Evaluation Of Environmental Impact Research Articles

Environmental impact evaluation of crumb rubber industry production process by life cycle assessment (LCA) method (case study: PT FRP)

PT FRP produces crumb rubber SIR 20 with a total annual production of 42.000 tons. This study aims to analyze the environmental impact of 1-ton crumb rubber production using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method to be further explored for recommendations for ecological improvement. LCA was carried by a gate-to-gate scope using SimaPro software with the eco-indicator 99 method. The steps for completing this research refer to ISO 14040:2016. Characterization step results from the category of fossil fuels impact have the highest value (931 MJ surplus). The total value of the single score generated is 369 Pt, with the highest impact value is respiratory inorganics. The dryer drying process, the usage of electricity, and the generator and boiler are four production processes that significantly impact the environment. Improvement recommendations given to reduce the effects of the four processes are using an economizer in the boiler, the combination of fuel used by the boiler, and substitution of diesel fuel with Pertamina Dex as generator’s fuel.

Environmental impact evaluation of decentralized sewage treatment technologies: A life cycle assessment approach

AbstractA life cycle assessment study on decentralized sewage (DS) treatment technologies is conducted using Gabi software and ReCiPe midpoint method, focusing on three DS treatment technologies: extended aeration (EA), imhoff (IF) and activated sludge (AS). The three most significant environmental impacts identified by the analysis are climate change (CC), freshwater eutrophication potential (FEP) and marine eutrophication potential (MEP). In this study, none of the DS systems could reduce all three indicators assessed. In terms of CC, IF has the lowest impact, with a value of 2.78 kg CO2 eq/m3, while EA has the lowest FEP impact of 0.030 kg P eq/m3. As regards MEP, AS has the lowest value of 0.043 kg N eq/m3. The findings offer investors with relevant information on the effects of the three DS treatment technologies used to treat domestic wastewater in Malaysia.

Exergy-Based Life Cycle Assessment Model for Evaluating the Environmental Impact of Bridge: Principle and Case Study

The construction of bridge is a complex process and involves diverse energy emission-intensive materials. The evaluation of environmental impacts on the basis of life cycle assessment (LCA) is a recognised technique to find the scope of impact mitigation and save resources. However, the studies on the LCA of bridges are rare and lack assessment on the impact of public transportation during bridge construction. The purpose of this study was to develop an integrated exergy-based LCA model for assessing the environmental sustainability of bridges by investigating their environmental impacts and exergy footprint. The proposed exergy-based LCA model consists of three principal assessment models, namely, the environmental impact of energy consumption, pollutant discharge, and resource consumption. The proposed model was then exemplified with a highway bridge as a case study. The results found that the environmental impact in the raw material production and processing stage was the largest, followed by the construction stage and the operation and maintenance stage at second and third place, respectively. The findings of this study can contribute to mitigating the environmental impacts of bridge construction, and the assessment approach can be adopted to guide the environmental impact evaluation for other types of civil constructions globally.

Environmental impact evaluation of co-products: decision-aid tool for allocation in LCA

Environmental impact evaluation of co-products: decision-aid tool for allocation in LCA

Environmental impact evaluation of five circular concrete scenarios

In the Netherlands, the material concrete accounts for 40-60% of the total environmental impact of the Dutch construction industry. Cement accounts for 80-95% of this impact, while not being the main component expressed in mass.

Byproduct-based concentrates in Swedish dairy cow diets – evaluation of environmental impact and feed costs

ABSTRACT This study compared use of byproduct-based concentrates and a control feed based on cereal grains and soybean meal in dairy cow diets and evaluated effects on the environment and feed costs. To achieve a nutrient-dense feed ration to dairy cows byproducts are commonly combined with cereal grains and protein-rich feeds such as soybean meal. The present analysis was based on experimental data for high-yielding dairy cows showing that feeding concentrate based on byproducts gives similar milk yield as feeding concentrate based on cereal grains and soybean meal. Evaluation of the different concentrates using life cycle assessment showed that using byproducts required less cropland (−35%), reduced carbon footprint (−20%) and lowered eutrophication potential (−20%) compared with the control. Energy use was higher (+30%), due to the need for drying wet byproducts. Feed costs per kg energy-corrected milk did not differ between the feeds, which is beneficial from a sustainability perspective.

