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Yu Y, Chen WH, Wang X, Sun X, Jiang Z, Li M, Fu X, Yang H, Li M, Wang C. Self-Assembled MXene Supported on Carbonization-Free Wood for a Symmetrical All-Wood Eco-Supercapacitor. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2024; 16:36322-36332. [PMID: 38970621 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.4c05129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/08/2024]
Abstract
As an emerging two-dimensional (2D) material, MXene has garnered significant interest in advanced energy storage systems, yet the stackable structure, poor mechanical stability, and lack of moldability limit its large-scale applications. To address this challenge, herein, the self-assembly of MXene on carbonization-free wood was obtained to serve as high-performance electrodes for symmetrical all-wood eco-supercapacitors by a steam-driven self-assembly method. This method can be implemented in a low-temperature environment, significantly simplifying traditional high-temperature annealing processes and generating minimal impact on the environment, human health, and resource consumption. The environmentally friendly steam-driven self-assembly strategy can be further extended into various wood-based electrodes, regardless of the types and structures of wood. As a typical platform electrode, the optimized MXene@delignified balsa wood (MDBW) achieves high areal capacitance and specific capacitance values of 2.99 F cm-2 and 580.55 F g-1 at an extensive mass loading of 5.16 mg cm-2, respectively, with almost loss-free capacitance after 10,000 cycles at 50 mA cm-2. In addition, an all-solid-state symmetrical all-wood eco-supercapacitor was further assembled based on MDBW-20 as both positive and negative electrodes to achieve a high energy density of 19.22 μWh cm-2 at a power density of 0.58 mW cm-2. This work provides an effective strategy to optimize wood-based electrodes for the practical application of biomass eco-supercapacitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Yu
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Based Material Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, P. R. China
| | - Wei-Hsin Chen
- Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan
| | - Xin Wang
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Based Material Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, P. R. China
| | - Xiaohan Sun
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Based Material Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, P. R. China
| | - Zishuai Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Based Material Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, P. R. China
| | - Meichen Li
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Based Material Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, P. R. China
| | - Xinmiao Fu
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Based Material Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, P. R. China
| | - Haiyue Yang
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Based Material Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, P. R. China
| | - Menggang Li
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, P. R. China
| | - Chengyu Wang
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Based Material Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, P. R. China
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Zhuang Y, Liu X, Zhou J, Sheng H, Yuan Z. Multidirectional Fate Path Model to Connect Phosphorus Emissions with Freshwater Eutrophication Potential. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:11675-11684. [PMID: 38952298 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c01205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/03/2024]
Abstract
Excessive anthropogenic phosphorus (P) emissions put constant pressure on aquatic ecosystems. This pressure can be quantified as the freshwater eutrophication potential (FEP) by linking P emissions, P fate in environmental compartments, and the potentially disappeared fraction of species due to increase of P concentrations in freshwater. However, previous fate modeling on global and regional scales is mainly based on the eight-direction algorithm without distinguishing pollution sources. The algorithm fails to characterize the fate paths of point-source emissions via subsurface pipelines and wastewater treatment infrastructure, and exhibits suboptimal performance in accounting for multidirectional paths caused by river bifurcations, especially in flat terrains. Here we aim to improve the fate modeling by incorporating various fate paths and addressing multidirectional scenarios. We also update the P estimates by complementing potential untreated point-source emissions (PSu). The improved method is examined in a rapidly urbanizing area in Taihu Lake Basin, China in 2017 at a spatial resolution of 100 m × 100 m. Results show that the contribution of PSu on FEP (62.6%) is greater than that on P emissions (58.5%). The FEP is more spatially widely distributed with the improved fate modeling, facilitating targeted regulatory strategies tailored to local conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujie Zhuang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, P. R. China
| | - Xin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, P. R. China
| | - Jinhui Zhou
- Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Hu Sheng
- Key Laboratory of Watershed Geographic Sciences, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, P. R. China
| | - Zengwei Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, P. R. China
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Arosemena Polo JD, Toboso-Chavero S, Adhikari B, Villalba G. Closing the nutrient cycle in urban areas: The use of municipal solid waste in peri-urban and urban agriculture. WASTE MANAGEMENT (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2024; 183:220-231. [PMID: 38761486 DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2024.05.009] [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: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024]
Abstract
Cities face the challenges of supplying food and managing organic municipal solid waste (OMSW) sustainably amid increasing urbanization rates. Urban agriculture (UA) can help with this effort by producing local crops that are fertilized with nutrients recovered from compost generated from OMSW. This research aims to determine the potential of OMSW compost to supply the nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium (NPK) demand of UA and the environmental benefits of replacing mineral fertilizer from a life cycle perspective. The Metropolitan Area of Barcelona (AMB) serves as the case study given its commitment to reuse biowaste according to the Revised Waste Framework Directive and to promote UA as a signing member of the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact. Based on crop requirements and farmer surveys, we find that the annual NPK demands of the agricultural fields of the AMB that cover 5,500 ha and produce 70,000 tons of crops are approximately 769, 113, and 592 tons of NPK, respectively. Spatial material flow analysis and life cycle assessment were applied to found that the current waste management system can potentially substitute 8 % of the total NPK demanded by UA with compost, reduce the impacts by up to 39 % and yield savings in global warming of 130 %. The more ambitious future scenario of 2025 can potentially substitute 21 % of the total NPK demand and reduce environmental impacts up to 1,049 %, depending on the category considered. Avoiding processing of mixed OMSW, mineral fertilizer replacement and cogeneration of electricity from biogas are the major contributors to these environmental savings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan David Arosemena Polo
- Sostenipra Research Group (SGR 01412), Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA-UAB) (MDM-2015-0552), Z Building, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Campus UAB, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Susana Toboso-Chavero
- Sostenipra Research Group (SGR 01412), Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA-UAB) (MDM-2015-0552), Z Building, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Campus UAB, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain; Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Integral Design and Management, Department of Materials, Mechanics, Management & Design, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Biraj Adhikari
- Practical Action Consulting Asia, 44600 Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Gara Villalba
- Sostenipra Research Group (SGR 01412), Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA-UAB) (MDM-2015-0552), Z Building, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Campus UAB, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering, XRB, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Campus UAB, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
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Yang X, Dong X, Bezama A, Liu Y. Improving rapeseed carbon footprint evaluation via the integration of remote sensing technology into an LCA approach. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 946:174262. [PMID: 38925399 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2024] [Revised: 06/16/2024] [Accepted: 06/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Agricultural carbon footprint (CF) evaluation plays an important role in climate change mitigation and national food security. Many studies have been conducted worldwide to evaluate the CF of rapeseed and its byproducts; however, only a few of these studies have considered finer-scale spatial-temporal heterogeneity. Considering the advantages of using detailed crop information extracted by remote sensing (RS) techniques, we attempted to integrate RS into life cycle assessments to improve rapeseed CF evaluation. A case study was conducted from 2021 to 2023 in one of the most important grain- and rapeseed-producing areas in Southwest China, namely, the Chengdu Plain, covering an area of 18,810.00 km2. The results of our study suggest that: (1) the proposed approach is applicable for high-resolution (10 m ∗ 10 m) rapeseed distribution mapping; (2) the farm-based CFs of rapeseed in the studied region range from 3333.08 to 4572.82 kgCO2-eq ha-1, while the product-based CFs (PCFs) vary from 1316.23 to 2443.95 kgCO2-eq t-1. Nitrogen fertilizer processing and its application are identified as the dominant contributors to upstream and downstream greenhouse emissions (GHGs), respectively; (3) the significant role of soil properties and soil organic carbon in influencing crop PCFs indicates good GHG offsets. The method used in the current study has strong adaptability and universality in different areas with various climatic conditions and can provide a solid basis for policymakers to formulate differentiated agricultural carbon reduction policies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueqing Yang
- Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Agriculture (Chengdu Agricultural Remote Sensing Sub-center), Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Chengdu, China; Department of Bioenergy, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Xiuchun Dong
- Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Agriculture (Chengdu Agricultural Remote Sensing Sub-center), Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Alberto Bezama
- Department of Bioenergy, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Yang Liu
- Chair of Management, Innovation and Sustainable Business, University of Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany.
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Etit D, Meramo S, Ögmundarson Ó, Jensen MK, Sukumara S. Can biotechnology lead the way toward a sustainable pharmaceutical industry? Curr Opin Biotechnol 2024; 87:103100. [PMID: 38471403 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2024] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
The impact-intensive and rapidly growing pharmaceutical industry must ensure its sustainability. This study reveals that environmental sustainability assessments have been conducted for only around 0.2% of pharmaceuticals, environmental impacts have significant variations among the assessed products, and different impact categories have not been consistently studied. Highly varied impacts require assessing more products to understand the industry's sustainability status. Reporting all impact categories will be crucial, especially when comparing production technologies. Biological production of (semi)synthetic pharmaceuticals could reduce their environmental costs, though the high impacts of biologically produced monoclonal antibodies should also be optimized. Considering the sustainability potential of biopharmaceuticals from economic, environmental, and social perspectives, collaboratively guiding their immense market growth would lead to the industry's sustainability transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deniz Etit
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Samir Meramo
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Ólafur Ögmundarson
- Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Iceland, Nýi Garður, Sæmundargata 2, 102 Reykjavík, Iceland
| | - Michael K Jensen
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Sumesh Sukumara
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.
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Vanderwee K, Demarré L, Malfait S, Kieckens E, De Waegemaeker P, Duprez V, Fraeyman N. How to choose between single-use and reusable medical materials for sustainable nursing: Methodological lessons learned from a national study. J Adv Nurs 2024. [PMID: 38812214 DOI: 10.1111/jan.16255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2024] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
AIM To demonstrate and reflect upon the methodological lessons by which healthcare organizations can address questions of environmental sustainability related to single-use healthcare materials. DESIGN A cross-sectional multi-centre study in hospitals was performed, followed by an exploratory analysis of the sustainability of commonly used healthcare materials. METHODS A hospital survey was conducted to collect the procurement data for single-use medical materials. Based on consumption and cost, five single-use medical materials with sustainable alternatives were selected using different reuse strategies. Single-use and reusable materials were assessed through an exploratory literature review and document study based on four parameters: environmental sustainability, safety, cost and efficiency. RESULTS A pragmatic method emerged from this study, providing healthcare facilities with tools to select environmentally sustainable alternatives to replace single-use options. First, an inventory of single-use medical materials consumed was collected. Next, single-use materials were prioritized for further study based on criteria such as cost, volume of the material, feasibility and input of stakeholders. We then analysed the prioritized single-use materials and their alternatives based on life cycle assessments or available information on their different life stages. Finally, we assessed safety, costs and efficiency related to the process following the use of the medical material. CONCLUSION This pragmatic method can guide healthcare institutions in making the most sustainable choices of medical materials and achieving sustainability goals within their institutions and nationwide. IMPACT Patient care involves a large consumption of single-use medical materials with considerable environmental impact. A pragmatic method was developed to guide healthcare institutions in making the most sustainable choices regarding the use of single-use healthcare materials. Healthcare institutions, ideally represented by a green team including nurses and other relevant professionals, can use this method to reduce the use of single-use medical materials, thereby yielding positive outcomes for the entire population. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION No patient or public contribution.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Liesbet Demarré
- Nursing Department, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Simon Malfait
- Nursing Department, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Evelien Kieckens
- Environmental Department, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Veerle Duprez
- Nursing Department, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Norbert Fraeyman
- Nursing Department, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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Lucas KRG, Kebreab E. Retrospective analysis of the main feedstocks for animal feed in the world: How the green revolution has affected their environmental performance over the last 60 years, from 1961 to 2021. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 926:171882. [PMID: 38531443 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171882] [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: 11/14/2023] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
At the end of the 1950s, studies began to create high-yield cultivars with the aim of increasing the supply of basic foods in the world, this action was called "green evolution". It was associated with the increase in the use of inputs to increase production levels, leading agriculture to a possible increase in environmental impacts and "harmful habits" of management. To characterize the historical damage of this action, it is necessary to use methods that generate universal results, capable of representing the world. Then, we use Life cycle assessment (LCA) to estimate the historical evolution of the environmental impacts of the two main feedstock for feed in the world, soybeans, and corn, from 1961 to 2021. To better understand the variation in their impacts, we consider the change in agricultural management when we use as a functional unit the amount of area needed to produce 1 kg of grain. Although emissions and impacts from agriculture, by area, have increased each decade, when considering productivity through the area/production ratio, we note that a number of emissions were avoided, along with impacts in all categories evaluated. Therefore, the development and use of technologies that modify the area/production ratio can contribute to avoiding environmental impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kássio R G Lucas
- Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
| | - Ermias Kebreab
- Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
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Gong Y, Zheng X, Liu G, Lam KL. Compiling life cycle inventories for wastewater-derived products. WATER RESEARCH 2024; 255:121439. [PMID: 38520775 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
With the paradigm shift in wastewater management from pollutant removal to resource recovery, more wastewater-derived products are emerging from different recovery pathways. It is becoming increasingly important to understand the potential environmental impacts of these products through life cycle assessment (LCA). This study aims to compile life cycle inventories of wastewater-derived products from the perspective of the product end users (e.g., agricultural sector, packaging industry), and to explore the challenges of their compilation. Using inventories from wastewater resource recovery LCA literature, we compiled an attributional inventory (88 sets) and a consequential inventory (33 sets) of three categories of wastewater-derived products - phosphorus compounds, nitrogen compounds, and biopolymers. The two inventories differ by the choices of system boundary, how foreground systems are being modelled, and how co-products are being handled. We found that while there is a large body of literature related to wastewater resource recovery LCA, very few studies (29 out of 174 for the three categories of products) are suitable for end users to successfully compile inventories of derived products. The inventories were assessed by the technology readiness level assessment, the data quality assessment, and the cumulative energy demand indicator. The inventories can be used directly by end users or served as "screening" inventories for end users to prioritize data collection effort. The identified challenges of inventory compilation include diverse recovery settings, the absence of baseline scenarios, the multifunctional nature of wastewater treatment plants, the lack of inventory transparency and completeness, and low technology readiness level for some recovery pathways. While established or emerging approaches exist to address most of these challenges for end users, wastewater resource recovery LCA practitioners can enhance their assessments to be more end-user-oriented. This can be achieved by including baseline non-recovery scenarios, disclosing detailed life cycle inventory by system components, and assessing a wide variety of operating scenarios. Addressing some of these compilation challenges would enhance the comprehensiveness and quality of wastewater-derived product inventories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxian Gong
- Division of Natural and Applied Sciences, Duke Kunshan University, Kunshan, Jiangsu, 215316, China; Research Centre for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China
| | - Xinyu Zheng
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215009, China
| | - Gang Liu
- Research Centre for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China.
