Integrated Environmental Assessment Research Articles

Ecological and environmental characteristics of a seagrass-dominated hypersaline coastal Mediterranean lagoon: a multidisciplinary approach

In the present paper, sedimentological, water physicochemical data and biological benthic assemblages are compiled to provide an integrated environmental assessment of a protected shallow Mediterranean lagoon with a long history of management interventions (Klisova Lagoon, Western Greece). Satellite remote sensing techniques were used for mapping the seagrass Cymodocea nodosa (Ucria) Asch, which presents an extensive expansion in the study area. The results showed that Klisova is a hypersaline, well-oxygenated lagoon presenting changes in temperature, salinity, pH and dissolved oxygen over the course of 1 year, but largely lacks any spatial differentiation other than an east–west gradient in salinity in spring and summer. Sediment was classified as silty sand to silt, rich in total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP). The benthic community was characterised by a high species richness and the presence of marine species, without a clear spatial pattern. The multivariate-AZTI’s marine biotic index (M-AMBI) showed that the ecological quality of the macrobenthos was good in most stations. C. nodosa covered over 70% of the lagoon area and formed meadows even in the eastern part of the lagoon where salinity during spring and summer was close to the reported upper tolerance limit of the species (> 50). The present multidisciplinary approach provides valuable baseline information on various components of the ecosystem which can be used as a basis for management bodies and future conservation plans for the lagoon.

Sustainability assessment of peri-urban organic horticulture — A case study in the United Kingdom

PurposeThere is a growing concern about the resilience and sustainability of horticultural production in the United Kingdom (UK) as a result of high energy costs and insufficient local labour, causing over-reliance on imports. In this study, we present an integrated environmental and economic assessment of organic peri-urban horticulture using primary data from a farm in Sheffield.MethodsThis study includes a farm-to-gate hybrid life cycle assessment (LCA) using the ReCIPE (H) approach for the functional unit of 1-kg tomatoes produced in an unheated polytunnel without supplementary lighting, and 1 kg of field-grown courgettes. All analyses were conducted in SimaPro software using environmental data from the ecoinvent database. Results were compared with those from a systematic literature review of similar studies.ResultsWe found that the production of organic tomatoes and courgettes resulted in a global warming potential (GWP) of 0.61 kg CO2-eq and 0.11 kg CO2-eq respectively using a process-based LCA approach. Using a hybrid LCA approach, however, yielded a GWP of 3.53 kg CO2-eq and 1.70 kg CO2-eq for the production of organic tomatoes and courgettes respectively. An additional scenario included farmgate-to-warehouse transportation for both domestic and imported produce from Spain, but found that the GWP of tomatoes in the case study was 1.87 times higher than those from Spain. Economic analysis showed that the marginal increase in the prices of tomatoes and courgettes from the case study farm was 4.6 and 5.15 times less than the market prices.ConclusionWe conclude that the studied production system is both economically and environmentally sustainable as compared to the existing scenario. Other potential benefits of peri-urban organic horticulture include employment, mental health, community cohesion, which remain to be explored in a future qualitative study. The present study is novel as it appears to be the first application of hybrid LCA to UK horticulture. The findings are highly topical given the recent horticultural supply constraints in the UK.

Biomonitoring of PAHs and PCBs in industrial, suburban, and rural areas using snails as sentinel organisms.

There is a worldwide concern about the presence of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the environment because of their toxicity, bioaccumulation, and resistance to degradation. Various conventional monitoring techniques have been used to assess their presence in diverse environmental compartments. Most currently available methods, however, have limitations with regards to long-term monitoring. In the present work, juvenile Cornu aspersum (O. F. Müller, 1774) snails were tested in field microcosms as biomonitors for two major classes of organic pollutants, namely, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The study assessed their deployment in one suburban, one rural, and two industrial sites over an 18-week period and monitored for temporal variations of 16 PAHs and 22 PCBs. Sampling was conducted once every 3weeks. Targeted pollutants were extracted from the caged snails using the QuEChERS extraction procedure and subsequently analyzed using gas chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). The results showed that the bioaccumulation of specific pollutants was site dependent; significantly higher levels of PCBs were observed at the industrial sites as compared to the suburban and rural ones. PAHs were bioaccumulated by the snails via ingestion of air and soil whereas PCBs were mainly bioaccumulated via soil contact and ingestion. The findings of this study indicate that C. aspersum is a reliable model organism for the biomonitoring of organic pollutants in air and soil compartments and can be used as part of an integrated environmental assessment.

