Material Flow Analysis Method Research Articles

Material Flow Analysis of Plastic Waste and Paper Waste from Waste Banks in Surabaya

Waste banks has been long being a part of waste management in Surabaya. Waste banks also plays a role in implementing the circular economy concept by collecting and reselling waste from household. The waste that has been collected from the waste banks were sold to the Main Waste Bank and small scrap dealers. This study aims to identify the material flows of plastic wastes and paper wastes from the waste bank to the recycling industry. The methods used for data collection includes survey and interview to the management of waste banks, management of the main waste bank, waste collectors, and management of the industries involved. The identification of material flows of plastic wastes and paper wastes from the waste banks to the recycling industries was done using the material flow analysis method. The material flow of the waste bank in the Central Surabaya region shown that the generation of waste generated at the waste bank was 34,815.1 kg per year. The waste was distributed to the main waste bank and waste collectors before finally being sold to the recycling industry and out of the system as plastic products at 13,041.45 kg per year and paper products at 20,311.14 kg per year.

Mass conversion pathway during anaerobic digestion of wheat straw.

A material flow analysis (MFA) method was employed to investigate elemental flow direction during the anaerobic digestion (AD) of wheat straw (WS) pretreated with potassium hydroxide. A lab-scale batch AD experiment conducted at 35 ± 1 °C was investigated to realize carbon conversion in biogas, liquid and solid digestates. The results showed that the highest growth rate of carbon conversion in biogas was observed from the fourth day to the twenty-fourth day, which accounted for 70.64%. The cumulative biogas production of WS was 531 mL g−1 VS, along with a high volatile solids degradation rate (55.0%). The MFA results indicated that the flow mass fractions of carbon in biogas, liquid and solid digestates were 49.96%, 5.61% and 44.43%, respectively. The flow mass fraction of nitrogen in liquid and solid digestates was 45.65% and 54.35%, respectively. This study can provide a theoretical basis for elemental flow in each product from biogas projects.

Quantity of plastic waste input into the ocean from China based on a material flow analysis model

Marine plastic waste has been an important global environmental issue in recent years, and quantifying the amount of global marine plastic waste input is vital for control and mitigation. However, determining an accurate quantity of oceanic plastics is challenging because comprehensive monitoring data are difficult to obtain on national and global scales. To understand the contribution of China in global marine plastic waste input, we used a material flow analysis (MFA) method, which is included in lifecycle assessment and combines statistical data from China’s official statistics, reports, and NPO (nonprofit organization) to establish an MFA model. The model assesses the lifecycle of plastics, which starts with primary plastic, passes the stage of plastic product, and eventually becomes plastic waste. With the MFA model, the annual amount of plastic waste entering the ocean from China from 2011 to 2020 can be calculated. In 2011, 0.65 million tonnes of plastic waste entered the ocean from China, and the quantity rose slowly until 2016. A rapid decline appeared in 2018 because of China’s governmental managements and the quantity will continue to decrease until 2020. Our results indicate the amount of oceanic plastics has a strong correlation with government control measures.

Human urine fertiliser in the Brazilian semi-arid: Environmental assessment and water-energy-nutrient nexus

This manuscript aimed to identify the energy demand, and environmental aspects and impacts of crop fertilisation with human urine when compared to using mineral fertilisers. The Material Flow Analysis and Life Cycle Assessment methods were adopted covering the options from "cradle to grave". The fertilisation with human urine included the collection, storage, transportation, application and field emissions, while the fertilisation with mineral fertilisers included primary production of fertilisers, transportation, application and field emissions. The reference flows were based on the fertilisation of 1 ha of maize with 225 kg of nitrogen, 29 kg of phosphorus and 48 kg of potassium oxide. We analysed the environmental aspects such as nitrogen and phosphorus mass balance, energy demand and water depletion, as well as environmental impacts such as global warming, human toxicity, photochemical ozone formation, acidification, eutrophication, freshwater ecotoxicity, water scarcity and resource depletion. The agricultural fertilisation with full volume of human urine closer to the source presented smaller energy demand and environmental impact indicator values when compared to solid mineral fertiliser, despite the uncertainties. The fertilisation with human urine was more advantageous with transportation distances up to 134 km (energy demand) and 84 km (environmental categories) by truck compared to 1841 km of mineral fertiliser. Ammonia volatilisation control was key to reduce acidification and eutrophication indicator values. When considering additional gains such as the reduction of water demand and wastewater generation from a waterless collection of human urine, the indicator values of environmental aspects and impacts of fertilisation with human urine were smaller than those with mineral fertiliser and reached a break-even point of 193 km (energy demand) and 185 km (environmental categories). The nutrient cycling through resource-based sanitation offers an opportunity to expand sanitation access with smaller environmental impacts and more efficient water-energy-nutrient nexus.

