Environmental Sustainability Assessment Research Articles

Eco-friendly spectrophotometric methods for concurrent analysis of phenol, 2-aminophenol, and 4-aminophenol in ternary mixtures and water samples: assessment of environmental sustainability.

Recently, there has been a high demand for green procedures in analytical chemistry, particularly those utilizing eco-friendly solvents. In this context, three feasible derivative UV spectrophotometric methods namely, derivative ratio-zero crossing spectra (DRZCS), double divisor ratio spectra (DDRS), and successive derivative subtraction coupled with constant multiplication (SDS-CM) were developed to quantify a ternary mixture of phenol (P), 2-aminophenol (2-AP), and 4-aminophenol (4-AP) in real water samples simultaneously, using ethanol as a solvent. The established methods demonstrated a good linear range, covering 2-60 μg mL-1 for P and 2-50 μg mL-1 for 2-AP and 4-AP, in all approaches with a high correlation coefficient (R2 ≥ 0.9995). In compliance with ICH guidelines, the methods exhibited acceptable precision and accuracy, as indicated by good spike recovery with low relative standard deviations. The eco-friendliness of the UV spectrophotometric approach was assessed using analytical eco-scale (AES), analytical greenness (AGREE), and analytical greenness metrics for sample preparation (AGREEprep). These evaluations confirmed the eco-friendliness of the proposed methods in terms of solvents, energy consumption, and waste generation. The proposed procedure proved to be efficient in quantifying each component in laboratory-synthesized mixtures and real water samples, thanks to its simplicity, accuracy, sensitivity, and cost-effectiveness.

Enabling comprehensive assessment of marine eutrophication impacts and their evaluation against regional safe operating space

Abstract Purpose Nitrogen emissions from human activities are contributing to elevated levels of eutrophication in coastal ecosystems. Mechanisms involved in marine eutrophication show strong geographical variation. Existing life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) and absolute environmental sustainability assessment (AESA) methods for marine eutrophication do not adequately represent this variability, do not have a full global coverage, and suffer from other limitations, such as poor estimation of coastal residence times. This study aims to advance LCIA and AESA for marine eutrophication. Methods We aligned and combined recent advancements in marine eutrophication LCIA and AESA methods into one method. By re-running models underlying the combined methods and incorporating additional data sources, we included marine regions missing in previous methods and improved fate modeling, with the inclusion of denitrification and plant uptake in the air emission-terrestrial deposition pathway. To demonstrate and validate our method, we applied it in a case study. Results The developed method allows the assessment of marine eutrophication impacts from emissions to soil, freshwater, and air at high resolution (0.083° and 2° × 2.5° for inland and air emissions, respectively) and spatial coverage (all ice-free global continents). In the case study, we demonstrate the added value of our method by showing that the now quantified spatial variability within spatial units, e.g., river basins, can be large and have a strong influence on the modeled marine eutrophication from the case study. Compared to existing methods, our method identifies larger occupations of safe operating space for marine eutrophication, mainly due to the high resolution of the coastal compartment, reflecting a more realistic areal extent of marine eutrophication impacts. Conclusions Although limited by factors such as simulations based on a single reference year for modeling inland and air fate, our method is readily applicable to assess the marine eutrophication impact of nitrogen emitted to any environmental compartment and relate it to the safe operating space. With substantial advancement of existing approaches, our method improves the basis for decision-making for managing nitrogen and reducing emissions to levels within the safe operating space.

Integrated approach for sustainability assessment and reporting for civil infrastructures projects: delivering the UN SDGs

