Environmental Assessment Methodology Research Articles

Soil benzene emissions and inhalation health risks affected by various land covers

Accurate quantification of soil volatile organic compounds (VOCs) flux is crucial for assessing inhalation environmental health risks and developing region-specific remediation strategies. However, land cover significantly influences VOCs emissions from soil. This study investigated benzene, a representative VOCs, using a laboratory flux chamber and numerical simulations to evaluate its release patterns under different surface covers, including bare soil (no cover), clay brick, cement, and grass. In the experiment, gaseous benzene was collected using an adsorption tube filled with Tenax-TA adsorbent. The collected samples were subsequently analyzed using thermal desorption coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. By integrating these findings with environmental health risk assessment methodologies, we developed a tailored approach for assessing inhalation health risks at benzene-contaminated sites with varying land covers. Additionally, we conducted application studies of this method across various scenarios. The results indicate that soil benzene emissions could be reduced by using low-permeability coverings such as clay brick and cement, as well as by planting vegetation. The average fluxes of benzene through covering materials were of the order of 1.22×10-2, 4.37×10-3, 2.47×10-3, and 9.88×10-4 mg·m-2·s-1 for bare soil, clay brick, grass, and cement, respectively. The application of clay brick and cement coverings on the soil surface results in more pollutants remaining in the soil in liquid and adsorbed states, making them less likely to volatilize. The inhalation carcinogenic risk (CR) values for soil benzene at an abandoned oil refinery site in Northwestern China under bare soil, brick, and cement cover are 1.3×10-6, 1.22×10-6, and 9.73×10-7, respectively. Low-permeability covers such as clay brick and cement reduces the inhalation CR of gaseous benzene from the surface soil, and delays the growth trend of cumulative inhalation CR.

Assessing the sustainability of Blue Economy activities using an ecosystem and life cycle-based approach: Possibilities, challenges and implications for an informed policy making

The global ocean faces increasing exploitation to meet the demand of a rapidly growing globalisation. Human marine activities are leading to local environmental pressures/benefits, for example on marine ecosystems and their services, but also through their value chains on terrestrial ecosystem services, and to global pressures such as global warming. Effective management of marine activities is essential for the conservation of the natural environment. There is a growing need for holistic sustainability assessment tools capable of quantifying environmental impacts at various geographical scales, alongside evidence-informed policies. This study examines the evolving marine policy landscape, identifies key legislation that supports the sustainable growth of the Blue Economy, traces its historical development, and explores the integration of ecosystem services assessment and life cycle assessment as methodologies for assessing environmental sustainability within this legislation. The review shows that current legislation falls short in providing instructions on how to measure sustainability impacts in a consistent way, i.e., which methods/indicators to use. Therefore, this study supports evidence-informed policy-making by proposing a quantitative and comprehensive environmental sustainability impact assessment methodology, integrating both ecosystem and life-cycle based methods, to a Belgian multi-use case study involving offshore wind energy and mussel farming. Considering the impacts that were possible to assess and the limits of the methodology used, the value of the positive impacts of the MUOF was +61.3 M€ y−, while the negative ones were −4.0 M€ y−1, resulting in a net handprint of +57.0 M€ y−1, primarily attributed to the benefits of the local ecosystem service ‘offshore renewable energy’ However, such a solution is not necessarily scalable, due to cumulative impacts. An analysis was conducted to identify areas for enhancing the methodology to more effectively meet policy needs. The study highlights the importance of using scientifically grounded methods to inform policy decisions.

Flare Pollution Loads and Carbon-Dioxide Effect on Rainwater Acidity in Niger-Delta: A Review, Investigation and Model for Safe Living Quarter