Environmental impacts of solar thermal power plants used in industrial supply chains

A systematic literature review was conducted to investigate the environmental impact of solar thermal power plants in the industrial supply chains. A number of different solar thermal power collectors like parabolic trough (PT), linear Fresnel (LFR), solar dish (SD) and solar towers (ST) were considered and analysed. The first observation was that PT collectors generate the lowest level of Green House Gas (GHG) emissions, followed by LFR, DT and SD plants. There was a lack of studies dealing with the GHG emissions of LFR and SD plants, which demonstrated a need of conducting more studies to gain better understanding of their environmental performances. The second observation was that different environmental assessment software tools used for analysing the environmental impact showed conflicting results because of the different approaches used in the characterization factors management in each software. Those software tools include: SimaPro, Gabi, System Advisor Model (SAM), Umberto and Thermoflex + PEACE. The standardization of environmental software tools and life cycle impact assessment methods is required to prevent discrepancies in life cycle assessment results. The third observation was the need for integrated environmental and economic assessments to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the solar thermal plants as it will enable investors, policy-makers and researchers to make informed decisions about the environmental and economic impacts of those plants.

Integrated Environmental Assessment of Medical Waste Management in the Kingdom of Bahrain

As a global concern, medical waste (MW) links public health, environmental pollution, and resource sustainability. This study aims to assess the two issues related to medical waste in Bahrain: the increasing generation rate of MW and its management. The integrated Environmental Assessment (IEA) methodology was adopted, including the DPSIR (Drivers, Pressures, State, Impact, Responses) framework, analysis of existing policies, and the outlook. Consequently, data were collected from official health statistics in Bahrain, and related policies for the last two decades (2001 to 2021) were also collected, in addition to interviews with Bahrain medical waste (BMW) treatment company. The results show a vast increase in medical waste during COVID-19. Moreover, most of the existing policies address the impact of the BMW issues, but the policies are lacking in tackling the drivers and pressures; there is also a policy gap related to the generation rate. Accordingly, a set of policies was proposed to overcome the two medical waste issues. Moreover, to overcome issues associated with MW, the study recommended reforming regulations aiming to reduce and manage medical waste efficiently in order to focus more on drivers and pressure causing an elevation in MW issues in Bahrain.

The role of nonfood bioethanol production in neutralizing China's transport carbon emissions: An integrated life cycle environmental-economic assessment

Lignocellulosic bioethanol may contribute significantly to neutralizing global greenhouse gases emissions as an alternative fuel, but controversies have increasingly arisen in relevant researches as to whether the ethanol production pathway is environmental- and cost-competitive or not and which hotspots may impede its commercial-scale deployment. Here we explore a cost-effective biorefinery pathway of sugarcane bagasse, molasses and Dioscorea composite hemls, from an integrated environmental and economic assessment model to evaluate the performance of bioethanol, as an alternative to gasoline, characterized by gCO2eq and MSP, in terms of its emission mitigation potential and cost, as well as its other environmental impacts with the CML method of assessment. Specifically, this study examines the production of 1 ton bioethanol with the considered environmental and economic indicators by three defensible allocation approaches affecting the total mitigation potential with anywhere between 20% and 82.5%, where the electricity consumed in the process of the bioethanol conversion is produced with more sustainable means, increasing the emission savings by up to 48.5%. The economic competitivity have also been examined to promote dialogues across environmental and economic fields, exemplified by the emission mitigation cost with the calculation of minimum selling price at 49.1/ton CO2eq, comparable with the EU-ETS carbon permit price. Signs of advantages abound in the current emission trading scheme, where the decrease in carbon tax levels can cut down the price of bioethanol production, especially with regard to the supply chain collaboration with electricity, and thus enhance the overall revenue of neutralizing transport emissions.