| | - Ka Leung Lam
- Division of Natural and Applied Sciences, Duke Kunshan University, Kunshan, Jiangsu, 215316, China.
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Chen K, Wu F, Li L, Zhang K, Huang J, Cheng F, Yu Z, Hicks AL, You J. Prioritizing Organic Pollutants for Shale Gas Exploitation: Life Cycle Environmental Risk Assessments in China and the US. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:8149-8160. [PMID: 38652896 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c10288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Environmental impacts associated with shale gas exploitation have been historically underestimated due to neglecting to account for the production or the release of end-of-pipe organic pollutants. Here, we assessed the environmental impacts of shale gas production in China and the United States using life cycle assessment. Through data mining, we compiled literature information on organic pollutants in flowback and produced water (FPW), followed by assessments using USEtox to evaluate end-of-pipe risks. Results were incorporated to reveal the life cycle risks associated with shale gas exploitation in both countries. China exhibited higher environmental impacts than the US during the production phase. Substantially different types of organic compounds were observed in the FPW between two countries. Human carcinogenic and ecological toxicity attributed to organics in FPW was 3 orders of magnitude higher than that during the production phase in the US. Conversely, in China, end-of-pipe organics accounted for approximately 52%, 1%, and 47% of the overall human carcinogenic, noncarcinogenic, and ecological impacts, respectively. This may be partially limited by the quantitative data available. While uncertainties exist associated with data availability, our study highlights the significance of integrating impacts from shale gas production to end-of-pipe pollution for comprehensive environmental risk assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keyan Chen
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, China
| | - Fan Wu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, China
| | - Liang Li
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, China
| | - Keshuo Zhang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, China
| | - Jiehui Huang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, China
| | - Fei Cheng
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, China
| | - Zhiqiang Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Andrea L Hicks
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 510640, United States
| | - Jing You
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, China
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Istrate R, Tulus V, Grass RN, Vanbever L, Stark WJ, Guillén-Gosálbez G. The environmental sustainability of digital content consumption. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3724. [PMID: 38697974 PMCID: PMC11066053 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47621-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Internet access has reached 60% of the global population, with the average user spending over 40% of their waking life on the Internet, yet the environmental implications remain poorly understood. Here, we assess the environmental impacts of digital content consumption in relation to the Earth's carrying capacity, finding that currently the global average consumption of web surfing, social media, video and music streaming, and video conferencing could account for approximately 40% of the per capita carbon budget consistent with limiting global warming to 1.5 °C, as well as around 55% of the per capita carrying capacity for mineral and metal resources use and over 10% for five other impact categories. Decarbonising electricity would substantially mitigate the climate impacts linked to Internet consumption, while the use of mineral and metal resources would remain of concern. A synergistic combination of rapid decarbonisation and additional measures aimed at reducing the use of fresh raw materials in electronic devices (e.g., lifetime extension) is paramount to prevent the growing Internet demand from exacerbating the pressure on the finite Earth's carrying capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Istrate
- Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland
- Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University, Einsteinweg 2, 2333 CC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Victor Tulus
- Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Robert N Grass
- Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Laurent Vanbever
- Computer Engineering and Networks Laboratory, Department of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, ETH Zürich, Gloriastrasse 35, 8092, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Wendelin J Stark
- Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Gonzalo Guillén-Gosálbez
- Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland.
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11
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Bahramian M, Hynds PD, Priyadarshini A. Dynamic life cycle assessment of commercial and household food waste: A critical global review of emerging techniques. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 921:170853. [PMID: 38369144 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170853] [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: 09/23/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
DLCA has been applied to several food waste streams, however, to date no critical assessment of its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) is available in the scientific literature. Accordingly, the present review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the available literature on DLCA and its application to Household and Commercial Food Waste (HCFW) by providing critical assessment and perspectives for future research. The Population, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome (PICO) framework for literature review was employed, with just 12 relevant studies identified between 1999 and 2022, highlighting a dearth of research on DLCA of food waste and the need for further research. Identified studies exhibit significant variations with respect to DLCA methodology, boundary settings, and data quality and reporting, with more attention typically given to combining conventional LCA with dynamic characterization models, thus making it difficult to draw conclusive findings or identify consistent trends. Additionally, most identified studies employed DLCA for a specific case study and comparison with traditional LCA outcomes was typically ignored; just one study presented the projected impact from both LCA and DLCA for the entire life cycle of a product. Employed functional/reference units ranged from specific quantities such as 1 kg of refined crystals or syrup, 1 g L-1 Sophorolipid solution, and 1 kg of dry food with packaging material, to broader indicators like 1 kg of biofuel or 1 MJ of primary energy. Monte Carlo simulation was the most frequently employed method for uncertainty analyses within identified studies. Sensitivity analyses were conducted in just 4 studies, but it was not always clearly reported. While DLCA is undoubtedly a more realistic approach to impact assessment, and thus likely more accurate, a need exists for increasingly standardized and regulated versions of DLCA for global and multi-criteria practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Majid Bahramian
- Environmental Science & Health Institute, Dublin Institute of Technology, Greenway Hub, Grangegorman, Dublin 7, Dublin/Ireland Dublin Institute of Technology, Dublin, Ireland.
| | - Paul Dylan Hynds
- Environmental Science & Health Institute, Dublin Institute of Technology, Greenway Hub, Grangegorman, Dublin 7, Dublin/Ireland Dublin Institute of Technology, Dublin, Ireland.
| | - Anushree Priyadarshini
- Environmental Science & Health Institute, Dublin Institute of Technology, Greenway Hub, Grangegorman, Dublin 7, Dublin/Ireland Dublin Institute of Technology, Dublin, Ireland; School of Business, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland.
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12
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Papadaki S, Tricha N, Panagiotopoulou M, Krokida M. Innovative Bioactive Products with Medicinal Value from Microalgae and Their Overall Process Optimization through the Implementation of Life Cycle Analysis-An Overview. Mar Drugs 2024; 22:152. [PMID: 38667769 PMCID: PMC11050870 DOI: 10.3390/md22040152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2024] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Microalgae are being recognized as valuable sources of bioactive chemicals with important medical properties, attracting interest from multiple industries, such as food, feed, cosmetics, and medicines. This review study explores the extensive research on identifying important bioactive chemicals from microalgae, and choosing the best strains for nutraceutical manufacturing. It explores the most recent developments in recovery and formulation strategies for creating stable, high-purity, and quality end products for various industrial uses. This paper stresses the significance of using Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) as a strategic tool with which to improve the entire process. By incorporating LCA into decision-making processes, researchers and industry stakeholders can assess the environmental impact, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability of raw materials of several approaches. This comprehensive strategy will allow for the choosing of the most effective techniques, which in turn will promote sustainable practices for developing microalgae-based products. This review offers a detailed analysis of the bioactive compounds, strain selection methods, advanced processing techniques, and the incorporation of LCA. It will serve as a valuable resource for researchers and industry experts interested in utilizing microalgae for producing bioactive products with medicinal properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Papadaki
- DIGNITY Private Company, 30-32 Leoforos Alexandrou Papagou, Zografou, 157 71 Athens, Greece
| | - Nikoletta Tricha
- Laboratory of Process Analysis and Design, School of Chemical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Iroon Polytechneiou 9, 157 80 Athens, Greece; (N.T.); (M.P.); (M.K.)
| | - Margarita Panagiotopoulou
- Laboratory of Process Analysis and Design, School of Chemical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Iroon Polytechneiou 9, 157 80 Athens, Greece; (N.T.); (M.P.); (M.K.)
| | - Magdalini Krokida
- Laboratory of Process Analysis and Design, School of Chemical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Iroon Polytechneiou 9, 157 80 Athens, Greece; (N.T.); (M.P.); (M.K.)
