Environmental Impact Mitigation Research Articles

R-IEDs Technology for NCRE, Telework and Environmental Impact Mitigation

In this research, a mathematical model was developed for the application of R-IEDs technology on FPGAs in configurable power systems, aimed at supporting renewable energies, teleworking and mitigating environmental impact. The scheme is oriented to the design of regenerative systems, with cycles of reuse, recycling, dynamic reconfiguration and feedback of by-products or energy, in correspondence with the circular model. The proposed method is based on a study of environmental impact factors and technological alternatives, for the design and configuration of intelligent electronic devices, in a distributed scheme, based on FPGA for dynamic updating. Among the results is the technological proposal developed for the integration of renewable energies, through remote activities in the energy sector, waste heat recovery and fractal simplification based on scalable models. This allows us to conclude on the high flexibility and efficiency of the model by applying technological tools aimed at mitigating the environmental impact and sustainable engineering.

Arsenic and Old Graves

AbstractDuring the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, arsenic was used as an embalming agent in the United States. In 1996, Konefes and McGee brought the potential danger of arsenic poisoning during excavation to the attention of archaeologists. They developed methodology that was later refined by the present authors. This article discusses the history of arsenic as an embalming agent, explores socioeconomic and demographic factors that might suggest the presence of arsenic in certain burials, and presents methods for testing arsenic in archaeological contexts. We also discuss environmental impact mitigation considerations and review examples of arsenic testing in archaeological contexts.

Mono-specific forest plantations are valuable bat habitats: implications for wind energy development

Near-natural or semi-natural forests such as relatively undisturbed and old deciduous or mixed woodland are considered worth protecting and ecologically valuable habitats for bat conservation. In contrast, mono-specific forest plantations are considered ecologically less valuable; thus, decision-makers recommend these plantations as suitable locations for wind power stations and therefore want to further expand wind turbines in these habitats. This is expected to have a strong negative impact on the landscape because forests would be cleared for wind turbine pads and access roads and wind turbines rise above the trees with adverse impacts for bats. Therefore, we argue that, in light of bat conservation, the suitability of forest plantations for wind energy development is not, per se, warranted and that implications of wind power stations, even in mono-specific forest plantations, should be assessed and evaluated. We conducted long-term bat activity monitoring and recorded bat echolocation calls above the canopies of different forest sites (coniferous monoculture plantations and semi-natural mixed deciduous forests) in Germany and compared different forest types in terms of species richness, total bat activity, activity of the three bat species groups and species composition. Generalised linear models revealed that forest type and the amount of forest biotopes did not enhance bat activity. Ordination showed that species composition was not affected by forest type, location and connectivity. Mono-specific forest plantations can harbour a diverse bat fauna with high species activity and are, therefore, valuable bat habitats just as near-natural or semi-natural woodlands are. Environmental impact assessment and mitigation measures are vital in all forest types before and after planning for wind energy turbines. In particular, future planning and approval processes must consider the importance of mono-specific forest plantations for bat species protection.

Study on extraction process and analysis of components in essential oils of Vietnamese orange peel (Citrus sinensis) by microwave assisted hydrodistillation extraction

This study attempted the extraction of essential oils (EOs) from orange peel, and optimized the experimental parameters of the microwave-assisted hydrodistillation process. Gas chromatography-Mass spectrometry was often used for the assessment of the chemical content of the natural oils collected. Optimal conditions for the extraction process consisted of the ratio of 1:3 peel/water, microwave power of 300W and duration of 45 minutes. These conditions gave the highest yield (2%). From the gas chromatographic results, five components were identified in the obtained orange peel EOs with Limonene being the major components (98.416%). Based on availability, orange peel is suggested as an economically viable source for limonene production. Obtained results are expected to aid in mitigation of environmental impact caused by agricultural wastes.

Nuclear Energy: Non-Electric Applications

Nuclear energy is often viewed as linked exclusively to electrical power generation. However, the applications for nuclear energy are significantly greater than only electricity, and include cogeneration, district heating and cooling, high-temperature process heating, hydrogen and alternative fuel production, transportation and desalination. These additional applications expand the prospects for nuclear energy notably, and enhance the benefits that can be derived from it, such as reduced environmental impact and climate change mitigation. Interest in non-electric applications of nuclear energy is growing for environmental, economic, security and other reasons. In this paper, non-electric applications of nuclear energy are reviewed, including technological, environmental and economic issues of such applications as well as future prospects and benefits of non-electric applications of nuclear energy.

