrecht , The Netherlands
| | - Chang Yu
- School of Economics and Management , Beijing Forestry University , Beijing 100083 , China
| | - Christina Ehlert
- Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology , 4422 Belvaux , Luxembourg
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Creating a Resource Cadaster—A Case Study of a District in the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area. BUILDINGS 2017. [DOI: 10.3390/buildings7020045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Today, both resource efficiency in general and the efficient use of natural resources specifically in the building sector are major political issues. Recent studies on resource efficiency have found the “anthropogenic stock” of the building sector to outweigh natural resource stocks. To make the anthropogenic stock accessible, material quantities with their individual composition need to be estimated and extrapolated to regional level. A geographical information system (GIS) is used as tool to handle the building specific data and combine them on regional level to calculate the anthropogenic stock. The resulting resource cadaster reflects the material quantities, divided into sixteen material fractions, of a specific residential district in the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan area—a typical urban area in Germany. The case study area was weighted in total between 103.5 kt and 93 kt, depending on the dataset. This paper offers a step-by-step description of this approach, whereby a consistent dataset was created throughout the process of data collection and validation. In order to demonstrate the broader application of the resource cadaster, the results were extrapolated to the residential building sector of the entire federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia. In highly concentrated areas, like the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan area, both area-wide classification of material quantities and their regional localization are necessary to make the anthropogenic stock accessible. Information about toxic substances, however, also needs to be included in the process of data collection. This method of mapping could thus provide the foundation for future (re)uses of this stock. This study offers some concrete steps in the direction of achieving a circular economy.
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Allesch A, Brunner PH. Material Flow Analysis as a Tool to improve Waste Management Systems: The Case of Austria. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2017; 51:540-551. [PMID: 27936630 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.6b04204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
This paper demonstrates the power of material flow analysis (MFA) for designing waste management (WM) systems and for supporting decisions with regards to given environmental and resource goals. Based on a comprehensive case study of a nationwide WM-system, advantages and drawbacks of a mass balance approach are discussed. Using the software STAN, a material flow system comprising all relevant inputs, stocks and outputs of wastes, products, residues, and emissions is established and quantified. Material balances on the level of goods and selected substances (C, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, N, Ni, P, Pb, Zn) are developed to characterize this WM-system. The MFA results serve well as a base for further assessments. Based on given goals, stakeholders engaged in this study selected the following seven criteria for evaluating their WM-system: (i) waste input into the system, (ii) export of waste (iii) gaseous emissions from waste treatment plants, (iv) long-term gaseous and liquid emissions from landfills, (v) waste being recycled, (vi) waste for energy recovery, (vii) total waste landfilled. By scenario analysis, strengths and weaknesses of different measures were identified. The results reveal the benefits of a mass balance approach due to redundancy, data consistency, and transparency for optimization, design, and decision making in WM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Astrid Allesch
- Vienna University of Technology , Institute for Water Quality, Resource and Waste Management, Karlsplatz 13/226, A-1040 Vienna, Austria
| | - Paul H Brunner
- Vienna University of Technology , Institute for Water Quality, Resource and Waste Management, Karlsplatz 13/226, A-1040 Vienna, Austria
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Zhang Y, Yang Z, Yu X. Urban Metabolism: A Review of Current Knowledge and Directions for Future Study. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2015; 49:11247-11263. [PMID: 26321071 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.5b03060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
During the 50 years since the concept of urban metabolism was proposed, this field of research has evolved slowly. On the basis of an analogy with an organism's metabolism, the concept of urban metabolism has become an effective method to evaluate the flows of energy and materials within an urban system, thereby providing insights into the system's sustainability and the severity of urban problems such as excessive social, community, and household metabolism at scales ranging from global to local. Researchers have improved this approach, evolving from models of linear to cyclic processes and then to network models. Researchers account for flows of energy and materials, ecological footprints, inputs and outputs, and the characteristics of the system's ecological network. However, the practical methods of analysis need to be improved. Future analysis should focus on establishing a multilevel, unified, and standardized system of categories to support the creation of consistent inventory databases; it should also seek to improve the methods used in the analysis to provide standards and guidance that will help governments to achieve sustainable development. Finally, researchers must improve the ability to provide spatially explicit analyses that facilitate the task of applying research results to guide practical decision-support.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Zhang
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University , Beijing 100875, P. R. China
| | - Zhifeng Yang
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University , Beijing 100875, P. R. China
| | - Xiangyi Yu
- Solid Waste and Chemical Management Center of MEP , Beijing 100029, P. R. China
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Kral U, Brunner PH, Chen PC, Chen SR. Sinks as limited resources? A new indicator for evaluating anthropogenic material flows. ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS 2014; 46:596-609. [PMID: 25368543 PMCID: PMC4183748 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2014.06.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2014] [Revised: 05/15/2014] [Accepted: 06/18/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Besides recyclables, the use of materials inevitably yields non-recyclable materials such as emissions and wastes for disposal. These flows must be directed to sinks in a way that no adverse effects arise for humans and the environment. The objective of this paper is to present a new indicator for the assessment of substance flows to sinks on a regional scale. The indicator quantifies the environmentally acceptable mass share of a substance in actual waste and emission flows, ranging from 0% as worst case to 100% as best case. This paper consists of three parts: first, the indicator is defined. Second, a methodology to determine the indicator score is presented, including (i) substance flows analysis and (ii) a distant-to-target approach based on an adaptation of the Ecological Scarcity Method 2006. Third, the metric developed is applied in three case studies including copper (Cu) and lead (Pb) in the city of Vienna, and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) in Switzerland. The following results were obtained: in Vienna, 99% of Cu flows to geogenic and anthropogenic sinks are acceptable when evaluated by the distant-to-target approach. However, the 0.7% of Cu entering urban soils and the 0.3% entering receiving waters are beyond the acceptable level. In the case of Pb, 92% of all flows into sinks prove to be acceptable, and 8% are disposed of in local landfills with limited capacity. For PFOS, 96% of all flows into sinks are acceptable. 4% cannot be evaluated due to a lack of normative criteria, despite posing a risk for human health and the environment. The examples demonstrate the need (i) for appropriate data of good quality to calculate the sink indicator and (ii) for standards, needed for the assessment of substance flows to urban soils and receiving waters. This study corroborates that the new indicator is well suited as a base for decisions regarding the control of hazardous substances in waste and environmental management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrich Kral
- Vienna University of Technology, Institute for Water Quality, Resource and Waste Management, Karlsplatz 13/226, A-1040 Vienna, Austria1
| | - Paul H. Brunner
- Vienna University of Technology, Institute for Water Quality, Resource and Waste Management, Karlsplatz 13/226, A-1040 Vienna, Austria1
| | - Pi-Cheng Chen
- National Taiwan University, Graduate Institute of Environmental Engineering, 71 Chou-Shan Road, Taipei 106, Taiwan
| | - Sih-Rong Chen
- National Taiwan University, Graduate Institute of Environmental Engineering, 71 Chou-Shan Road, Taipei 106, Taiwan
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