Setting-up of different water managements as mitigation strategy of the environmental impact of paddy rice

Northern Italy represents the most important rice-growing district in Europe. In this area, rice is the main annual crop and the main revenues source for farmers. However, Italian climatic condition led to a traditional cultivation characterized by continuous flooding, causing emissions of methane into the atmosphere due to the organic matter fermentation in anaerobic conditions, and, consequently, a high environmental impact. The water conditions of paddy fields also affect heavy metals uptake by rice plants. In this context, this study focuses on the evaluation of environmental impact and of heavy metal content in paddy rice, and it may represent an important step in mitigating the environmental impact of rice production. In detail, this study quantifies the environmental benefits related to the adoption of an alternative water management characterized by an additional aeration period during stem elongation. To this purpose, field trials were carried out and the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach was applied with a cradle-to-farm gate perspective. The potential environmental impact of the production of two rice varieties (Carnaroli and Caravaggio) was analysed in terms of 12 different impact categories and dehulled rice grain were analysed for arsenic and cadmium content.Alternative flooding decreases CH4 emissions in all cases evaluated (from 15% to 52%), resulting in a reduction in the climate change impact of rice cultivation (from 12% to 32%). Furthermore, the alternative water management does not influence grain yield and it reduces all the other environmental impact categories in 2 out of 4 cases. Regarding the heavy metals contents, the arsenic content in the grain decreases in all alternative scenarios, whereas the cadmium content increases, while remaining well below the legal limits.

Understanding the Dynamics of a Coastal Lagoon: Drivers, Exchanges, State of the Environment, Consequences and Responses

At present, many coastal ecosystems worldwide are highly affected by anthropic activities. La Mancha lagoon, in the state of Veracruz, Mexico, is an important ecosystem due to the wide array of ecosystem services that it provides. In this paper, an analysis of the environmental balances of the lagoon is outlined, using the Drivers, Exchanges, State of the Environment, Consequences and Responses (DESCR) tool. The methodological framework considers the interrelationships between the natural systems and the forces of change that alter the performance of the natural environment, in order to provide an overview of actions that may reduce negative consequences. The study area has been impacted by anthropic development, such as changes in land use for agricultural and livestock activities, loss of mangroves due to logging and modifications, carried out by local fishermen, to the natural hydrodynamics of the lagoon that alter the salinity and affect the ecosystem dynamics. Following analysis of the area, using the DESCR tool, the responses proposed include long-term environmental impact evaluation, with the aim of preserving the local coastal ecosystems.

Environmental impact Evaluation of Brick factories on West of AL-Diwaneyha city _Iraq

The objective of this study is to evaluate the environmental impact of a brick factory complex in the west part of AL-Diwaneyah city. In the study, the site characteristics of the brick factories and compares them with the locational determinants in the Iraqi environmental laws were assessed. The Arc.GIS software has used to process the spatial data and displays.  The spatial analysis show that the current site of brick factories does not conform to the current laws and regulations of Iraq. So, it eventually will create environmental problem to the city's expansion or factories development. Furthermore, air quality in the west of city has measured in some monitoring sites along the direction of wind, close to the brick factories. The gases concentration measurement has continued for 12 days and24 hours per day in the monitoring sites.SO2, NO2, CO and NMHC were measured which showed that the maximum values of SO2, NO2 and NMHC were higher than Iraqi standard while the CO value was very low.