ESG Poster ESG5: An integrated approach to environmental assessment for decommissioning outcomes

Poster ESG5 As the Esso/BHP infrastructure in Bass Strait is prepared for decommissioning, it is imperative to develop an enhanced understanding of the environment that has evolved around the infrastructure over the past 50 years of production operations. To meet this need, Esso is progressing an integrated environmental assessment program. The first stage of the program recognised that Esso held a wealth of underwater remotely operated vehicle (ROV) imagery collected over many decades of routine inspections. Working in partnership with third-party marine scientists and biologists, the ecological value of this imagery was assessed. Approximately 1000 h of subsea imagery was analysed to identify species to the lowest possible taxa. To supplement this information, Esso then undertook comprehensive offshore environmental surveys, collecting further underwater imagery to assess marine biota, fish and benthic communities during the summer of 2020/2021. Esso also engaged a leading Australian research organisation to design an environmental survey for the collection and analysis of sediment samples around targeted infrastructure, including reference sites, to increase our understanding of the potential impacts different decommissioning options may have, including disturbance and resuspension of sediments. This integrated approach to environmental assessment has enabled industry, leading marine scientists and research organisations to work collaboratively to better understand the ecological role of oil and gas infrastructure in Bass Strait. This knowledge will assist in identifying optimal decommissioning outcomes for all infrastructure types. To access the poster click the link on the right. To read the full paper click here

An integrated approach to environmental assessment for decommissioning outcomes

As the Esso/BHP infrastructure in Bass Strait is prepared for decommissioning, it is imperative to develop an enhanced understanding of the environment that has evolved around the infrastructure over the past 50 years of production operations. To meet this need, Esso is progressing an integrated environmental assessment program. The first stage of the program recognised that Esso held a wealth of underwater remotely operated vehicle (ROV) imagery collected over many decades of routine inspections. Working in partnership with third-party marine scientists and biologists, the ecological value of this imagery was assessed. Approximately 1000 h of subsea imagery was analysed to identify species to the lowest possible taxa. To supplement this information, Esso then undertook comprehensive offshore environmental surveys, collecting further underwater imagery to assess marine biota, fish and benthic communities during the summer of 2020/2021. Esso also engaged a leading Australian research organisation to design an environmental survey for the collection and analysis of sediment samples around targeted infrastructure, including reference sites, to increase our understanding of the potential impacts different decommissioning options may have, including disturbance and resuspension of sediments. This integrated approach to environmental assessment has enabled industry, leading marine scientists and research organisations to work collaboratively to better understand the ecological role of oil and gas infrastructure in Bass Strait. This knowledge will assist in identifying optimal decommissioning outcomes for all infrastructure types.

An integrated environmental risk assessment framework for coal-fired power plants: A fuzzy logic approach.

This study quantifies the environmental risk of a coal-fired thermal power plant during operation by using environmental monitoring data, site surveys, and documented evidence. The following criteria are assessed: emissions (CO, SO2 , NOx , PM10 ), impact on aquatic ecosystem (fish protection at cooling water intake and cooling water discharge temperature), and waste management (fly ash and bottom ash). Fuzzy sets were defined for each criterion, taking environmental regulatory context as an expert judgment. A survey was conducted with multiple stakeholders to determine the relative importance of risk factors. The survey results showed that the most concerned risks are SO2 and NOx emissions. The proposed method estimates the risk of each environmental criterion separately and then accumulates them into an environmental risk index (ERI). Accordingly, we assessed the Catalagzi coal-fired power plant, which has been in operation on the Black Sea coast in northwestern Turkey. For this case study, the ERI resulted in a value of 0.78 (on a scale of 0-1), showing high environmental risk to the facility. Moreover, the applicability of the proposed framework was tested in several existing coal-fired power plants using simultaneous measurements. All studied coal-fired power plants in Turkey have unacceptable pollutants (PM10 , SO2 , and NOx ) concentration levels indicating high health risk potential. The application of the integrated environmental risk assessment framework showed that new environmental regulations are needed in Turkey to specify more strict emission limits and to monitor CO2 , fine particulate matter emissions, cooling water discharge, and fish protection at cooling water intake.

