Environmental Impact Assessment Methods Research Articles

Comparative analysis of Environmental Impact of Each Building Material using Life Cycle assessment(LCA)_Focusing on Types of Construction Wood and Concrete

Objectives:The construction sector is a very important sector in achieving carbon neutrality. In modern society, construction has grown rapidly, and basic materials such as cement and concrete have contributed greatly to the development of construction. These materials emit a large amount of global warming substances during the raw material extraction and production process, causing serious environmental pollution. In order to establish a carbon reduction strategy to slow down global warming, we compared the environmental impacts of each building material and showed the current situation.Methods:The LCI DB for the construction materials used in the two-story wooden house (Building area 128.67m2, total floor area 235.73m2) located in the National Institute of Forest Science was extracted. Then, the data for LCA was processed and performed through the life cycle assessment methodology for the resources consumed from raw material collection, material production, and transportation stages. Then, based on the environmental performance labeling impact assessment method, a study was conducted on the environmental impact categories of the actual construction materials used and comparisons with other construction materials.Results and Discussion:When analyzing the environmental impact of concrete [25-21-120] and construction wood used in wooden house, the environmental impact was found to be 98.79% higher on average in the pre-manufacturing stage than in the manufacturing stage, and construction wood was confirmed to have a reduction effect of 62.21 kg CO2-eq per 1 m3 compared to concrete. Through the scenario, there was a carbon reduction effect of up to 36% when the entire area was replaced with wood. In addition, the environmental impact by major construction material was quantitatively quantified.Conclusion:When building a wooden house, reducing the amount of concrete equivalent to the amount of wood is expected to have a greenhouse gas reduction effect, so it is time to activate construction wood from the production process to the post-production stage to replace concrete. In addition, follow-up research on the development of construction technology with low environmental impact during construction should be continued. This study is expected to be used as a useful indicator for R&D and policies in the construction field in the future, as it quantitatively quantified the amount of CO2 reduction per m3 when replacing concrete with construction wood and numerically compared and analyzed six major environmental impact categories by major construction materials.

Mapping the Environmental Impact Assessment Landscape in the Fashion and Textile Industries: Critical Gaps and Challenges

The environmental impact of the fashion and textile industry (FTI) is measured and communicated through several interrelated methods, tools and platforms. In this paper, scholarly and grey literature have informed the mapping of the sector’s environmental impact assessment (EIA) landscape to identify key gaps and challenges in effectively quantifying and communicating environmental product performance. These preliminary insights informed the design of multiple focus group discussions where the on-the-ground challenges of EIA implementation were discussed with 85 FTI stakeholders, including industry professionals, academics, non-governmental organisations and local government. Key findings highlight the need for further refinement and harmonisation of assessment methodologies and approaches such as Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) to consider a wider range of impact categories to increase the comparability of results. Similarly, the communication asymmetries linked to a profusion of eco-labelling and ranking systems necessitates the development of better tools to communicate the environmental performance for the sector. Furthermore, as all EIA methods require the movement of data between various actors, there is a need for improvement and innovation in data-gathering and management systems to ensure greater quality and reliability.

Industrial Environmental Impact Assessment Method Based on Detection of Complex Anomalies in Time Series

Industrial Environmental Impact Assessment Method Based on Detection of Complex Anomalies in Time Series

Community‐based participatory research for urban regeneration: Bridging the dichotomies through the exp‐EIA method

AbstractUrban environment design profoundly influences citizens' health and well‐being. Despite the aim of urban regeneration initiatives to enhance community well‐being and social connections, they often struggle to ensure a balance of power among stakeholders, effectively involve citizens, and accurately assess subjective urban experiences. New methodological approaches in community‐based participatory research (CBPR) are advocated to facilitate interactions among social actors and overcome the digital versus real dichotomy. This article introduces the Experiential Environmental Impact Assessment (exp‐EIA) method as a novel research and intervention tool to address these challenges. Grounded in psychology, exp‐EIA aims to integrate emotional, cognitive, and community identity dimensions to capture the nuanced experiences of urban environments. Through digital data collection and visualization tools, exp‐EIA could facilitate participatory decision‐making processes across various stages of urban regeneration projects. Furthermore, its adaptability enables significant integration with existing participatory methods, fostering inclusive engagement and innovative design solutions. The theoretical framework of exp‐EIA, its application in CBPR, and its potential to bridge the gap between technological innovation and citizen engagement in urban regeneration processes are discussed. A blended case study conducted in the metropolitan area of Milan (Italy) is presented, highlighting a promising pathway towards more inclusive and effective approaches to community revitalization.

