Particulate Matter Formation Research Articles

Composition and size distribution of wintertime inorganic aerosols at ground and alpine regions of northwest China

Water-soluble inorganic ions (WSIIs) play a pivotal role in atmospheric chemical reactions, particularly influencing the formation of secondary particulate matter. A comprehensive grasp of the vertical distribution of atmospheric pollutants holds immense significance in understanding the diffusion and transportation of these pollutants. This study investigates the WSIIs of PM2.5 and size-segregated particles at the top (∼2060 m a.s.l.) and foot of Mt. Hua during the winter of 2020. All the measured ions present significant higher concentrations (1.9∼6.9 times) at the foot than the top. Cl− and K+ at the foot are more than 4 times of those at the top, whereas Ca2+ and Mg2+ are only 1.3–1.9 times higher. The particle size distribution of NO3−, SO42−, K+ and Cl− demonstrate a single peak distribution (0.7–1.1 µm) at the foot, but with a bimodal distribution (0.7–1.1 µm and 4.7–5.8 µm) at the top. These differences suggest that the aerosol at the alpine region is mainly transported via long-distance from Northwest/North China, but limited influenced by vertical transport through valley breeze. The changes of concentration and size distribution of WSIIs in dust event and non-dust period indicate that the effects of dust event on aerosols at ground surface were weaker than that of the free troposphere of Guanzhong Plain. Notably, our study underscores the dominant influence of NO3− in shaping the gas-particle distribution of ammonia within the winter free troposphere. Our results highlight the significant role of long-range transport on aerosols in the free troposphere in Guanzhong Plain, Northwest China.

Life cycle assessment of a new smart label for intelligent packaging

Within the past years, there has been a growing demand for sustainable, cost-efficient on-line sensing of chemical and physical properties and locations of products. Measuring of products’ physical properties, such as temperature and humidity, could improve product safety and efficiency of logistic operations. In the future measurement of temperature of food items could also aid in reducing food wastage. The aim of this study was to calculate the life cycle environment impacts of a temperature logger, hereafter called smart label, primarily targeted for the monitoring of the packed food products. According to the results, the largest normalised impacts of the smart label production are resource use (both use of fossil fuels and use of minerals and metals), eutrophication and particulate matter formation. The main materials causing these impacts were the printed electronics inks and adhesives. In addition, energy used in the production, and plastics used as substrates had large impacts on the results. It should be noted that the present calculations have mainly been made on a laboratory scale. The impacts are likely to get smaller on an industrial scale with more efficient production. In the future, the label could potentially bring environmental benefits through product savings when used in products with high environmental load.

Environmental performance of patient rooms using an integrated approach considering operational energy, daylight and comfort analysis

PurposeThe aim is to holistically assess the environmental performance of windows and analyse how their design and characteristics contribute to the overall performance of the building/space. This study focuses on the performance of windows in patient rooms hosting less mobile people.Design/methodology/approachThis study investigates the life cycle environmental impacts of different glazing types, window frames and fire safety doors at the product level. This article also presents a building-integrated environmental analysis of patient rooms that considers the multiple functionalities of windows by incorporating dynamic energy analysis, comfort and daylighting performance with a life cycle assessment (LCA) study.FindingsThe results indicate that the amount of flat glass is the main contributor to the environmental impacts of the glazing units. As for the patient rooms, global warming shows the most significant contribution to the environmental costs, followed by human toxicity, particulate matter formation and eutrophication. The key drivers for these impacts are production processes and operational energy use. This study highlights the significance of evaluating a wide range of criteria for assessing the performance of windows.Originality/valueAn integrated assessment approach is used to investigate the influence of windows on environmental performance by considering the link between window/design parameters and their effects on energy use/costs, daylighting, comfort and environmental impacts. The embodied impacts of different building elements and the influence of various design parameters on environmental performance are assessed and compared. The environmental costs are expressed as an external environmental cost (euro).

