Application Of Life Cycle Assessment Research Articles

Valorisation of Forest and Agriculture Residual Biomass—The Application of Life Cycle Assessment to Analyse Composting, Mulching, and Energetic Valorisation Strategies

The treatment of agricultural and forest residues (AFRs) has become an important issue nowadays, both to avoid improper management and for their enhancement. In the study area of Viseu (Portugal), the AFRs are taken to a Residual Biomass Collection Centre. These are valorised in a Biomass Power Plant to produce electricity. Two further processes could be implemented to valorise this biomass: mulching and composting. This study aims to understand the best strategy to enhance this type of biomass residual considering their environmental performance. The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was applied considering a cradle-to-grave approach. Different processes of all the technologies were analysed, and the data collected enabled a comparison of 11 environmental impact categories. The results show that composting is the best alternative, except for global warming and ozone layer depletion, and energy valorisation has the greatest impact on five of the considered categories. In the three processes, impacts are mainly associated with the production and shredding phases of the residual biomass, rather than the transportation stages, due to the short distances covered. In all cases, the value of the final product generates market consequences in terms of electricity and fertiliser production. In line with the aim of the study, its outcomes may provide scientific support to local decision makers in defining best practices in the management of the AFRs.

Evaluating toxicity impacts of local chemical emissions in Life Cycle Assessment

PurposeThe local dimension of toxicity effect on humans and ecosystem from chemical emissions into rural environments is currently not considered in impact characterization models underlying the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology. The aim of the present study was to understand the relevance of considering a local exposure environment for the magnitude of damage related to human toxicity and ecotoxicity impacts associated with chemical emissions into a local environment.MethodUnit and realistic European emission scenarios were considered in a proposed multimedia nested box model, based on an existing framework modified with the inclusion of a local scale, and tested for ten chemicals in an illustrative case study.ResultsA substantial damage increase in terms of characterization factors in the proposed model was found for human health, mainly for local freshwater emissions (up to three orders of magnitude compared to emissions into continental freshwater for naphthalene) and soil emissions (up to two orders of magnitude, in particular for emissions into natural soil for 1,2-dichloroethane).ConclusionsBased on our results, we suggest to use the proposed framework in LCA applications, when more specific information about the local emission environment is known. With respect to considering the local-scale, however, spatialized models might be preferable over nested box models to properly capture local phenomena in rather highly densely populated areas.

Advancements and Applications of Life Cycle Assessment in Slope Treatment: A Comprehensive Review

Life cycle assessment (LCA) plays an increasingly important role in environmental management, particularly in promoting energy and carbon-conscious practices across various disciplines. This review provides an overview of the latest innovations and potential benefits of integrating LCA into ecological slope treatment strategies. This study explores new developments in LCA methodology and its application to slope treatment, aiming to improve the integration of infrastructure development and environmental stewardship. Through an extensive review of over 120 peer-reviewed journal articles and a critical analysis of the intersection of LCA with slope treatment, this paper identifies innovative techniques that have the potential to significantly reduce the environmental impact of slope management. The review emphasizes advanced LCA practices that quantify and mitigate carbon emissions throughout the life cycle stages of slope treatments. Key findings demonstrate that LCA enhances the methodological rigor in assessing ecosystem services and impacts, and reveals new strategies that emphasize the importance of ecological considerations in infrastructure projects. Future research directions focus on refining LCA data acquisition and promoting a standardized knowledge base to support precision in ecological impact assessments. In conclusion, the adoption of LCA in slope treatment is imperative for aligning industry practices with global sustainability targets, emphasizing the importance of integrating uncertainty analysis and long-term impact assessments to bolster the credibility of LCA outcomes.

Prospects of Digital Twin for Dynamic Life Cycle Assessment of Smart Manufacturing Systems

Smart manufacturing systems are poised to revolutionize industrial processes by leveraging advanced technologies for increased efficiency and productivity. However, alongside these advancements, there is a growing imperative to address environmental sustainability concerns. Conventional static life cycle assessment (LCA) methods often provide valuable insights into the environmental impacts of such manufacturing systems but often fall short in capturing real-time data and dynamic system interactions. Further, using the digital twin technology, physical assets can be virtually replicated in order to monitor, evaluate, and improve the particular manufacturing system. The dynamic properties can be effectively brought to LCA investigations by utilizing this technique. This paper explores the prospects of integrating digital twin technology for facilitating the dynamic LCA to enable comprehensive and timely environmental performance evaluation of smart manufacturing systems. We discuss the concepts, technological components, and potential applications of digital twin-enabled dynamic LCA, along with challenges and future research directions.

