Impact Assessment Of Technologies Research Articles

Environmental impact assessment of alternative technologies for production of biofuels from spent coffee grounds

AbstractIn the strategy to combat climate change that has been caused by the world's overdependence on fossil fuels, current research is focusing on the decarbonisation of the energy sector through the production of renewable cleaner energy, such as biofuels. Spent coffee grounds (SCGs), the waste stream of the coffee brewing industry, are a potential feedstock for the production of valuable products, including biofuels. However, the environmental implications for the valorisation of this valuable waste need to be investigated. This study assesses the environmental impacts of six biomass‐to‐fuel processing technologies using SCGs as a feedstock, with the aim of identifying the most environmentally friendly technology. A cradle‐to‐gate life‐cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted on fast pyrolysis, fermentation, anaerobic digestion (AD), hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL), gasification, and biodiesel production. The mass and energy balances obtained from Aspen Plus simulations served as the life‐cycle inventory data. Using the ReCiPe 2016 midpoint (H) and Eco‐Indicator 99 as the assessment methods, potential environmental impacts were calculated in OpenLCA software. Electricity generation and carbon dioxide emissions were the biggest contributors of environmental impacts. For each category, the maximum result was set to 100% and the results of the other variants were displayed in relation to this result. AD, with the smallest total weighted score (160), was the most environmentally friendly biomass‐to‐fuel processing route, while HTL, with the biggest total weighted score (893), was the worst. A sensitivity analysis indicated that the environmental performance of biofuel production from SCGs was highly influenced by energy input flows and the source of energy generation.

Environmental impacts and mitigation potentials of CO2-based biodegradable plastic based on life cycle assessment – A case study of poly(propylene carbonate)

CO2-based biodegradable plastics are potential solutions for reducing fossil-fuel consumption, mitigating climate change, and addressing plastic pollution by reducing plastic waste accumulation. Poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC) is a commercial CO2-based biodegradable plastic derived from CO2 and propylene oxide (PO), and it has been used in flexible packaging and mulching film applications. However, the environmental performance of PPC is still unknown. Since China has become the largest producer of PPC in the world, this study takes the industrial production technologies of PPC and its feedstocks in China as an example. The cradle-to-gate life-cycle inventory of PPC resin was compiled, and life-cycle impact assessment was performed to assess the environmental impacts of PPC and mitigation potentials based on the ReCiPe 2016 method. Results indicated that PPC synthesis has the greatest impact on the environment (contributions of 38–95% of 16 environmental impact categories), followed by PO production. Technological innovation and renewable energy substitution scenarios were developed to explore the mitigation potential of PPC. We found that supercritical polymerization technology has greater mitigation potential than photovoltaic power substitution, which could reduce 17 impact categories of PPC by 17–96% by reducing energy and dichloromethane consumption during PPC synthesis. Photovoltaic power substitution reduced 2–22% of 11 impact categories of PPC. Compared with conventional plastics, PPC had advantages over conventional plastics in terms of 17 impact categories. The environmental impacts of PPC were 2–98% lower than those of conventional plastics. This study emphasizes the importance of technological innovation in reducing the lifecycle environmental impacts of PPC and provides a basis for environmental performance of CO2-based biodegradable plastics and the potential to replace conventional plastics. Policy implications for innovations in synthesis technology, sustainable feedstocks and environmental impact assessment were proposed, which could provide valuable insights for practitioners and policymakers in enhancing the sustainability of the plastics industry through biodegradable plastic alternatives.