A hybrid material flow analysis for quantifying multilevel anthropogenic resources

AbstractThis study develops a hybrid material flow analysis (HMFA) method to evaluate the annual additional quantity of material stock, known as net additions to stock (NAS) at both micro‐ and macro‐levels through analyzing the fixed capital formation (FCF) and total supply in input‐output tables (IOTs). HMFA turns NAS from a balance indicator in the top‐down approach to an indicator with meaningful value in terms of urban ore evaluation. To verify the validity of HMFA, this study compares the developed HMFA with a top‐down approach and a bottom‐up approach through assessing the NAS of Taiwan and Germany. The quantity of NAS estimated by HMFA is considered as a more conservative upper bound than that by the top‐down approach, while underestimation often occurs with a bottom‐up approach. HMFA has been proven as an efficient and rational evaluation method which overcomes a key limitation in assessing micro‐level material stock by a top‐down approach, and solves the data demanding problem of the bottom‐up approach for quantifying material stock.

The change in the material stock of urban infrastructures in China

The materials stocked in infrastructures comprehensively reflect resource consumption, waste generation and sustainable development; therefore, research investigating this topic is particularly important. First, this paper uses the bottom-up material flow analysis method to account for the material stocks (MS) in urban infrastructures and examines the spatial and temporal changes in the MS in China from 1997 to 2016. The results show that MS increased 4.04 times during this period and are spatially inclined to decrease from coastal regions to inland areas. Second, this paper combines the population and economic factors using the IPAT model (which considers the environmental Impact as a product of the Population, Affluence and Technology) and a panel data regression analysis to conclude that affluence is the major driving factor increasing MS, while the impact of technology has a negative effect throughout China. The effect of affluence in different regions is consistent with that throughout China, but the population and technology changes have different effects. Third, this study estimates the environmental impact under different scenarios and proposes suggestions and strategies for promoting sustainable development.

Solid waste management practice in a tourism destination - The status and challenges: A case study in Hoi An City, Vietnam.

This study aims to present waste characterisation, solid waste management practice and analyse the challenges in the solid waste management system in the tourism destination of Hoi An City, Vietnam. The sampling and questionnaire surveys were conducted for measuring characterisation and management practice of solid waste. A material flow analysis method was used for analysing the waste flow. The results show that the tourism destination generated daily around 15080 kg t of waste, in which the significant proportions come from restaurants (46%), hotels (22%) and households (13%). The feature of the waste composition is high rates of kitchen waste (46.8%), tissue (11.54%) and recyclable materials (12.58%), which result in high moisture (46.79%) and a low heating value (16,866 kJ kg-1) of waste. Also, solid waste management practices were evasively implemented by stakeholders with low rates and efficiency. Furthermore, a substantial gap of the solid waste management system is the confusion in waste collection activities, which is shown by the overload of waste in street bins and the financial loss for the solid waste management system owing to the non-compliance with collection regulation of stakeholders. Also, the mixing of waste by collection crews after separation at sources, the in-appropriation of collection time and manner are the dark points of the solid waste management system that may be causes of the non-cooperation of stakeholders. These gaps and confusion in the solid waste management system are the significant challenges in the improvement of the solid waste management system in the tourism destination toward sustainability.