Sustainability assessment of peri-urban organic horticulture — A case study in the United Kingdom

PurposeThere is a growing concern about the resilience and sustainability of horticultural production in the United Kingdom (UK) as a result of high energy costs and insufficient local labour, causing over-reliance on imports. In this study, we present an integrated environmental and economic assessment of organic peri-urban horticulture using primary data from a farm in Sheffield.MethodsThis study includes a farm-to-gate hybrid life cycle assessment (LCA) using the ReCIPE (H) approach for the functional unit of 1-kg tomatoes produced in an unheated polytunnel without supplementary lighting, and 1 kg of field-grown courgettes. All analyses were conducted in SimaPro software using environmental data from the ecoinvent database. Results were compared with those from a systematic literature review of similar studies.ResultsWe found that the production of organic tomatoes and courgettes resulted in a global warming potential (GWP) of 0.61 kg CO2-eq and 0.11 kg CO2-eq respectively using a process-based LCA approach. Using a hybrid LCA approach, however, yielded a GWP of 3.53 kg CO2-eq and 1.70 kg CO2-eq for the production of organic tomatoes and courgettes respectively. An additional scenario included farmgate-to-warehouse transportation for both domestic and imported produce from Spain, but found that the GWP of tomatoes in the case study was 1.87 times higher than those from Spain. Economic analysis showed that the marginal increase in the prices of tomatoes and courgettes from the case study farm was 4.6 and 5.15 times less than the market prices.ConclusionWe conclude that the studied production system is both economically and environmentally sustainable as compared to the existing scenario. Other potential benefits of peri-urban organic horticulture include employment, mental health, community cohesion, which remain to be explored in a future qualitative study. The present study is novel as it appears to be the first application of hybrid LCA to UK horticulture. The findings are highly topical given the recent horticultural supply constraints in the UK.

Gasification potential of municipal solid waste in Iran: Application of life cycle assessment, risk analysis, and machine learning

This paper focuses on a comprehensive solution for dry municipal solid waste (MSW) management with describes the scenario of the gasification process. For this purpose, the potential of implementing the MSW gasification process in Southeast Asia (Iran) with three agents of air, steam, and air-steam is investigated. In order to manage the MSW gasification process as accurately as possible in the study area, a thermodynamic, exergy, economic, environmental, carbon footprint, water footprint, ecological emergy, and risk assessment for the three mentioned gasification agents were carried out in the most populated cities of Iran. In the capital of Iran (Tehran) with the largest population and as a result of largest MSW production, the potential of the gasification process has been investigated at different times (10 consecutive years and 12 months of a year). Finally, by combining artificial neural networks and genetic programming, comprehensive relationships have been established to predict the thermodynamic conditions of gasification with an air-steam agent. The general results of the survey indicate that gasification with air agents has good potential for most regions. The use of the steam agent has created worse economic, environmental, and risk conditions than the other two agents. Investigating the potential of the gasification process in Tehran shows that this city has a good potential to implement this process compared to other cities in Iran, and the most suitable location for establishing the gasification process is the 4th region of this city.

Operational Efficiency and Environmental Impacts of Food Service Establishments in Phuket, Thailand

The expansion of global tourism development has led to an increase in environmental burdens. This study aimed to assess the operational performance and the environmental impacts associated with food service establishments in Phuket, an international tourist island in Thailand. A joint application of life cycle assessment and data envelopment analysis was employed to evaluate environmental burdens and calculate the efficiency scores encompassing several inputs and outputs of each food service establishment. There are several characteristics of food service establishments that affect their operational and environmental performance. The results showed that location, opening hours, and surrounding conditions are key factors driving the performance of air-conditioned food service establishments, while the performance of non-air-conditioned ones is mainly decided by opening hours. However, these factors are not significant for the performance of street food service establishments. It is advised to carefully consider the characteristics of the included food service establishments based on their products and services to enhance their performance. As an effort to achieve a balanced connection between environmental quality and economic growth, it is essential to evaluate both operational and environmental performance. Attaining maximum operational efficiency does not necessarily ensure the same for eco-efficiency.