Enhancing life cycle assessment for reversible ground-coupled heat pump systems through dynamic analysis

Ground-coupled heat pump (GCHP) systems can provide comfortable indoor environments, but also inevitably contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and other impacts on human health, ecosystems, and resources. Life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology has been widely adopted to estimate the environmental impacts associated with GCHP systems, with operational electricity consumption being the largest contributor among most categories. Given the data-intensive nature of LCA, operational electricity consumption should be prioritised to refine the accuracy of LCA results. Previous studies, however, have relied on static COP (Coefficient of Performance) and annual average data to obtain the environmental impacts and have disregarded the effect of long-term performance degradation caused by building thermal load imbalances. In this paper, to bridge this research gap, a dynamic operational environmental impact assessment (DOEIA) method was proposed to improve the precision of LCA results by incorporating higher temporal resolution data of electricity mix and real-time performance modelling of the reversible GCHP system. Impacts of different temporal resolutions (i.e. monthly, trimestral, and annual) on the accuracy of LCA results was examined and the operational performance degradation resulting from imbalanced building heating and cooling loads was considered. Results demonstrate that while performance degradation effects are evenly distributed across impact categories, gaps due to temporal resolutions vary significantly between different categories. Subsequent analysis of spatial variations in the latter further emphasises the importance of accounting for higher temporal resolutions. Finally, life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) results for reversible GCHP systems in different locations were obtained with the support of DOEIA method and the results underscore the necessity of a cleaner energy mix. The proposed DOEIA method can be applied to other energy systems for comparative analyses. It is replicable in other countries and regions and therefore is expected to provide methodological guidance for future decision-makers.

Holistic regulatory framework for distributed generation based on multi-objective optimization

Regulatory changes associated with distributed generation have occurred in several countries (e.g., the USA, Germany, the UK, and Australia). However, there is a lack of robust and holistic analytical models that can be used to implement the best regulatory framework among possible options. In this context, the present paper proposes a cutting-edge regulatory framework for distributed generation based on multi-objective optimization, taking into account socioeconomic (socioeconomic welfare created by the regulated electricity market and electricity tariff affordability) and environmental (global warming potential) indicators. Such indicators are modeled primarily based on the optimized tariff model (socioeconomic regulated electricity market model), Bass diffusion model (forecasting model of distributed generation deployment), and life cycle assessment (environmental impact assessment method). The design variables are assumed to be the regulated electricity tariff and remuneration of the electricity injected into the grid over the years. First, the proposed methodology is applied to fifteen large-scale Brazilian concession areas with a significant deployment of distributed generation assuming two approaches, a multi-compensation scenario, where the compensation is set individually for each concession area, and a single-compensation scenario, where the compensation is set equally for all concession areas. Then, the optimal solutions are compared to Ordinary Law 14300, which is a recently implemented regulatory framework for distributed generation in Brazil. Results demonstrate that Ordinary Law 14300 is a dominated or non-optimal solution since it is not located on the optimal Pareto frontiers for any of the assessed concession areas. Assuming the Euclidian knee points, benefits averaging 33% and 15% were achieved in terms of electricity tariff affordability for the multi and single-compensation scenarios, respectively, with small losses of 8% and 3% in terms of socioeconomic welfare and global warming potential. Though the proposed methodology is applied in the Brazilian context, it can also be applied to other countries with regulated electricity markets; thus, it is expected to be valuable for researchers, government institutions, and regulatory agencies worldwide.