Carbon-dioxide does not only affect climate change, but also contribute tremendously in acidification of rain water. Hazard identification and risk assessment are fundamental components of effective risk management, specifically in sensitive areas where adverse effects can have significant consequences. This study provides novel methodology for environmental and safety assessment of flared gases in sensitive areas such as residential homes. Distancing Sampling Technique (DST) was used to investigate the sensitivity of rain water pH at distances away from flare site in order to develop a Risk Management Model for sensitive regions. First, a review on rain water acidity was made around flaring and non-flaring areas in Niger-Delta states, which revealed Moderate-High acidity effect around flaring zones and no effect on non-flaring zone. Secondly, Flared Gas Quantification, pH Experimental Evaluation (PEE) and Risk Assessment Matrix (RAM) were the three systematic approaches used respectively to quantify, measure and evaluate the effects of CO2 and other flare pollutants around the area of study. An average of 809,300,000 Mscf of associated petroleum gases were flared around the oil and gas producing areas in Delta State, causing a release of around 43x106 tons of CO2 from 2012-2022. Experimental results showed the range of pH from 4.56 ± 0.06 to 5.10 ± 0.06 for the 33 samples of harvested rainwater in Kwale community, Delta state causing a deviation of 16.38 to 30.05% from standard. The developed and validated model suggests 4.81KM radius as the safe distance for human habitation from flare sites. Based on these findings, carbon-capture and sequestration projects must be activated in Niger-Delta to curb the menace.

A systems-based analysis to rethink the European environmental risk assessment of regulated chemicals using pesticides as a pilot case

A growing body of scientific literature stresses the need to advance current environmental risk assessment (ERA) methodologies and associated regulatory frameworks to better address the landscape-scale and long-term impact of pesticide use on biodiversity and the ecosystem. Moreover, more collaborative and integrative approaches are needed to meet sustainability goals. The One Health approach is increasingly applied by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to support the transition towards safer, healthier and more sustainable food. To this end, EFSA commissioned the development of a roadmap for action to establish a European Partnership for next-generation, systems-based Environmental Risk Assessment (PERA). Here, we summarise the main conclusions and recommendations reported in the 2022 PERA Roadmap. This roadmap highlights that fragmentation of data, knowledge and expertise across regulatory sectors results in suboptimal processes and hinders the implementation of integrative ERA approaches needed to better protect the environment. To advance ERA, we revisited the underlying assumptions of the current ERA paradigm; that chemical risks are generally assessed and managed in isolation with a substance-by-substance, realistic worst-case and tiered approach. We suggest optimising the use of the vast amount of information and expertise available with pesticides as a pilot area. It is recommended to as soon as possible adopt a systems-based approach, i.e. within the current regulatory framework, to spark a step-wise transition towards an ERA framed at a system level of ecological and societal relevance. Tangible systems-based and integrative steps are available. For instance, the rich sources of existing data for prospective and retrospective ERA of pesticides could be used to reality-benchmark existing and new ERA methods. To achieve these goals, collaboration among stakeholders across scientific disciplines and regulatory sectors must be strengthened.

Advancing environmental assessment methodologies: A case study on Pentle's framework through component analysis for complex objective functions

This paper explores the evolution and refinement of environmental assessment methods in response to contemporary challenges. While various methodologies exist, R. Pentle's proposed calculation method, represented by a multiple linear regression equation, stands as a significant contribution. However, this method requires refinement. To address this, the paper uses a case study approach within the State National Natural Park (SNNP) Katon-Karagay to investigate the impact of recreational load on tourist routes and the associated environmental load. Through component analysis, a complex objective function is developed within Pentle's framework, emphasizing the need for a standard-setting procedure and offering a fresh perspective on environmental functions. Rather than conventional rating scales, the study advocates for an innovative approach to delineating environmental scenarios. Importantly, this approach extends beyond environmental data analysis, offering applicability across diverse datasets, including economic and social inputs. The findings contribute to advancing environmental assessment methodologies, offering a versatile framework for understanding and managing the impacts of recreational and environmental loads in protected natural areas.

Optimizing offshore wind export cable routing using GIS-based environmental heat maps

Abstract. In the United States, there are plans to produce up to 30 GW of offshore wind power by the year 2030, resulting in numerous seabed lease areas which are currently going through the leasing or construction and operations phase. A key challenge associated with offshore wind is optimal routing and installation of the subsea power cables, which transmit power from the main offshore wind energy production area to a land-based station, where it connects to the electrical grid. By traversing a vast extent of the seafloor, the installation and operational phases of subsea power cables have the potential to result in a range of environmental impacts, which may negatively affect sensitive biological, physical, human and/or cultural resource receptors. Presented here is a case study from southeastern North Carolina to identify optimal seabed cable routes and coastal landfalls for a recently leased offshore wind farm by using a combination of publicly available data, coupled with standard environmental impact assessment methodologies and geographic information system (GIS)-based heat maps. The study identified a range of high-risk areas, in addition to a number of potential low-risk routes and landfall areas which minimize seabed user conflicts and impacts on environmentally sensitive locations. Although additional high-resolution and site-specific environmental, geological and biological surveys are required to develop a robust cable installation plan, the preliminary steps from this research optimize early-phase marine spatial planning for offshore wind projects and other similar subsea industries.