Towards carbon free economy and electricity: The puzzle of energy costs, sustainability and security based on willingness to pay

The objective of this paper is to analyse the main drivers of households’ acceptance of renewable energy sources and to assess their willingness to pay for extension of renewable energy sources in the electricity balance of a European Union Member State – Lithuania. The data were collected through a questionnaire survey. The contingent valuation method was applied. The study revealed that most of the respondents have some knowledge about specific renewable energy systems and their benefits. The rate of usage of micro-generation renewable energy technologies was found to be quite low (only 12% of households reported owning micro-generation renewable technologies). Mitigation of environmental impact is seen as an important motive for accepting renewable energy technologies. Willingness to pay for an increase in the share of renewables in electricity mix was estimated to sit in between 0.0153 and 0.0296 Eur/kWh or 12–23% extra (depending on the share of renewables in electricity mix).

A Holistic Manure Management Model by Leveraging Dairy Cooperative Network

India continues to remain the world’s largest milk producer largely due to the efforts of millions of small and marginal dairy farmers and an efficient dairy value chain established through institutional structures in the form of dairy cooperatives. While the efforts to strengthen dairy value chain are continuing, the potential of dung of dairy animals as a key by-product remains largely unexplored. Animal dung is generally used in India as agriculture input and cooking fuel. Innovation of anaerobic digesters in the last century did provide an option of extracting biogas from dung. At the same time, a proper value addition of bioslurry produced from the biogas does have an immense potential to satisfy fertiliser needs in India. India’s 303 million strong bovine population has the capacity to produce 995 million tonnes of recoverable dung having potential to suffice cooking fuel need of entire rural households, and at the same time can significantly contribute in reducing use of chemical fertilisers by using digestate/slurry as replacement. This article attempts to explore the potential of animal manure as provider of energy and fertiliser. It also deliberates upon the attempt of National Dairy Development Board to establish manure value chain providing remunerative price of animal dung to farmers while satisfying their cooking needs and contributing towards mitigation of adverse environmental impact.

Managing Pressure To Mitigate Environmental Impact

Managed-pressure drilling (MPD) as the simple but effective principle that by managing downhole pressures, critical performance indicators such as risk, safety, efficiency, and cost are also controlled. As the energy world works to balance supply, demand, and the environment, efficient solutions such as MPD can help drive the promise of a compatible relationship. Globally, MPD is increasingly seen as an option to move drilling toward a “green” future. Beyond putting in place an adaptive drilling process to precisely control the annular-pressure profile throughout the well, MPD has consistently shown it can support green credentials for the wells where the application is utilized. This article discusses real-world examples of the less often considered but valuable environmental benefits delivered via MPD which include the following. Lowering the risk of spillage and blowouts Reducing mud chemicals; increasing use of simpler drilling fluids Optimizing drilling operations by reducing nonproductive time (NPT) from geopressure-related events and enabling a reduction of drilling carbon footprint through earlier achievement of well objectives Consuming fewer materials (casing, etc.) through streamlined well architecture These MPD benefits are well documented in the technical literature of the industry. In fact, a basic search for the exact phrase “managed pressure drilling” in OnePetro, the online library of technical literature for the oil and gas industry, shows 1,775 results. A majority of these papers was written in the past 10 years with each year averaging more than 100 technical papers and the average over the past 5 years increasing to 150 papers per year. The numbers tell the story of the growing technical interest in MPD technology which has been sustained even through the recent economic downturns. A further search of these MPD papers shows that 1,117 (63%) papers mention “safety,” 849 (48%) mention “efficiency,” and 47 (3%) specifically mention “environmental impact.” With the recent interest in green and environmentally friendly technologies, there is a need to highlight that the safety and efficiency benefits MPD applications already provide are also reducing environmental impact. Generally speaking, choosing MPD vs. conventional drilling methods is a step toward carbon neutrality. The following case studies showcase the improvements MPD has provided in land, shallow-water, and deepwater applications as seen from the perspective of environmental-impact mitigation. Mitigating Environmental Impact For land rigs, particularly in the US, where the majority have for decades now constantly deployed rotating control devices (RCD) that enable operations involving MPD and underbalanced drilling (UBD) methods, RCD technologies have consistently proven to reduce the risk of spillage and blowouts. Studies have shown that the use of a fit-for-purpose RCD has been statistically proven to “reduce the risk of a well-control event when drilling with an essentially incompressible fluid and not inviting the well to flow in the process,” underscoring the safety and environmental benefits of MPD in terms of minimizing unintentional hydrocarbon release.