Large civil infrastructure projects, such as airports, highways, railways, townships, and other developments, are critical for contributing to the social, economic, and environmental pillars of sustainability along with the UN-SDGs. However, it is not enough to simply assess their impacts; organizations and stakeholders involved in creating, operating, and maintaining these projects must also report on them. Recent reports by UNEP indicate that the civil infrastructure sector is slow in adopting these principles of sustainability assessment and reporting. The aim of this study is to develop an integrated approach for assessing the sustainability of civil infrastructure projects and sustainability reporting for organizations and stakeholders while achieving the UN-SDGs. To achieve this aim, the study employs a two-step process. In the first step, a correspondence matrix is derived from the sustainability assessment parameters of various infrastructure rating tools (InRTs), Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards, and UN-SDGs targets. In the second step, a composite indicator called the Sustainability Alignment Index (SAI) is developed. The SAI comprises two sub-indices, namely the TBL-Sustainability Coverage Index (TSCI) and the TBL-Sustainability Disclosure Quality Index (TSDQI). The correspondence matrix, indices, and sub-indices are then used to evaluate the quantitative and qualitative aspects of the sustainability disclosures of selected civil infrastructure companies in Asia and Europe. The study's findings question the comprehensiveness of the evaluating criteria used in InRTs. It also reveals the lack of alignment between an infrastructure project's sustainability assessment criteria, GRI standards, and UN-SDGs targets. Moreover, the results emphasize the insufficient coverage of environmental sustainability assessment and reporting parameters in the disclosures made by the companies. The developed correspondence matrix, indices, and sub-indices can be used by organizations for comparing both quantitative and qualitative measures to understand their relative positions. Additionally, it will enable the public, policymakers, and other key stakeholders to compare different dimensions of sustainability more effectively.

Embedded but overlooked values: Ethical aspects of absolute environmental sustainability assessments

AbstractCurrently used sharing principles (grandfathering and final consumption expenditure) do not align with the purpose of Absolute Environmental Sustainability Assessments (AESAs)—enabling all to meet basic needs within the planetary limits. This discrepancy, though niche within life cycle engineering, demands attention due to the integration of the sharing principles in the widely adopted Science Based Targets initiative, embraced by 4000+ companies, representing over a third of the global economy. This paper suggests operationalizing sufficientarianism as a fair sharing principle for AESAs guaranteeing a minimum threshold of well‐being for all. The theory of human needs is highlighted to distinguish luxuries from necessities. This is vital when assigning shares to products/companies, as there's no room for luxuries (products for someone which cause others to fall short), given the extremely limited individual safe operating space, regardless of the sharing approach. This paper argues that sufficientarian‐based sharing principles must overlook historically skewed material welfare distributions to ensure no one falls below the minimum threshold. It underscores the need for an interdisciplinary approach to sharing principles, acknowledging and discussing diverse value perspectives on equal grounds. The focus is to inform and discuss the development of new sharing principles, which introduces initial steps toward a sufficientarian‐based approach. The paper concludes that recognizing embedded values is paramount in sharing principle development. Failing to do so risks letting quantifiable metrics dictate the values integrated into AESAs without open discourse.

HEORETICAL ASPECTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

In the context of the development of the economic complex of the region, its environmental aspects acquire special significance. The reasons for this are the growing negative impact on the environment and thedepletion of the natural potential of the territories. As a result, the issue of managing the environmental protection of the region within the framework of its sustainable development is becoming increasingly relevant. At the same time, one of the tools of this management is the assessment of environmental sustainability of regional development.

Evaluating the Environmental Sustainability of Alternative Ways to Produce Benzene, Toluene, and Xylene.

The petrochemical industry can reduce its environmental impacts by moving from fossil resources to alternative carbon feedstocks. Biomass and plastic waste-based production pathways have recently been developed for benzene, toluene, and xylene (BTX). This study evaluates the environmental impacts of these novel BTX pathways at a commercial and future (2050) scale, combining traditional life cycle assessment with absolute environmental sustainability assessment using the planetary boundary concept. We show that plastic waste-based BTX has lower environmental impacts than fossil BTX, including a 12% decrease in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Biomass-based BTX shows greater GHG emission reductions (42%), but it causes increased freshwater consumption and eutrophication. Toward 2050, GHG emission reductions become 75 and 107% for plastic waste and biobased production, respectively, compared to current fossil-BTX production. When comparing alternative uses of plastic waste, BTX production has larger climate benefits than waste incineration with energy recovery with a GHG benefit of 1.1 kg CO2-equiv/kg plastic waste. For biomass (glycerol)-based BTX production, other uses of glycerol are favorable over BTX production. While alternative BTX production pathways can decrease environmental impacts, they still transgress multiple planetary boundaries. Further impact reduction efforts are thus required, such as using other types of (waste) biomass, increasing carbon recycling, and abatement of end-of-life emissions.