The impact of artificial intelligence big data technology on the development of media economy information security

With the rapid development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Big Data (BD), they provide people with new ways and tools in information acquisition, processing and dissemination. The purpose of this study is to deeply discuss the influence of AI and BD technologies on the development of Information Security (InfoSec) in media economy, and analyze the opportunities and challenges it brings. Firstly, the evaluation system of the influence of BD technology on the development of InfoSec, a media enterprise, is constructed. Then, this study discusses the development mode of the multilateral platform of media economy supported by BD technology. Finally, taking S company and X platform as examples, this study analyses the influence of BD technology on the development of InfoSec and the development mode of media economy supported by BD technology. The research results show that with the support of BD technology, the proportion of InfoSec products in enterprises has reached 0.2426, and the InfoSec score of S company has reached 77.74, reaching a high level. The profit margin of digital network media is three times that of traditional media. The number of users of multilateral digital media economic platform X has increased by 21%, and its turnover has increased by 54%. AI and BD technologies have brought opportunities and challenges to the InfoSec development of media economy. While applying these technologies, it is necessary to take effective measures to protect users’ privacy and strengthen the information review and verification mechanism to ensure the sustainable development of media economy. The uniqueness of this study lies in the construction of a comprehensive BD technology impact assessment system and the discussion of the development model of multilateral media economic platform, which provides a powerful reference and guidance for media enterprises. In addition, this study also reveals the positive influence of BD technology on InfoSec and the development of media economy, which provides beneficial enlightenment for the future development of media industry. In response to the challenges of privacy and InfoSec, this study puts forward important policy and practical suggestions to ensure the sustainable growth of media economy and the protection of users’ rights and interests. Therefore, this study has important contribution and innovative value in both theory and practice.

Technological Civilization and Health Impact Assessment of Non-Ionizing Radiation in Nigeria: Review

Technological Civilization and Health Impact Assessment of Non-Ionizing Radiation in Nigeria: Review

Can an ecological scarcity method for Germany support robust decisions? – analysing the effect of uncertain target values on the impact assessment of energy generation technologies

PurposePotentially contradictory indicators in Life Cycle Assessment cause ambiguity and thus uncertainty regarding the interpretation of results. The weighting-based ecological scarcity method (ESM) aims at reducing interpretation uncertainty by applying policy-based normative target values. However, the definition of these target values is uncertain due to different reasons such as questionable temporal representativeness. By means of an uncertainty analysis, this paper examines if ESMs are an appropriate approach to support robust decisions on multidimensional environmental impacts.MethodsTo assess the effect of uncertain target values (inputs) on environmental indicators (output), the ESM based Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) is combined with a Monte Carlo Analysis. The comprehensive uncertainty analysis includes the following steps: (1) sample generation, (2) output calculation and (3) results analysis and visualisation. (1) To generate a sample, moderate and strict limits for target values are derived from laws, directives or strategies. Random input parameters are drawn from a uniform distribution within those limits. (2) The sample is used to conduct several LCIAs leading to a distribution of total impact scores. (3) The results’ robustness is evaluated by means of the rank acceptability index to identify stable ranks for energy generation systems taken from ecoinvent v. 3.7.1.Results and discussionApplying moderate and strict target values in the ESM, results in substantial differences in the weighting sets. Even though the application of stricter target values changes the contribution of an environmental indicator to the total impact score the ranking of the energy generation systems varies only slightly. Moreover, the Monte Carlo Analysis reveals that displacement effects in ranks are not arbitrary: systems switch at most between ranks next to each other and most of the analysed systems dominate at least a single rank. Technologies with high shares of land use, global warming and air pollutants and particulate matter show a higher rank variance.ConclusionsThe weighting schemes, deduced from target values, provide a meaningful ranking of alternatives. At the same time, the results are not excessively sensitive to the uncertainties of the target values, i.e. the inherent uncertainty of the target values does not result in arbitrary outcomes, which is necessary to support robust decisions. The ESM is able to effectively facilitate decision making by making different environmental issues comparable.