Environmental assessment of daily mobility for the design of neighbourhoods: Coupling mobility microsimulation and life-cycle assessment

This paper aims to develop an environmental assessment methodology of daily mobility for neighbourhoods. Thus, a microsimulation model represents mobility at an individual scale, which is coupled with a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for private cars and public transport to provide a holistic environmental assessment. The model is calibrated using census data and regional mobility surveys, providing information on population, jobs, dwellings, mobility and car fleets. The methodology is applied to a real neighbourhood project in Paris suburbs. Aggregated results show low environmental impacts of mobility compared to previous studies, with 276 kg CO2-eq per individual per year, reflecting the selected central and accessible location. Leveraging the microsimulation approach, disaggregated results highlight strong heterogeneity within both residents and employees, with respectively 17 % and 5 % of each group being responsible for half the emissions. Microsimulation further allows for estimating the effect of various levers to improve the project design. Although location exerts the greatest influence on the environmental impacts of mobility, reducing parking availability also proves very efficient, especially for residents. These findings support the use of microsimulation – instead of common mean approaches – to capture the heterogeneity of mobility behaviours and better estimate responses to levers in neighbourhood design.

Assessing Environmental Justice at the Urban Scale: The Contribution of Lichen Biomonitoring for Overcoming the Dichotomy between Proximity-Based and Distribution-Based Approaches

In this study, we tested the use of lichen biomonitoring techniques for the assessment of air quality disparities at the urban scale. We based our evaluation on the results of a previous lichen biomonitoring study carried out in Milan (Northern Italy), which estimates the contamination by potentially toxic elements (PTEs) and its distribution over the area, also providing an evaluation of the main emission sources. Therefore, we used the traditional methodologies for environmental justice assessment: the proximity-based and the distribution-based approaches. The workflow we propose is a data-driven selection of emission sources that contributes to overcoming the dichotomy between the two approaches and is now widely debated in the scientific community. A socio-economic deprivation index was elaborated for each census unit of Milan city and then related to the proximity of the emission sources previously selected. The results suggested that in the surrounding of industries and railways, the deprivation is higher, while the proximity of main roads is inhabited by wealthier populations. The distribution-based approach was run through a quantile regression analysis, and the outcome indicated that among the wealthier groups, an increase in contamination is followed by an increase in socio-economic deprivation, whilst among the deprived groups, people with greater economic opportunities tend, however, to live in worse air quality conditions due to the proximity of communication routes. This study poses the potential to review the classical methods of EJ assessment, providing a reliable workflow applicable in urban areas—the most vulnerable in terms of air quality disparities in the present and in the future.

Integrated renewable-based multi-generation system with environmental and economic optimization

Utilizing renewable reservoirs as a primary source of energy in power systems significantly mitigates environmental concerns. This approach, coupled with the integration of various subsystems, yields multiple products, thereby enhancing economic benefits. This paper introduces an innovative multi-generation system based on a gasifier-fed solid oxide fuel cell. In this system, waste heat recovery is achieved through a bespoke transcritical CO2 cycle, combined with a Kalina cycle and an organic Rankine cycle subsystem. Additionally, a proton membrane electrolyzer is employed to supply a reactor for ammonia production. A comprehensive analysis of this configuration is performed, employing thermodynamic, economic, and environmental assessment methodologies. Moreover, two multi-objective optimization strategies are implemented to determine the system's optimal operating conditions. The results demonstrate that the proposed system generates a net power output of 293.1 kW, provides cooling of 40.8 kW, produces hydrogen at a rate of 2.689 kg/h, and ammonia at a rate of 15.14 kg/h. The environmental and economic impacts of these products are quantified as an exergoenvironmental impact rate of 111.89 Pt/h and a cost rate of 11.77 $/h, resulting in an exergy efficiency of 27.59%. Furthermore, the system's financial feasibility is evident from its payback period of approximately 3.42 years and a net present value of 1.64 M$. The study also identifies that variations in the fuel cell's current density significantly influence the system's exergy performance and environmental footprint.