Underappreciated Emission Spikes From Power Plants During Heatwaves Observed From Space: Case Studies in India and China

AbstractThe frequency, intensity, and duration of extreme heatwaves are projected to increase in the global context of climate change. However, evidence of how anthropogenic emissions respond to heatwaves and further impact air quality remains elusive. Here, we use satellite remote sensing measurements alongside chemical transport model simulations to reveal abrupt variations in primary and secondary air pollutants introduced by extreme heatwaves. We highlight evidence from China and India, where satellite sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) columns over thermal power plants enhance consistently responding to heatwaves. We attribute such spiked emissions to soaring electricity use and demonstrate that bottom‐up inventories underestimate the emissions from the power sector by 34.9% for the selected case. Elevated emissions facilitate fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ozone (O3) formation over thermal power plants in an inhomogeneous manner, due to the combined effect of atmospheric oxidizing capacity, thermal decomposition of peroxyacetyl nitrate, planetary boundary layer rise, and air stagnation. Our results underscore the emerging challenge of pollution control attributable to the increasing climate penalty and the necessity of targeted control strategies and alternative energy sources during heatwaves.

Environmental Assessment of Hydrothermal Treatment of Wet Bio-Residues from Forest-Based and Agro-Industries into Intermediate Bioenergy Carriers

Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) of low quality, wet biogenic residues into intermediate bioenergy carriers can potentially contribute to a more flexible and stable renewable energy system and reduce environmental impacts compared to current residue disposal practices. This study quantifies the environmental impacts via life cycle assessment (LCA) of a novel hydrothermal process for the treatment on an industrial scale of application of three wet biogenic residues (paper bio-sludge, olive pomace, and orange peel) into bioenergy carriers, i.e., solid pellets and biogas. A comprehensive attributional cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted; the life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) utilised the ReCiPe impact assessment method. A selection of 10 significant impact categories was prioritised. Reliability of this categorization was also ensured through a sensitivity analysis carried out using Monte Carlo simulation. Climate change, particulate matter formation and terrestrial acidification impact categories showed the highest reliability, while for freshwater ecotoxicity and freshwater eutrophication impact categories in the study suggest the need for more robust data and further investigation. The climate change impact category presents the following values, as kg CO2eq/tresidue: pulp and paper bio-sludge (PPB), 17.9; olive pomace (OP), −1290; orange peel (ORP), −1301. The LCA study compared electricity yields of the hydrothermal treatment process with conventional treatment processes for each of the target residue streams. The environmental performance of the proposed hydrothermal treatment benefits significantly from the combination of intermediate bioenergy carriers (pellets) from the solid fraction with biogas production from the liquid fraction. Avoided emissions due to the heat recovery provide further environmental benefits. The LCIA results show that the carbon footprint of the F-CUBED production system, as kgCO2eq/kWhe, accounts for –4.56, −0.63, and −0.25 for paper bio-sludge, olive pomace and orange peel, respectively.

Life Cycle Assessment a Coal Mining in East Kalimantan

A Life Cycle Assessment study aimed at identifying the environmental impacts of a coal mining process has been carried out. The scope of the process includes land clearing to coal barging (cradle to gate). The functional unit used is the production of 1 ton of coal. The inventory data in this research is site specific, collected from a mining company located in East Kalimantan during the period September 2022 to June 2023. Impact analysis was characterized using the ReCiPe 2016 midpoint (H) method with the help of OpenLCA v.2.0.2 software. From the impact analysis, it was found that the coal mining operations studied have the potential to produce Fine Particulate Matter Formation (0.122 kg PM2.5eq), Global Warming (73.28 kg CO2eq), Terrestrial Acidification (0.4114 kg SO2eq), Ozone formation-human health and Ozone formation-terrestrial ecosystems (0.54 kg NOx eq), Land Use (4.42×10-4 m2a crop eq), and Water consumption (11.44 m3). The potential for Particulate Matter Formation and Global Warming is generally related to the process of moving materials and water consumption caused by the process of transporting coal. From this research, it was found that the overburden stripping process is an environmental hotspot for the coal mining process because it has the greatest potential impact of all existing processes.