Environmental Impact Evaluation of Current Municipal Solid Waste Treatments in India Using Life Cycle Assessment

An environmental life cycle assessment was conducted to compare proposed municipal solid waste treatment systems with the existing system in Visakhapatnam, India. Five waste alternative treatment systems, including open dumping of municipal solid waste (S1), landfill without gas recovery [LFWGR] (S2), landfill with gas recovery (S3), anaerobic digestion + LFWGR (S4), and incineration + LFWGR (S5). EASETECHTM was considered for assessment using ReCiPE Midpoint (Heuristic) world environmental impact assessment method. Global warming potential (GWP), terrestrial acidification (TA), freshwater eutrophication (FEW), marine water eutrophication (ME), human toxicity (HTP), terrestrial ecotoxicity (TE), freshwater ecotoxicity (FWT), and marine ecotoxicity (MET) impacts were determined for each option. The existing MSW disposal practice in Visakhapatnam city (baseline scenario, S1) has the highest GWP (1107 kg CO2 eq.), which can potentially be reduced to 68.2%, 81.5%, 98.2%, and 94.5% by alternative waste management scenarios S2, S3, S4 and S5, respectively. Scenario S4, involving the use of anaerobic digestion of food waste and residues dumped in engineered landfill without energy recovery was found to be the option with the highest mitigation potential of most of the impacts, and it contributes to significant environmental benefits in terms of ecological footprints in a low-income country such as India. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to confirm the reasonable legitimacy of data used for the determination of the impacts.

Emergy-based environmental impact evaluation and modeling of selective laser melting

Additive manufacturing (AM) technologies, such as direct laser and selective laser melting (SLM) manufacturing, allow the fabrication of functional products with high added value. This paper proposes an emergy-based method for evaluating the environmental impact and economic cost of the SLM manufacturing process while considering the environmental flows (materials, energy, and wastes) and economic factors (time, costs, and quality). By analyzing the emergy flows in an SLM system, sustainable evaluation indexes are developed to estimate its sustainability level. Then, the method is applied to analyze the environmental impact and economic cost of the SLM of a part. The results show that the cost of the process for a single part is high, the net emergy yield ratio of the SLM system is low, and its environmental load rate is very high. The sustainability indexes of the system indicated a high environmental impact and low production efficiency. However, the waste emergy output ratio of the system was very low, which reflected the near-net-shape characteristics of SLM, indicating a high sustainability potential. The results of this study are expected to contribute to increased sustainability and optimization of SLM.

Performance and environmental impact assessment of a geothermal-assisted combined plant for multi-generation products

In this research work, a newly designed geothermal energy-supported integrated plant for heating, cooling, power, hot water, and hydrogen generation is proposed. The modeled system has two organic Rankine cycles (ORCs), ORC-1 working with n-pentane, and ORC-2 working with n-butane. Besides, this study also consists of an absorption cooling cycle, which is operated lithium bromide-water, and a Proton Exchange Membrane electrolyzer. In this framework, thermodynamic and environmental impact analyses are made to define the performance of the examined plant and lessening the greenhouse gas emission. Furthermore, an environmental impact evaluation is made to define the effect of greenhouse gases, as a result of the use of non-renewable energy-based fuels to meet the production of power from the suggested model. Analysis results displayed that the total energy and exergy performances of the examined system are computed to be 63.28% and 55.99%, respectively. Sub-plants of the system modeled, ORC-1 and ORC-2 have 22.31% and 25.18% energy efficiency. The heating load, cooling load, and hydrogen generation rate are found as 806.4 kW, 758 kW, and 9.0036 kg/h, respectively. Also, the modeled cycle saves about annual 26421 t CO2 gas emission if the coal is used as fuel in the plant for power generation.

Development and performance examination of an integrated plant with desalination process for multigeneration purposes

Increasing environmental problems are of great importance in the development of efficient energy utilization. This article proposed an innovative design gas turbine-based multi-generation plant that integrating a desalination unit for advanced energy management and utilization. Furthermore, this modeled plant comprises a Brayton cycle, a reheat Rankine cycle, an organic Rankine Cycle which does with ammonia, a greenhouse, a Proton Exchange Membrane electrolyzer, and a desalination component. The main purpose of this study is also to provide beneficial commodities such as energy, hydrogen, heating, freshwater, in addition to this to reduce the emission rate by integrating different subsystems, and also to increase system performance. On the other hand, comprehensive thermodynamic assessment and environmental impact evaluation are made that are energy efficiency, exergy efficiency, carbon dioxide emission rate, and sustainability index evaluations, for the overall model and sub-systems. The conclusions of the analysis demonstrated that the whole plant's energy and exergy effectiveness are determined as 0.6076 and 0.5671, respectively, while the carbon dioxide emission rate of the planned model is 0.31 t/MWh. The whole irreversibility of the advised model is 2679.09 kW, and also the maximum exergy destruction rate is found in the combustion chamber with 1216 kW. Moreover, the proposed configuration system has a hydrogen production amount of 0.001742 kgs−1 and a clean water production amount of 0.7647 kgs−1.