Usage of supplementary cementitious materials: advantages and limitations

It is well known that cement production is not neutral for natural environment among others due to high CO2 emission. Different strategies of mitigation of negative environmental impact of its production are developed. One of the ways is utilization of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) in the manufacture of cement and concrete. Introduction of aluminosilicate SCMs into binding mixture makes that more amount of so-called C–A–S–H phase appears in hydration products, affecting microstructure and properties of final hardened composite. The aim of this work is to discuss the possibilities of utilization of selected SCMs in different binding mixtures including some advantages and limitations. Literature review on the subject was carried out. Some of our own research results were also presented. In the Part I of this review, some information about history of ancient binding materials and the possibilities of inspiring modern engineers with ancient constructions in the aspect of using SCMs in modern concrete were presented. Using pozzolanic aluminosilicate SCMs in relation to their influence on formed products, microstructure and mechanical properties of hardened material were discussed. Some problems with possibilities of study of SCMs reaction degree were identified. Emphasis was put on the usefulness of isothermal calorimetry and thermal analysis for investigations of hydration process and identification of hydrated products as well as evaluation of degree of reaction of SCMs.

Effects of addition of engineered ZnO nanoparticles on the stability of colloidal suspensions containing TiO2 interacting with sandy soil

Abstract The stability of colloidal suspensions of engineered nanoparticles in the environment is of great interest for the risk assessment and treatment of hazardous materials. The relevance of this study is due to the evidence that engineered nanoparticles have been produced and used in commercial products in large scale, especially ZnO and TiO2, which are transported through the environmental components interacting with soil and water, representing the high potential impact on the ecosystems. In this research, we newly investigated the influence of nanoparticles of zinc oxide (NPZnO) on the behavior of nanoparticles of titania (NPTiO2). The impact of parameters such as pH, zeta potential, ionic strength, electric conductivity, suspended nanoparticles size of the colloidal suspensions containing hazardous nanoparticles on its stability, were studied using experimental and theoretical approaches. Leaching experiments were carried out within a sandy soil column model. It was found that the NPTiO2 in suspensions enhance the stability of the nanoparticles colloidal suspensions, keeping higher nanoparticles concentrations, while NPZnO promotes rapid aggregation, improving the soil particle collector efficiency with a lower concentration in equilibrium in the colloidal suspension, which can be used for promoting environmental impact attenuation and mitigation.

Analysis and optimization of carbon supply chains integrated to a power to gas process in Italy

The mathematical model for carbon capture, utilization and storage supply chains is developed for Italian regions. This model is used to design supply chains minimizing total costs and reducing significantly carbon dioxide emissions. Carbon dioxide can be stored or utilized to produce methane through a power to gas system, where hydrogen is obtained by the electrolysis of water using renewable power while methane is fed to the gas grid. The Mixed Integer Linear Program model is applied to design carbon systems developed for ten regions with major carbon dioxide emissions, while different saline aquifers are proposed as storage sites. Results show that the Adriatic sea is the most appropriate offshore storage site in the supply chain. This leads to a lower net methane production cost and to the lowest level of economic incentives as compared to other cases. The total costs of this supply chain are 7.34·104 million €/year (953 €/tonCO2 captured), and 16.1 Mton/year of methane are produced. The supply chain does not result economically favorable without substantial financial incentives (80 €/tonCO2 for carbon tax and 260 €/MWh economic incentive for methane production). Comparing supply chains that include simultaneous utilization and storage of carbon dioxide with a carbon capture and utilization supply chain (without storage) shows that the latter is economically less favorable. In addition to mitigation of carbon environmental impact for the whole Country, the large scale supply chain proposed here meets 35% of Italy’s methane demand as a whole, a significant contribution to a global economic perspective, widely discussed nowadays, which should include self-sustainment elements at regional level.

The feasibility analysis of cement kiln as an MSW treatment infrastructure: From a life cycle environmental impact perspective

Subsequent to the sharp surge in quantity of municipal solid waste (MSW) generation, the pace at which waste treatment facilities are being constructed in some cities cannot meet the increasing demand for MSW treatment capacity. As a remedy to this, the co-processing of MSW in high-temperature cement kilns has become a potential MSW treatment option in emerging countries, and has been widely implemented in developed countries such as Netherlands and Germany. However, the environmental impacts of MSW co-processing in cement kilns differ from those of traditional treatment technologies. Besides, it is necessary to determine whether MSW co-processing in cement kilns could reduce the overall environmental impacts of MSW treatment and disposal as a whole, which is a key step in analyzing the feasibility of the treatment technology. Hence, this study used the life cycle assessment (LCA) method to quantitatively analyze the environmental impacts of MSW co-processing in cement kilns and the results further compared with other MSW treatment technologies. The functional unit was one ton of raw MSW, and real operational data from the cement industry and MSW treatment project in China was used for case studies. The results revealed that when compared to incineration and mechanical biological treatment (MBT), the environmental impact mitigation of energy recovery during MSW co-processing in cement kilns is not that significant. However, since there is no required additional treatment of residual waste and wastewater, the environmental impact caused by MSW co-processing in cement kiln appeared to be much lower from a life cycle perspective. Therefore, under conditions of insufficient MSW treatment capacity, co-processing in cement kiln could be an effective complementary approach to MSW management in China and other emerging countries which have many new dry cement kilns suitable for this alternative complementary technique of MSW treatment and disposal.