Comprehensive review of LCA studies in Civil Engineering

This review paper explores the application of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) within the domain of civil engineering, aiming to provide a comprehensive overview of current research, methodologies, challenges, and future trends. LCA serves as a pivotal tool for assessing the environmental impact of infrastructure projects, yet gaps persist in its integration with socioeconomic dimensions, regional considerations, and dynamic modeling. By analyzing existing literature and scholarly discussions, this review identifies research gaps and proposes directions for enhancing the applicability and effectiveness of LCA in civil engineering. Moreover, it examines future trends such as the integration of advanced technologies, stakeholder engagement, and policy implementation, poised to shape the landscape of LCA practices in the civil engineering sector. Ultimately, this review paper contributes to the understanding of LCA's potential to drive sustainable decision-making in infrastructure development, paving the way for more informed and environmentally conscious practices.

Life cycle assessment insights into nanosilicates-based chrome-free tanning processing towards eco-friendly leather manufacture

Chrome tanning system has been faced with great challenges from potential environmental and human health risks and environmental pressures in the leather industry. The development of chrome-free tanning system towards eco-friendly leather manufacture is the main strategy to solve them from the source. However, appropriate assessments of the physical and environmental properties of a new tanning process remain challenging. In this work, we compared the physical performances and environmental impacts of two nanosilicates-based chrome-free combination tanning systems with conventional chrome tanning system in practical fur leather processing. The objective of this study was to obtain comprehensive insights into the nanosilicates-based chrome-free combination tanning systems from both technical and environmental perspectives. All fur leathers possessed similar and integrated fleece structures, ensuring high glossy and flexibility of final fur leather articles. Tara tannin-Zeolite (TA-ZE) combination tanning system was chosen as the most promising one for manufacturing garment leather articles. The resultant leathers were endowed with favorable physical properties (e.g., tear strength of 15.9 N, elongation at break of 42.3%, shrinkage temperature of 98.6 °C) and no restricted Cr(VI) and free formaldehyde. Life cycle assessment (LCA) results revealed that the TA-ZE combination tanning system exhibited better environmental impacts than other options. The main novelties included the contribution to avoiding the use of high-risk tanning chemicals by presenting a better technical and environmental alternative in the leather processing and the application of LCA to environmentally evaluate the leather processing. We envision these findings can offer comprehensive insights into emergent chrome-free combination tanning systems for designing and rationalizing feasible fur leather processing towards eco-friendly leather manufacture.

Integrating ex-ante and prospective life-cycle assessment for advancing the environmental impact analysis of emerging bio-based technologies

Unlike the fossil-based alternatives, many emerging bio-based technologies are still at the early lab or pilot scale and are not representative of optimized industrial conditions. This makes a robust comparison of their environmental performances via life-cycle assessment (LCA) challenging. We propose a framework to combine scaling-up projections of early-stage technologies (ex-ante LCA) with the influence of future socio-economic scenarios (prospective LCA), using a range of new bio-based polymers produced from forest residues as case study. The combined framework takes a step-by-step approach in modifying process inventories and projecting them to a future industrial scale for the environmental impact assessment. In our case study, the climate change impact from lab-scale processes decreases from 105–471 kg CO2-eq./kg of polymer to 9–14 kg CO2-eq./kg after the application of ex-ante LCA, with the highest reduction (83 %) coming from identified process synergies (e.g., solvent recovering). Combining the ex-ante and prospective LCA additionally reduces the impact up to 56 % by 2050, relative to ex-ante LCA results only. Other environmental impacts decrease as well, particularly freshwater eutrophication (up to 99 % reduction), photochemical oxidant formation (99 %), and marine eutrophication (98 %). The framework secures a more robust comparison of emerging bio-based products with conventional fossil-based alternatives, and as such it helps the identification of the improvements in both the bio-based technological processes and background supply chains that are needed to make bio-based systems outperform their fossil counterparts. A consistent integration of ex-ante and prospective LCA is instrumental to prioritize research and investments for upscaling the early-stage technologies that are most promising from a sustainability perspective, and ultimately guide a sustainable transition towards a circular bioeconomy.