Environmental sustainability assessment of biodegradable bio-based poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) from agro-residues: Production and end-of-life scenarios

In the context of a circular bio-based economy, more public attention has been paid to the environmental sustainability of biodegradable bio-based plastics, particularly plastics produced using emerging biotechnologies, e.g. poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) or PHBV. However, this has not been thoroughly investigated in the literature. Therefore, this study aimed to address three aspects regarding the environmental impact of PHBV-based plastic: (i) the potential environmental benefits of scaling up pellet production from pilot to industrial scale and the environmental hotspots at each scale, (ii) the most favourable end-of-life (EOL) scenario for PHBV, and (iii) the environmental performance of PHBV compared to benchmark materials considering both the pellet production and EOL stages. Life cycle assessment (LCA) was implemented using Cumulative Exergy Extraction from the Natural Environment (CEENE) and Environmental Footprint (EF) methods. The results show that, firstly, when upscaling the PHBV pellet production from pilot to industrial scale, a significant environmental benefit can be achieved by reducing electricity and nutrient usage, together with the implementation of better practices such as recycling effluent for diluting feedstock. Moreover, from the circularity perspective, mechanical recycling might be the most favourable EOL scenario for short-life PHBV-based products, using the carbon neutrality approach, as the material remains recycled and hence environmental credits are achieved by substituting recyclates for virgin raw materials. Lastly, PHBV can be environmentally beneficial equal to or even to some extent greater than common bio- and fossil-based plastics produced with well-established technologies. Besides methodological choices, feedstock source and technology specifications (e.g. pure or mixed microbial cultures) were also identified as significant factors contributing to the variations in LCA of (bio)plastics; therefore, transparency in reporting these factors, along with consistency in implementing the methodologies, is crucial for conducting a meaningful comparative LCA.

Environmental sustainability and life cycle assessment of pilot scale application of coal combustion residue as structural fill in mechanically stabilized earth walls

In this study, three types of coal combustion residue (CCR) have been used, and the life cycle impact of CCR as structural fill behind mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) walls of three different heights has been conducted. The analysis has been done using OpenLCA software. Results have been compared with MSE walls using natural sand as a structural fill. It is observed that the environmental impacts of using CCR reduce by more than 50 % compared to those of using natural sand. Amongst CCR, the maximum impact is shown by fly ash and the least by bottom ash. Relative to natural sand, the impacts of using CCR decrease with an increase in wall height. The cost analysis of the walls indicates that if structural fills are transported from the same distance, the cost of construction with natural sand is 18–46 % higher than that by CCR as fill. Results reveal that utilizing CCR as structural fill in MSE walls proves to be a more economic and eco-conscious choice compared to the conventional natural soil. These findings could hold considerable implications for the construction sector and its efforts to minimize ecological footprint.

An absolute environmental sustainability assessment of food

AbstractThe food sector is a major user of land and freshwater and a source of considerable greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This puts pressure on Earth systems and jeopardizes the future of food production. The environmental impact of foods is well understood, but our interpretation lacks the context to judge whether those impacts are sufficiently small to describe a food as environmentally sustainable or not. In this work, we describe a metric that converts the environmental impact of foods into a quantitative environmental sustainability scale (performance‐weighted environmental sustainability, PwES). Land use, freshwater use, and GHG emission impacts of common foods have been weighted by their nutritional content and normalized so that values greater than 100% are considered unsustainable. Our findings concur with the conventional wisdom that the high impact of meat is unsustainable, whereas vegetables are typically produced sustainably. Further to this, the PwES metric was used to establish rational targets for sustainable food supply and design nutritious and environmentally sustainable meal plans. It was found that without reductions to the environmental impact of food, it is very difficult to eat sustainably. A high‐bread vegan diet could be found that provided minimum nutritional requirements and was environmentally sustainable.

Green versus Grey Framing: Exploring the Mechanism behind the Negative Footprint Illusion in Environmental Sustainability Assessments

Given the complexity of assessing the environmental sustainability of products, consumers rely on cognitive strategies to simplify complex information and develop quick judgments, often referred to as heuristics, when processing eco-information. One of these heuristics is called ‘the Negative Footprint Illusion’: Consumers erroneously estimate the total environmental impact of a combination of a green and non-green product as lower than the same non-green product alone. In this research, we test this bias and explore its underlying mechanism. We evoke a more summative vs. more evaluative mindset by framing the response scales negatively (in terms of environmental damage, referred to as ‘grey scaling’) vs. positively (in terms of environmental friendliness, referred to as ‘green scaling’). This is carried out by using an online between-subject experiment in which respondents either respond on an evaluative response scale (green scaling), or a summative response scale (grey scaling). A hamburger and bio-apple were used as stimuli (either shown together or apart). First, the results show that the negative footprint is only apparent in the green scaling condition. Second, respondents who score higher on environmental concern show a stronger negative footprint illusion for the green scaling condition. Our study not only elucidates the cognitive mechanisms driving the negative footprint illusion but also offers strategic directions for both theoretical advancement and practical applications in environmental decision-making, highlighting effective ways to mitigate this bias.