Adapting an environmental impact assessment method for open pit mines in Myanmar: A modified semi-mathematical Folchi approach

Since 1970, the global adoption of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) has fostered the development of multiple EIA methodologies, ranging from sample techniques to scientific approaches, for assessing environmental impacts. These methodologies encompass diverse models such as Ad hoc, matrices, checklist, network, overlay, mathematical, simulation, and dispersion models. Among these, the Folchi method is one of the quantitative matrix methods, assigning magnitudes to each impacting factor based on different possible scenarios. In this method, a matrix consisting of weighting factors is systematically utilized to quantify and standardize the effect of each impacting factor on various environmental components. Myanmar, as a developing nation that has recently implemented EIA practices, has encountered significant challenges in the realm of EIA, particularly concerning methodologies for impact evaluation, assessment, and the formulation of effective mitigation measures for various development projects. To address these challenges, this study introduces an adapted semi-mathematical Folchi EIA method, demonstrating its application in open-pit mines across Myanmar. Adjustments were made to integrate domestic environmental guidelines and EIA procedures, often overlooked in previous studies. The assessment of impact magnitude prioritizes sensitivity, project type and size, and pollution thresholds. Additionally, the correlation weights (nil, minimum, medium, maximum) between impact factors and environmental components were also adjusted based on the project's nature and regional conditions. The findings of this study revealed both positive and negative environmental impacts associated with the four case study mines. Decision-makers and stakeholders can utilize this approach in decision making process, advancing sustainable development. With suitable adaptation, this approach can facilitate a rapid and comprehensive assessment of diverse environmental and social impacts associated with various development projects in the country.

Comparative study of traditional and DNA-based methods for environmental impact assessment: A case study of marine aggregate extraction in the North Sea

Environmental impact assessments of marine aggregate extraction are traditionally conducted based on morphological characteristics of macrobenthos, which is time-consuming, labour-intensive and requires specific taxonomic expert knowledge. Bulk DNA metabarcoding is suggested as a promising alternative. This study compares the traditional morphological and the bulk DNA metabarcoding method to assess the impact of sand extraction activities on three sandbanks in the Belgian North Sea. Substantial differences in the detected species were observed between methods: Abundant and/or large macrobenthos species were detected by both methods, while small species or species with an exoskeleton were usually only detected by the morphological method. Taxa uniquely detected by bulk DNA metabarcoding could be explained by specimens identified at a higher taxonomic level by morphology, or by specimens with very low read numbers, probably representing species missed in the morphological sorting process, DNA traces on the specimens or false positives during PCR amplification efficiency. Despite the difference in detected species, comparable alpha and beta diversity patterns were observed by both methods, indicating that bulk DNA metabarcoding can effectively detect the overall ecological changes associated with sand extraction. We further demonstrate that bulk DNA metabarcoding reduces sample processing both in time (44 % faster) and cost (26 % cheaper) compared to the morphology-based identification. However, biomass quantification remains challenging for bulk DNA metabarcoding since of the ten most abundant genera, only two genera (Echinocardium and Ophelia) showed a significant positive correlation between biomass and read numbers. Additionally, bulk DNA metabarcoding does not provide information on life stages or size of the identified specimens. As such, our results underpin the complementary nature of both methods, wherein DNA-based analyses allow for rapid detection of community changes (as similar patterns in alpha and beta diversity and biotic index were observed), while morphology-based analyses provide additional information on e.g. secondary production (biomass) and size composition. We show how the strengths of both methods can be combined to assess the impact of sand extraction.

Enhancing environmental performance in biogas production from wastewater-grown microalgae: A life cycle assessment perspective