Feasibility of textile envelope integrated flexible photovoltaic in Europe: Carbon footprint assessment and life cycle cost analysis

Textile envelope integrated flexible photovoltaic (TE-FPV) systems gain more attentions in recent years because of their lightweight structure and innovative design. Three types of TE-FPV systems are designed as a sunshade for a teaching building in Politecnico di Milano to replace the current PV glazing sunshade. The environmental and economic feasibility of TE-FPV systems is investigated by applying life cycle assessment (LCA) and life cycle cost analysis (LCCA) in a cradle-to-cradle approach. LCA provides carbon footprint of systems to quantify the environmental performance. LCCA study considers the contribution of life cycle cost, building owner income, and social and environmental benefits. The results are compared with the PV glazing sunshade. From the results, all TE-FPV systems can achieve the economic benefits for the whole society while producing renewable and clean energy. Building owner can even earn benefits from the TE-FPV systems in Norway. The proved success of economically feasible TE-FPV systems in Bergen, Norway serves as compelling evidence for the broad applicability of such systems across the most areas within Europe.

Life cycle assessment of chemical synthesis of genistein and its glucosyl derivatives to be employed in the modulation of angiogenesis of hepatocellular cancer

This work is focused on the application of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology for the quantification of the potential environmental impacts associated to the obtainment of three glucosyl derivatives of genistein. Genistein is known to possess the ability in vitro to contribute to control signaling of some molecules like Angiopoietin-2 that has a key role in angiogenesis and fibrosis from which Hepatocellular cancer can arise. Therefore, a fine tuning of genistein uptake and bioavailability (e.g., through glycosylation) may provide innovative anti-angiogenic therapies with benefits for cancer chemoprevention and treatment.The production of pharmaceutical quality genistein, from which the derivatives are obtained, was modelled considering a recently optimized published procedure. The preparation of 7-O-(β-D-glucosyl)genistein (or genistin) was experimentally conducted by exploiting a two-step synthetic protocol. During the work-up procedure, two further derivatives were isolated.In order to also comprise the potential human health benefits of the synthesized compounds, this work also proposes for the first time a potential damage assessment factor for genistein and its derivatives.

Application of life cycle assessment to high quality-soil conditioner production from biowaste

The recent large-scale urbanization and industrialization resulted in an impressive growth of solid waste generation worldwide. Organic fraction generally constitutes a large fraction of municipal solid waste and its peculiar chemical properties open to various valorization strategies. On this purpose, life cycle assessment is applied to an innovative industrial system that processes 18 kt/y of agricultural and livestock waste into a high-quality soil conditioner. The high-quality soil conditioner production system consists of a series of processes, including anaerobic digestion and vermicomposting, allowing the generation of a peat-like material with high carbon content, porosity, and water-holding capacity. The presence of a photovoltaic plant and a cogeneration plant, fed with the biogas produced in the anaerobic digestion, makes the system entirely self-sufficient from the national grid and generating a surplus of electricity of 1177MWh/y. The high-quality soil conditioner showed better environmental performances in 15 out of 18 impact categories when compared to alternative scenarios. In particular, the high-quality soil conditioner and the related biowaste management resulted in a carbon saving of around 397 kg CO2 eq/ton compared with a scenario involving the employment of peat in place of the high-quality soil conditioner and a traditional biowaste management, and 165 kg CO2 eq/ton compared with a scenario where cogeneration is replaced by biomethane upgrading. This study demonstrates the possibility of using organic waste as an environmentally sustainable and renewable source for energy and carbon to soil conditioning.