Impact Assessment of Different Battery Energy Storage Technologies in Distribution Grids with High Penetration of Renewable Energies

The need forincreasing further thepenetration of Renewable Energy Sources (RESs) is demandinga change in the waydistribution grids aremanaged. In particular, the RESs intermittent and stochastic nature isfinding in Battery Energy Storage (BES)systems its most immediate countermeasure. This workpresents a reality-based assessmentand comparison ofthe impact of three different BES technologies on distributiongrids withhigh RES penetration, namelyLi-ion, Zn-Air and Redox Flow.To this end, a benchmark distribution grid with realprosumers’ generationand load profiles is considered, with the RESpenetration purposely scaledupin such a way as to violatethegrid operational limits. Then, further to the BES(s)placementon the most affected grid location(s),the impact of the three BES types is assessed consideringtwo Use Cases: 1) Voltage & Congestion Management and 2) Peak Shaving & Energy shifting. Assessment is conductedbyevaluatinga set of technical Key Performance Indicators (KPIs),together with a simplifiedeconomic analysis.

The future of green skills for the manufacturing sector

The European Green Deal and the European Innovation Council (EIC) aim to drive sustainability in manufacturing. Industry 5.0 emphasises the integration of automation with green skills, highlighting their importance for sustainability. However, which manufacturing areas need green skills and which green skills are crucial in manufacturing remains unclear. This paper aims to fill these gaps, by performing a literature review and an analysis of the European Skills, Competences, Qualifications, and Occupations (ESCO) database. Results identify five critical areas: Product-Process Design, Big Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence, Supply Chain Management, Circular Economy, and Energy Management. These areas necessitate skills such as environmental impact assessment, waste management, data analysis, eco-design, and knowledge of renewable energy technologies. ESCO analysis indicates that 46.28% of 3008 occupations involve green skills, which are crucial for sustainable development. Targeted training programs are needed based on identified areas and skills. Interconnections among clusters and the importance of data analysis are highlighted. Additionally, in the near future manufacturing companies should attempt to develop broad, transversal skills integrated with digitalisation to meet an increasing demand for sustainability. Overall, the study provides insights into green skills development and their critical role in shaping the future of sustainable manufacturing.

Feasibility and Impact Assessment of Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage Technologies in Kenya's Coastal Region

Feasibility and Impact Assessment of Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage Technologies in Kenya's Coastal Region

Feasibility and Impact Assessment of Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage Technologies in Kenya's Coastal Region

Feasibility and Impact Assessment of Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage Technologies in Kenya's Coastal Region

Economic analysis of impact assessment of production technology of paddy cultivation in North Konkan region of Maharashtra, India

Economic analysis of impact assessment of production technology of paddy cultivation in North Konkan region of Maharashtra, India

Environmental Impact Assessment of Different Manufacturing Technologies Oriented to Architectonic Recovery and Conservation of Cultural Heritage

Our cultural society has made remarkable advancements in creating digital models that depict the built environment, landscape, and reality. The advent of technologies such as terrestrial laser scanning and drone-based photogrammetry, coupled with sophisticated software capable of processing hundreds of photographs to generate point clouds, has elevated the significance of three-dimensional surveying in documentation and restoration. Point cloud processing and modeling software enable the creation of precise digital replicas of the investigated architecture, which can be scaled down and transformed into physically identical models. Through the export of STL files and the utilization of both subtractive and additive 3D printing technologies, tactile models resembling traditional manually crafted plastics can be obtained. An exemplary study focuses on the Gothic church of Santa Maria Alemanna in Messina, Italy, where laser scanner surveys and 3D prints using various technologies were applied to different parts of the building. The models were produced using a CNC milling machine and a 3D printer for fused deposition modeling. The sustainability of these production technologies was assessed through a Life Cycle Assessment, demonstrating the environmental advantages of additive manufacturing, including the use of materials with high recyclability and lower energy consumption. Additionally, the additive approach helps reduce processing waste.