Experimental study on particulate matter emissions in a lab-scale pressurized reactor

Pressurized oxy-combustion (POC) is a promising carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology to improve the process efficiency and economics as compared with first-generation oxy-combustion. However, compared with traditional air combustion, pollutant emissions would be significantly changed in pressurized conditions, and the sampling method has always been disputed. A novel particulate matter (PM) sampling system, consisting of a pressurized PM10 cyclone, a three-stage aerosol dilution system, and a depressurization device was developed to investigate PM emissions at elevated pressure. After being depressurized, PM10 size distribution in the flue gas was measured by using an Electrical Low-Pressure Impactor plus (ELPI+). The PM losses in three depressurization devices were evaluated. Results show that, compared to a needle or ball valve as a pressure regulator, the designed nozzle performed better in terms of controlling system pressure and reducing PM loss in the channel. The sampling system was then used to evaluate the effect of pressure on PM formation. At pressure, there is a greater production of PM below 30 nm, while the generation of coarse mode PM is reduced. Sulfur-based compounds in the combusting particles are prone to be evaporated into the gas phase at higher pressure, which contributes to the formation of fine mode PM, while Fe, Si, and Ca are reduced significantly. The coarse mode PM is reduced at higher pressure, which is mainly due to the weak fragmentation; as a result, more PM is captured in the PM10 cyclone. Compared with O2-N2 conditions, the O2-CO2 conditions can promote the formation of the fine mode PM.

Life cycle assessment of fibre metal laminates: An ecodesign approach

Despite the extensive research on renewable resources (RR) and their potential applications in composite materials and sandwich structures, there remains a significant dearth of life cycle assessment (LCA) studies that comprehensively evaluate the efficacy of RR in mitigating environmental impacts (EI). To bridge this gap, the present study aims to investigate twelve different designs of sandwich panels, specifically referred to as Fibre Metal Laminates (FML). These FML combine aluminium skins (2024-T3 and 1200-H14), polymer matrices (Epoxy, Polyester, and Castor oil Bio-PU), natural fibres (Sisal, Coir, and Cynodon spp.), surface treatments for aluminium skins (sanding, NaOH, and Washprimer), and treatments for natural fibres (Ground, NaOH-treatment and untreated). A cradle-to-gate LCA is conducted, and the inventories are modelled using the OpenLCA 1.6.3 and ecoinvent 3.9 cut-off regionalized database. EI are evaluated in twelve categories, including climate change, fossil and nuclear energy use, freshwater (acidification, ecotoxicity and eutrophication), human toxicity (cancer and non-cancer), mineral resources use, ozone layer depletion, particulate matter formation, photochemical oxidant formation, and terrestrial acidification. Impact World+ method for Latin America version 1.251 is employed to calculate EI. Nine Eco-efficiency indicators and trade-off analyses are evaluated to gain insights into design decision outcomes. Among the various panels considered, FML12, manufactured with aluminium alloy 1200-H14 treated only with sanding, castor oil biopolymer and untreated coir fibres, present the most consistent eco-efficiency indicators. The reference scenario considers the average characteristics of FML (both environmental and mechanical) for trade-off analysis. Despite the fifty percent chance of better performance, FML12 is the only panel that shows higher mechanical performance and lower EI compared to the reference scenario. The importance of this article lies in the novel results obtained using the proposed eco-efficiency indicators, which can be expanded in further studies on the topic.

Electrification of public buses in Jakarta, Indonesia: A life cycle study

Indonesia plans to mitigate the environmental emissions, particularly the carbon emissions, from the transport by replacing conventional buses with battery electric buses (BEBs). However, there are limited studies on the potential environmental benefits of BEBs and mostly focused on carbon emissions. In this study, the environmental impacts of adopting BEBs in Jakarta's public transportation system were examined using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to better understand its potential environmental impacts. Using LCA, the environmental impacts of BEBs were also compared with conventional buses across their life cycles, which included raw materials extraction until the end of life stages. The results showed diesel buses have generally lower environmental impacts than BEBs due to the high share of fossil fuels in the electricity generation in Indonesia. Scenario analysis showed that extending the life cycle, using different battery disposal methods, and using battery reuse could lead to higher environmental benefits in using BEBs. Among the scenarios considered in the study, prolonging the lifespan of the bus to 32 years, using electricity mix with a higher share of renewable energy and reusing the lithium-ion batteries, BEBs would have lesser environmental impact per kilometre. In particular, the particulate matter formation (PM2.5) dropped 21 %, while the overall life cycle of BEB using the highest renewable scenario showed an average of 25 % improvement compared to the baseline scenario regarding environmental impact.