Екологічна оцінка Запорізького (Дніпровського) водосховища

Environmental assessment of water is an integral part of monitoring water bodies. It provides information about water as a component of the aquatic ecosystem, the habitat of hydrobionts and an essential part of the natural environment, which is necessary for establishing environmental standards for water quality and adoption of measures to improve the ecological state of water bodies. Assessment of the quality of the ecological environment is an important parameter of sustainable development, necessary for the rational use of nature. Currently, the Zaporizhzhia (Dnipro) reservoir is exposed to increased anthropogenic impact, which affects water quality. The ecological state of the reservoir is deteriorating, and mass algal bloom is observed. The work aims to provide an integrated environmental assessment of water quality in different sites of the Zaporizhzhia reservoir. The study was conducted in 2019 at 5 sites along the course of the Zaporizke reservoir, which differ in hydrological and hydrochemical conditions: Samara Bay, Festivalnyi pier, Monastyrsky island, creek of the Mokra Sura river and the lower section of the reservoir (near Viyskove village), following generally accepted hydrobiological methods. The article calculates block indices and provides an environmental assessment of the water quality of the Zaporizhzhia reservoir according to the "Methodology for environmental assessment of surface water quality in the corresponding categories. The assessment of water quality by the criteria of contamination with salt composition components indicates that the water body condition is good at most of the studied points. The worst indicators were recorded in Samara Bay, where increased mineralization is observed for a long time. The trophic-saprobological block revealed to have the worst indicators and a high amplitude of index fluctuations. No significant deviations were observed in terms of the content of toxic and radiation exposure indicators throughout the entire studied water area, which makes it possible to assign water to the same class. It has been determined that the water quality of the Zaporizhzhia reservoir according to the average annual data is characterized as "good" in terms of the state and "clean, fairly clean" in terms of purity degree. However, during the study period, significant deviations from the average were observed, especially in the summer. There is a need for systematic monitoring of the reservoir, the establishment of annual dynamics, which will make it possible to determine the causes of deteriorating water quality and develop ways to address them.

Transformation of the Landscape in the Conditions of the Slovak Republic for Tourism

Tourism is one of the most dynamic sectors of the economy in Slovakia. With the orientation of localities to tourism, the landscape transformation is reflected in several positive and negative changes in the landscape. The aim of the contribution is to highlight the transformation processes leading to the creation of a tourist landscape in six selected localities in Slovakia. When selecting sites, we applied criteria such as the diversity of the original use, size or attractiveness. The environmental, socio-cultural and economic impacts of tourism on the landscape of localities were valuable in terms of sustainable development principles. From the methodological point of view, the primary methodology was the drivers–pressures–state–impact–response (DPSIR) model, used for integrated environmental assessment and the life cycle methodology of a tourism center with integrated sustainable development indicators. In the work results, based on the analysis of the historical development and the current state of localities, we evaluate their phase of the life cycle and the effects of tourism on the environment. We also present the possibilities of further development and heading direction of localities from point of view of tourism while pointing out the benefits and risks connected with the planned development.

Nutrient recovery from swine wastewater at full-scale: An integrated technical, economic and environmental feasibility assessment

In this study, the technical, economic and environmental attributes of a full-scale nutrient recovery process connected to the centralized swine wastewater treatment facility (CSWTF) were evaluated. The performance of the process was assessed by introducing influent to the recovery reactor from different components of the CSWTF such as sedimentation tank (swine wastewater) and biological treatment reactor (biologically oxidized material and supernatant of the biologically oxidized material). The results of technical performance assessment revealed that the O–P recovery (87.1–90.7%) and NH4–N removal (66.9–72.1%) efficiencies from the influent of biological treatment reactor were significantly higher than the influent from sedimentation tank (81.7 and 19.8%, respectively, p < 0.05). The economic evaluation elucidated that by increasing the treatment capacity of the recovery reactor from 30 m3/d to 100 m3/d, operating expenses could be covered through the commercialization of struvite, while it would take around seven years to get back the capital investment. Additional economic savings could also be possible when using the recovered struvite as a fertilizer raw material along with other environmental benefits. Considering the current farming practices in Korea, the complete recovery of O–P from CSWTFs as struvite could drop the soil phosphorus surplus by 40%, minimize the phosphatic fertilizer consumption by 6.4% and ultimately reduce CO2 equivalent emissions of 6522 tons/year in comparison to chemical fertilizer production. However, during the continuous operation of the full-scale nutrient recovery process, influent characteristics need to be incessantly monitored and adjusted to the optimum conditions to improve the economics of recovered products. Overall, the nutrient recovery process at full-scale not only solves the problem of treating highly polluted swine wastewater but also helps to ensure societal and environmental sustainability.