Engineered Nanomaterial Coatings for Food Packaging: Design, Manufacturing, Regulatory, and Sustainability Implications.

The food industry is one of the most regulated businesses in the world and follows strict internal and regulated requirements to ensure product reliability and safety. In particular, the industry must ensure that biological, chemical, and physical hazards are controlled from the production and distribution of raw materials to the consumption of the finished product. In the United States, the FDA regulates the efficacy and safety of food ingredients and packaging. Traditional packaging materials such as paper, aluminum, plastic, and biodegradable compostable materials have gradually evolved. Coatings made with nanotechnology promise to radically improve the performance of food packaging materials, as their excellent properties improve the appearance, taste, texture, and shelf life of food. This review article highlights the role of nanomaterials in designing and manufacturing anti-fouling and antimicrobial coatings for the food packaging industry. The use of nanotechnology coatings as protective films and sensors to indicate food quality levels is discussed. In addition, their assessment of regulatory and environmental sustainability is developed. This review provides a comprehensive perspective on nanotechnology coatings that can ensure high-quality nutrition at all stages of the food chain, including food packaging systems for humanitarian purposes.

Are Existing LCIA Methods Related to Mineral and Metal Resources Relevant for an AESA Approach Applied to the Building Sector? Case Study on the Construction of New Buildings in France

Considering the challenges that mineral and metallic resources represent for the building sector, there is a need to propose decision-support tools to building stakeholders. One of the possibilities could be to integrate an indicator of pressure on mineral resources in an absolute environmental sustainability assessment (AESA) approach, using life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) methods. This paper will analyze the existing LCIA indicators that can be used to represent the impact on mineral resources of new constructions, with a case study on new buildings in France in 2015. This analysis aims to find out whether the existing LCIA methods dealing with mineral and metallic resources issues are adapted to the specific stakes of the building sector in an AESA approach. The AESA approach considered is the one proposed by Bjørn and Hauschild. Several steps are detailed in this paper. Firstly, bibliographic research was carried out to identify existing LCIA methods related to the mineral resources. Secondly, selection criteria were defined in order to select those LCIA methods relevant for the building sector. Thirdly, the scope of the case study was defined and its inventory analysis was conducted using the Ecoinvent 3.5 database, selecting only the mineral and metallic input flows. Finally, the comparison between the inventory of mineral and metallic flows issued from the inventory analysis and the substances considered in the selected LCIA methods was effected. The results show that none of the existing LCIA methods are compatible with the aim of developing an LCIA indicator for mineral and metallic resources that is compatible with an AESA approach, in particular for the building sector.

Industry 4.0 and life cycle assessment: Evaluation of the technology applications as an asset for the life cycle inventory

Industry 4.0 technologies present transformative potential in data acquisition for production activities, promising to revolutionize the Life Cycle Inventory process. Despite acknowledging their utility in environmental impact analysis, a gap exists in understanding the specific applicability of these technologies to fulfill ISO 14044 criteria. This study addresses the gap by introducing innovative approaches to Life Cycle Assessment through Industry 4.0 technologies. Beyond existing research, technologies directly impacting LCA development are identified, along with a classification for optimal usage in the LCA process. The crucial role of these technologies in enhanced data collection across life cycle phases is highlighted, introducing a scoring mechanism to identify the technology excelling in enabling Life Cycle Inventory development. Employing a developed framework and systematic literature review, the study aims to identify Industry 4.0 technologies in manufacturing that facilitate LCA. Findings illuminate potential contributions across different product life cycle stages, with cyber-physical systems, the Internet of Things, and Simulation and Modelling identified as the most effective technologies for constructing Life Cycle Inventories. The outcomes provide guidance for practitioners in integrating Industry 4.0 technologies into manufacturing activities, offering valuable insights for environmental sustainability assessment.