Is normalization in Life Cycle Assessment sustainable? Alternative approach based on natural constraints

Life cycle assessment, a widely used methodology of environmental impact assessment, employs the step called normalization to allow comparison and contextualization of the multiple environmental impacts driven by human activities. However, the currently used normalization references based on total human impacts do not reflect any sustainability limits. This leads to a paradox where the more humanity causes an impact, the less important it appears in the results. We propose that normalization references be based on natural constraints, values that delimit the level of impact which can be expected to cause no significant harm. Such approach can be applied to most characterization methodologies, as we demonstrate on the case of Environmental Footprint methodology with 16 impact categories. In this work we quantify such normalization references, we compare them to the currently used values and we statistically test the difference on the case of 60 processes from common LCA databases. The results show that the proposed normalization method significantly changes the relative ranking of most of the impact categories. According to our findings, the proposed method may alter the ranking of assessed scenarios and change the conclusions and recommendations of LCA studies. This shift in the rationale for normalization can provide a different perspective on results interpretation and thus offer more robust policy guidance.

Green Building Techniques: Under The Umbrella of the Climate Framework Agreement

Various green building rating systems have been devised to assess the sustainability levels of buildings, offering a standardized approach to evaluate their environmental impact. However, adapting these existing methods to diverse regions requires addressing additional considerations, such as distinct climatic conditions and regional variations. This study delves into a comprehensive exploration of widely utilized environmental building assessment methodologies, including BREEAM, LEED, SB-Tool, CASBEE, GRIHA, and Eco-housing. A new building environmental assessment scheme tailored to the global landscape is needed due to limitations of existing assessment schemes. A framework based on principal component analysis is introduced to develop this new scheme. PCA applied to a dataset of many responses on building sustainability revealed nine key components, including site selection, environmental impact, building resources and re-use, building services and management, innovative construction techniques, environmental health and safety, mechanical systems, indoor air quality, and economic considerations. A framework for sustainable building development in world is proposed. The study provides insights for designers and developers in developing countries, offering a roadmap for achieving green development. The framework prioritizes key components for a nuanced evaluation of sustainability in building projects, contributing to the global discourse on environmentally responsible construction practices.

საინვესტიციო გარემოს შეფასების აქტუალური საკითხები

საინვესტიციო გარემოს შეფასების აქტუალური საკითხები

Life Cycle Assessment and Circular Building Design in South Asian Countries: A Review of the Current State of the Art and Research Potentials

A literature survey was proposed, aiming at summarizing the state of the art and, consequently, the research potential, in the increasingly popular field of circular economy, specifically applied to the construction industry in South Asian countries (Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh). In particular, the role of a life cycle assessment (LCA) to support the circular building design concept in construction projects was investigated. This review organized 71 published papers that examined environmental building assessments, certifications for sustainable buildings, the awareness of sustainable buildings, and recent advancements in this field between 2005 and 2022. The review pointed out that half of the LCA studies used the cradle-to-grave LCA methodology for environmental impact assessment, while the other half used the cradle-to-cradle LCA methodology. Regardless of the recent research, the literature still lacks the cradle-to-cradle implementation of the LCA methodology in selected countries which is essential for implementing truly circular building strategies. Moreover, the literature showed a lack of interest and awareness among all stakeholders in the construction of environmentally friendly buildings. The main barrier to carry out LCA for building performance is the unavailability of a regional database, which was pointed out in the literature, as well as the criteria for certification that are not available or do not comply with the standards of the specific contexts of Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh.

Evaluation of non-destructive tools for preliminary environmental risk assessment during mining exploration

Environmental assessment is generally performed when a mining project is at an advanced development stage, such as the prefeasibility study. It involves several laboratory tests such as detailed characterisation and geochemical mobility prediction tests, which require many samples considered representative of the deposit. Having early characterisation information could be useful to select the most relevant samples for the overall environmental assessment. The present study proposes a selection of non destructive and portable tools for improving the early environmental assessment of a mineral deposit. Three tools (x-ray fluorescence (XRF), mineral spectrometer, carbonate staining) were identified to form a preliminary environmental assessment methodology that can be performed directly on the exploration site. This methodology was applied to two different mining projects: i) a well developed mine, LaRonde zone 5, with available geochemical data in a volcanic-associated massive sulfide (VMS) context, and ii) an exploration project, O’Brien, with ongoing geochemical acquisition in an Au-quartz vein context. Both mine sites are in the south of the Blake River Group within the Abitibi greenstone belt, Quebec, Canada. The first site was used to validate the developed methodology, whereas the second acted as a test site to apply the methodology as a preliminary environmental assessment. The results on the first site confirmed that the selected tools provide geochemical and mineralogical data sets comparable to those of traditional testing methods. The developed methodology then enabled the classification of preliminary geo-environmental domains for the second site. Standard static and kinetic tests were performed on the second site samples to confront the preliminary assessment protocol. The proposed preliminary protocol made it possible to discriminate low-risk samples versus those with a potentially higher risk for the selection of subsequent environmental assessments.