Contribution of LCA to decision making: A scenario analysis in territorial agricultural production systems

Territorial Life Cycle Assessment (TLCA) appears a promising method to support informed decision making of local actors in territorial agricultural production systems (TAPS), by assessing environmental impacts of agricultural activities and potential strategies. The objectives of this study were to i) adapt TLCA methodology to integrated environmental assessment of TAPS and ii) evaluate TLCA's contribution to supporting informed decision making by assessing scenarios of change in TAPS. A TLCA of the agricultural sector was performed for a territory in the Aube department in France, including main crops and animal production types from raw material extraction to the first stage of processing. Exchanges of agricultural products and by-products among agricultural subsectors were considered by allocating impacts, which prevented double-counting them. Two contrasting scenarios were assessed with TLCA – development of on-farm biogas production and reintroduction of sheep grazing – and compared to the current situation. Results were expressed per unit area (ha), per unit biomass produced (kg) and per percentage contribution to total impacts of the territory before and after processing (at and beyond the farm gate, respectively). The main contributors (cereal and oilseed crops) did not have the highest impact at the farm scale (per ha and per kg), which highlights that contribution to total impacts of the territory is a relevant addition to the impacts per functional unit. Consideration of exchanges showed that TLCA can be used to assess effects of material interactions (biomass flows) between sectors. Scenario results showed no significant differences in impacts, except for higher water resource depletion for the biogas scenario, because most differences between scenarios were smaller than uncertainties in the input data. Other challenges were identified, such as the need to evaluate consequences of changes beyond the territory gate when performing TLCA of scenarios or the utility of characterizing the network of biomass flows in more detail. In conclusion, the methodological framework that was developed successfully identified environmental hotspots and reflected environmental impacts of material interactions between actors. Finally, it can estimate environmental impacts of future strategies, as long as uncertainty is reduced; thus, it shows potential as a decision-support tool.

Estimation of the accuracy of inverse problem solution of complex generalized environmental estimation based on cartographic information

The article presents the results of the accuracy assessment of the method of generalized integrated assessment for solving the inverse problem of a comprehensive environmental assessment of territories. It is called the generalized assessment because the objective functions include the numerical expression of the sums of the areas of each level of anthropogenic disturbance, first throughout the region, and then for areas with an oil and gas producing complex, referred to the area of the whole region or the sum of the areas of zones with an oil and gas production complexes. For the completeness of the perception-of-the-method, the-article-also describes methods for obtaining particular and private target functions, on the basis of which a generalized estimate is constructed Loads of transformation levels in private objective functions take into account the level of complexity of environmental protection measures for each component-of-the natural environment. The substantiation of weight loads in the private target functions is based on a review-of-literary sources analyzing intrasystemic relationships in the natural environment. The impact of the possible subjectivity of expert assessments in determining the loads (role) of the components of the environment in integrated environmental assessments in the form of objective functions is assessed by comparing various options for their sets. The-calculation-of-results showed that the proposed method for the generalized solution of the inverse problem of a comprehensive environmental-assessment-of-the-territory practically does not respond to changes in the loads on the components of-the environment, since this influence is leveled out by the procedure of subtracting the integral target function throughout the territory from its analogue for zones with oil and gas production complex.