Ten questions concerning absolute sustainability in the built environment

Concepts for setting carrying capacity-based benchmarking of life-cycle environmental impacts is an ongoing field of research with an emerging industrial uptake in the built environment. This paper is a critical review of this development compiled in the form of 10 questions that discusses issues and challenges related to definitions, methodology, terminology, and uncertainties. The intention is not to discourage the development but to highlight the need for ensuring consensus and alignment on the aforementioned issues both within the research community and when implementing concepts in practice.Concluding that AESA (Absolute Environmental Sustainability Assessment) aims to address the environmental performance of a service, benchmarked against a functional pollution space, using environmental carrying capacities, rather than comparing it to current ‘best practice'. It is crucial to recognize that these carrying capacities are limits, not targets, and whilst allocation of the carrying capacity to services depends on subjective and political decision-making, uncertainties, including subjectivity and emerging scientific data, should be included and communicated clearly in credible AESAs.Collaboration between academia and industry is crucial to align definitions and terminology and avoid misalignments. While AESA lacks a scalable approach for systemic assessments, it serves as a valuable steppingstone for transition, highlighting that achieving a built environment within the currently known functional pollution spaces, requires policy changes and a cultural shift.

Challenges and missing links to assess absolute environmental sustainability

The results of the most prevalent environmental lifecycle assessments represent the relative impact on the environment caused by the object being assessed. Hereby, the object is compared to its alternatives (to derive: Which is the better solution?) rather than to the carrying capacities of nature (to determine: Is it ultimately sustainable or not?). This poses a problem for implementing and assessing the progress towards sustainable development. In connection to this, prior research has started categorizing the constitutive research on lifecycle-based absolute environmental sustainability assessments.This paper adds to these efforts and provides a new point of view by categorizing the absolute environmental sustainability assessment approaches within the driver-pressure-state-impact-response framework. Hereby, we focus on the absolute environmental sustainability assessment approaches of (1.) the precedent methods of absolute pressures, and (2.) the state-of-the-art approaches of the impacts on nature. Their common challenges and limitations are discussed, along with a theoretical example. From there, we conclude the proposal of incorporating the absolute environmental sustainability pressure methods into the current discussion on lifecycle-based absolute environmental sustainability assessment approaches. Ultimately, we conclude that further research is required to connect the approaches to the level of application.

Environmental sustainability assessment of wooden furniture produced in Pakistan.

Life cycle assessment was carried out for a conventional wooden furniture set produced in Mardan division of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan during 2018-19. Primary data regarding inputs and outputs were collected through questionnaire surveys from 100 conventional wooden furniture set manufacturers, 50 in district Mardan and 50 in district Swabi. In the present study, cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment approach was applied for a functional unit of one conventional wooden furniture set. Production weighted average data were modelled in the environmental impacts modelling software i.e., SimaPro v.8.5. The results showed that textile used in sofa set, wood preservative for polishing and preventing insects attack and petrol used in generator had the highest contribution to all the environmental impact categories evaluated. Total cumulative energy demand for wooden furniture set manufactured was 30,005 MJ with most of the energy acquired from non-renewable fossil fuel resources.

Assessing the environmental sustainability of the transnational area of China, North Korea, and Russia using an improved environmental degradation index

Timely and effective environmental sustainability assessment is critical for promoting sustainable development in the transnational area of Changbai Mountain (TACM). However, due to the limitations of the existing environmental degradation index, the environmental sustainability in this transnational area was still not comprehensively evaluated. In this study, the main objectives were to construct a comprehensive environmental sustainability index (CESI) by integrating four environmental elements of ecological, soil, water as well as air, and evaluate the environmental sustainability of TACM from 2000 to 2020. The results indicated that the environmental sustainability of the TACM exhibited a significantly degraded trend. The area of degraded environmental sustainability (73147.16 km2) accounted for 44.35 % of the total area of TACM. In the three subregions, the environmental sustainability showed decreasing trends in the subregions of China and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), whereas showed an upward trend in Russia. In particular, the DPRK’s side exhibited the most significant degradation, where the area of reduced environmental sustainability (40405.60 km2) was 1.25 times and 129.98 times larger than that on the Chinese and Russian sides, respectively. Forest loss and cropland expansion were the primary reasons for the degradation of environmental sustainability in the TACM. The major findings of this study could contribute to our understanding of environmental sustainability and will be helpful to promote the sustainable development in this transnational area as well as Northeast Asia.