Unravelling the mystery of Chinese building lifetime: A calibration and verification based on dynamic material flow analysis

Building lifetime is a crucial parameter for modelling building stock’s turnovers and related dynamics of embodied and operational energy demand. However, it is poorly characterized and often based on assumptions (especially for developing countries such as China), because no or few empirical data are available. Here we combined a top-down dynamic material flow analysis method with bottom-up information (i.e., age profile of residential building stock, per capita residential floor area, and population) to calibrate the lifetimes of Chinese buildings from 1950 to 2015. We contrasted the top-down estimates with existing literature and primary data from on-site surveys to verify the plausibility of calibrated building lifetimes. We found an overall downward trend of building lifetimes during 1950–1989 and a gradual climb-up since 1990s. However, the present Chinese building lifetime appears still far below the design lifetime (50 years). Up to 2015, the floor areas of Chinese building stock has reached an enormous level of 64.7 billion m2; on the per capita basis, it has reached 30.5 and 15.7 m2 for residential and non-residential use, respectively. The yearly demolished floor areas have reached at a level of 1.6 billion m2. The improved building lifetimes can enhance our understanding of building stock’s turnovers and vintage-based energy performance and thus help better characterize life cycle energy demand of building stocks and beyond. To further the use of the calibrated building lifetimes, modelers and data users should also be aware of the variable building lifetimes and have a structured overview of data sources and their inconsistency.

典型城市单元的土壤重金属溯源方法与实证研究

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 典型城市单元的土壤重金属溯源方法与实证研究 DOI: 10.5846/stxb201809121963 作者: 作者单位: 中国科学研生态环境研究中心城市与区域生态国家重点实验室,中国科学研生态环境研究中心城市与区域生态国家重点实验室,吉林大学新能源与环境学院,中国科学院生态环境研究中心,中国科学院生态环境研究中心,中国科学院生态环境研究中心,广东省环境科学研究院 作者简介: 通讯作者: 中图分类号: 基金项目: 国家重点研发计划（2018YFC1800301，2017YFC0505702）；国家自然科学基金项目（41877509，41571478）；广东省应用型科技研发专项（2016B020240008） Source apportionment methods of soil heavy metals in typical urban units: an empirical study Author: Affiliation: Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences,CAS,,,,, Fund Project: 摘要 | 图/表 | 访问统计 | 参考文献 | 相似文献 | 引证文献 | 资源附件 | 文章评论 摘要:随着城市化进程的不断深入，土壤中重金属污染现状及其治理情况越来越受到重视，而查明污染源是有效治理污染的前提。源解析技术目前已广泛的应用于环境受体重金属来源解析实践中，总结了近年来土壤重金属成因分析的常用方法及原理，并提出了一种将多种方法相配合使用的方法体系。选取珠三角某市城郊农田作为研究对象，结果表明，Cd、Pb、Cu、Zn、As存在含量超过国家农用地筛选值的情况，其中Cd超标率高达60.1%。农业活动、工业生产、交通源和自然母质均对研究区土壤重金属的累积产生一定的贡献。正定矩阵因子分析法（PMF，Positive Matrix Factorization）模型模拟的Cd、Ni、Zn和Hg预测值与实测值线性拟合r2均大于90%，其余元素r2均大于60%，呈现出很好的相关性，满足研究需要。PMF模型和铅同位素比值法计算得到的交通及农业对土壤Pb累积的贡献率之和分别为86.0%和84.8%，PMF模型和物质流分析法计算得到的农业对土壤Cd的贡献率分别为86.7%和79.7%，结果均比较接近。结果表明正定矩阵因子法、同位素比值分析法，物质流分析法能很好的联用应用于土壤重金属源解析研究。 Abstract:With the deepening of urbanization, increasing attention has been paid to the status quo and control of heavy metal pollution in soil; however, identifying pollution sources is the premise of effective pollution control. Source analysis has been widely used to evaluate heavy metals in environmental receptors. In this paper, the common methods and principles of source analysis of soil heavy metals pollution in recent years are summarized, and a system combining various methods is proposed. A typical farmland in the Pearl River Delta was selected as a case area. The results indicated that (1) concentrations of Cd, Pb, Cu, Zn, and As in some soil samples were greater than the filter capacity of agricultural land according to the Soil Environmental Quality of China, especially cadmium, which reached 60.1%; and (2) the accumulation of heavy metals in soils was related to the overuse of fertilizers for industrial production, traffic pollution, and soil parent material. (3) The results of the correlation analysis implied that the r2 values of Cd, Ni, Zn, and Hg were more than 90%, and the r2 values of other heavy metals were more than 60%, which indicates that there were significant correlations between the values of the measured and predicted heavy metals. (4) The contribution rates of the sum of transportation and agriculture to soil Pb accumulation through the PMF model and Pb stable isotope ratio method were 86.0% and 84.8%, respectively. The contribution rates of agriculture to soil Cd through the PMF model and material flow analysis were 86.7% and 79.7%, respectively. (5) The results indicate that the positive matrix factor, isotope ratio analysis, and material flow analysis methods can be well combined to study the source of heavy metals in soil. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