On-Road Vehicle Measurement of Tire Wear Particle Emissions and Approach for Emission Prediction

ABSTRACT Airborne particulate matter has long been associated with negative environmental and health impacts. Tire wear, in the form of particulate matter and microplastics, also poses a potential hazard to human health and the ecosystem. In order to develop measures minimizing tire related pollution, it is necessary to identify and classify all relevant influencing parameters. Within the scope of this study, a measurement vehicle is presented enabling sampling and measurement of tire-induced particles under varying operating conditions. The measurement setup ensures the separation of brake and tire wear and includes particle measurement devices as well as numerous vehicle motion sensors. Based on on-road tests, correlations between driving dynamic parameters and particle emission were analyzed. Furthermore, a first approach for tire-induced particle emission prediction is presented.

The influence of plastic pyrolysis oil on fuel lubricity and diesel engine performance.

This study investigates the viability of using plastic oils derived from High-density polyethylene (HDPE), Polypropylene (PP), and Polystyrene (PS) as alternative fuels for diesel engines. The research focuses on comparing the physical and chemical properties, fuel lubricity, engine performance, combustion characteristics, and exhaust emissions of these plastic oils. Analysis revealed that PS exhibits different fuel properties compared to diesel, with a carbon range distribution similar to gasoline, while HDPE and PP properties closely resemble diesel fuel. To prevent potential engine damage, PS was excluded from engine tests. PP displayed the best fuel lubricity, attributed to its higher kinematic viscosity and sulphur content, reducing direct friction. Diesel followed, with PS and HDPE in decreasing order of lubricity. Diesel's lubricity was influenced by the 7% palmitic methyl ester content in the fuel. In engine tests, HDPE demonstrated BTE similar to diesel, while PP exhibited lower BTE due to combustion retardation, leading to increased energy losses and higher BSFC. The combustion characteristics, in-cylinder pressure, and heat release rate of HDPE closely resembled diesel, while PP showed significantly delayed combustion due to low oxygen content and higher kinematic viscosity. Notably, NOX emissions from PP were lower than diesel and HDPE at all engine loads due to heat losses, resulting in a low in-cylinder temperature unsuitable for NOX emission. HDPE produced higher NOX emissions than diesel at low and middle loads due to its higher H/C ratio, promoting high thermal NOX formation. HC emissions from both HDPE and PP were higher than diesel due to increased fuel supply, hindering chemical bond breakdown. Similarly, CO emissions increased for HDPE and PP due to insufficient time for complete combustion, with HDPE producing more CO due to its heavy composites and lower cetane index. Smoke emissions from both HDPE and PP surpassed diesel, attributed to lower oxygen and higher sulphur content, leading to increased sulphurate particulate matter formation, and lower fuel density referring to the high amount of fuel supplied to the engine.

A comparison of environmental performance of electronic and bound-thesis using life cycle assessment

Dematerialization through information technology aids in advancing environmental sustainability. Replacing a bound thesis with an e-thesis for a university dissertation will be a complementary paradigm shift for higher environmental performance. Hence, the study intended to determine and compare the environmental performance parameters of conventional paper-based bound-thesis and e-thesis. Moreover, the study aimed to identify the activities causing higher environmental burdens during the production of bound and e-thesis. Open LCA 1.11 was employed for a conventional bound thesis with its e-version submitted by the undergraduates of the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka. The study utilized U.S. EPA life-cycle inventory data. The analysis demonstrated that the overall global warming potential of a 40-page hard cover thesis was 4,839,000.00 kg CO2-eq to which paper and cover import and paper manufacturing stages contributed more than 99% (4,830,000.0 kg CO2-eq). In comparison, a 0.084 MB soft copy of an e-thesis reported a negligible (0.09936 kg CO2-eq) global warming potential value. Ozone formation-human health, ozone formation-terrestrial ecosystems, terrestrial acidification, fine particulate matter formation, and marine eutrophication potential were 265,584.31 kg NOx eq, 265,583.21 kg NOx eq, 177,451.5 kg SO2 eq, 52,948 kg PM2.5 eq, and 29,041.0 kg N-eq for bound thesis production system. Except for the stratospheric ozone depletion impact and water consumption, environmental performance indicators of e-thesis were superior to the conventional-bound thesis. The study recommends the preparation of e-thesis as an environmentally sound approach. Switching to renewables, extended lifespan, and material recycling of devices at the end of use, sustainable forestry practices, process optimization, and cleaner production technologies can further enhance the environmental performance of e-thesis.