Impact assessment of information technologies on the public administration efficiency

The article examines the assessment of the impact of information technology on the effectiveness of public administration. Recently, consideration of the issues of the impact of information technologies on the effectiveness of public administration in the Republic of Kazakhstan has become of particular importance in the context of the development of digitalization in today’s world, which is changing all the previously established mechanisms and principles of the functioning of public administration. At the same time, a number of problems have developed in the field of informatization of public administration in the Republic of Kazakhstan. In particular, “the low level of implementation of digital tools, non-systemic digitalization, the lack of information in indicators of the efficiency of goals and objectives. It is very often observed in the practice of subordinate organizations that are responsible for maintaining IT do not attach serious importance to budget expenditures and do not try to contribute to their reduction or optimize them. They also do not care about the standardization of the technologies they use, the flexibility of new products and the restructuring of infrastructure for digitalization. In this regard, the goal of the article is to identify the theoretical and applied foundations for assessing the impact of information technologies on the effectiveness of public administration in order to fill the existing gap in the science of public administration. Achieving this goal involved the use of general, general scientific and particular scientific methods of science, including methods of analysis and synthesis, generalization, abstraction, induction, analogy and comparison. The results of this article, obtained in the course of the study, can be used to further improve the system for assessing the impact of information technology on the effectiveness of public administration, as well as in scientific research in the field of public administration. The results of this study include the identification of theoretical and applied foundations in the system for assessing the impact of information technology on the effectiveness of public administration.

Major fine-scale spatial heterogeneity in accumulation of gelatinous carbon fluxes on the deep seabed

Abyssal plain communities rely on the overlying water column for a settling flux of organic matter. The origin and rate of this flux as well as the controls on its fine-scale spatial distribution following seafloor settlement are largely unquantified. This is particularly true across regions where anthropogenically-induced seafloor disturbance has occurred. Here, we observed, quantified and mapped a mass deposition event of gelatinous zooplankton carcasses (pyrosomes) in July-September 2015 across one such physically disturbed region in the Peru Basin polymetallic nodule province (4150 m). Seafloor in this area was disturbed with a plough harrow in 1989 (as part of the DISCOL experiment) causing troughs in the sediment. Other parts were disturbed with an epibenthic sled (EBS) during a cruise in 2015 resulting in steep-walled, U-shaped troughs. We investigated two hypotheses: a) gelatinous food falls contribute significantly to the abyssal plain carbon pump and b) physical seafloor disturbance influences abyssal distribution of organic matter. We combined optical and bathymetric seafloor observations, to analyze pyrosome distribution on seabeds with different levels of disturbance. 2954 pyrosome colonies and associated taxa were detected in > 14,000 seafloor images. The mean regional carbon (C) deposition associated with pyrosome carcasses was significant compared to the flux of particulate organic C (182 to 1543%), and the total respired benthic C flux in the DISCOL Experimental Area (39 to 184%). EBS-disturbed seafloor tracks contained 72 times more pyrosome-associated C than an undisturbed reference site, and up to 4 times more than an area disturbed in 1989. Deposited pyrosomes collected had a higher proportion of labile fatty acids compared to the sediment. We document the temporal and spatial extent of an abyssal food fall event with unprecedented detail and show that physical seafloor disturbance results in the accumulation of detrital material. Such accumulation may reduce oxygen availability and alter benthic community structure. Understanding both the relevance of large food falls and the fine scale topography of the seafloor, is necessary for impact assessment of technologies altering seafloor integrity (e.g. as a result of bottom-trawling or deep seabed mining) and may improve their management on a global scale.

Relating biogas technology and environmental impact assessment: a roadmap towards clean energy for environmental sustainability.

Atmosphere contamination and fast weather change have compelled scientists and entrepreneurs to seek eco-friendly solutions for saving the earth. Increasing energy consumption depletes limited natural resources and harms the climate and ecology. In this regard, biogas technology contributes in two ways: satisfying energy needs and saving plants. Pakistan is a farming nation with enormous biogas-based energy generating potential. The primary objectives of this study are to identify the most significant barriers to farmers' investment in biogas technology. Non-probability sampling (purposive sampling) was utilized to establish the sample size. Ninety-seven investors and farmers were systematically sampled in biogas technology engaged in this survey. The planned questionnaire was practiced to obtain key facts via online interviews. The partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to evaluate designated hypotheses. The current research concludes that entire autonomous variables are substantial and interrelated with investment in biogas machinery, dropping energy disasters, and accomplishing environmental, financial, and maintenance government support objectives. The results also revealed that electronic and social media play a moderating influence. This conceptual model is considerably and positively affected by the chosen factors and their moderation. This study concludes that the primary tools for attracting farmers and investors in biogas technology are proper biogas technology awareness with relevant experts, financial and maintenance government responsibility, user efficiency and environmental concern of biogas plants, and the role of electronic and social media. The results also advised that the government should implement an incentive and maintenance policy to entice new farmers and investors in Pakistan to build biogas technology. Finally, the study's limitations and recommendations for additional studies are highlighted.