The production of biogas from microalgae has gained attention due to their rapid growth, CO2 sequestration, and minimal land use. This study uses life cycle assessment to assess the environmental impacts of biogas production from wastewater-grown microalgae through anaerobic digestion within an optimized microalgae-based system. Using SimaPro® 9 software, 3 scenarios were modeled considering the ReCiPe v1.13 midpoint and endpoint methods for environmental impact assessment in different categories. In the baseline scenario (S1), a hypothetical system for biogas production was considered, consisting of a high rate algal pond (HRAP), a settling, an anaerobic digester, and a biogas upgrading unit. The second scenario (S2) included strategies to enhance biogas yield, namely co-digestion and thermal pre-treatment. The third scenario (S3), besides considering the strategies of S2, proposed the biogas upgrading in the HRAP and the digestate recovery as a biofertilizer. After normalization, human carcinogenic toxicity was the most positively affected category due to water use in the cultivation step, accounted as avoided product. However, this category was also the most negatively affected by the impacts of the digester heating energy. Anaerobic digestion was the most impactful step, constituting on average 60.37% of total impacts. Scenario S3 performed better environmentally, primarily due to the integration of biogas upgrading within the cultivation reactor and digestate use as a biofertilizer. Sensitivity analysis highlighted methane yield's importance, showing potential for an 11.28% reduction in ionizing radiation impacts with a 10% increase. Comparing S3 biogas with natural gas, the resource scarcity impact was reduced sixfold, but the human health impact was 23 times higher in S3.

Performance modification of an acid gas incinerator to reduce atmospheric pollutants impact: Energy management, HAZOP and LCA analyses

In today's industrial landscape, energy management, process modification, and reduction of atmospheric concentrations of pollutants and safety risks have become paramount. This focus is driven by the need to address environmental concerns, economic efficiency, and the global energy and climate change crisis. In gas refineries, incinerators are widely used to convert deadly and environmentally polluting acid gases into less hazardous gases. Therefore, improving incinerator performance can significantly impact environmental, economic, and energy aspects. According to the results of an energy management study at the domestic gas processing plant, the acid gas incineration unit was identified as a significant energy use. Therefore, based on the effects of the performance of this incinerator from environmental and energy points of view, the mentioned unit was prioritized for modification in this work. For this purpose, incinerator performance was assessed using Promax simulation, and Hazard and Operability (HAZOP) analysis was employed to identify potential hazards. The simulations revealed that acid gas residence time was 0.81s, longer than the 0.6s initial design with the damper in place. This suggests damper removal is feasible. Removing the damper reduces residence time and lowers incinerator temperature, especially during startup. Therefore, temperature was considered as the keyword in the HAZOP study, and a number of recommendations were proposed to eliminate or mitigate the risks of system modification. Furthermore, the assistance of results obtained from energy management based on ISO 50001:2018 standards confirm improvements in energy efficiency and fuel consumption, which have positive economic and environmental impacts. Moreover, the study employs a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach using SimaPro Software 9.5.0.1 and the CML-baseline method (Centrum voor Milieukunde Leiden) for environmental impact assessment. The results reveal that, across ten environmental impact categories, the modified project exhibits significantly reduced environmental impacts compared to its original state.

Environmental Repercussions of Craft Beer Production in Northeast Brazil

Beer is the most widely consumed alcoholic beverage in the world, and the craft beer market has been continuously growing in recent years. The objective of this study is to detail the production of craft beer and quantify its environmental impacts. The microbrewery is located in João Pessoa, northeast Brazil, and produces 180,000 L/year. The life cycle assessment methodology is employed, and 16 environmental indicators have been selected. Two environmental impact assessment methods are used: IPCC 2021 GWP 100y and ILCD 2011 Midpoint. The results indicate that the best packaging options (lowest environmental impacts) are 10 L stainless-steel kegs and 330 mL aluminum cans. The primary hotspot is the distribution to the points of sale, which employs diesel vehicles. When electric vehicles substitute diesel ones, the environmental impacts are three times lower. The adoption of electric mobility and increasing the consumption of local products are two strategies that can be explored to further mitigate the environmental impacts associated with craft beer.