Detection of grouting effect in defective areas of metro concealed tunnels in loess areas

The occurrence of grouting defect areas in metro concealed excavation tunnels will lead to water seepage or deformation of the tunnels, which in turn will affect the metro operation and the safety of the buildings around the metro. In order to detect the effect of grouting in defective areas of concealed tunnel, this paper introduces the principle and characteristics of seismic scattering technology, and illustrates the application of this technology in detecting the effect of grouting in defective areas of concealed tunnel in Xi’an metro line 6 from Textile City to Textile Road with the application example of seismic scattering technology. The results show that: the grouting area shows high speed anomalies in the wave velocity image, and the defect area shows low speed anomalies, and the location and morphology of the grouting area and the defect area can be determined according to the distribution of high and low wave velocity anomalies in the wave velocity image. The technology also has the features of simple operation, large detection depth and high resolution, which is an effective tool for future urban metro construction and environmental impact detection and evaluation.

Quantifying Environmental Burdens of Plasters Based on Natural vs. Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) Gypsum

The ongoing global climate change and the associated environmental degradation pose a threat to Europe and the rest of the world. Raw materials and energy are required to produce building materials, which are used for construction purposes. Resulting buildings and structures generate waste during construction, operation, and demolition, and they emit potentially harmful substances. Thus, the key to achieving climate goals is to support low-emission materials and technologies in the construction sector, significantly impacting the environment. In the European Union, building materials are not yet subject to mandatory sustainability assessment during the assessment and verification of constancy of performance (AVCP). Objective evaluation of construction materials’ environmental impact requires it to be carried out based on production data on an industrial scale. This article presents the environmental impact of premixed gypsum-based plasters, commonly used in modern construction. Nine environmental indicators (global warming potential (GWP), depletion potential of the stratospheric ozone layer (ODP), acidification potential (AP), eutrophication potential (EP), formation potential of tropospheric ozone (POCP), abiotic depletion potential (ADP)-elements, ADP-fossil fuels, renewable primary energy resources (PERT), and nonrenewable primary energy resources (PERNT)) of premixed gypsum plasters based on natural and flue gas desulfurization (FGD) gypsum were estimated and discussed. Knowledge of the construction products’ environmental impact is fundamental for creating reliable databases. AVCP of construction materials in the future will use the data collected during the voluntary environmental impact evaluation.

Evaluation of environmental, technical, and economic indicators of a fused deposition modelling process

Additive manufacturing processes have changed significantly in a wide range of industries and their application progressed from rapid prototyping to production of end-use products. However, their environmental impact is still a rather open question. In order to support the growth of this technology in the industrial sector, environmental aspects should be considered and predictive models may help monitor and reduce the environmental footprint of the processes. This work presents predictive models based on a previously developed methodology for the environmental impact evaluation combined with a technical and economical assessment. Here we applied the methodology to the Fused Deposition Modelling process. First, we present the predictive models relative to different types of machines. Then, we present a decision-making tool designed to identify the optimum manufacturing strategy regarding technical, economic, and environmental criteria.

Machine learning for design, phase transformation and mechanical properties of alloys

Machine learning is now applied in virtually every sphere of life for data analysis and interpretation. The main strengths of the method lie in the relative ease of the construction of its structures and its ability to model complex non-linear relationships and behaviours. While application of existing materials have enabled significant technological advancement there are still needs for novel materials that will enable even greater achievement at lower cost and higher effectiveness. The physics underlining the phenomena involved in materials processing and behaviour however still pose considerable challenge and yet require solving. Machine learning can facilitate the achievement of these new aspirations and desires by learning from existing knowledge and data to fill in gaps that have so far been intractable for various reasons including cost and time. This paper reviews the applications of machine learning to various aspects of materials design, processing, characterisation, and some aspects of fabrication and environmental impact evaluation.