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13
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Dai T, Jose Valanarasu JM, Zhao Y, Zheng S, Sun Y, Patel VM, Jordaan SM. Land Resources for Wind Energy Development Requires Regionalized Characterizations. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:5014-5023. [PMID: 38437169 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c07908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2024]
Abstract
Estimates of the land area occupied by wind energy differ by orders of magnitude due to data scarcity and inconsistent methodology. We developed a method that combines machine learning-based imagery analysis and geographic information systems and examined the land area of 318 wind farms (15,871 turbines) in the U.S. portion of the Western Interconnection. We found that prior land use and human modification in the project area are critical for land-use efficiency and land transformation of wind projects. Projects developed in areas with little human modification have a land-use efficiency of 63.8 ± 8.9 W/m2 (mean ±95% confidence interval) and a land transformation of 0.24 ± 0.07 m2/MWh, while values for projects in areas with high human modification are 447 ± 49.4 W/m2 and 0.05 ± 0.01 m2/MWh, respectively. We show that land resources for wind can be quantified consistently with our replicable method, a method that obviates >99% of the workload using machine learning. To quantify the peripheral impact of a turbine, buffered geometry can be used as a proxy for measuring land resources and metrics when a large enough impact radius is assumed (e.g., >4 times the rotor diameter). Our analysis provides a necessary first step toward regionalized impact assessment and improved comparisons of energy alternatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Dai
- School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University, Washington, District of Columbia 20036, United States
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Jeya Maria Jose Valanarasu
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
| | - Yifan Zhao
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
| | - Shuwen Zheng
- School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University, Washington, District of Columbia 20036, United States
| | - Yinong Sun
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
| | - Vishal M Patel
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
| | - Sarah M Jordaan
- Department of Civil Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0G4, Canada
- Trottier Institute of Sustainability in Engineering and Design, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0G4, Canada
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14
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Galimshina A, Moustapha M, Hollberg A, Lasvaux S, Sudret B, Habert G. Strategies for robust renovation of residential buildings in Switzerland. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2227. [PMID: 38472170 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46305-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Building renovation is urgently required to reduce the environmental impact associated with the building stock. Typically, building renovation is performed by envelope insulation and/or changing the fossil-based heating system. The goal of this paper is to provide strategies for robust renovation considering uncertainties on the future evolution of climate, energy grid, and user behaviors, amongst others by applying life cycle assessment and life cycle cost analysis. The study includes identifying optimal renovation options for the envelope and heating systems for building representatives from all construction periods that are currently in need of renovation in Switzerland. The findings emphasize the paramount importance of heating system replacements across all construction periods. Notably, when incorporating bio-based insulation materials, a balance emerges between environmental impact reduction and low energy operation costs. This facilitates robust, equitable, and low-carbon transformations in Switzerland and similar Northern European contexts while avoiding a carbon spike due to the embodied carbon of the renovation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alina Galimshina
- ETH Zürich, Institute of Construction and Infrastructure Management (IBI), Chair of Sustainable Construction, Stefano-Franscini-Platz 5, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Maliki Moustapha
- ETH Zürich, Institute of Structural Engineering (IBK), Chair of Risk, Safety and Uncertainty Quantification, Stefano-Franscini-Platz 5, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Alexander Hollberg
- Chalmers University of Technology, Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Sven Hultins Gata 6, 412 96, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Sébastien Lasvaux
- University of Applied Sciences of Western Switzerland (HES-SO), School of Business and Management Vaud (HEIG-VD), Institute of Energies (IE), Avenue des Sports 20, Yverdon-les-Bains, 1401, Switzerland
| | - Bruno Sudret
- ETH Zürich, Institute of Structural Engineering (IBK), Chair of Risk, Safety and Uncertainty Quantification, Stefano-Franscini-Platz 5, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Guillaume Habert
- ETH Zürich, Institute of Construction and Infrastructure Management (IBI), Chair of Sustainable Construction, Stefano-Franscini-Platz 5, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland
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15
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Romeiko XX, Zhang X, Pang Y, Gao F, Xu M, Lin S, Babbitt C. A review of machine learning applications in life cycle assessment studies. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 912:168969. [PMID: 38036122 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a foundational method for quantitative assessment of sustainability. Increasing data availability and rapid development of machine learning (ML) approaches offer new opportunities to advance LCA. Here, we review current progress and knowledge gaps in applying ML techniques to support LCA, and identify future research directions for LCAs to better harness the power of ML. This review analyzes forty studies reporting quantitative assessment with a combination of LCA and ML methods. We found that ML approaches have been used for generating life cycle inventories, computing characterization factors, estimating life cycle impacts, and supporting life cycle interpretation. Most of the reviewed studies employed a single ML method, with artificial neural networks (ANNs) as the most frequently applied approach. Both supervised and unsupervised ML techniques were used in LCA studies. For studies using supervised ML, training datasets were derived from diverse sources, such as literature, lab experiments, existing databases, and model simulations. Over 70 % of these reviewed studies trained ML models with less than 1500 sample datasets. Although these reviewed studies showed that ML approaches help improve prediction accuracy, pattern discovery and computational efficiency, multiple areas deserve further research. First, continuous data collection and compilation is needed to support more reliable ML and LCA modeling. Second, future studies should report sufficient details regarding the selection criteria for ML models and present model uncertainty analysis. Third, incorporating deep learning models into LCA holds promise to further improve life cycle inventory and impact assessment. Finally, the complexity of current environmental challenges calls for interdisciplinary collaborative research to achieve deep integration of ML into LCA to support sustainable development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaobo Xue Romeiko
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University at Albany, State University of New York, United States of America.
| | - Xuesong Zhang
- Hydrology and Remote Sensing Laboratory, United States Department of Agriculture, United States of America.
| | - Yulei Pang
- Department of Math, Southern Connecticut State University, United States of America
| | - Feng Gao
- Hydrology and Remote Sensing Laboratory, United States Department of Agriculture, United States of America
| | - Ming Xu
- Dvision of Environmental Ecology, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, China
| | - Shao Lin
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University at Albany, State University of New York, United States of America
| | - Callie Babbitt
- Department of Sustainability, Golisano Institute for Sustainability, Rochester Institute of Technology, United States of America
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16
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Zhang D, Wang Z, Oberschelp C, Bradford E, Hellweg S. Enhanced Deep-Learning Model for Carbon Footprints of Chemicals. ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING 2024; 12:2700-2708. [PMID: 38389904 PMCID: PMC10880087 DOI: 10.1021/acssuschemeng.3c07038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Millions of chemicals have been designed; however, their product carbon footprints (PCFs) are largely unknown, leaving questions about their sustainability. This general lack of PCF data is because the data needed for comprehensive environmental analyses are typically not available in the early molecular design stages. Several predictive tools have been developed to estimate the PCF of chemicals, which are applicable to only a narrow range of common chemicals and have limited predictive ability. Here, we propose FineChem 2, which is based on a novel transformer framework and first-hand industry data, for accurately predicting the PCF of chemicals. Compared to previous tools, FineChem 2 demonstrates significantly better predictive power, and its applicability domains are improved by ∼75% on a diverse set of chemicals on the global market, including the high-production-volume chemicals identified by regulators, daily chemicals, and chemical additives in food and plastics. In addition, through better interpretability from the attention mechanism, FineChem 2 may successfully identify PCF-intensive substructures and critical raw materials of chemicals, providing insights into the design of more sustainable molecules and processes. Therefore, we highlight FineChem 2 for estimating the PCF of chemicals, contributing to advancements in the sustainable transition of the global chemical industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dachuan Zhang
- National
Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) Catalysis, Ecological Systems
Design, Institute of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zürich, Zürich 8093, Switzerland
| | - Zhanyun Wang
- National
Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) Catalysis, Ecological Systems
Design, Institute of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zürich, Zürich 8093, Switzerland
- Technology
and Society Laboratory, Empa-Swiss Federal
Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, St. Gallen CH-9014, Switzerland
| | - Christopher Oberschelp
- National
Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) Catalysis, Ecological Systems
Design, Institute of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zürich, Zürich 8093, Switzerland
| | - Eric Bradford
- National
Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) Catalysis, Ecological Systems
Design, Institute of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zürich, Zürich 8093, Switzerland
| | - Stefanie Hellweg
- National
Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) Catalysis, Ecological Systems
Design, Institute of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zürich, Zürich 8093, Switzerland
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17
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Wang Y, Ni T, He B, Xu J. Life cycle environmental impact assessment of natural gas distributed energy system. Sci Rep 2024; 14:3292. [PMID: 38332112 PMCID: PMC10853286 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-53495-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Natural gas distributed energy is recognized as a pivotal means to enhance energy efficiency and mitigate carbon dioxide emissions through localized energy cascading. Positioned as a key option for advancing the Sustainable Development Goals, this system optimizes energy utilization near end-users. While maximizing energy efficiency, it is imperative to address potential environmental challenges. A thorough, comprehensive environmental assessment, facilitated by the life cycle assessment method, proves instrumental in meeting this standard. Employing this method enables an intuitive grasp of the environmental strengths and weaknesses inherent in natural gas distributed energy within the power structure. This insight serves as a foundation for informed project decision-making, fostering the growth of the industry. We selected six environmental impact assessment categories based on the CML 2001 method, and conducted the life cycle analysis across four stages. China's inaugural natural gas distributed energy demonstration project was chosen as a model case, and an environmental impact assessment inventory was established, utilizing survey data and literature for comprehensive data collection and analysis. Results from case testing yield environmental impact assessment outcomes, with a specific sensitivity analysis for stages with notable environmental impact factors. The study underscores that the operation phase has the highest environmental impact, comprising 78.37% of the total combined environmental impact, followed by the fuel production phase. Comparative analyses with coal-fired and conventional natural gas power generation, based on dimensionless literature data, reveal that abiotic resources depletion potential is the primary contributor to the environmental impact of 1 kWh of electricity product, constituting 52.76% of the total impact value, followed by global warming potential. Concrete strategies have been outlined for decision-making in both the operational and planning phases of natural gas distributed energy projects. The strengthening of policies is pinpointed towards grid connection and scale expansion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yakun Wang
- College of Environment and Civil Engineering, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu, China
| | - Ting Ni
- College of Environment and Civil Engineering, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu, China.
- Business School, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610059, People's Republic of China.
| | - Bing He
- China Construction Eighth Bureau Second Construction Corporation Limited, 191 Nanxinzhuang West Road, Shizhong District, Jinan, Shandong, 250024, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiuping Xu
- Business School, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610059, People's Republic of China.
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18
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Borgelt J, Dorber M, Géron C, Kuipers KJJ, Huijbregts MAJ, Verones F. What Is the Impact of Accidentally Transporting Terrestrial Alien Species? A New Life Cycle Impact Assessment Model. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024. [PMID: 38332475 PMCID: PMC10882960 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c08500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
Alien species form one of the main threats to global biodiversity. Although Life Cycle Assessment attempts to holistically assess environmental impacts of products and services across value chains, ecological impacts of the introduction of alien species are so far not assessed in Life Cycle Impact Assessment. Here, we developed country-to-country-specific characterization factors, expressed as the time-integrated potentially disappeared fraction (PDF; regional and global) of native terrestrial species due to alien species introductions per unit of goods transported [kg] between two countries. The characterization factors were generated by analyzing global data on first records of alien species, native species distributions, and their threat status, as well as bilateral trade partnerships from 1870-2019. The resulting characterization factors vary over several orders of magnitude, indicating that impact greatly varies per transportation route and trading partner. We showcase the applicability and relevance of the characterization factors for transporting 1 metric ton of freight to France from China, South Africa, and Madagascar. The results suggest that the introduction of alien species can be more damaging for terrestrial biodiversity as climate change impacts during the international transport of commodities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Borgelt
- Industrial Ecology Programme, Department of Energy and Process Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim 7034, Norway
| | - Martin Dorber
- Industrial Ecology Programme, Department of Energy and Process Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim 7034, Norway
| | - Charly Géron
- Biodiversity and Landscape, TERRA research centre, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, Gembloux 5030, Belgium
- Plants and Ecosystems, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk 2610, Belgium
- . CNRS, ECOBIO (Écosystèmes, Biodiversité, Évolution), UMR, University of Rennes, Rennes 6553, France
| | - Koen J J Kuipers
- Department of Environmental Science, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences, Radboud University, Nijmegen, GL 6500, Netherlands
| | - Mark A J Huijbregts
- Department of Environmental Science, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences, Radboud University, Nijmegen, GL 6500, Netherlands
| | - Francesca Verones
- Industrial Ecology Programme, Department of Energy and Process Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim 7034, Norway
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19
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Wang H, Liu Z, Wang X, Zhang L, Wu X, Li S, Cao Y, Ma L. Precision co-composting of multi-source organic solid wastes provide a sustainable waste management strategy with high eco-efficiency: a life cycle assessment. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2024:10.1007/s11356-024-32320-2. [PMID: 38329671 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-32320-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
With the increase of organic solid wastes (OSWs), current waste management practices, such as landfill, incineration, and windrow composting, have shown weaknesses in both resource recycling and environmental protection. Co-composting has been used to achieve nutrient and carbon recycling but is accused of high ammonia emission and low degradation efficiency. Therefore, this study developed a precision co-composting strategy (S3, which adds functional bacteria generated from food processing waste to a co-composting system) and compared it with the current OSW treatment strategy (S1) and traditional co-composting strategy (S2) from a life cycle assessment (LCA) perspective. The results showed that compared with S1, the eco-efficiency increased by 31.3% due to the higher economic profit of S2 but did not directly reduce the environmental cost. The addition of bacterial agents reduced ammonia emissions and shortened composting time, so compared with S1 and S2, the environmental cost of S3 was reduced by 37.9 and 43.6%, while the economic profit increased by 79.8 and 24.4%, respectively. The changes in environmental costs and economic benefits resulted in a huge improvement of S3's eco-efficiency, which was 189.6 and 121.7% higher than S1 and S2. Meanwhile, the adoption of S3 at a national scale in China could reduce the emission of 1,4-dichlorobenzene by 99.9% compared with S1 and increase profits by 6.58 billion USD per year. This study proposes a novel approach that exhibits high eco-efficiency in the treatment of OSWs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongge Wang
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Water Resources, Hebei Key Laboratory of Soil Ecology, Center for Agricultural Resources Research, Institute of Genetic and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 286 Huaizhong Road, Shijiazhuang, 050021, Hebei, People's Republic of China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19 A Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing, 100049, People's Republic of China
| | - Zelong Liu
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Water Resources, Hebei Key Laboratory of Soil Ecology, Center for Agricultural Resources Research, Institute of Genetic and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 286 Huaizhong Road, Shijiazhuang, 050021, Hebei, People's Republic of China
| | - Xuan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Water Resources, Hebei Key Laboratory of Soil Ecology, Center for Agricultural Resources Research, Institute of Genetic and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 286 Huaizhong Road, Shijiazhuang, 050021, Hebei, People's Republic of China
| | - Lu Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Water Resources, Hebei Key Laboratory of Soil Ecology, Center for Agricultural Resources Research, Institute of Genetic and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 286 Huaizhong Road, Shijiazhuang, 050021, Hebei, People's Republic of China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19 A Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing, 100049, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaofei Wu
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Water Resources, Hebei Key Laboratory of Soil Ecology, Center for Agricultural Resources Research, Institute of Genetic and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 286 Huaizhong Road, Shijiazhuang, 050021, Hebei, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuo Li
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Farmland Ecological Conservation and Pollution Prevention, Key Laboratory of JiangHuai Arable Land Resources Protection and Eco-Restoration, College of Resources and Environment, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, People's Republic of China
| | - Yubo Cao
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Water Resources, Hebei Key Laboratory of Soil Ecology, Center for Agricultural Resources Research, Institute of Genetic and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 286 Huaizhong Road, Shijiazhuang, 050021, Hebei, People's Republic of China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19 A Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing, 100049, People's Republic of China
| | - Lin Ma
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Water Resources, Hebei Key Laboratory of Soil Ecology, Center for Agricultural Resources Research, Institute of Genetic and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 286 Huaizhong Road, Shijiazhuang, 050021, Hebei, People's Republic of China.