Corporate environmental performance prediction in China: An empirical study of energy service companies

Businesses are constrained by and dependent upon nature and institutional context. The global climate crisis has put pressure on and increased firm sensitivity to environmental issues. Predicting corporate environmental performance can help plan for environmental impact mitigation by adjusting organizational practices. Lack of environment-related information makes it difficult to make such predictions. This paper tends to provide useful insights into corporate environmental performance among firms to facilitate better environmental management for both government and firms. A theoretical framework informed by the natural-resource-based view (NRBV) of the firm and institutional theory is used to identify variables for predicting corporate environmental performance. Five dimensions including institutional context, governance capability, information management capability, system capability, and technology-related capability, populated with 14 variables are used to empirically investigate the relationship of these variables with corporate environmental performance. Using 1100 data points on energy service companies (ESCOs) from 2011 to 2015 in mainland China, the Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) algorithm, a statistical nonlinear machine learning approach, is utilized to predict corporate environmental performance. The results demonstrate that the XGBoost model can be effective for ESCO environmental performance prediction, with satisfactory prediction accuracy. This study also adopted the SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) values for model interpretation, indicating that total assets, amount of proactive environmental costs, proportion of technicians and number of patents contribute most to corporate environmental performance. Several policies and environmental strategies for improving corporate environmental performance in the ESCO industry are derived from this analysis.

Mitigation of environmental impact caused by flame retardant textile finishing chemicals

LIFE FLAREX project focuses on the mitigation of environmental and health impacts caused by toxic compounds that are contained in commonly used flame retardants (FRs) in home textiles which are based on halogenated-, antimony trioxide-, formaldehyde release related products. Conventionally used FRs in the home textile sector are decabromodiphenyl ethane, its combination with antimony trioxide and dialkyl phosphono carboxylic acid amides, respectively. The project evaluates alternative FRs and their feasibility at the industrial scale level. Among all the home textile applications, curtains, upholstery, mattress ticking and bedding sheets were selected as the most interesting products in terms of need for substitution. Within these applications, cotton, polyester and polyester/cotton blends were selected as most representatives. Technical performance, flame retardant resistance as well as washing durability was evaluated for up to eight different alternatives and compared to the conventional FRs. The alternative FRs included mixtures of phosphates, ammonium polyphosphate, expandable graphite, guanidine phosphate, ammonium sulphamate and other new patented technologies in the market. A toxicological assessment through skin-FRs contact measurements is being conducted for assessing their absorption and toxicological properties. Additionally, an environmental and health assessment is also being conducted as well as a life cycle assessment comprising environmental, economic and social considerations. The project has at the moment demonstrated the feasible substitution of the aforementioned toxic FRs for greener and safer FR alternatives.

Environmental urgency versus the allure of RCT empiricism

Abstract Environmental impact mitigation and conservation projects have also come under the ambit of Randomized Control Trials (RCTs) usage by economists to ascertain the efficacy of specific interventions. However, there are several concerns about the usage of this technique for environmental decision-making which go beyond the usual methodological critiques raised within economic discourse. Environmental planning has established methods of gauging behavioral effectiveness through deliberative processes and collective policy design such as participatory GIS and charrettes. Given the expediency of environmental action when dealing with ecological degradation as well as a normative need to infuse learning about natural resource scarcity and quality, such deliberative methods are far more cost-effective and help to build community relationships and social capital as well. RCT application in environmental policy thus deserves more critical appraisal and should be applied in concert with deliberative planning techniques.