Assessing Environmental Sustainability: Integrating Ecological and Social Perspectives

In the pursuit of sustainable development, there is an increasing recognition that environmental sustainability assessments must encompass a holistic understanding that integrates both ecological and social dimensions. This article presents a comprehensive examination of environmental sustainability by merging ecological and social perspectives. The study employs a multidisciplinary approach to assess the interplay between ecological systems and social dynamics, aiming to provide a more nuanced understanding of sustainability.
 The ecological dimension involves evaluating the impact of human activities on ecosystems, biodiversity, and natural resources. Various indicators, such as carbon footprint, biodiversity loss, and resource depletion, are considered to measure the environmental consequences of human actions. Concurrently, the social dimension encompasses an analysis of how communities, societies, and individuals engage with and respond to environmental challenges. Social indicators include community well-being, environmental justice, and public participation in decision-making processes related to sustainability.
 The integration of these ecological and social perspectives aims to capture the complex interactions between human societies and the environment. By doing so, the article contributes to a more comprehensive and nuanced assessment of environmental sustainability. Moreover, the research emphasizes the importance of adopting a transdisciplinary approach, fostering collaboration among ecologists, social scientists, policymakers, and local communities to develop sustainable solutions.
 This study serves as a valuable resource for academics, policymakers, and practitioners seeking to enhance their understanding of environmental sustainability. The integration of ecological and social perspectives offers insights that can inform more effective and inclusive strategies for achieving sustainability goals.

New Insight into the Performance and Self-Defensive Responses of the Algal–Bacterial Granular Sludge Process under Cr(VI)-Induced Stress

Algal–bacterial granular sludge, a new biological technology, has been widely recognized due to its highly effective pollutant treatment and energy efficiency. This study investigated the effects of environmental concentrations of Cr(VI) (0.5–2.5 mg/L) on the performance of algal–bacterial granular sludge and self-defensive responses after 90 days of cultivation. The results showed that Cr(VI) affected chemical oxygen demand (COD) decrease, ammonia-N and phosphate removal, with different trends being apparent. A linear decline in COD decrease was observed, whereas an initial decrease and then increase in ammonia-N and phosphate removal took place. Algal–bacterial granular sludge effectively removed Cr(VI) from wastewater through biological adsorption and reduction, showing the potential to treat Cr(VI)-contaminated wastewater. Cr(VI) affected the community abundance of the algal–bacterial granular sludge, in which Chlorophyceae and cyanobacteria were vulnerable under Cr(VI)-induced stress. To reduce the toxicity of Cr(VI), over-produced EPS-PN and antioxidant enzymes (MDA, SOD and CAT) acted as self-defensive responses to resist oxidative damage. This study aimed to conduct a comprehensive environmental sustainability assessment of the algal–bacterial granular sludge process in treating municipal wastewater containing Cr(VI). It is hoped that this study can provide useful information for improved engineering feasibility of algal–bacterial granular sludge.

Quantifying pesticide emissions for drift deposition in comparative risk and impact assessment

Estimating emissions of chemical pesticides used in agriculture is an essential component in evaluating the potential toxicity-related impacts on humans and ecosystems in various comparative risk and impact assessment frameworks, such as life cycle assessment, environmental footprinting, absolute environmental sustainability assessment, chemical substitution, and risk prioritization. Emissions related to drift deposition—usually derived from drift experiments—can reach non-target areas, and vary as a function of crop characteristics and application technique. We derive cumulative drift deposition fractions for a wide range of experimental drift functions for use in comparative and mass-balanced approaches. We clarify that cumulative drift deposition fractions require to integrate the underlying drift functions over the relevant deposition area and to correct for the ratio of deposition area to treated field area to arrive at overall mass deposited per unit mass of applied pesticide. Our results show that for most crops, drift deposition fractions from pesticide application are below 0.03 (i.e. 3% of applied mass), except for grapes and fruit trees, where drift fractions can reach 5% when using canon or air blast sprayers. Notably, aerial applications on soybeans can result in significantly higher drift deposition fractions, ranging from 20% to 60%. Additionally, varying the nozzle position can lead to a factor of five differences in pesticide deposition, and establishing buffer zones can effectively reduce drift deposition. To address remaining limitations in deriving cumulative drift deposition fractions, we discuss possible alternative modelling approaches. Our proposed approach can be implemented in different quantitative and comparative assessment frameworks that require emission estimates of agricultural pesticides, in support of reducing chemical pollution and related impacts on human health and the environment.