Evaluating environmental, economic, and social aspects of an intensive pig production farm in the south of Brazil: a case study

PurposeThe objective of this work was to quantify and understand the impacts of intensive pig production at family-farm level. A case study from the west of Santa Catarina State was used to identify adverse issues (hotspots) of pig production by integrating the assessment of the environmental, economic, and social aspects of the system. The quantitative and qualitative indicators calculated can guide and support the decision-making processes for a variety of stakeholders and actors.MethodsThe environmental performance of the pig production system was assessed from cradle-to-farm gate using environmental Life Cycle Assessment methodology set out in ISO 14040 (ISO 2006a). The functional unit (FU) was 1 kg of Liveweight (kg-LW). The structure of the Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA) was based on Neugebauer et al. (J Clean Prod 102:165–176, 2015) and Chen and Holden (J Clean Prod 172:1169–1179, 2018), who proposed a tiered framework to evaluate the impacts on the environmental, social, and financial aspects of a product. The economic dimension or Life Cycle Cost (Hunkeler et al. in Environmental life cycle costing. Crc Press, London, 2008) focused on farm-level activities. The social impact was calculated based on the UNEP/SETAC (2009) guidelines.Results and discussionThe environmental performance of the finishing pig production was slightly lower than reference value for climate impacts, acidification, and eutrophication. The economic impacts tended to be positive, reflecting the efforts of the farmer and employee to maintain high productivity and reduce the number of pig losses in comparison with the reference values. However, this effort did not result in greater profitability, causing low farm income. The impacts of low profitability were not transferred to the employee since the wage were above the reference value. There is a need for more education for small farmers, which is known to have a positive correlation with the adoption of new technologies, thus reducing adverse environmental and social impacts and increasing economic return.ConclusionsThe interaction of social and economic factors suggests it is unlikely that the farm can achieve better environmental performance. The limited economic return and low level of education have a negative impact on the farmer’s capacity to adopt new technologies to improve environmental outcomes. The use of LCSA, based on a consistent model across the three aspects of sustainability, made it possible to understand the interaction of these factors.

Quantifying the Impact of Renewable Energy Research on Environmental Sustainability

The imperative of addressing environmental sustainability and energy security has propelled extensive research into renewable energy technologies. This study employs bibliometric analysis to explore the impact of renewable energy research on environmental sustainability. Utilizing data from Web of Science and Scopus, a comprehensive dataset of scholarly articles and patents was compiled. The methodology involves keyword formulation, citation analysis, and collaboration network evaluation, supplemented by VOSviewer analysis for network visualization. The analysis unveils thematic clusters, influential citations, and keyword occurrences, unravelling the multifaceted nature of renewable energy research. Six thematic clusters emerge, encompassing biomass utilization, climate change, economic growth, efficiency optimization, energy systems, and energy consumption. Key citations provide insights into modeling techniques, sustainability indicators, and environmental assessment methodologies. Frequent keywords, such as life cycle assessment and technology, underscore the core pillars of the field, while less frequent terms like climate change and electricity highlight vital concepts. The findings provide holistic insights into the growth, impact, and interconnections within renewable energy research, offering valuable guidance for policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders committed to advancing environmental sustainability through renewable energy solutions.