Technological development and mitigation of environmental impact through ISO 14000: a review

Technological development and mitigation of environmental impact through ISO 14000: a review

Economics within environmental contexts

In the past, much was said about the mitigation of environmental impact through sustainable development, since it seeks to minimize the amount of natural resources used, but for this it was essential the existence of laws to prohibit some practices that were caused by lack of knowledge, saving money or simply negligence. This work is intended to show a brief review of how things have been changing over time, how society has evolved that consumerist mentality to a mentality of low consumption and thinking more about the possibilities they have in front of the Reuse, Reuse and Recycling. He also knows how the mentality of consumption has been oriented to green consumption, and how international environmental policies have been developed and how they influence Colombian policies. So much so that it has influenced the creation year after year of technologies that directly mitigate the environment or generate less impact on it.

A framework for sustainable and circular system design: Development and application on thermal insulation materials

Circular economy is increasingly promoted as a solution to decouple economic growth and environmental impacts. To design a circular and sustainable system, a structured approach is needed. In this study, we suggest to follow a 3-step approach. First, the status quo is evaluated using environmental assessment methods. We determine current circularity (share of assessed product and material retained and further used in the system), environmental impacts, the most impactful products and processes, and assess contaminants and impurities. Second, scenarios favoring circularity strategies are developed and their environmental impacts evaluated. Third, the scenarios are compared and measures for environmental impact mitigation derived.The suggested approach was applied to the case study of thermal insulation in residential buildings in Switzerland. Coupling dynamic, prospective material flow analysis with life cycle impact assessment enabled to determine current and future environmental impacts. Current material circularity is low due to lacking incentives for recycling and legally required incineration of flame retardant containing oil-based materials. The most impact-intensive processes were the production of insulation materials and the incineration of oil-based materials including their adhering residues. The investigated scenarios include (i) increased recycling, (ii) augmented use of biogenic materials, and (iii) a combination thereof. All scenarios lead to reduced climate change and human toxicity impacts. The second and third scenario showed increased impacts for land use, ozone depletion, and ecotoxicity. Taking into consideration end-of-life already in the design process, phasing out toxic materials, and increasing usage of renewable materials are crucial for sustainable, circular system design.

Life cycle assessment of distillation columns manufacturing

In the last decades, the environmental impacts are considered in the decision making of processes and equipment. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a widely used environmental methodology for environmental impacts assessment of projects and products. This study used the LCA for environmental evaluation of two types of distillation column manufacturing: a conventional tray column and a hybrid—packed and tray—column. Eco-Indicator 99 and CML 2 methods were used for inputs conversion in environmental impacts and to compare the distillation columns. Eco-Indicator 99 results showed that the use of electricity and the stainless steel are the inputs with greater environmental impact potential in both columns. Use of stainless steel presented an environmental impact percentage of 38.87% in tray column and 35.91% in hybrid column. Use of electricity apport an environmental impact percentage of 35.68% and 34.25% in tray and hybrid column, respectively. Results obtained by Eco-Indicator 99 and CML 2 methods showed that the hybrid column manufacturing presented a mean environmental impact reduction of 8.7% and 8.92%, respectively, in relation to tray column. CML 2 results showed that hybrid column manufacturing decreases the total CO2 emissions in 180.70 kg CO2 eq, resulting in a reduction of 15% when compared with the tray column manufacturing. Construction of the hybrid column is an alternative for environmental impact mitigation.

Corporate Social Responsibility and Corruption: Implications for the Sustainable Energy Sector

This paper focuses on the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and its relationship with sustainability. The authors investigate the linkages between CSR and sustainability at both enterprise and country levels. The main focus of this study is the energy sector due to its importance in terms of economic, environmental, and social impacts. There are some doubts as to whether a socially responsible business meets public welfare expectations and fosters the country’s social and economic development, as well as the successful achievement of sustainable development objectives. However, it becomes apparent that the development of corporate social responsibility in the energy sector faces a plethora of challenges. Corruption is one of the most important challenges of sustainable energy development. The study analyzes the main areas of CSR policies where energy companies are expected to make a positive contribution to sustainable energy development: mitigation of environmental impact, economic and social development, and good governance. The authors argue that the corruption risks represent a very important issue that is hampering sustainable energy development, and CSR can be applied to mitigate these risks in the energy sector. In addition, government policies might be necessary to create a favorable environment for corruption risk mitigation. The study analyzes the main tools of corporate social responsibility in the energy sector and addresses the impact of CSR on the sustainability of energy sector and corruption risk mitigation. The study analyzes a corruption risk mitigation model in the energy sector and provides recommendations for strengthening corporate social responsibility and mitigating corruption risk. Our results show that CSR can play a vital role in dealing with corruption in the energy sector at the enterprise level. It becomes apparent that anti-corruption standards represent the main supporting means for achieving other CSR goals and principles. Therefore, mitigation of corruption risks should become a priority for socially responsible companies that are operating in the energy sector.