An aeronautical data communication demand model for the North Atlantic oceanic airspace

Information exchange via aeronautical data communication is of increasing importance for the communication between pilots and air traffic control, providing the basis for surveillance of aircraft in oceanic or remote airspaces, as well as enabling the communication between an airlines’ fleet and its operational control. The aeronautical data communication that is being transmitted via data link encompasses, among others, surveillance-related aircraft position updates, clearances for flight path change requests, maintenance-related status reports, estimated arrival times and weather information in accordance with the required performance, that is set by technical standards. Aeronautical data communication events are driven by an aircraft’s flight phase, the current airspace or may occur in a randomized manner throughout the flight. As the usage of aeronautical data communication is expected to grow in future, ample data link technologies are being evaluated and developed. The usability and operational value of new data link technologies for aeronautical applications can be evaluated by applying suitable models of the respective data link communication pattern combined with operational simulations. Current models for aeronautical data communication demand support the design and evaluation of direct aircraft-to-ground communication networks. The geographical location of the data communication demand is secondary for these models, since coverage areas can be defined, where direct communication links are available. New data link technologies offer the opportunity of direct data transfer between aircraft and forwarding of messages from sending aircraft to a ground entity via ad-hoc communication networks between aircraft. This is of special interest for the North Atlantic oceanic airspace, an airspace with high traffic density and little ground infrastructure, where communication currently relies mostly on satellite-based systems. For these airborne ad-hoc networks the definition of coverage areas around ground or space-based entities is not possible. To assess the new data link technology a model for aeronautical data link communication demand is needed, that accounts for operationally derived communication events such as handover procedures at boundaries of oceanic control areas or status reports at route-specific waypoints, which cause an accumulation in certain geographical regions that pose a challenge to the dynamic connectivity coverage of aeronautical ad-hoc networks. Addressing this issue, we present a new modelling approach for air traffic service communication that considers the operational context of the simulated airspace and provides a geospatial data communication demand distribution, which is derived from air traffic management procedures, airspace geometries and events inherent to each flight path. The air traffic service communication is then validated based on 2019 air traffic and performance monitoring data provided by ICAO supplemented by an existing model for communication related to airline operational control. In a next step, the communication demand per area in the North Atlantic Oceanic airspace is being assessed. The aeronautical data traffic model shows deviations of less than one message per aircraft and airspace when compared to recorded data traffic from 2019 for two key services in the most frequented North Atlantic oceanic control areas. Therefore, it is assumed to be suitable for the evaluation of network-based data link technology and operational impact assessments.

Направляющая роль технологического форсайта в управлении прорывными технологиями в региональной промышленности