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20
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Bragaglio A, Romano E, Cutini M, Nannoni E, Mota-Rojas D, Claps S, De Palo P. Study on the suitability of life cycle assessment for the estimation of donkey milk environmental impact. Animal 2024; 18:101057. [PMID: 38215679 DOI: 10.1016/j.animal.2023.101057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2024] Open
Abstract
In the last decades, western Countries increased their interest in innovative products like donkey milk and other activities carried out with donkeys (onotherapy, onotourism). Donkey milk is considered a high-added-value food and is very similar to human breast milk. It is also used as an ingredient in cosmetics. The growing public interest suggests the need for a pilot study on the sustainability of donkey milk production, according to Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) criteria. Milk was used as the Declared Functional Unit (DFU) and two different models were described, a Real Scenario Model (RSM, i.e. a farm with its declared milk yield), and an Increased Milk Production Model (IMPM, i.e., the same farm with theoretically increased milk yield). Allocation was applied both in RSM and IMPM; thus, different values of impact categories, i.e., Global Warming Potential (GWP, kg CO2 equivalents), Acidification Potential (ACP, g SO2 equivalents) and Eutrophication Potential (EUP, g PO43-) were observed. GWP improved after mass allocation and showed the lowest equivalents in IMPM, compared to economic and reference allocation criterion (P < 0.05). In RSM, allocations affected GWP in a different way: the smaller size of the DFU resulted in the largest estimation of CO2 equivalents (P < 0.05) for reference allocation, whereas the mass allocation estimates were lower than with economic allocation (P < 0.05). ACP and EUP followed the same trends. No differences were found in IMPM results across the three allocation methods used. Moreover, mass allocation values recorded in RSM did not significantly differ from IMPM. ACP and EUP of RSM improved after economic allocation, although they were less sustainable (P < 0.05) than all IMPM values and RSM equivalents after mass allocation (P < 0.05). As expected, the theoretical model with increased milk yield improved the sustainability of the system. Both scenarios were affected by allocation criteria. In RSM, the economic and mass allocations described a representative scenario where donkey meat contributed to subtracting equivalents from milk (the main product). The present paper is a pilot study estimating for the first time the environmental impact of donkey milk production, with the aim to stimulate further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Bragaglio
- CREA Research Centre for Engineering and Agro-Food Processing, Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l'Analisi dell'Economia Agraria, Via Milano 43, 24047 Treviglio, BG, Italy
| | - Elio Romano
- CREA Research Centre for Engineering and Agro-Food Processing, Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l'Analisi dell'Economia Agraria, Via Milano 43, 24047 Treviglio, BG, Italy
| | - Maurizio Cutini
- CREA Research Centre for Engineering and Agro-Food Processing, Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l'Analisi dell'Economia Agraria, Via Milano 43, 24047 Treviglio, BG, Italy
| | - Eleonora Nannoni
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences (DIMVET), University of Bologna, Via Tolara di Sopra 50, 40064 Ozzano Emilia, BO, Italy.
| | - Daniel Mota-Rojas
- Departamento de Producción Agricola y Animal (DPAA), Neurophysiology, Behavior and Animal Welfare Assessment, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM), Unidad Xochimilco, Calzada del Hueso 1100, Colonia Villa Quietud, Alcaldía Coyoacán, 04960 Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico
| | - Salvatore Claps
- CREA Research Centre for Animal Production and Aquacolture, Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l'Analisi dell'Economia Agraria, S.S.7 Via Appia, 85051 Bella Muro, PZ, Italy
| | - Pasquale De Palo
- Department of Veterinary Medicine (DIMEV), University "Aldo Moro" of Bari, S.P. per Casamassima, km 3, 70010 Valenzano, BA, Italy
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21
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James BD, Ward CP, Hahn ME, Thorpe SJ, Reddy CM. Minimizing the Environmental Impacts of Plastic Pollution through Ecodesign of Products with Low Environmental Persistence. ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING 2024; 12:1185-1194. [PMID: 38273987 PMCID: PMC10806995 DOI: 10.1021/acssuschemeng.3c05534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
While plastic pollution threatens ecosystems and human health, the use of plastic products continues to increase. Limiting its harm requires design strategies for plastic products informed by the threats that plastics pose to the environment. Thus, we developed a sustainability metric for the ecodesign of plastic products with low environmental persistence and uncompromised performance. To do this, we integrated the environmental degradation rate of plastic into established material selection strategies, deriving material indices for environmental persistence. By comparing indices for the environmental impact of on-the-market plastics and proposed alternatives, we show that accounting for the environmental persistence of plastics in design could translate to societal benefits of hundreds of millions of dollars for a single consumer product. Our analysis identifies the materials and their properties that deserve development, adoption, and investment to create functional and less environmentally impactful plastic products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan D. James
- Department
of Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry, Woods
Hole Oceanographic Institution; Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, United States
- Department
of Biology, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution; Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, United States
| | - Collin P. Ward
- Department
of Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry, Woods
Hole Oceanographic Institution; Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, United States
| | - Mark E. Hahn
- Department
of Biology, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution; Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, United States
| | - Steven J. Thorpe
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, University
of Toronto; Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E4, Canada
| | - Christopher M. Reddy
- Department
of Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry, Woods
Hole Oceanographic Institution; Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, United States
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22
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Martín-Cabezuelo R, Vilariño-Feltrer G, Campillo-Fernández AJ, Lorenzo-Zúñiga V, Pons V, López-Muñoz P, Tort-Ausina I. Materials Science Toolkit for Carbon Footprint Assessment: A Case Study for Endoscopic Accessories of Common Use. ACS ENVIRONMENTAL AU 2024; 4:42-50. [PMID: 38250342 PMCID: PMC10797683 DOI: 10.1021/acsenvironau.3c00044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Ironically, healthcare systems are key agents in respiratory-related diseases and estimated deaths because of the high impact of their greenhouse gas emissions, along with industry, transportation, and housing. Based on safety requirements, hospitals and related services use an extensive number of consumables, most of which end up incinerated at the end of their life cycle. A thorough assessment of the carbon footprint of such devices typically requires knowing precise information about the manufacturing process, which is rarely available in detail because of the many materials, pieces, and steps involved during the fabrication. Yet, the tools most often used for determining the environmental impact of consumer goods require a bunch of parameters, mainly based on the material composition of the device. Here, we report a basic set of analytical methods that provide the information required by the software OpenLCA to calculate the main outcome related to environmental impact, greenhouse gas emissions. Through thermogravimetry, calorimetry, infrared spectroscopy, and elemental analysis, we proved that obtaining relevant data for the calculator in the exemplifying case of endoscopy tooling or accessories is possible. This routine procedure opens the door to a broader, more accurate analysis of the environmental impact of everyday work at hospital services, offering potential alternatives to minimize it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rubén Martín-Cabezuelo
- Centre
for Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering, CBIT, Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022 València, Spain
- Department
of Gastroenterology, La Fe Health Research
Institute—IIS La Fe, 46026 València, Spain
| | - Guillermo Vilariño-Feltrer
- Centre
for Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering, CBIT, Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022 València, Spain
| | | | - Vicente Lorenzo-Zúñiga
- Department
of Gastroenterology, La Fe Health Research
Institute—IIS La Fe, 46026 València, Spain
| | - Vicente Pons
- Department
of Gastroenterology, La Fe Health Research
Institute—IIS La Fe, 46026 València, Spain
| | - Pedro López-Muñoz
- Department
of Gastroenterology, La Fe Health Research
Institute—IIS La Fe, 46026 València, Spain
| | - Isabel Tort-Ausina
- Centre
for Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering, CBIT, Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022 València, Spain
- CIBER-BBN,
ISCIII, 46022 València, Spain
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23
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Qian Q, Ren J. From plastic waste to potential wealth: Upcycling technologies, process synthesis, assessment and optimization. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 907:167897. [PMID: 37866600 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
Global plastics production has doubled since the beginning of 21st century. Efficient technology is called for plastics waste valorization. The current review provides an overview of the main waste plastic chemical upcycling technologies to produce value-added products. Various technologies including gasification and pyrolysis are under reviewed. However, several review literatures have paid attention to the details and experimental progress in these chemical upcycling techniques. In this review, we attempt to conclude the progress in a multi-scale systems-by-systems perspective. After a brief overview of the current state-of-the-art chemical upcycling techniques, larger-scale process synthesis, assessment, and optimization methodologies to address the sustainability and environmental issues are summarized. Techno-economic analysis and life cycle assessment are selected as two powerful tools for process assessment. Three particular application scenarios of optimization methodologies including experimental design, process synthesis and supply chain management are consequently introduced. Very little work on review articles have summarized the plastic waste-to-wealth process in the systems engineering perspective. Review results show that (1) gasification and pyrolysis offer promising avenues for the conversion of plastic waste into valuable products. These technologies can be integrated with other subsystems to enhance the economic and environmental performance of the overall system. (2) Response surface methodology is commonly used in experimental design and parameter optimization. It allows researchers to systematically investigate the effects of various parameters and optimize process conditions to maximize desired outputs. (3) Superstructure optimization frameworks are valuable tools for process synthesis and pathway selection in plastic waste conversion. However, the potential superstructure is pre-defined. (4) Green supply chain and multi-objective supply chain frameworks can be applied to the design of plastic waste recycling networks, taking into account both economic and environmental considerations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiming Qian
- Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jingzheng Ren
- Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China.