Low-dose Bisphenol A exposure alters the functionality and cellular environment in a human cardiomyocyte model

Early embryonic development represents a sensitive time-window during which the foetus might be vulnerable to the exposure of environmental contaminants, potentially leading to heart diseases also later in life. Bisphenol A (BPA), a synthetic chemical widely used in plastics manufacturing, has been associated with heart developmental defects, even in low concentrations. This study aims to investigate the effects of environmentally relevant doses of BPA on developing cardiomyocytes using a human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived model. Firstly, a 2D in vitro differentiation system to obtain cardiomyocytes from hiPSCs (hiPSC-CMs) have been established and characterised to provide a suitable model for the early stages of cardiac development. Then, the effects of a repeated BPA exposure, starting from the undifferentiated stage throughout the differentiation process, were evaluated. The chemical significantly decreased the beat rate of hiPSC-CMs, extending the contraction and relaxation time in a dose-dependent manner. Quantitative proteomics analysis revealed a high abundance of basement membrane (BM) components (e.g., COL4A1, COL4A2, LAMC1, NID2) and a significant increase in TNNC1 and SERBP1 proteins in hiPSC-CMs treated with BPA. Network analysis of proteomics data supported altered extracellular matrix remodelling and provided a disease-gene association with well-known pathological conditions of the heart. Furthermore, upon hypoxia-reoxygenation challenge, hiPSC-CMs treated with BPA showed higher rate of apoptotic events. Taken together, our results revealed that a long-term treatment, even with low doses of BPA, interferes with hiPSC-CMs functionality and alters the surrounding cellular environment, providing new insights about diseases that might arise upon the toxin exposure. Our study contributes to the current understanding of BPA effects on developing human foetal cardiomyocytes, in correlation with human clinical observations and animal studies, and it provides a suitable model for New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) for environmental chemical hazard and risk assessment.

LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT AND CIRCULAR ECONOMY INDICATORS TO DESIGN SUSTAINABLE ELECTRIC OUTBOARDS: RESULTS FROM WORKSHOPS WITH INDUSTRIAL EXPERTS

AbstractTo help industries in their sustainable and circular transition from internal combustion engine production to electric motor production, the deployment of (i) a sound environmental impact assessment methodology, such as life cycle analysis, coupled with (ii) Design for Re-X tools, such as circularity indicators, is instrumental. To demonstrate the industrial relevance and complementary of both approaches, two consecutive workshops are conducted with a major original equipment manufacturer of recreational boats and their associated engines. On this basis, two circularity indicator-based tools were used to quantify and enhance (i) the circularity potential of the electric outboard as a whole, and (ii) the circularity performance of the two most impactful components, based on the LCA results: the electric motor unit and the lithium-ion battery pack. In all, the practice sessions supported the generation of strategic and operational ideas to improve the circularity of the electric outboard. As the industrial participants found both frameworks easy to use and efficient, all the details and resources used to conduct, replicate, or adapt such workshops in other industrial contexts are shared.

Quantitative methodology of environmental impact and economic assessment under equivalent conditions for prefabricated systems

Previous studies have introduced various advantages to prefabricated systems. In terms of economic assessment, the results differ for each previous study using an evaluation condition because various previous studies have compared different construction projects for an economic assessment. Therefore, it is difficult to compare economic assessments in accordance with an equivalent condition. Therefore, the objective of this study was to carry out an economic assessment of a prefabricated system by a member of a component based on working time and environmental impact. This study was carried out in four phases, from “selection of a target case” to “economic assessment for structural systems”. Compared to the environmental impact of structural systems, the prefabricated system can reduce it by up to 49.34%. In terms of the economic assessment, the averages of the conventional column and girder are $4,779.36 and $4,925.77, while those of the prefabricated column and girder are $3,245.55 and $4,005.41, respectively. Therefore, the prefabricated system is 25.29% cheaper than a conventional system. Using this result, when a prefabricated system is considered in terms of environmental impact and economic assessment, the decision maker can evaluate and compare structural systems easily and quantitatively.

Developing an Environmental Impact Assessment Methodology for Disc Golf Courses

Abstract The demand for outdoor recreational activities is rising. Therefore, it is important to pay more attention to their environmental impact and sustainability. However, there is a lack of methodology for measuring the impact of novel recreational activities, such as disc golf. This research aimed to address the existing environmental problems with disc golf in Estonia and elaborate on the methodology for assessing the environmental impact of disc golf courses and using it as a teaching tool for rising environmental awareness of the students. Based on existing research, the environmental impact assessment methodology for disc golf areas was developed and tested. The developed methodology is relevant for discovering negative impacts and for minimizing them. It could be used as an assessment tool for service providers and destination managers. Using the methodology as practical exercise proved to be an effective tool for rising the student’s environmental awareness.