Natural Laboratories for the Study of CO2 Geological Storage in Romania

The study of natural laboratories for CO2 geological storage is still important as it can reveal important aspects related to environmental impacts of a potential CO2 leakage from an anthropic reservoir and can contribute to further understanding of CO2 migration pathways. Furthermore, natural laboratories are a good opportunity for testing innovative monitoring methods. Although not specified in any database of natural laboratories for the study of CO2 geological storage, Romania has many areas with natural CO2 emissions that can be used for this purpose. In the framework of a national project (financed by the Ministry of Education and Research), we have started to inventory, evaluate and make a selection of best candidate sites for further study in two zones, Banat (western part of Romania) and Harghita (eastern part of Romania). The two zones have different geological structures, and the origin of CO2 emissions in the two areas is related to the magmatic activity, the magmatism of the Eastern Carpathians in Harghita and the neogene magmatism of the Apuseni Mountains in Banat. The structural model of Banat is closely correlated with the strong tectonization of the sedimentary cover (with a maximum thickness of 5000 m). The overall picture is that of horsts and grabens. The tectonic blocks are separated by active, deep faults, confirmed by the occurrence of thermal and mineral water springs (Biled, Calacea, Timișoara, Buziaș, Pișchia, Lipova, Ivanda) and mofettes (Buziaș, Seceani), with releases of CO2, radon, helium, argon and other gases of crustal origin. Harghita zone is included in the mofettic aureola of the Eastern Carpathians. The deep geological structure of the zone is dominated by three fault systems comprising crustal, regional and local faults. These fault systems facilitate the migration and distribution of post-volcanic emissions, reaching the surface as mofettes or in mineral water springs. Based on review of existing literature and previous studies on greenhouse gases natural emissions, we made a preliminary inventory of relevant sites that can constitute natural laboratories for the study of CO2 geological storage. In order to confirm sites suitability, we conducted two field campaigns, one for each zone, in September and October 2019. Within these campaigns, apart from localization of the sites, we also made soil gas and high precision GPS measurements for the assessment of CO2 emissions. In Harghita zone, we investigated the following sites with natural CO2 emissions: Harghita Bai, Selters, Sântimbru Bai, Baile Apor, Sulphur Cave, Lazarești and Tușnad. Apart from Baile Apor (Balvanyios) and Lazarești, all the other sites presented covered mofettes, built as dry spas. It is worth mentioning that these mofettes constitute important points of touristic attraction within the spas developed over centuries around them and the carbo-gazeous springs. The CO2 concentration in these mofettes, as measured during the field campaign, exceeds 98% CO2. In Baile Apor (Balvanyios) site, the mofettes are not covered and present high CO2 concentrations, but the site is an important touristic attraction of the area and of the country and is highly frequented by tourists, therefore its use as laboratory can be problematic. The only site that we found suited as natural laboratory in Harghita is Lazarești, in the Cozmeni commune. Within this site we have localized several dry and wet mofettes, with CO2 concentrations exceeding 40%. For Banat zone, we investigated only three sites: Buziaș, Sacoșu Mare and Seceani. For Buziaș, the two mofettes are included in the spa facilities of a hotel and used for therapeutic purposes, under strict medical supervision. At Sacoșu Mare, although preliminary indicated as natural CO2 emission site, we were unable to localize any mofette. South of Seceani village (north of Timișoara city) we have identified as potential natural laboratory a partially marshy area with a large areal extent. On this area we have found several mud volcanoes and dry mofettes. The CO2 emissions are low, mainly due to the seasonal character of mud volcanoes activity which, according to previous findings, has its peak in the spring and a low in autumn, when the field measurement campaign took place. The activity of the mud volcanoes and therefore the mofettic emissions are strongly connected to the hydrological regime. In the selected natural laboratories, Lazarești for Harghita zone and Seceani for Banat zone we intend to make in the next two years a complex geological, geochemical, geophysical and environmental study. The objectives are to define the local geophysical model and improve the geological model, identifying all the migration pathways for the mofettic gases, to make an integrated environmental impact assessment and to identify early indicators for the presence of CO2.

Environmental Optimization Activities Depending on the Stress of Urbanized Floodplain-Channel Small Rivers’ Complexes

Environmental optimization as development and implementation of programs that include a complex of environmental engineering activities become a mechanism, capable of improving the ecological state of small rivers of large cities territory. First of all, it is necessary to conduct an integrated environmental assessment of floodplain-channel complexes of small rivers in urban areas to substantiate recommendations for environmental optimization, engineering activities to reduce environmental stress. The article proposes a classification of environmental optimization activities depending on the environmental stress of flood plain-channel small rivers’ complexes of urbanized territories. There are restoration, environmental rehabilitation, reconstruction, conservation and liquidation. Definitions, types of work and their examples are given taking into account Russian and foreign experiences. As an example, the conservation’s use of the floodplain-channel part of the small river Yeltsovka-1 in the city of Novosibirsk is proposed. The main sources of the strong environmental stress of the open section of the river are given, and also activities to conservation and environmental rehabilitation of the river. Later this section of the Yeltsovka-1 River can be used as a recreational area for the rest of the population, which will increase the attractiveness of a nearby residential area.

Application of electrical resistivity tomography and hydro-chemical analysis for an integrated environmental assessment

Municipal solid waste disposal sites generate groundwater contamination through leachate release to the surrounding environment, causing various harmful and deleterious effects. Thus, an integrated assessment of landfilling impact on the environment via the combination of electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) and hydro-chemical analysis from existing wells was undertaken to ascertain the contamination of both surface and groundwater near the Bizerte landfill site, northeastern Tunisia. The ERT measurement indicated a polluted depth of over 20 m beneath the surface which coincides with marly substratum.Similarly, hydro-chemical analysis showed that continuous leachate generation obviously affected chemical properties of surface and groundwater, especially an increase in heavy metals contents (lead, cadmium and nickel contents). The results also indicated significant microbiological contaminations of the water samples. Nemerow pollution index (WQI) for water classification indicated that all sites had clean water with respect to metal contamination, except for R1 and R2 (surface water), which have WQI values of 2.5 and 2.1, respectively. Based on those results, it is recommended to strictly monitor leachate generation, surface water and groundwater quality in the Bizerte landfill for an integrated sustainable environmental assessment.