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24
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Graupman M, Vikesland PJ, Bolyard SC, Brazil B, Mondal PP, Bezbaruah AN, Rusch KA, Caro D, Iskander SM. Evaluating the Ecological Footprint of Landfills: A Framework and Case Study of Fargo, North Dakota. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:21113-21123. [PMID: 37932027 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c06071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
There is growing interest in better understanding the environmental impacts of landfills and optimizing their operation. Accordingly, we developed a holistic framework to calculate a landfill's Ecological Footprint (EF) and applied that to the Fargo, North Dakota, landfill. Parallelly, the carbon footprint and biocapacity of the landfill were calculated. We calculated the EF for six scenarios (i.e., cropland, grazing land, marine land, inland fishing ground, forest land, and built land as land types) and six operational strategies typical for landfills. Operational strategies were selected based on the variations of landfill equipment, the gas collection system, efficiency, the occurrence of fugitive emissions, and flaring. The annual EF values range from 124 to 213,717 global hectares depending on land type and operational strategy. Carbon footprints constituted 28.01-99.98% of total EF, mainly driven by fugitive emissions and landfill equipment. For example, each percent increase in Fargo landfill's fugitive emissions caused the carbon footprint to rise by 2130 global hectares (4460 tons CO2e). While the landfill has biocapacity as grazing grass in open spaces, it remains unused/inaccessible. By leveraging the EF framework for landfills, operators can identify the primary elements contributing to a landfill's environmental impact, thereby minimizing it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malachi Graupman
- Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota 58102, United States
| | - Peter J Vikesland
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, United States
| | - Stephanie C Bolyard
- North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, Raleigh, North Carolina 27603, United States
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306, United States
| | - Brian Brazil
- Waste Management, Inc., Gaithersburg, Maryland 20879, United States
| | | | - Achintya N Bezbaruah
- Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota 58102, United States
| | - Kelly A Rusch
- Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota 58102, United States
| | - Dario Caro
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Directorate Growth and Innovation, Circular Economy and Industrial Leadership Unit, Sevilla 41092, Spain
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Roskilde 4000, Denmark
| | - Syeed Md Iskander
- Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota 58102, United States
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25
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Chang JH, Gordon IO, Miller B. Sustaining Surgery for the Future: A New Frontier for Research. Ann Surg 2023; 278:e1159-e1160. [PMID: 37477013 DOI: 10.1097/sla.0000000000006042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jenny H Chang
- Department of General Surgery, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH
- School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT
| | | | - Benjamin Miller
- Department of General Surgery, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH
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26
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Lucas KRG, Caldarelli CE, Ventura MU. Agriculture and biodiversity damage: A prospective evaluation of the impact of Brazilian agriculture on its ecoregions through life cycle assessment methodology. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 899:165762. [PMID: 37495148 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165762] [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: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
The natural ecosystems' replacement by farmland and the consequent biodiversity damage (BD) for agriculture are one of the principal concerns worldwide. The development of the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology involves enormous efforts to include BD parameters and develop a prospective LCA approach for future evaluations of production and technologies use. Thus, this work aims to determine the current impacts and estimate the future impacts in terms of damage to biodiversity caused by land occupation by agricultural commodities produced in Brazil, such as coffee, corn, oranges, and sugar cane, for the six ecoregions present in the country-Amazon, Atlantic Forest, Caatinga, Cerrado, Pampas, and Pantanal-in the 20-year period from 2015 to 2035. For this and to search for hotpots, we applied the indicators proposed by Chaudhary and Books (2018), for inventories whose functional unit is production per m2 of 1 kg of crop. Although the Cerrado is one of the ecoregions in which deforestation has advanced the most, it has the area/production ratio that has evolved the most. In contrast, Pampas and Caatinga, which are not seen as agricultural frontiers, increased their impacts. The most optimistic scenarios for the future have been those in regions considered agricultural frontiers; however, these are the regions where agriculture is more technologically developed, for example, coffee production in the Atlantic Forest and in the Cerrado. The results indicate that the technological development of agriculture can contribute to mitigating the impacts of damage to biodiversity in the future, and that the implementation of legislative and inspection measures is fundamental to supporting the correct use of the soil and preventing illegal soil change. Otherwise, in the future, we will see the increasing disappearance of species. Thus, we need researchers, farmers, and policy makers to move from development to conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kássio R G Lucas
- Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
| | - Carlos Eduardo Caldarelli
- Department of Economy, Center of Applied Social Studies, State University of Londrina, Rodovia Celso Garcia Cid, PR 445 Km 380, Campus Universitário, Cx. Postal 10.011, CEP 86.057-970 Londrina, PR, Brazil
| | - Maurício Ursi Ventura
- Department of Agronomy, Center of Agrarian Sciences, State University of Londrina, Rodovia Celso Garcia Cid, PR 445 Km 380, Campus Universitário, Cx. Postal 10.011, CEP 86.057-970, Londrina, PR, Brazil
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27
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Räikkönen M, Sokka L, Hepo‐oja L, Nordman S, Kraft TM. Sustainable Production Insight Through LCA and LCC Analysis of Injection Overmolded Structural Electronics Manufactured through Roll-to-Roll Processes. GLOBAL CHALLENGES (HOBOKEN, NJ) 2023; 7:2300015. [PMID: 37970539 PMCID: PMC10632665 DOI: 10.1002/gch2.202300015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023]
Abstract
Printed electronics (PE) have provided new material and application opportunities for devices and systems as well as new manufacturing routes that all need to be considered for commercialization. This paper introduces a case study with universally relevant manufacturing processes and applications in the PE area, focusing on the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Costing (LCC) of the Personal Activity Monitor (PAM) device. In the study, the PAM device's most important costs and environmental impacts during the prototype pilot production and device use phases are identified and assessed. Additionally, the potential environmental impacts of post-consumption scenarios are considered. The LCA results indicate that the roll-to-roll (R2R) assembly of electronics and the R2R injection over-molding are generally the most prominent production process steps affecting the results. From the LCC perspective, the capitial expenditure (CAPEX) contributor is the R2R assembly pilot line, due to its high investment cost and long operating time compare to other production assets. The traditional electronic components are the major operating expenditures (OPEX), especially the microcontroller units (MCUs) and accelerometers, in contrast to the low impact from the printed electronics. There are several advantages to applying LCA and LCC since they provide explanations of the relationships between cost, environmental, design, and manufacturing characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minna Räikkönen
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland LtdVisiokatu 4, P.O. Box 1300Tampere33101Finland
| | - Laura Sokka
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland LtdTekniikantie 21, P.O. Box 1000Espoo02044 VTTFinland
| | - Lotta Hepo‐oja
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland LtdTekniikantie 21, P.O. Box 1000Espoo02044 VTTFinland
| | - Sirpa Nordman
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland LtdKaitoväylä 1, P.O. Box 1100Oulu90590Finland
| | - Thomas M. Kraft
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland LtdKaitoväylä 1, P.O. Box 1100Oulu90590Finland
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28
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Wyss KM, Silva KJ, Bets KV, Algozeeb WA, Kittrell C, Teng CH, Choi CH, Chen W, Beckham JL, Yakobson BI, Tour JM. Synthesis of Clean Hydrogen Gas from Waste Plastic at Zero Net Cost. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2023; 35:e2306763. [PMID: 37694496 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202306763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
Hydrogen gas (H2 ) is the primary storable fuel for pollution-free energy production, with over 90 million tonnes used globally per year. More than 95% of H2 is synthesized through metal-catalyzed steam methane reforming that produces 11 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2 ) per tonne H2 . "Green H2 " from water electrolysis using renewable energy evolves no CO2 , but costs 2-3× more, making it presently economically unviable. Here catalyst-free conversion of waste plastic into clean H2 along with high purity graphene is reported. The scalable procedure evolves no CO2 when deconstructing polyolefins and produces H2 in purities up to 94% at high mass yields. The sale of graphene byproduct at just 5% of its current value yields H2 production at a negative cost. Life-cycle assessment demonstrates a 39-84% reduction in emissions compared to other H2 production methods, suggesting the flash H2 process to be an economically viable, clean H2 production route.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin M Wyss
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Karla J Silva
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Ksenia V Bets
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Wala A Algozeeb
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Carter Kittrell
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Carolyn H Teng
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Chi Hun Choi
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Weiyin Chen
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Jacob L Beckham
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Boris I Yakobson
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
- Smalley-Curl Institute, NanoCarbon Center and the Rice Advanced Materials Institute, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - James M Tour
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
- Smalley-Curl Institute, NanoCarbon Center and the Rice Advanced Materials Institute, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
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29
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Fernández-González J, Rumayor M, Domínguez-Ramos A, Irabien A, Ortiz I. The Relevance of Life Cycle Assessment Tools in the Development of Emerging Decarbonization Technologies. JACS AU 2023; 3:2631-2639. [PMID: 37885586 PMCID: PMC10598561 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.3c00276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
The development of emerging decarbonization technologies requires advanced tools for decision-making that incorporate the environmental perspective from the early design. Today, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is the preferred tool to promote sustainability in the technology development, identifying environmental challenges and opportunities and defining the final implementation pathways. So far, most environmental studies related to decarbonization emerging solutions are still limited to midpoint metrics, mainly the carbon footprint, with global sustainability implications being relatively unexplored. In this sense, the Planetary Boundaries (PBs) have been recently proposed to identify the distance to the ideal reference state. Hence, PB-LCA methodology can be currently applied to transform the resource use and emissions to changes in the values of PB control variables. This study shows a complete picture of the LCA's role in developing emerging technologies. For this purpose, a case study based on the electrochemical conversion of CO2 to formic acid is used to show the possibilities of LCA approaches highlighting the potential pitfalls when going beyond greenhouse gas emission reduction and obtaining the absolute sustainability level in terms of four PBs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Fernández-González
- Department of Chemical and
Biomolecular Engineering, Universidad de
Cantabria, Avenida Los Castros s/n, 39005 Santander, Spain
| | - Marta Rumayor
- Department of Chemical and
Biomolecular Engineering, Universidad de
Cantabria, Avenida Los Castros s/n, 39005 Santander, Spain
| | - Antonio Domínguez-Ramos
- Department of Chemical and
Biomolecular Engineering, Universidad de
Cantabria, Avenida Los Castros s/n, 39005 Santander, Spain
| | - Angel Irabien
- Department of Chemical and
Biomolecular Engineering, Universidad de
Cantabria, Avenida Los Castros s/n, 39005 Santander, Spain
| | - Inmaculada Ortiz
- Department of Chemical and
Biomolecular Engineering, Universidad de
Cantabria, Avenida Los Castros s/n, 39005 Santander, Spain
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30
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Yin CY, El-Harbawi M, Jiang ZT. Life Cycle Assessment of Production of Hydrochar via Hydrothermal Carbonization of Date Palm Fronds Biomass. MATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 16:6653. [PMID: 37895634 PMCID: PMC10608159 DOI: 10.3390/ma16206653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
This study presents novel life cycle assessment (LCA) findings on hydrochar production from Saudi-Arabia-based date palm fronds biomass waste using hydrothermal carbonization (HTC). The LCA procedure incorporated normalization, weighting, and improvement assessment. The system boundary encompassed water consumption and energy requirements within a lab setting representing a gate-to-gate process. The OpenLCA 1.11.0 software with the European Life Cycle Database 3.2 (ELCD 3.2) was utilized for the study and we employed the ReCiPe Midpoint (H) 2016 and Environmental Footprint 3.0 (EF 3.0) impact assessment methods. The results indicated that fossil fuel usage represented the most significant impact category with the HTC and drying processes identified as major contributors. It was also observed that the HTC process exerted far greater detrimental impacts on the environment than the biomass grinding process. The overwhelming impact of fossil fuel resources could be mitigated by optimizing the batches of biomass or hydrochar samples in each operation, which could alleviate fossil fuel consumption by up to 94%. The findings emphasize the need for targeted interventions to mitigate the environmental burden and contribute to sustainable hydrochar production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Yang Yin
- Newcastle University in Singapore, 537 Clementi Road #06-01, SIT Building @ Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Singapore 599493, Singapore
| | - Mohanad El-Harbawi
- Chemical Engineering Department, College of Engineering, King Saud University, P.O. Box 800, Riyadh 11421, Saudi Arabia
| | - Zhong-Tao Jiang
- Surface Analysis and Materials Engineering Research Group, School of Mathematics, Statistics, Chemistry and Physics, College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, Murdoch University, 90 South St., Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia;
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31