Life cycle sustainability assessment method for concrete

AbstractThis study aimed to develop a life cycle sustainability assessment method for concrete. An environmental impact assessment method was developed using the ELCA technique announced through the ISO 14,040 Series and KOLID, one of the life cycle impact assessment indicators. A life cycle cost assessment method was developed based on the unit price of materials and energy consumption according to the Korea Price Information. A Social Impact Assessment Method was developed by identifying appropriate major social topics and analyzing those suggested by the international organizations (UNEP). In accordance with the ‘Towards a Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment’ proposed by UNEP/SETAC, a Sustainable Concrete Index (SCI) was developed that integrates environmental, economic, and social aspects. In addition, the environmental impact of Korea’s 544 concrete types was classified by compressive strength, and the mode value was proposed as a standard concrete (environmental impact 6,662–10,785 KRW(5.02–8.12 USD), production cost 66,549–79,030 KRW(50.13–59.53 USD) so that it could be compared with the assessment concrete. As a result of selecting one ready-mix concrete business place in Korea and conducting a case study by comparing it with standard concrete, EI, CI, SI, and SCI, were analyzed to be 1.135, 1.134, 0.830, and 1.033, respectively, making it possible to quantitatively evaluate concrete sustainability.

A Study on the Introduction of Impact Assessment System for Coastal Erosion

Recently, the impact of climate change with sea levels rise, abnormal high waves, and continuous construction of artificial structures such as ports and harbors, has led to an increasing trend in coastal erosion. In this study, the scope and method of Environmental Impact Assessment, Utilization of Sea Areas, Disaster Impact Assessment, and Risk Assessment of Coastal Disasters System, which are carried out during development projects and erosion reduction projects carried out on the coast, are analyzed to identify each problem. , we proposed a plan to introduce the Impact Assessment System for Coastal Erosion, which can minimize the impact of coastal erosion by deriving improvement measures.

Resource Efficiency and Environmental Impact Assessment Method for Small-Scale Producers: A Case Study of Pond and In-Pond Raceway System Production for Growing Nile Tilapia

The purpose of this study was to employ Resource Value Mapping (REVAM) and carbon footprint assessments to evaluate the resource efficiency and environmental impact of the aquaculture sector in Thailand. Focusing on tilapia production, a case study that compares the innovative In-Pond Raceway System (IPRS) with the traditional pond system was conducted to serve as a guideline for small-scale producers toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The assessment applied lean classification to the agriculture context and used both machine and non-machine resources. Moreover, the Muda Index (MI) and the concurrent assessment of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through the proposed map were introduced to identify resource efficiencies and environmental impacts across activities, respectively. The analysis highlighted resources with the highest MI values, waste proportions, and emissions requiring improvement. This study shows that addressing specific resources in REVAM can enhance resource management, facilitate control over variable costs, and ensure sustainability in both of these dimensions. Finally, a feasibility analysis was incorporated to weigh investment between in-pond and IPRS systems, in addition to resource use efficiency and environmental impact dimensions, creating an opportunity to meet the increasing demands in the international market.

Life cycle assessment of integrated microalgae oil production in Bojongsoang Wastewater Treatment Plant, Indonesia.

This study aims to determine the eco-friendliness of microalgae-based renewable energy production in several scenarios based on life cycle assessment (LCA). The LCA provides critical data for sustainable decision-making and energy requirement analysis, including net energy ratio (NER) and cumulative energy demand (CED). The Centrum voor Milieuwetenschappen Leiden (CML) IA-Baseline was used on environmental impact assessment method by SimaPro v9.3.0.3® software and energy analysis of biofuel production using native polyculture microalgae biomass in municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) Bojongsoang, Bandung, Indonesia. The study was analyzed under three scenarios: (1) the current scenario; (2) the algae scenario without waste heat and carbon dioxide (CO2); and (3) the algae scenario with waste heat and carbon dioxide (CO2). Waste heat and CO2 were obtained from an industrial zone near the WWTP. The results disclosed that the microalgae scenario with waste heat and CO2 utilization is the most promising scenario with the lowest environmental impact (- 0.139kg CO2eq/MJ), positive energy balance of 1.23MJ/m3 wastewater (NER > 1), and lower CED value across various impact categories. It indicates that utilizing the waste heat and CO2 has a positive impact on energy efficiency. Based on the environmental impact, NER and CED values, this study suggests that the microalgae scenario with waste heat and CO2 is more feasible and sustainable to adopt and could be implemented at the Bojongsoang WWTP.