In the new system of macroeconomic coordinates, the temporal presentation of the process of forecasting technological development of industry is fundamentally changing within the concept of structural reform of the national economy. Because of the high turbulence of factors, especially the external environment, despite the absolute importance of scientific perspective, it is possible to speak with a greater probability of their occurrence only in a short- and mediumterm context. In accordance with this, the guiding role of technological foresight in the management of breakthrough technologies is strengthened precisely within these time horizons. And the success of achieving the goals is determined by the digitalization of a decision-making process and the introduction of closed-loop economic models within the framework of the interaction of enterprises in the breakthrough technology sector. This new stage of development of industrial enterprises (in terms of activity, specialization, and development of circular value chains) reflects their orientation to the parameters of technological foresight. The paper presents the results of a critical analysis of modern approaches to research and technological foresight impact assessment methods on the regions’ industrial structural reform, gives its program modules embedding hierarchical representation in conjunction with the goals of macro, meso and micro levels. The technological foresight global goal-oriented role at the macro level, its adaptive (to the region’s specifics) role at the meso level and the technological forethought role at the level of a specific industrial enterprise (association) realizing regional and sectoral goals is substantiated. On the basis of the empirical analysis of comparative dynamics of indicators of innovation activity in the regions of Russia, reference marks were identified. On their base clusters were built that characterize the dynamics of the development of federal entities of the Russian Federation in terms of the technological type of their industry. As a result of repeated clustering, the clusters or industrial drivers for the implementation of technological foresight targets, including the ones in the regions of South of Russia were identified. This allowed us to draw reasonable conclusions about the appearance of technologically breakthrough innovation clusters in these regions and the dynamics of their development.

A Scalable Geospatial Data-Driven Localization Approach for Modeling of Low Voltage Distribution Networks and Low Carbon Technology Impact Assessment

A Scalable Geospatial Data-Driven Localization Approach for Modeling of Low Voltage Distribution Networks and Low Carbon Technology Impact Assessment

Environmental impact assessment of post-combustion CO2 capture technologies applied to cement production plants

Decarbonizing the cement manufacturing sector presents an interesting and pressing challenge as it is one of the largest energy consumers in industry (i.e., 7%), emitting considerable amounts of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (i.e., 7%). This paper performs a technical and environmental assessment of decarbonisation of cement production through process modelling and simulation, thermal integration analysis, and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). Integration of three post-combustion capture methods for a conventional cement plant with an annual productivity of one million tons and a carbon capture rate of 90% is evaluated in comparison to the reference case without carbon capture and storage (CCS). Mass and energy balances derived from simulations are used for the assessment of three innovative capture systems: reactive gas-liquid absorption using Methyl-Di-Ethanol-Amine, reactive gas-solid adsorption using calcium looping (CaL) technology and membrane separation. For the LCA study, a “cradle-to-gate” approach is carried out using GaBi software, according to the ReCiPe impact assessment method. The general conclusion is that integrating the CCS methods into the cement production process leads to a decrease in global warming potential (GWP) in the range of 69.91%–76.74%. Of the CCS technologies analysed, CaL technically outperforms the others as it requires 34% less coal and provides 1.6 times higher gross energy efficiency. From an environmental perspective, CaL integration ranks first, with the lowest scores in six of the nine impact categories and a GWP reduction of 76.74% compared to the baseline scenario without CCS.

Impact assessment of smart transmission technologies on the Northwest continental European power grid for accelerating the integration of renewables

Impact assessment of smart transmission technologies on the Northwest continental European power grid for accelerating the integration of renewables

The Next Evolution of HemoDialysis eXpanded: From a Delphi Questionnaire-Based Approach to the Real Life of Italian Dialysis Units

Introduction: Impact assessment of new technologies in chronic hemodialysis (HD) is challenging due to HD patient frailty, the complexity of HD clinical trials and practice variability among countries. Among the most recent HD innovations, medium cut-off (MCO) dialyzers present an optimized membrane geometry that provides enhanced clearances for middle and large molecular weight uremic toxins (UT). These toxins are poorly cleared by available HD techniques and largely contribute to patient morbidity and mortality. The aim of this paper is to assess the available clinical evidence about MCO membranes and to identify the next steps needed to generate conclusive data on their use in HD. Methods: With this purpose, we first reviewed and compared the current HD technologies aimed to improve the clearance of middle and large UT; subsequently, we used a Delphi questionnaire to identify and discuss the consensus about MCO efficacy within a large sample of the Italian Nephrology community. Results and Conclusions: Our investigation gathered a significant degree of consensus on the beneficial role of MCO membrane and expanded HD. Finally, we used our results to propose future trial designs and clinical investigations aimed to improve evidence quality about the use of these membranes in the present clinical scenario of dialysis units.