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Nabera A, Istrate IR, Martín AJ, Pérez-Ramírez J, Guillén-Gosálbez G. Energy crisis in Europe enhances the sustainability of green chemicals. GREEN CHEMISTRY : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL AND GREEN CHEMISTRY RESOURCE : GC 2023; 25:6603-6611. [PMID: 38013722 PMCID: PMC10464097 DOI: 10.1039/d3gc01053h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Ammonia and methanol are essential to modern societies, but their production has been heavily reliant on natural gas, which contributes to supply disruptions and significant CO2 emissions. While low-carbon or green production routes have been extensively researched, their adoption has been hindered by higher costs, making them unsustainable. However, a recent energy crisis in Europe has created a unique opportunity to shift towards greener production technologies. Here we show that, green ammonia, produced through wind-powered water electrolysis, had the potential to outperform its fossil counterpart for six months as of December 2021, while methanol produced through CO2 capture and wind-based water electrolysis became an economically appealing alternative. With a coordinated effort from academia, industry, and policymakers, Europe can lead the grand transition towards more sustainable practices in the chemical industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhinandan Nabera
- Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences ETH Zürich Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1 Zürich 8093 Switzerland
| | - Ioan-Robert Istrate
- Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences ETH Zürich Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1 Zürich 8093 Switzerland
| | - Antonio José Martín
- Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences ETH Zürich Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1 Zürich 8093 Switzerland
| | - Javier Pérez-Ramírez
- Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences ETH Zürich Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1 Zürich 8093 Switzerland
| | - Gonzalo Guillén-Gosálbez
- Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences ETH Zürich Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1 Zürich 8093 Switzerland
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32
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Ruini C, Neri P, Cavalaglio G, Coccia V, Cotana F, Raspolli Galletti AM, Morselli D, Fabbri P, Ferrari AM, Rosa R. Innovative Bioplasticizers from Residual Cynara cardunculus L. Biomass-Derived Levulinic Acid and Their Environmental Impact Assessment by LCA Methodology. ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING 2023; 11:12014-12026. [PMID: 37593378 PMCID: PMC10428505 DOI: 10.1021/acssuschemeng.3c02269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
This work is focused on the application of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology for the quantification of the potential environmental impacts associated with the obtainment of levulinic acid from residual Cynara cardunculus L. biomass and its subsequent valorization in innovative bioplasticizers for tuning the properties as well as the processability of biopolymers. This potentially allows the production of fully biobased and biodegradable bioplastic formulations, thus addressing the issues related to the fossil origin and nonbiodegradability of conventional additives, such as phthalates. Steam explosion pretreatment was applied to the epigean residue of C. cardunculus L. followed by a microwave-assisted acid-catalyzed hydrolysis. After purification, the as-obtained levulinic acid was used to synthesize different ketal-diester derivatives through a three-step selective synthesis. The levulinic acid-base additives demonstrated remarkable plasticizing efficiency when added to biobased plastics. The LCA results were used in conjunction with those from the experimental activities to find the optimal compromise between environmental impacts and mechanical and thermal properties, induced by the bioadditives in poly(3-hydroxybutyrate), PHB biopolymer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Ruini
- Dipartimento
di Scienze e Metodi dell’Ingegneria, Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia, via G. Amendola 2, Reggio Emilia 42122, Italy
| | - Paolo Neri
- Dipartimento
di Scienze e Metodi dell’Ingegneria, Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia, via G. Amendola 2, Reggio Emilia 42122, Italy
| | - Gianluca Cavalaglio
- Università
Telematica Pegaso, Centro Direzionale Isola f2, Napoli 80143, Italy
| | - Valentina Coccia
- Centro
Interuniversitario di Ricerca sull’Inquinamento e sull’Ambiente
“Mauro Felli”, Centro di Ricerca sulle Biomasse, University of Perugia, via G. Duranti 63, Perugia 06125, Italy
| | - Franco Cotana
- Centro
Interuniversitario di Ricerca sull’Inquinamento e sull’Ambiente
“Mauro Felli”, Centro di Ricerca sulle Biomasse, University of Perugia, via G. Duranti 63, Perugia 06125, Italy
| | | | - Davide Morselli
- Dipartimento
di Ingegneria Civile, Chimica, Ambientale e dei Materiali, Università di Bologna, via U. Terracini 28, Bologna 40131, Italy
- Consorzio
Interuniversitario Nazionale per Scienza e Tecnologia dei Materiali
(INSTM), via Giusti 9, Firenze 50121, Italy
| | - Paola Fabbri
- Dipartimento
di Ingegneria Civile, Chimica, Ambientale e dei Materiali, Università di Bologna, via U. Terracini 28, Bologna 40131, Italy
- Consorzio
Interuniversitario Nazionale per Scienza e Tecnologia dei Materiali
(INSTM), via Giusti 9, Firenze 50121, Italy
| | - Anna Maria Ferrari
- Dipartimento
di Scienze e Metodi dell’Ingegneria, Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia, via G. Amendola 2, Reggio Emilia 42122, Italy
- Consorzio
Interuniversitario Nazionale per Scienza e Tecnologia dei Materiali
(INSTM), via Giusti 9, Firenze 50121, Italy
- Centro
Interdipartimentale En&Tech, Università
degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Tecnopolo di Reggio Emilia, Piazzale Europa 1, Reggio Emilia 42123, Italy
| | - Roberto Rosa
- Dipartimento
di Scienze e Metodi dell’Ingegneria, Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia, via G. Amendola 2, Reggio Emilia 42122, Italy
- Consorzio
Interuniversitario Nazionale per Scienza e Tecnologia dei Materiali
(INSTM), via Giusti 9, Firenze 50121, Italy
- Centro
Interdipartimentale En&Tech, Università
degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Tecnopolo di Reggio Emilia, Piazzale Europa 1, Reggio Emilia 42123, Italy
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Rosa R, Paradisi E, Lassinantti Gualtieri M, Mugoni C, Cappucci GM, Ruini C, Neri P, Ferrari AM. Life Cycle Impact Assessment of Solution Combustion Synthesis of Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles and Its Comparison with More Conventional Strategies. CHEMSUSCHEM 2023; 16:e202202196. [PMID: 36601970 DOI: 10.1002/cssc.202202196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2022] [Revised: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
This paper represents the first attempt to quantitatively and reliably assess the environmental sustainability of solution combustion synthesis (SCS) with respect to other soft chemistry strategies, which are more conventionally employed in the preparation of engineered oxide nanomaterials, namely hydrolytic and non-hydrolytic sol-gel syntheses (i. e., HSGS and NHSGS). Indeed, although SCS is well known to rely on significant reduction in the energy as well as time required for the obtainment of the desired nanocrystals, its quantitative environmental assessment and a detailed comparison with other existing synthetic pathways represents an absolute novelty of high scientific desirability in order to pursue a more sustainable development in the inorganic chemistry as well as materials science research fields. TiO2 nanoparticles were selected as the material of choice, for the production of which three slightly modified literature procedures were experimentally reproduced and environmentally evaluated by the application of the comprehensive life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. Particularly, SCS was compared from an environmental perspective with sol-gel approaches performed both in water and in benzyl alcohol. The results of the present study were also framed among those recently obtained in a systematic study assessing seven further chemical, physical, and biological routes for the synthesis of TiO2 nanoparticles, comprising also flame spray pyrolysis (typically used in industrial productions), highlighting and quantifying the excellent environmental performances of SCS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Rosa
- Department of Sciences and Methods for Engineering, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, via G. Amendola 2, 42122, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Enrico Paradisi
- Department of Engineering "Enzo Ferrari", University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, via P. Vivarelli 10, 41125, Modena, Italy
| | | | - Consuelo Mugoni
- Department of Engineering "Enzo Ferrari", University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, via P. Vivarelli 10, 41125, Modena, Italy
| | - Grazia Maria Cappucci
- Department of Sciences and Methods for Engineering, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, via G. Amendola 2, 42122, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Chiara Ruini
- Department of Sciences and Methods for Engineering, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, via G. Amendola 2, 42122, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Paolo Neri
- Department of Sciences and Methods for Engineering, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, via G. Amendola 2, 42122, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Anna Maria Ferrari
- Department of Sciences and Methods for Engineering, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, via G. Amendola 2, 42122, Reggio Emilia, Italy
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Yin X, Feng L, Gong Y. Mitigating Ecotoxicity Risks of Pesticides on Ornamental Plants Based on Life Cycle Assessment. TOXICS 2023; 11:360. [PMID: 37112587 PMCID: PMC10140926 DOI: 10.3390/toxics11040360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Ornamental plants such as floriculture and nurseries, have become increasingly popular, but their growth relies heavily on the use of many different types of pesticides. The widespread and inefficient use of these pesticides causes environmental pollution and damage to non-target organisms. Despite these impacts, there has been little research conducted on potential agrochemical pollution in the ornamental plant industry. To address this gap, a life cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted to evaluate the pesticide-related freshwater ecotoxicity impact of the US ornamental plant industry in comparison to that of major field crops. The study analyzed 195 pesticide active ingredients used in 15 major ornamental plant and four field crops. Results showed that the freshwater ecotoxicity per area (PAF m3 d/ha) of ornamental plants was significantly higher than that of field crops due to the high pesticide intensity (kg/ha) and ecotoxicity of insecticides and fungicides used in floriculture and nurseries. To mitigate environmental stress, minimizing the use of highly toxic pesticides is recommended. A ban on low-dose, high-toxicity pesticides could reduce pesticide-driven ecotoxicity by 34% and 49% for floriculture and nursery plants, respectively. This study is among the first to quantify the pesticide-driven ecotoxicity impacts of horticultural ornamental plants and proposes feasible ways to reduce these impacts, thus making the world more sustainable while still preserving its beauty.
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35
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Echeverría-Su M, Huamanraime-Maquin E, Cabrera FI, Vázquez-Rowe I. Transitioning to sustainable mobility in Lima, Peru. Are e-scooter sharing initiatives part of the problem or the solution? THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 866:161130. [PMID: 36566856 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.161130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Revised: 12/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Micro-mobility has increased in urban environments to reduce dependence on private vehicles. While electric micro-mobility alternatives are supposed to reduce environmental impacts, certain studies suggest that this can depend on the transport mode they substitute. In parallel, despite growing efforts, urban areas in developing and emerging economies struggle to implement sustainable mobility programs at a city-wide level. In March 2019 the first dockless e-scooter rental service appeared in the city of Lima, Peru. Although the social and environmental impacts of dockless e-scooters have been the center of multiple studies, these are mostly based in North America and Europe. Therefore, the main objective of the current study was to use Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to address the environmental profile of e-scooter use in districts of central Lima. All stages of the life-cycle of e-scooters were modelled considering local conditions, from manufacture to end-of-life. A sensitivity analysis was conducted to account for the variability in environmental impact based on five parameters: lifespan, battery range, remaining battery charge, collection distance and collection vehicle. Results show that over two thirds of impacts are linked to manufacturing thanks to the low-carbon profile of electricity production in Peru, which lowers the burdens in the use phase, making e-scooter use competitive in the local market as compared to electric bikes or motorcycles. However, replacement trends show that net environmental gains are not always obtained. Poor maintenance and derived lifespan or battery range are important sources of variability for the impact categories assessed. Although e-scooters show potential for their implementation in developing cities with similar characteristics to Lima, we recommend that site-specific studies should be conducted to foster adaptive management strategies which take into account the means of transport being substituted by e-scooters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Echeverría-Su
- Peruvian Life Cycle Assessment & Industrial Ecology Network (PELCAN), Department of Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Avenida Universitaria 1801, San Miguel 15088, Lima, Peru
| | - Esteffany Huamanraime-Maquin
- Peruvian Life Cycle Assessment & Industrial Ecology Network (PELCAN), Department of Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Avenida Universitaria 1801, San Miguel 15088, Lima, Peru
| | - Félix Israel Cabrera
- Peruvian Life Cycle Assessment & Industrial Ecology Network (PELCAN), Department of Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Avenida Universitaria 1801, San Miguel 15088, Lima, Peru
| | - Ian Vázquez-Rowe
- Peruvian Life Cycle Assessment & Industrial Ecology Network (PELCAN), Department of Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Avenida Universitaria 1801, San Miguel 15088, Lima, Peru.
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36
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Zhu Z, Lu C. Life cycle assessment of shared electric bicycle on greenhouse gas emissions in China. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 860:160546. [PMID: 36455739 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2022] [Revised: 10/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Following the bike-sharing system, the shared electric bicycle (SEB) is experiencing explosive growth in China as an emerging shared transportation mode. While shared transportation has long been linked to energy conservation and reducing emissions, a major problem facing SEB is whether it can reach the goal of greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction. This paper aims to evaluate GHG emissions at each stage of production, operation, and disposal of the SEB using life cycle assessment of GHG emissions. We also compared the differences in GHG emissions between the recycling incineration scenario (H1) and the recycling degradation scenario (H2) in the disposal stage. The GHG emissions of SEB in the production and operation stages were found to be 379.6173 kg CO2-eq and 183.4663 kg CO2-eq, respectively. However, the GHG emission reduction in the use stage was 1049.8374 kg CO2-eq. Thus, the net GHG reduction in the life cycle of the SEB was 487.3923 kg CO2-eq. (H1) and 433.9215 kg CO2-eq. (H2), respectively, indicating that SEB had a green effect. Non-recyclable parts of SEB will take 48 years to degrade in landfills in the H2 scenario. The GHG emission thresholds for SEB were further discussed. When the average daily turnover rate of SEB was less than 4 and its operation day was less than 479, SEB would not be able to achieve the goal of GHG reduction in the whole life cycle, with the riding statistics remaining unchanged. Finally, some advice for practical issues of electric bicycle sharing in energy conservation and GHG reduction were presented in response to the results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Zhu
- School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Chuntian Lu
- School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.