Exploring environmental and social performances of circular start‐ups: An orientation and certification assessment

AbstractThe circular economy (CE) aims to deeply transform the current linear model of economy and society into a business model capable to extend the lifetime of resources and decrease environmental impacts. For this to happen, changes in societal systems and production sectors, from micro to macro, are required.The present research, based on a multiple case‐study explorative approach of circular start‐ups (CSUs), investigates their adoption of environmental impact assessment methods, environmental and social certifications and contribution to a better integration of the social dimension in the CE model. Results indicate that three out of six CSUs carefully measure and certify their environmental and social impacts. Life Cycle Assessment resulted the most adopted environmental assessment method, while two CSUs are also certified benefit corporations. CSUs are mainly oriented toward the use of quantitative methods for the measurement of environmental and social impacts. Additional efforts are still needed toward the implementation of qualitative methods to properly highlight the achievement of social benefits (environmental and social awareness, employees' engagement, work time and free time balance, consumers health and safety, among others) for their stakeholders (workers, local community, consumers). Nevertheless, CSUs case studies highlight their potential of supporting the transition toward a fair CE while at the same time facilitating the integration of social dimension aspects into the CE model. Finally, by developing appropriate business to consumer models, CSUs can strongly affect consumption behaviors and habits, making them also more aware and responsible of their environmental and social life cycle impacts and improvement potential.

Technological suitability and improvement for shaping environmental performance: A life cycle perspective on Fenton-based wastewater treatment processes

Water resource management and wastewater treatment are designed to ensure a safe and clean water resource in the pursuit of sustainable development goals. Chemical-based wastewater treatment processes typically involve significant consumption of resources, by means of chemical or material uses, which potentially lead to significant environmental impacts. This study intends to gain a comprehensive understanding of the environmental impacts associated with two Fenton-based wastewater treatment processes, namely, fluidized-bed reactor (FBR-Fenton) and conventional Fenton (C-Fenton) methods, for four industrial wastewater tests (organic wastewater from pulp mill, pharmaceutical, oil-containing, and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) rinsing), from a technical suitability perspective. The present study adopts ISO 14040 guidelines for life cycle assessment (LCA) and uses the IPCC and ReCiPe methods for environmental impact assessment. The results show that the FBR process has relatively lower environmental impacts than the C-Fenton process according to the IPCC and ReCiPe impact results, partly due to differences in chemical usage and electricity consumption. The results obtained from the IPCC method show that the C-Fenton process had a relatively higher impact on global warming potential than the FBR process, with impacts in the range of 20.5–141.9 kg CO2eq/1 kg COD and 12.0–41.9 kg CO2eq/1 kg COD, respectively, mainly due to variations in the amount of sodium hydroxide or sulfuric acid required to achieve the desired degree of water quality from different raw industrial wastewater sources. Furthermore, the reduction in the use of high-impact chemicals contributes to remarkable environmental benefits for the processes, while process adjustment may not guarantee environmental benefits. This result implies that the environmental performance of Fenton-based processes significantly varies depending on the treatment of raw wastewater characteristics; that is, the environmental advantage of a wastewater treatment technique strongly depends on the determination of a suitable process. This information can be used to support the determination and advancement of future wastewater treatment technologies aimed at improving environmental outcomes.