"Sustainable Strategies in the Food Supply Chain: Evaluating Environmental Impact with Life Cycle Assessment"

This study aims to evaluate the environmental impact of various sustainable strategies implemented within the food supply chain, utilizing Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) as a core methodology. The paper begins by identifying critical points in the food supply chain where sustainability practices can be integrated, ranging from agricultural production to processing, distribution, consumption, and waste management. Through a comprehensive review and application of LCA, the research quantifies the environmental benefits and trade-offs of adopting practices such as reduced use of chemical inputs, implementation of circular economy principles, and enhancement of logistics and packaging solutions. The findings demonstrate that strategic interventions in the supply chain can significantly reduce carbon footprints, water usage, and waste generation, contributing to the overall sustainability of the food system. The study further discusses the implications of these strategies for stakeholders, including policymakers, producers, retailers, and consumers, highlighting the importance of collaborative efforts in achieving sustainable outcomes. Additionally, the paper explores the challenges and opportunities in scaling these practices, considering technological, economic, and social factors. The research contributes to the growing body of knowledge on sustainable food systems and offers practical insights for implementing LCA in evaluating and improving environmental performance in the food supply chain.

A Neutrosophic Multi-Criteria Model for Evaluating Sustainable Soil Enhancement Methods and their Cost Implications in Construction

This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the application of life cycle assessment (LCA) to promote sustainable soil practices in construction foundation projects. The aim is to evaluate the environmental impact and long-term sustainability of soil-related activities in construction through the lens of LCA. This assessment encompasses a wide array of factors, including soil quality, erosion control, contaminant remediation, soil stability, conservation, drainage management, and compliance with regulatory standards. To address this multifaceted evaluation, we employ a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) model, specifically introducing the Multi-Attributive Border Approximation Area Comparison (MABAC) method. This MCDM technique is utilized to appraise the sustainability of soil practices and is integrated with a neutrosophic set to handle imprecise information. Our study incorporates nine criteria and eight alternative methods. Through the application of LCA, construction professionals can uncover strategies to minimize the carbon footprint of their projects, optimize soil utilization, and enhance the long-term resilience of their structures. Achieving a comprehensive LCA tailored to the specific requirements of each project and local regulations necessitates close collaboration between soil engineers, environmental experts, and construction practitioners.

Sustainability of lettuce production: A comparison of local and centralized food production

Communities are considering local food production in response to the pressing need to reduce food system greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, local food systems can vary considerably in design and operation, including controlled environment agriculture (CEA), which refers to agricultural production that takes place within an enclosed space where environmental conditions, such as temperature, humidity, and light, are precisely controlled. Such systems require a considerable amount of energy and thus emissions; therefore, this study seeks to quantify these environmental impacts to determine how local CEA systems compare to alternative systems. For this study's methods, we apply life cycle assessment methodology to quantify the cradle-to-store-shelf GHG emissions and water consumption of four lettuce production systems: local indoor plant factory, local greenhouse, local seasonal soil, and conventional centralized production in California with transportation. Using geographically specific inputs, the study estimates the environmental impact of the different production systems including geospatially resolved growth modeling, emissions intensity, and transportation distances. The results include the major finding that baseline CEA systems always have higher GHG emissions (2.6–7.7 kg CO2e kg−1) than centralized production (0.3–1.0 kg CO2e kg−1), though water consumption is significantly less owing to hydroponic efficiency. In contrast, local seasonal soil production generally has a lower GHG impact than centralized production, though water consumption varies by crop yield and local precipitation during growing seasons. Scenario analyses indicate CEA facilities would need to electrify all systems and utilize low-carbon electricity sources to have equivalent or lower GHG impacts than California centralized production plus transportation. We conclude that these results can inform consumers and policy makers that local seasonal production and conventional supply chains are more sustainable than local CEA production in near-term food-energy-water sustainability nexus decision making.

Assessment of building materials in the construction sector: A case study using life cycle assessment approach to achieve the circular economy

The construction sector plays a significant role in contributing to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, necessitating effective and practical solutions. This study addresses the underutilization of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in the construction sector and demonstrates its benefits as a decision-making tool for mitigating embodied carbon. The research focuses on a G+2 building in Dubai, UAE, conducting LCA during the construction phases to assess embodied carbon levels. Results indicate that the careful selection of construction materials and involvement of LCA at the early stages of construction resulted in a 26 % reduction in the building's embodied carbon. The study recognizes the limitations of LCA but emphasizes its value and recommends future research to enhance its coverage of sustainability aspects. The findings highlight the construction sector's potential to overcome anthropogenic challenges through green solutions. Policymakers' support is crucial for implementing strategies that reduce the construction industry's carbon footprint and embrace a circular economy. The study contributes to the literature by bridging the gap in understanding the application of LCA in construction decision-making. It emphasizes the importance of transitioning to sustainable practices and circularity in the construction sector. By using LCA as a tool, construction professionals can make informed choices to reduce embodied carbon. This study underscores the urgency for adopting greener practices in the construction sector, leading to a more sustainable and low-carbon future.