Estimation and prediction of plastic waste annual input into the sea from China

Marine plastic debris has been a pervasive issue since the last century, and research on its sources and fates plays a vital role in the establishment of mitigation measures. However, data on the quantity of plastic waste that enters the sea on a certain timescale remain largely unavailable in China. Here, we established a model using material flow analysis method based on life cycle assessment to follow plastic product from primary plastic to plastic waste with statistical data and monitoring data from accurate sources. This model can be used to estimate and forecast the annual input of plastic waste into the sea from China until 2020. In 2011, 0.547 3–0.751 5 million tons of plastic waste entered the seas in China, with a growth rate of 4.55% per year until 2017. And the amount will decrease to 0.257 1 to 0.353 1 million tons in 2020 under the influence of governmental management. The amount of plastic waste discharged from coastal areas calculated in this study was much larger than that from river, thus it is suggested to strengthen the governance and control of plastic waste in coastal fishery activities in China in order to reduce the amount of marine plastic waste input.

Contemporary Computer Support Design Solutions for Industrial Infrastructure

Abstract This article is an proposition to the use of contemporary CAD (Computer Aided Design) solutions for industrial infrastructure design, and to showing the many benefits of their practical use, avoiding many mistakes during the investment process, thereby increasing the quality of the creating products while reducing the costs associated with their production. The paper proposes a method of inventory of the current state and methods of spatial layout analysis of planned investment using smart databases to configure the individual manufacture slots. Presented is method of material flow analysis in the virtual model of the production line, tools for line analysis with particular focus on collision identification, job scheduling and parametric analysis of the planned installations.

Contemporary Computer Support Design Solutions for Industrial Infrastructure

Abstract This article is a proposition to use modern CAD (Computer Aided Design) solutions to design industrial infrastructure, and show many benefits of their practical use, avoiding numerously mistakes while the investment process, at the same time increasing the quality of created products during reducing the costs associated with their production. The paper proposes a method of stocktaking of the current state and methods of spatial layout analysis of planned investment using smart databases to configure the individual manufacture slots. The method of material flow analysis in the virtual model of the production line was presented, tools for the analysis of the production line were indicated, especially focused on collision identification, work schedule creation and parametric analysis of designed installations.

Prospective nanomaterial mass flows to the environment by life cycle stage from five applications containing CuO, DPP, FeOx, CNT and SiO2

Many new nanoapplications containing engineered nanomaterials (ENM) are introduced to the market every year. Because they have the potential to release ENM to the environment during their life cycle, it is desirable to investigate the amounts of ENM that could be emitted to the environment before they occur. In this research, we created ENM mass consumption scenarios and modelled prospectively the ENM mass flows produced at each life cycle stage of five nano-enhanced applications, using a probabilistic material flow analysis method and a bottom-up approach. The nanoapplications are: (i) wood coating containing CuO; (ii) car bumper with DPP (organic pigment) or (iii) Fe2O3 (inorganic pigment); (iv) polymeric car part with CNT; and (v) pancake mixture with SiO2. The simulated flows were used to (a) describe the potential ENM mass flows in Europe and to determine the distribution of the mass at the end of each LC stage among the technical and environmental compartments analyzed; (b) to compare the flows produced by single applications with the total flows from all existing applications; (c) to estimate the release concentrations in environmental compartments; and (d) to evaluate the origin of the flows by LC stage. The total flows were taken from previously published research or newly modelled in the case of CuO and DPP. The results show that most ENM mass flows from each single application occurred during their end-of-life stage and the main receiving compartments were the landfill (except pancake mixture application) or the agricultural soils and sediments (only pancake mixture). In general, a substantial proportion of the ENMs was either eliminated or transferred to recycling facilities, from where the recovered material fractions containing ENMs could be used as secondary raw materials. The comparison with the total flows shows that only the wood coating would result in a considerable increase of the ENM mass flows to the environment, given the market penetration assumed (1%). The use of the pancake mixture would produce the highest flows into the environment among the different ENMs analyzed, as a consequence of the high direct release during its end-of-life. The assessment by LC stage allowed to stress the role of manufacturing in dominating the flows into the environment for some applications. In general, our assessment shows the potential of the existing material flow modeling methods to investigate prospectively the emissions of ENM mass into the environment from specific applications.