Environmental Risk Assessment in Agriculture: The Example of Pistacia vera L. Cultivation in Greece

In this study, an integrated environmental risk assessment (ERA) study involving frequent monitoring of both water and soil parameters (24 on total), was carried out to assess and compare the environmental risk quality of three pistachio (Pistacia vera L.) fields (two in Aegina island and one in Kilkis) based upon risk categories identified and assessed in terms of quality and quantity. In this context, vertical profiles and risk matrices were created for a 60-month period for the most important soil and water parameters i.e., soil pH, soil organic matter, soil salinity, heavy metals, and irrigation water quality. According to the obtained results, the two pistachio fields in Aegina exhibited reduced overall risk values, i.e., 17% and 27%, respectively after the adoption of sustainable cultivation practices, thus reflecting a transition from “medium to high risk” to “low to medium risk” environmental quality. On the other hand, overall risk values for the pistachio field in Kilkis were reduced by 34% and were lower compared to the ones obtained for the pistachio fields in Aegina. The better environmental profile identified for the entire period in Kilkis ranging from “medium risk” to “low risk” was the result of lower inherent risk associated with irrigation water quality and soil salinity. The proposed methodology can be easily applied in other agricultural areas and for similar cultivations in Greece and other Mediterranean countries.

LAEND: A Model for Multi-Objective Investment Optimisation of Residential Quarters Considering Costs and Environmental Impacts

Renewable energy systems are especially challenging both in terms of planning and operation. Energy system models that take into account not only the costs but also a wide range of environmental impacts support holistic planning. In this way, burden-shifting caused by greenhouse gas mitigation can be identified and minimised at an early stage. The Life cycle Assessment based ENergy Decision support tool LAEND combines a multi-criteria optimising tool for energy system modelling and an integrated environmental assessment for the analysis of decentral systems. By a single or multi-objective optimisation, considering costs, environmental impact indicators as well as weighted impact indicator sets, the model enables the determination of optimal investment planning and dispatch of the analysed energy system. The application of LAEND to an exemplary residential quarter shows the benefit of the model regarding the identification of conflicting goals and of a system that compensates for the different objectives. The observed shift of environmental impacts from the use phase to the production phase of the renewable electricity generators points further to the importance of the integration of the entire life cycle.

Methodological Toolkit for Environmental and Economic Assessment of Metallurgical Enterprise Activities

The growing impact on the environment from industrial enterprises, the depletion of non-renewable natural resources and the associated risks make it relevant to take into account the environmental performance indicators of the enterprise along with economic ones. The authors believe that it is possible to conduct an environmental and economic assessment of the enterprise using an integrated indicator. The purpose of this paper is to develop a methodological toolkit for conducting an integrated environmental and economic assessment of the activities of a metallurgical enterprise, which makes it possible to make both a retrospective assessment of the enterprise's activities, and a predictive one based on the parity between the economic and environmental spheres of the enterprise. An analysis of domestic and foreign literature showed the absence of a unified approach to environmental and economic assessment of industrial enterprises based on standard financial and environmental reporting, and non-financial reporting standards. The methodology proposed by the author includes two blocks of indicators: an environmental and an economic one. The environmental block is represented by indicators related to the environmental impact. The economic block includes various indicators of the profitability of the enterprise. The authors propose an approach to standardizing indicators and calculating the integral indicator of environmental and economic assessment for the period. A distinctive feature of the author's methodology is the development of a single indicator that combines heterogeneous and multidirectional indicators of the environmental and economic blocks, which makes it possible to assess how the state of the enterprise changes over time, considering the action of various factors and their influence on the changes occurring at the enterprise. The proposed methodology was tested in application to the Seversky pipe plant for the period of 2016–2018. It showed a deterioration in the final environmental and economic assessment of the enterprise's activities as per the indicators of the economic block. At the same time, almost all indicators of the ecological block improved over the period of observation. The result is attributed to the ongoing large-scale technological overhaul at the enterprise, aimed, in many respects, at reducing the impact on the environment and increasing the efficiency of the enterprise. The authors believe that after the completion of the modernization project, an increase in the production volume and a decrease in unit costs with a minimum impact on the environment will help to achieve a balance between the ecological and economic spheres of the enterprise.