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Rosa F, Di Fulvio F, Lauri P, Felton A, Forsell N, Pfister S, Hellweg S. Can Forest Management Practices Counteract Species Loss Arising from Increasing European Demand for Forest Biomass under Climate Mitigation Scenarios? ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:2149-2161. [PMID: 36706339 PMCID: PMC9910049 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c07867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Forests are home to many species and provide biomass for material and energy. Here, we modeled the potential global species extinction risk from future scenarios of climate mitigation and EU28 forest management. We considered the continuation of current practices, the adoption of closer-to-nature management (low-intensity practices), and set-asides (conversion to unharvested forestland) on portions of EU28 forestland under two climate mitigation pathways as well as the consequences for the wood trade. Expanding set-aside to more than 25% of EU28 currently managed forestland by 2100 increased the global extinction risk compared to the continuation of current practices. This outcome stems from a projected increase in EU forest biomass imports, partially from biodiversity-vulnerable regions to compensate for a decrease in domestic harvest. Conversely, closer-to-nature management on up to 37.5% of EU28 forestland lowered extinction risks. Increasing the internal production and partially sourcing imported biomass from low-intensity managed areas lowered the species extinction footprint even further. However, low-intensity practices could not entirely compensate for the increased extinction risk under a high climate mitigation scenario with greater demand for lignocellulosic crops and energywood. When developing climate mitigation strategies, it is crucial to assess forest biomass supply chains for the early detection of extinction risks in non-EU regions and for developing strategies to prevent increase of global impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Rosa
- Institute
of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zurich,
HPZ E33, John-von-Neumann-Weg 9, 8093Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Fulvio Di Fulvio
- Ecosystems
Services and Management Program (ESM), International
Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Schlossplatz 1, A-2361Laxenburg, Austria
| | - Pekka Lauri
- Ecosystems
Services and Management Program (ESM), International
Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Schlossplatz 1, A-2361Laxenburg, Austria
| | - Adam Felton
- Southern
Swedish Forest Research Centre, Swedish
University of Agricultural Sciences SLU, Sundsvägen 3, SE-230 53Alnarp, Sweden
| | - Nicklas Forsell
- Ecosystems
Services and Management Program (ESM), International
Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Schlossplatz 1, A-2361Laxenburg, Austria
| | - Stephan Pfister
- Institute
of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zurich,
HPZ E33, John-von-Neumann-Weg 9, 8093Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Stefanie Hellweg
- Institute
of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zurich,
HPZ E33, John-von-Neumann-Weg 9, 8093Zurich, Switzerland
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38
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Sullivan GA, Petit HJ, Reiter AJ, Westrick JC, Hu A, Dunn JB, Gulack BC, Shah AN, Dsida R, Raval MV. Environmental Impact and Cost Savings of Operating Room Quality Improvement Initiatives: A Scoping Review. J Am Coll Surg 2023; 236:411-423. [PMID: 36648269 DOI: 10.1097/xcs.0000000000000478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Operating rooms are major contributors to a hospital's carbon footprint due to the large volumes of resources consumed and waste produced. The objective of this study was to identify quality improvement initiatives that aimed to reduce the environmental impact of the operating room while decreasing costs. STUDY DESIGN A literature search was performed using PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, and Google Scholar and included broad terms for "operating room," "costs," and "environment" or "sustainability." The "triple bottom line" framework, which considers the environmental, financial, and social impacts of interventions to guide decision making, was used to inform data extraction. The studies were then categorized using the 5 "Rs" of sustainability-refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose, and recycle-and the impacts were discussed using the triple bottom line framework. RESULTS A total of 23 unique quality improvement initiatives describing 28 interventions were included. Interventions were categorized as "refuse" (n = 11; 39.3%), "reduce" (n = 8; 28.6%), "reuse" (n = 3; 10.7%), and "recycle" (n = 6; 21.4%). While methods of measuring environmental impact and cost savings varied greatly among studies, potential annual cost savings ranged from $873 (intervention: education on diverting recyclable materials from sharps containers; environmental impact: 11.4 kg sharps waste diverted per month) to $694,141 (intervention: education to reduce regulated medical waste; environmental impact: 30% reduction in regulated medical waste). CONCLUSIONS Quality improvement initiatives that reduce both cost and environmental impact have been successfully implemented across a variety of centers both nationally and globally. Surgeons, healthcare practitioners, and administrators interested in environmental stewardship and working toward a culture of sustainability may consider similar interventions in their institutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gwyneth A Sullivan
- From the Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine (Sullivan, Reiter, Hu, Raval)
- the Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery (Sullivan, Petit)
| | - Hayley J Petit
- the Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery (Sullivan, Petit)
| | - Audra J Reiter
- From the Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine (Sullivan, Reiter, Hu, Raval)
| | - Jennifer C Westrick
- the Library of Rush Medical Center (Westrick), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL
| | - Andrew Hu
- From the Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine (Sullivan, Reiter, Hu, Raval)
| | - Jennifer B Dunn
- the Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL (Dunn)
| | - Brian C Gulack
- From the Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine (Sullivan, Reiter, Hu, Raval)
- the Department of Anesthesiology (Dsida), Ann & Robert H Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL
- the Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery (Sullivan, Petit)
- the Library of Rush Medical Center (Westrick), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL
- the Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL (Dunn)
| | - Ami N Shah
- From the Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine (Sullivan, Reiter, Hu, Raval)
- the Department of Anesthesiology (Dsida), Ann & Robert H Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL
- the Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery (Sullivan, Petit)
- the Library of Rush Medical Center (Westrick), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL
- the Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL (Dunn)
| | - Richard Dsida
- the Department of Anesthesiology (Dsida), Ann & Robert H Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Mehul V Raval
- From the Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine (Sullivan, Reiter, Hu, Raval)
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Yang G, Zhang Q, Zhao Z, Zhou C. How does the "Zero-waste City" strategy contribute to carbon footprint reduction in China? WASTE MANAGEMENT (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2023; 156:227-235. [PMID: 36493666 DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2022.11.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The "Zero-waste City" program and carbon peak plan are currently vital environmental strategies in China. Solid waste management systems are closely related to greenhouse gas emissions, and "Zero-waste City" programs are highlighted because of their great potential for carbon footprint reduction and pollution mitigation. However, a knowledge gap remains in terms of quantifying the carbon footprint when implementing "Zero-waste City" programs. Here, we developed a methodology for accounting for the carbon footprint of a solid waste management system, and Ningbo city, which is one of the first demonstration "Zero-waste Cities" in China, was chosen as the study case. The material flow and carbon footprint of construction and demolition waste, industrial waste, hazardous waste, sludge, and municipal solid waste were analyzed. The results show that the carbon footprint of the solid waste management system in Ningbo city was -1679.9 Gg CO2_eq in 2018, which can be divided into 3472.5, 1131.3, and -6283.8 Gg CO2_eq by Scopes 1, 2, and 3, respectively. According to the scenario analysis, the SWMS in Ningbo city can achieve a carbon footprint reduction potential of at least 5771.5 Gg CO2_eq by 2025, by implementing the "Zero-waste City" strategy. This suggests that waste minimization, construction and demolition waste recycling, and municipal solid waste recycling are the most effective measures for carbon footprint reduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guang Yang
- Stake Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, China
| | - Qian Zhang
- Ningbo Research Institute of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, Ningbo, Zhejiang Province 315000, China
| | - Zhilan Zhao
- Stake Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Chuanbin Zhou
- Stake Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, China.
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Hamadani BH. 2.11 - Accurate characterization of indoor photovoltaic performance. JPHYS MATERIALS 2023; 6:10.1088/2515-7639/acc550. [PMID: 37965623 PMCID: PMC10644663 DOI: 10.1088/2515-7639/acc550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Ambient energy harvesting has great potential to contribute to sustainable development and address growing environmental challenges. Converting waste energy from energy-intensive processes and systems (e.g. combustion engines and furnaces) is crucial to reducing their environmental impact and achieving net-zero emissions. Compact energy harvesters will also be key to powering the exponentially growing smart devices ecosystem that is part of the Internet of Things, thus enabling futuristic applications that can improve our quality of life (e.g. smart homes, smart cities, smart manufacturing, and smart healthcare). To achieve these goals, innovative materials are needed to efficiently convert ambient energy into electricity through various physical mechanisms, such as the photovoltaic effect, thermoelectricity, piezoelectricity, triboelectricity, and radiofrequency wireless power transfer. By bringing together the perspectives of experts in various types of energy harvesting materials, this Roadmap provides extensive insights into recent advances and present challenges in the field. Additionally, the Roadmap analyses the key performance metrics of these technologies in relation to their ultimate energy conversion limits. Building on these insights, the Roadmap outlines promising directions for future research to fully harness the potential of energy harvesting materials for green energy anytime, anywhere.
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Sun X, Pan X, Jin C, Li Y, Xu Q, Zhang D, Li H. Life Cycle Assessment-Based Carbon Footprint Accounting Model and Analysis for Integrated Energy Stations in China. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:16451. [PMID: 36554331 PMCID: PMC9778844 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192416451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 12/04/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
To achieve its carbon neutrality goal, China has invested broadly in energy infrastructure and the emerging integrated energy stations (IESs) projects will bring enormous opportunities. Accurate carbon emission accounting for IESs is challenging in view of the complexity of the manufacturing process and uncertainty in construction and operation processes. To overcome these challenges, this paper develops a novel quantitative carbon footprint analysis model for IESs from a lifecycle perspective, with production and materialization, construction, operation and maintenance, and disposal and recycling phases considered. The method is applied on a 110 kV wind power IES project in China, to analyze and calculate lifecycle carbon emissions, identify the key influence factors of carbon footprints and provide suggestions for carbon reduction. The findings can identify key influence factors and provide suggestions for carbon reduction for the development of IES projects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaorong Sun
- College of Energy and Electrical Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 211100, China
| | - Xueping Pan
- College of Energy and Electrical Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 211100, China
| | - Chenhao Jin
- Business School, Hohai University, Nanjing 211100, China
| | - Yihan Li
- College of Energy and Electrical Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 211100, China
| | - Qijie Xu
- College of Energy and Electrical Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 211100, China
| | - Danxu Zhang
- Research & Development, GE Digital, Bothell, WA 98011, USA
| | - Hongyang Li
- Business School, Hohai University, Nanjing 211100, China
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Ramos S, Segovia L, Melado-Herreros A, Cidad M, Zufía J, Vranken L, Matthys C. Enviroscore: normalization, weighting, and categorization algorithm to evaluate the relative environmental impact of food and drink products. NPJ Sci Food 2022; 6:54. [PMID: 36433991 PMCID: PMC9700787 DOI: 10.1038/s41538-022-00165-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
A 5-scale label that relativizes the environmental impact of a given product referred to the impact of the European food basket is proposed. It was developed based on the Product Environmental Footprint methodology with the following stepwise approach. First, a set of normalization and weighting factors were defined to aggregate all the environmental impact categories into a single dimensionless index referred to as the European food basket, coined the European Food Environmental Footprint Single Index (EFSI). Next, the effectiveness of the EFSI index was evaluated by assessing the distribution of the EFSI results on 149 hypothetical food items and comparing it with the results obtained with EC Single Score. Finally, the thresholds to translate the EFSI index into the 5-scale Enviroscore (A, B, C, D, and E) were established and validated using the Delphi method. Results indicated that both, Enviroscore and EFSI, were able to account for impact variability between and within food products. Differences on the final score were observed due to the type of products (vegetables vs. animal products), the country of origin and the mean of transportation. Regarding country of origin, results indicated that differences in water stress impact category were better captured by the EFSI index (r = 0.624) than by the EC Single Score (r = 0.228). Finally, good agreement achieved with the Delphi method (weighted Kappa 0.642; p = 0.0025), ensures the acceptability of the Enviroscore. In conclusion, this study developed a method to communicate environmental impact assessment in a front-of-packaging label.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saioa Ramos
- grid.512117.1AZTI, Food Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA). Parque Tecnológico de Bizkaia, Astondo Bidea, Edificio 609, 48160 Derio, Bizkaia Spain
| | - Lucia Segovia
- grid.5596.f0000 0001 0668 7884Clinical and Experimental Endocrinology, Department of Chronic Diseases, Metabolism and Aging, KU Leuven Leuven, Belgium ,grid.5596.f0000 0001 0668 7884Division of Bioeconomics, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Angela Melado-Herreros
- grid.512117.1AZTI, Food Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA). Parque Tecnológico de Bizkaia, Astondo Bidea, Edificio 609, 48160 Derio, Bizkaia Spain
| | - Maite Cidad
- grid.512117.1AZTI, Food Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA). Parque Tecnológico de Bizkaia, Astondo Bidea, Edificio 609, 48160 Derio, Bizkaia Spain
| | - Jaime Zufía
- grid.512117.1AZTI, Food Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA). Parque Tecnológico de Bizkaia, Astondo Bidea, Edificio 609, 48160 Derio, Bizkaia Spain
| | - Liesbet Vranken
- grid.5596.f0000 0001 0668 7884Division of Bioeconomics, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Christophe Matthys
- grid.5596.f0000 0001 0668 7884Clinical and Experimental Endocrinology, Department of Chronic Diseases, Metabolism and Aging, KU Leuven Leuven, Belgium ,grid.410569.f0000 0004 0626 3338Department of Endocrinology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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Xing Z, Dai H, Zhang J, Li Y. Evaluation and Improvement of Greenness for Milling AL6061 Alloy through Life Cycle Assessment and Grey Relational Analysis. MATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 15:8231. [PMID: 36431715 PMCID: PMC9694735 DOI: 10.3390/ma15228231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Revised: 11/05/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Modern manufacturing industries thrive on greenness, which means ensuring acceptable environmental impacts and required surface quality of the products during the manufacturing process. However, there is a conflict between surface quality and environmental performances in the milling process. The current research only considers energy consumption rather than total environmental impacts. In this respect, this research focuses on the multiobjective optimization of machining parameters for balancing the surface quality (i.e., surface roughness, Ra) and total environmental impact (TEI), which includes raw materials usage, energy consumption, and output pollutant emission during the milling of AL6061 alloy. First, life cycle assessment (LCA) of the milling process is used for evaluating the TEI. Then, multiobjective optimization is conducted using Grey Relational Analysis. The results indicated that the improvement of Ra and TEI can be achieved with higher cutting speed, higher depth, and wet conditions in milling. The optimization work showed that cutting speed of 165 m/min, feed rate of 0.28 mm/rev, depth of cut of 2 mm, and width of cut of 3 mm are the optimal combination among existing experiments. Compared to single objective optimization results, multiple responses (Ra and TEI) can be improved simultaneously.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhipeng Xing
- Institute for Advanced Materials and Technology, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Haicong Dai
- Shanghai Aerospace Equipments Manufacturer Co., Ltd., Shanghai 200245, China
| | - Jiong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Mechanical Transmission, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
| | - Yufeng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Mechanical Transmission, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
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Piao Z, Heutschi K, Pieren R, Mikhailenko P, Poulikakos LD, Hellweg S. Environmental trade-offs for using low-noise pavements: Life cycle assessment with noise considerations. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 842:156846. [PMID: 35738370 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156846] [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: 04/27/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Noise mitigation is the main advantage of semi-dense asphalt (SDA) pavements compared to traditional pavements such as stone-mastic asphalt (SMA), but noise is not quantitatively considered in traditional life cycle assessment (LCA). This article performs a comprehensive LCA for SMA and SDA including noise considerations. State-of-the-art sound emission and acoustical ageing models were used to determine the road traffic noise. The latest Swiss dose-response curves and current noise exposure data were used to evaluate health impacts due to noise. Additionally, traditional LCA is also included for assessing the greenhouse gas emissions, non-renewable cumulative energy demand and health impacts of non-noise processes. The results show that SDA causes around 70 % higher greenhouse gases and energy demand than SMA, primarily due to its shorter service life. However, the noise impacts in disability adjusted life years (DALYs) are higher by two to three orders of magnitude than non-noise processes, and the use of SDA can reduce 40 % of the total DALYs. It is shown that road traffic noise plays a significant role in the LCA of pavements. The trade-off between greenhouse gas and energy related impacts, on the one hand, and health effects, on the other hand, requires critical consideration by decision makers when promoting low-noise pavements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengyin Piao
- Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 129, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland; ETH Zurich, Institute of Environmental Engineering, Ecological Systems Design, John-von-Neumann-Weg 9, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Kurt Heutschi
- Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 129, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland.