Nitrogen budget and its environmental loading in an urban ecosystem with the rapid urbanisation of China

ABSTRACTA detailed nitrogen (N) budget has been developed for an urban ecosystem based on the method of material flow analysis. How increased human activity and urbanisation influences N cycling have also been analysed. Total N input and output in the urban ecosystem of Zhengzhou City (ZUE) was calculated at 304.8 Gg was 275.3 Gg year−1, resulting in an N accumulation of 29.5 Gg year−1. Industry and human life activities, which respectively accounted for 43.8% and 34.2% of total N inputs and 52.6% and 29.1% of total N outputs, were the core of N flow in the urban ecosystem. Humans activities mediated more than 98% N inputs into the ZUE, 73.2% of N was released into the atmosphere and 11.7% into hydrosphere. This very large volume of released N could contribute to regional problems. High energy consumption, insufficient wastewater treatment facility practices, and low N use efficiency are the primary causes of pollution. The major challenge ahead for the urban ecosystem is how to manage high-intensity N pollutant inputs to the urban ecosystems coupled with incomplete N cycling and removal. Based on the analysis of the N budget and loading, this study also proposes an N management strategy for the ZUE.

Spatial-temporal pattern of sustainable intensification of agricultural land-use in Shandong Province, China.

Under the theoretical framework of sustainable intensification of agricultural land-use (SIALU), We used material flow analysis (MFA) method to establish evaluation index system for SIALU by utilizing data in 2000, 2005, 2010 and 2015 to quantify the level of SIALU of 17 cities in Shandong Province, and analyzed the variation in input-output of resources factors of agricultural land, spatial distribution of resource productivity and environmental economic efficiency, in order to reveal spatial-temporal differentiation of SIALU. Results showed that the direct material input to agricultural lands decreased, whereas hidden flow, stock and pollutant emissions increased gradually from 2000 to 2015. The material productivity of all cities in the province showed that the coastal areas in the peninsula were relatively lower than the southern region, and the level of material productivity in the northwest region was relatively higher. Environmental economic efficiency was gradually enhanced, and the western region was relatively higher than coastal area of the peninsula. During the period examined here, the spatial pattern of SIALU of various cities showed clustered distribution change, with the western region tending to gradually increase and the eastern region tending to gradually reduce. The dynamics of SIALU among different regions were divided into six grades: Northwestern Shandong > Northern Shandong > Southwestern Shandong > Southern Shandong > Central Shandong > Coastal areas of Shandong Peninsula.

Modelling the Solid Waste Flow into Sungai Ikan Landfill Sites by Material Flow Analysis Method

The purpose of this paper is to model the material flow of solid waste flows at Kuala Terengganu by using Material Flow Analysis (MFA) method, generated by STAN Software Analysis. Sungai Ikan Landfill has been operated for about 10 years. Average, Sungai Ikan Landfill receive an amount around 260 tons per day of solid waste. As for the variety source of the solid waste coming from, leachates that accumulated has been tested and measured. Highest reading of pH of the leachate is 8.29 which is still in the standard level before discharging the leachate to open water which pH in between 8.0-9.0. The percentages of the solid waste has been calculated and seven different types of solid waste has been segregated. That is, plastics, organic waste, paper, polystyrene, wood, fabric and can. The estimation of the solid waste that will be end as a residue are around 244 tons per day.