Towards a Low-Carbon Plastic Waste Recycling in Finland: Evaluating the Impacts of Improvement Measures on GHG Emissions

The use of plastics in products and packaging is growing. At the same time, the lifespan of packaging is short and consequently plastic waste volumes are growing in Finland and globally. Although separate collection and recycling of plastic packaging waste exists in Finland, it needs to be strengthened to reach the European Union’s targets. The separately collected plastic waste is mechanically recycled, but the recycling capacity is small, as is the process’s yield of secondary polymers. Hence, a large share of plastic packaging waste remains being recovered for energy. In our study, we first apply material flow analysis (MFA) to identify different routes of plastic packaging waste in Finland, and then we apply life cycle assessment (LCA) to quantify greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of the current system and of alternative scenarios based on improvement measures. Domestic GHG emissions of the studied system were estimated to be 178 kt CO2e. Net GHG emissions including exports and credits from avoided production were estimated to be 155 kt CO2e. The results of the scenario assessment indicate that combining more measures offer significantly greater potential to reduce the system’s climate impacts, compared to individual measures. The results are complemented by a sensitivity analysis, helping with the interpretation of the results, understanding modelling challenges, and supporting robust decision-making. The study contributes to academic literature in two ways; it presents a robust, yet flexible way to integrate scenario-based, future-oriented modelling techniques into decision-making, and it assesses the various possibilities to improve the plastic recycling system to identify the quantitative improvement potential.

Carbon reduction in cement industry - An indigenized questionnaire on environmental impacts and key parameters of life cycle assessment (LCA) in China

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is an effective tool to quantitatively assess the environmental impacts of cement products in the whole life cycle. The establishment of the indigenized and recognized weight coefficients of LCA plays an important role in promoting the application and development of LCA in China's cement industry. An online questionnaire survey was carried out across the cement academia and industry of China, and a total of more than 200 valid samples were collected. Descriptive analysis, Chi-square test, multiple response analysis and Pareto chart were then conducted to analyze the real application situation of carbon footprint accounting, LCA and carbon reduction measures in the cement industry. Based on the scoring by senior experts and feedback from cement academic and industry, the analytic hierarchy process was used to determine the weight coefficients of LCA. The findings suggested that the most effective measures to reduce carbon emissions in the cement industry included development of low-carbon cementitious materials, fuel substitution, utilization of alternative raw materials for clinker production, application of carbon capture-utilization-storage (CCUS) and so on. For the cement production stage, the clinker calcination was considered to have the largest potential contribution to reducing the overall environmental impacts of cement, accounting for 39.04%. Further calculation indicated the weight coefficients of abiotic depletion potential (ADP), global warming potential (GWP) and human toxicity potential (HTP) were relatively large, which were 0.3005, 0.2663 and 0.2502, respectively.

Prospective Life Cycle Assessment of Microbial Sophorolipid Fermentation

The biorefinery industry is witnessing a transition from fossil and chemical-based processes to more sustainable practices, with a growing emphasis on using renewable resources. Sophorolipids, a promising group of biosurfactants, present a viable substitute for conventionally produced surfactants. This study focuses on microbial fermentation using yeast and lipid substrate for sophorolipid production. The life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology was employed to identify environmental hotspots of the process and to assess the environmental benefits resulting from the replacement of raw rapeseed cooking oil (base scenario) with waste cooking oil, reduction of process electricity consumption, and increased sophorolipid yield. By compiling scenarios with the lowest environmental impact, a best-case scenario was created. The results revealed that the environmental impact of sophorolipid production could be reduced by 50% in the best-case scenario compared to the base scenario. This research provides valuable insights into the environmental optimization of the fermentation process and through the application of LCA highlights the potential for the reduction of negative environmental impact of sophorolipid production, contributing to the ongoing transition from petroleum oil and petrochemical refineries to sustainable biorefineries.