Comparative environmental impact evaluation using life cycle assessment approach: a case study of integrated membrane-filtration system for the treatment of aerobically-digested palm oil mill effluent

Aiming to mitigate wastewater pollution arising from the palm oil industry, this university-industry research-and-development project focused on the integration of serial treatment processes, including the use of moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR), pre-treatment with sand filters and activated carbon filters, and membrane technology for aerobically-digested palm oil mill effluent (POME) treatment. To assess the potential of this sustainable alternative practice in the industry, the developed technology was demonstrated in a pilot-scale facility: four combinations (Combinations I to IV) of unit operations were developed in an integrated membrane-filtration system. Combination I includes a MBBR, pre-treatment unit comprising sand filters and activated carbon filters, ultrafiltration (UF) membrane, and reverse osmosis (RO) membrane, while Combination II excludes MBBR, Combination III excludes UF membrane, and Combination IV excludes both MBBR and UF membrane. Life cycle assessment (LCA) was performed to evaluate potential environmental impacts arising from each combination while achieving the goal of obtaining recycled and reusable water from the aerobically-digested POME treatment. It is reported that electricity consumption is the predominant factor contributing to most of those categories (50–77%) as the emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides, and volatile mercury during the combustion of fossil fuels. Combination I in the integrated membrane-filtration system with all unit operations incurring high electricity consumption (52 MJ) contributed to the greatest environmental impact. Electricity consumption registers the highest impact towards all life cycle impact categories: 73% on climate change, 80% on terrestrial acidification, 51% on eutrophication, and 43% on human toxicity. Conversely, Combination IV is the most environmentally-friendly process, since it involves only two-unit operations – pre-treatment unit (comprising sand filters and activated carbon filters) and RO membrane unit – and thus incurs the least electricity consumption (41.6 MJ). The LCA offers insights into each combination of the operating process and facilitates both researchers and the industry towards sustainable production.

Agricultural Landscapes in Brandenburg, Germany: An Analysis of Characteristics and Spatial Patterns

The increasing demand for agricultural commodities for food and energy purposes has led to intensified agricultural land management, along with the homogenization of landscapes, adverse biodiversity effects and robustness of landscapes regarding the provision of ecosystem services. At the same time, subsidized organic agriculture and extensive grassland use supports the provision of ecosystem services. Yet little is understood about how to evaluate a landscape’s potential to contribute to protecting and enhancing biodiversity and ecosystem services. To address this gap, we use plot-level data from the Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS) for Germany’s federal state of Brandenburg, and based on a two-step cluster analysis, we identify six types of agricultural landscapes. These clusters differ in landscape structure, diversity and measures for agricultural land management intensity. Agricultural land in Brandenburg is dominated by high shares of cropland but fragmented differently. Lands under organic management and those with a high share of maize show strong spatial autocorrelation, pointing to local clusters. Identification of different types of landscapes permits locally- and region-adapted designs of environmental and agricultural policy measures improves outcome-oriented environmental policy impact evaluation and landscape planning. Our approach allows transferability to other EU regions.

Comprehensive environmental impact evaluation for concrete mixing station (CMS) based on improved TOPSIS method

This study presents an approach based on the improved technique for order preference by similarity to an ideal solution (TOPSIS) to perform comprehensive environmental impact evaluation for concrete mixing station (CMS) and to determine the optimal location of CMS. An evaluation framework consisting of four indicators and 12 sub-indicators from the environmental and sustainable aspects is established. Entropy method is adopted to determine the weights of indicators and sub-indicators. The improved TOPSIS method is employed to rank candidate locations according to the values of closeness coefficient index (CCI). A case study regarding on CMS location selection of a tunnel project is demonstrated the performance of developed approach. Results show that factors, i.e. environmental impact and pollution reduction management, are top two indicators which should be paid more attention. Moreover, the ranking order of candidate location is presented. Sensitivity and comparison analysis indicate that ranking results considering only profitability indicators is opposite that the results in only consumption indicators. The developed approach provides a guideline in MCS management to increase the sustainability of city.