MFA-based analysis of CO2 emissions from typical industry in urban — As a case of steel industry

Industrial metabolism has closely impact on urban economic, resources and environment condition. As an intensively consuming-energy and heavily polluting industry, steel industry has emitted extremely large quantitate of CO2. Presently, there are two typical production processes in steel enterprises, which are the long process and the short process. However, to compensate the insufficient scrap resources, some steel enterprises have taken a great deal of hot iron in the electric arc furnace steelmaking, which only happens in China. This unique process called the “Chinese style” short process. Coupling material flow analysis and emission factor method, the CO2 emissions for these different three production processes are analysed and their different carbon flow networks diagram are built. The flow diagram could provide basements on emissions reduction located. Results show that the CO2 emissions of long process, “Chinese-style” short process and short process are 3.102t/t-s, 2.994t/t-s and 1.613t/t-s, respectively. The focus of CO2 emissions reduction are the blast furnace steelmaking in long process, electric arc furnace steelmaking in “Chinese-style” short process and short process, whose CO2 emissions are 2.079t/t-s, 2.748t/t-s and 1.367t/t-s, respectively. Specially, the reason why the CO2 emissions of “Chinese style” short process are too high is excessive hot iron utility. For lower CO2 emissions, it is suggested that scrap resources should be recycled as many as possible and the short process ought to rationally develop based on the existing environmental strategies.

Regional approach of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) management in France

Waste management regulation is generally impacted by Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) implementation, such as Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE). The main goal of this article is to explicit the WEEE chain and flows using the material flow analysis (MFA) method and to contribute to the understanding of the EPR implementation in a specific case study by examining operational activities of WEEE regional and urban flows. A detailed case study of the EPR implementation for WEEE in the Midi-Pyrénées Region and the Toulouse's urban area was conducted. Based on a MFA of the WEEE chain, results give an insight into operational activities dealing with circulation of waste material. It reveals the main dysfunctions of this WEEE management system, including lack of involvement of local authorities and consumers, dispersion channels and a low recycling rate at the local level. The roles of recycling operators, social economy companies and EPR compliance are also important to recover more resources from waste and to close the recycling loop.

Assessment of element-specific recycling efficiency in WEEE pre-processing

Pre-processing is a crucial step to ensure the efficiency of subsequent processes and the quality of recyclates. The efficiency of pre-processing can be affected by high losses to undesignated output fractions. Standard batch tests usually provide mass balances and are a good proxy for bulk materials balances (iron/steel, aluminum, plastics).This article aims at harmonizing methodologies and recommends a strategy for further study in pre-processing on a plant scale. We have developed an “extended batch test” method, which should help to•describe the fates of materials and elements,•assess the quality of output fractions,•identify access points for critical metals and other valuable elements to enable their recovery.A methodical approach was compiled with common material flow analysis methods and an extended set of methods, which improve the reliability via the assessment of uncertainties. This applies to systematic effects and random effects. This extended batch test was performed with a 40Mg Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment (WEEE) batch to trace the flows of industrial base metals, precious metals and critical metals in a WEEE pre-processing plant.Results show that one-third of the input was separated and sorted manually, while the remaining material was subsequently crushed and automatically sorted. Copper and precious metals are distributed to various output fractions but are most concentrated in the sorting residues. Critical metals like cobalt and rare earth elements are mainly concentrated in the manually sorted materials but also appear in the ferrous metals scrap and the shredder light fraction.

Portable battery lifespans and new estimation method for battery collection rate based on a lifespan modeling approach

Separate collection and recycling of used batteries is required in the EU member states and other countries, as a measure for environmentally sound management of batteries. Monitoring of collection rate of the separate battery stream is important for decision making, in particular for implementing interventions to improve the separate collection and evaluating their results. Limitations of the currently applied method for the estimation of battery collection rate are discussed and a new method, which improves the estimation, is suggested. The method utilizes a more accurate way of estimating the total battery waste generation. This estimation is based on batteries historical consumption estimated with material flow analysis method and distributions of batteries lifespan obtained from empirical data.Empirical data from two decades of battery consumption and disposal in Sweden were analyzed and lifespan distributions have been found for eight different types of batteries by dating over 5000 disposed batteries. The lifespans stretched from 1 to 28 years, with a median lifespan of 3–8 years.It is shown how the use of lifespan distributions in the suggested method could considerably improve the estimation of the collection rate. Consequently, the intervention potentials can be identified more accurately and the decision making for investments in the collection system can be improved. The observed lifespans are also useful for understanding batteries fate in households as well as trends in battery consumption and disposal.