Comparative life cycle assessment of single-use cardiopulmonary bypass devices

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impacts of the common cardiopulmonary bypass device over its life cycle. This represents the first such assessment of a complex medical device, to the best of the authors’ knowledge. This study was motivated by practitioners’ concerns over cardiopulmonary bypass devices constructed mainly of single-use plastics, such as polyvinyl chloride and polycarbonate. The open-source software OpenLCA was used to perform each life cycle assessment with respect to ten common impact categories: global warming, eutrophication, acidification, smog, human health cancer, human health non-cancer, water intake, human health air pollutants, ecotoxicity, and natural resource depletion. The environmental impact was evaluated using the Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability impact assessment method. To quantify the uncertainty in the results, Monte Carlo simulation was used using 5000 runs. A comparative assessment was conducted to determine the potential trade-offs in each impact category of using alternative construction materials. Incineration as a common disposal option could contribute up to 33 % of total CO2 equivalent emissions over the life cycle of the device. Another 33% of total CO2 equivalent emissions are attributed to polycarbonate used in the construction of devices. Polycarbonate was also implicated as the top contributor to the other impact categories considered, except for human health cancer, which is almost entirely affected by the use of polyvinyl chloride in the device, primarily in the tubes. The accuracy of these results is corroborated by the uncertainty analysis. Lastly, the results show that replacing polycarbonate with polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene, or polyethylene would be no worse than polycarbonate and provide a significant decrease in almost every impact category. Cardiopulmonary bypass devices are constructed primarily of single-use plastics that have relatively significant impacts in the 10 common categories considered. Alternative disposal methods and replacement of polycarbonate with alternative plastics could dramatically reduce the effects in most impact categories.

Environmental Modeling for Radiation Safety

The newly launched IAEA project MEREIA (MEthods for Radiological and Environmental Impact Assessment; 2021- 2025), MEREIA continues some activities of previous IAEA exercises in the field of radioecological modelling and focuses on areas where the probabilistic approach determines the predictive capability of environmental models. The program offered the opportunity to set up well-designed and verified scenarios to collect and compare exposures predicted by particular models based on this scenario and then perform a validation study of contributing models. It consists of the comparison of model prediction with observed data or in the case where there is a lack of measurement data to perform a comparison within model prognoses. The previous international works have brought significant improvement in environmental modeling in terms of better understanding and mathematical description of complex physical and chemical phenomena that occur in various environmental media and also have promoted new areas for experimental investigations. The new experimental results yielded updated handbooks of a large number of environmental parameters for less-known elements. Moreover, the principal objective of the activities in environmental modelling was an integrated risk assessment of the reference group of population and biota associated with radionuclides releases from various kinds of nuclear facilities as from different types and power nuclear reactors, radioactive waste disposal and more complex nuclear research facility. This reflects recent international recommendations to extend protection against radiation hazards of humans to wildlife flora and fauna. However, the statistics supported knowledge on some essential environmental parameters still remain small. Therefore, one could be aware of some limitations of the probabilistic approach that required advanced methods of probabilistic prognosis Monte Carlo.

A scenario-based food security analysis and halophyte crop suitability assessment in dying lake environments impacted by climate change

Climate change has significantly impacted food shortages over the past decades, and predicted projections have also indicated potentially intensive consequences for species diversity and natural environments in the coming decades. Climate change in the form of drought has resulted in environmental impacts on global dying lakes (GDLs), such as water scarcity, land degradation and food shortage. Thus, new comprehensive environmental impact assessment methods are urgently needed for GDLs to inform decision-making and minimise the negative impacts on the environment and human life and wellbeing. As state of art and progressive research, the main objective of this research is to develop an approach using a comprehensive and transferable geographic information science scenario-based suitability assessment to analyse the capability of halophyte plants as alternatives for crop modification in GDL areas. The approach was developed and examined for Salicornia suitability mapping in the Lake Urmia Basin as one of the most critical GDL cases. To obtain the ecological requirement information, we performed a scenario-based cultivation experiment on Salicornia under different salinity conditions. Accordingly, we employed relevant ecological requirements and environmental indictors for the Salicornia plant (e.g. soil characteristics and climate) to identify suitable areas for cultivating this plant under scenario-based spatial modelling and performed an uncertainty analysis. The results were achieved and validated in a field operation and laboratory analysis. According to the results, the Salicornia plant can be efficiently considered an alternative crop in farmlands around Lake Urmia that are impacted by intensive soil, aquifer salinisation and food production issues. Results pointed out that about 4.6% of the area (2372 km2) is highly suitable for the cultivation of Salicornia. As state of the art, our approach was developed in a semi-automated context but can also be customised and applied to similar case studies in GDL environments. We expect that the information and insights gained from such assessments will support stakeholders, decision makers and authorities in the development of effective policies and plans for mitigating the impacts of climate change on the fragile ecosystems of GDLs.