| | - Reto Pieren
- Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 129, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland.
| | - Peter Mikhailenko
- Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 129, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland.
| | - Lily D Poulikakos
- Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 129, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland.
| | - Stefanie Hellweg
- ETH Zurich, Institute of Environmental Engineering, Ecological Systems Design, John-von-Neumann-Weg 9, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland.
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Ma G, Tian H, Xiao Y, Lu X, Zhang L, Liu X. Environmental assessment of recycling waste corrugated cartons from online shopping of Chinese university students. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2022; 319:115625. [PMID: 35797909 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.115625] [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: 03/18/2022] [Revised: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
College students in China are among the main consumers of online shopping and the corrugated cartons used to ship items are piling up on campus. However, the generation characteristics of waste corrugated cartons (WCCs) in universities and the environmental consequences along their recycling pathway remain to be addressed. Taking Nanjing University (NJU) as an example, this study conducted a questionnaire survey on campus to analyze the generation characteristics of WCCs and evaluated the life cycle environmental impacts of their recycling process using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method. The results showed that WCC generation on campus varied by educational level, sex, grade and major, with doctoral students and female students being more active in online shopping and thus generating more WCCs. It was further estimated that a total of 0.27 Mt of WCCs were generated by college students in China in 2020, of which recycling would result in 0.31 Mt of CO2 eq of GHG emissions. Pulping and papermaking processes are the main contributors to the life cycle environmental impacts of WCC recycling, together accounting for at least 77% of the total. This study suggests the need for joint efforts from universities, students, and recycling enterprises to reduce WCC generation in Chinese universities and to make its recycling chain more environmentally sustainable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guosong Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Hanwei Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Yile Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Xinyu Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Ling Zhang
- College of Economics and Management, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
| | - Xin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China.
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Bozeman JF, Nobler E, Nock D. A Path Toward Systemic Equity in Life Cycle Assessment and Decision-Making: Standardizing Sociodemographic Data Practices. ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING SCIENCE 2022; 39:759-769. [PMID: 36196098 PMCID: PMC9526467 DOI: 10.1089/ees.2021.0375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Social equity has been a concept of interest for many years, gaining increased focus from energy and environmental communities. The equitable development, collection, and reporting of sociodemographic data (e.g., data related to socioeconomic status, race, and ethnicity) are needed to help meet several of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (i.e., Affordable and Clean Energy; Reduce Inequalities; Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions; and Partnerships for the Goals). Yet, there has not been a consolidation of relevant concepts and application framing in energy and environmental life cycle assessment and decision-making practices. Our study aims to help fill this gap by consolidating existing knowledge on relevant equity applications, providing examples of sociodemographic data needs, and presenting a path toward a more holistic equity administration. In this critique, we present a framework for integrating equity in energy and environmental research and practitioner settings, which we call systemic equity. Systemic equity requires the simultaneous and effective administration of resources (i.e., distributive equity), policies (i.e., procedural equity), and addressing the cultural needs of the systematically marginalized (i.e., recognitional equity). To help provide common language and shared understanding for when equity is ineffectively administered, we present ostensible equity (i.e., when resource and policy needs are met, but cultural needs are inadequately met), aspirational equity (i.e., when policy and cultural needs are met, but resources are inadequate), and exploitational equity (i.e., when resource and cultural needs are met, but policies are inadequate). We close by establishing an adaptive 10-step process for developing standard sociodemographic data practices. The systemic equity framework and 10-step process are translatable to other practitioner and research communities. Nonetheless, energy and environmental scientists, in collaboration with transdisciplinary stakeholders, should administer this framework and process urgently.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joe F. Bozeman
- Civil and Environmental Engineering, Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Erin Nobler
- Geography, Planning and Design, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, Colorado, USA
| | - Destenie Nock
- Civil and Environmental Engineering, Engineering and Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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Li P, Xia X, Guo J. A review of the life cycle carbon footprint of electric vehicle batteries. Sep Purif Technol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2022.121389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
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Biberos-Bendezú K, Cárdenas Ú, Kahhat R, Vázquez-Rowe I. Introducing environmental decision-making criteria to foster Green Public Procurement in Peru. INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT 2022; 18:1206-1220. [PMID: 34236749 DOI: 10.1002/ieam.4488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Revised: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Governments in the Global South have recently started to align their public procurement regulations considering Green Public Procurement (GPP) guidelines to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 12. In this context, it is important to establish environmental criteria to help decision making after analyzing the variety of options available in the market. Thus, using as examples two of the most acquired products in public procurement in Peru: Medium-density particleboard melamine furniture and paper offset, the aim of this paper is to determine the main environmental hotspots and therefore show the path to foster GPP in Peru. To achieve this goal, a Life Cycle Assessment was carried out considering it is a suitable environmental management tool to quantify environmental impacts. For this, a set of scenarios were modeled and compared for each of the two products selected, covering different geographical and technological options that are currently purchased by the Peruvian government. Results demonstrated that it is possible to attain considerable reductions in the environmental impact of the products analyzed if the main critical stages throughout their life cycle are identified and adequate solutions are applied to avoid burden shifting. Moreover, we argue that it is important for developing countries to carry out case-specific life-cycle inventories as they provide higher-quality information based on the particular characteristics of regional or local industries, allowing the determination of more realistic environmental impact mitigation benchmarks. Nevertheless, the inclusion of lifecycle-based criteria in GPP must be performed cautiously, avoiding command and control regulations, as numerous challenges remain in terms of capacity building, environmental awareness, and environmental information, and transparency in emerging and developing economies. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2022;18:1206-1220. © 2021 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Biberos-Bendezú
- Peruvian Life Cycle Assessment and Industrial Ecology Network (PELCAN), Department of Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, San Miguel, Lima, Peru
| | - Úrsula Cárdenas
- Peruvian Life Cycle Assessment and Industrial Ecology Network (PELCAN), Department of Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, San Miguel, Lima, Peru
| | - Ramzy Kahhat
- Peruvian Life Cycle Assessment and Industrial Ecology Network (PELCAN), Department of Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, San Miguel, Lima, Peru
| | - Ian Vázquez-Rowe
- Peruvian Life Cycle Assessment and Industrial Ecology Network (PELCAN), Department of Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, San Miguel, Lima, Peru
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Carruthers DN, Lee TS. Translating advances in microbial bioproduction to sustainable biotechnology. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:968437. [PMID: 36082166 PMCID: PMC9445250 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.968437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Advances in synthetic biology have radically changed our ability to rewire microorganisms and significantly improved the scalable production of a vast array of drop-in biopolymers and biofuels. The success of a drop-in bioproduct is contingent on market competition with petrochemical analogues and weighted upon relative economic and environmental metrics. While the quantification of comparative trade-offs is critical for accurate process-level decision making, the translation of industrial ecology to synthetic biology is often ambiguous and assessment accuracy has proven challenging. In this review, we explore strategies for evaluating industrial biotechnology through life cycle and techno-economic assessment, then contextualize how recent developments in synthetic biology have improved process viability by expanding feedstock availability and the productivity of microbes. By juxtaposing biological and industrial constraints, we highlight major obstacles between the disparate disciplines that hinder accurate process evaluation. The convergence of these disciplines is crucial in shifting towards carbon neutrality and a circular bioeconomy.
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Affiliation(s)
- David N. Carruthers
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, United States
- Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Taek Soon Lee
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, United States
- Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, United States
- *Correspondence: Taek Soon Lee,
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50
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Lam KL, Solon K, Jia M, Volcke EIP, van der Hoek JP. Life Cycle Environmental Impacts of Wastewater-Derived Phosphorus Products: An Agricultural End-User Perspective. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:10289-10298. [PMID: 35796480 PMCID: PMC9301919 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c00353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Recovering phosphorus from wastewater in more concentrated forms has potential to sustainably recirculate phosphorus from cities to agriculture. The environmental sustainability of wastewater-based phosphorus recovery processes or wastewater-derived phosphorus products can be evaluated using life cycle assessment (LCA). Many LCA studies used a process perspective to account for the impacts of integrating phosphorus recovery processes at wastewater treatment plants, while some used a product perspective to assess the impacts of producing wastewater-derived phosphorus products. We demonstrated the application of an end-user perspective by assessing life cycle environmental impacts of substituting half of the conventional phosphorus rock-based fertilizers used in three crop production systems with wastewater-derived phosphorus products from six recovery pathways (RPs). The consequential LCA results show that the substitution reduces global warming potential, eutrophication potential, ecotoxicity potential, and acidification potential of the assessed crop production systems in most RPs and scenarios. The end-user perspective introduced in this study can (i) complement with the process perspective and the product perspective to give a more holistic picture of environmental impacts along the "circular economy value chains" of wastewater-based resource recovery, (ii) enable systemwide assessment of wide uptake of wastewater-derived products, and (iii) draw attention to understanding the long-term environmental impacts of using wastewater-derived products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ka Leung Lam
- Department
of Water Management, Delft University of
Technology, Stevinweg
1, Delft 2628 CN, The Netherlands
- Division
of Natural and Applied Sciences, Duke Kunshan
University, 8 Duke Avenue, Kunshan, Jiangsu 215316, China
- ,
| | - Kimberly Solon
- BioCo
Research Group, Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Gent 9000, Belgium
| | - Mingsheng Jia
- BioCo
Research Group, Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Gent 9000, Belgium
| | - Eveline I. P. Volcke
- BioCo
Research Group, Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Gent 9000, Belgium
| | - Jan Peter van der Hoek
- Department
of Water Management, Delft University of
Technology, Stevinweg
1, Delft 2628 CN, The Netherlands
- Waternet, Korte Ouderkerkerdijk 7, Amsterdam 1096 AC, The Netherlands
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