Influence of atmospheric oxidation capacity on atmospheric particulate matters concentration in Lanzhou

The atmospheric oxidation capacity (AOC) reflects the removal rate of atmospheric pollutants, and this index is typically characterized by the oxidant concentration or total reaction rate. The AOC plays a crucial role in the formation of atmospheric particulate matters and serves as an important indicator for studying changes in the concentration. In this study, we analyse the characteristics of atmospheric oxidants in Lanzhou based on data in the year of 2020 and 2021 retrieved from the Atmospheric Comprehensive Observation Station in Lanzhou. Empirical equations are applied to estimate the impact of atmospheric oxidative properties secondary generation concentrations of atmospheric particulate matters with different particle sizes. The results indicate that the annual average values of Ox were 146 μg/m3 in 2020 and 139 μg/m3 in 2021. The AOC was the highest in summer and lowest in winter. The correlation coefficient between O3 and Ox was significantly higher than that between NO2 and Ox, suggesting that O3 exerted a greater impact on the AOC in Lanzhou. A low AOC (MDA8 O3 ≤ 100 μg/m3) promoted the oxidation process of VOCs and other precursors, leading to the generation of secondary aerosols and subsequent formation of secondary particles. There were negative correlations between Ox and atmospheric particulate matters, secondary inorganic components, sulfur oxidation ratio (SOR) and nitrogen oxidation ratio (NOR), indicating that excessively high levels of Ox could inhibit the conversion rate of SO2 and NO2 into their respective forms to a certain extent.

Quantifying the environmental implication of cotton-Fiber-based Nanocrystalline cellulose: A life-cycle assessment

Considering the increasing demand for nanocrystalline-cellulose in the industry, due to its exceptional physical and biological properties, cheaper and more efficient production processes are sought. Addressing environmental concerns, especially within the framework of EU policies, this study employs Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to evaluate the environmental performance of a novel nanocrystalline-cellulose production procedure, encompassing biomass depolymerization, rinsing, and bleaching. The LCA aims to identify environmental hotspots, explore mitigation measures, and enables comparisons with other LCA studies on nanocrystalline-cellulose. The results are calculated and reported for 19 environmental impact categories, using the ReCiPe 2016 impact assessment method. The production of 1 kg of dry nanocrystalline-cellulose using the novel process emits 63.7 kg CO2 equivalent, which is lower than the literature average (68 kg CO2 equivalent). The solvent (e.g. diethylene glycol) is the major contributor to the global warming potential and fossil-fuel depletion potential in the product stage of the nanocellulose, while the electricity requirements and glycerin represent environmental hotspots regarding 15 of the 19 impact categories assessed. In terms of the water-consumption potential, the environmental hotspot is production of raw materials (e.g. cotton fibers). Electricity contributes more than 50 % of the burden to the impact categories associated with ionizing radiation, the pollution of aquatic ecosystems and human toxicity related to cancer. It also holds a significant share of the burdens for terrestrial acidification (48 % of the impact), the formation of fine particulate matter (46 % of the impact), and human toxicity related to non-cancer diseases (37 % of the impact). This underscores the importance of optimizing the production process, possibly through upscaling. Additionally, incorporating on-site renewable energy sources and utilizing biomass-derived diethylene glycol can enhance the environmental performance of nanocrystalline-cellulose.

Recovery of energy and carbon fibre from wind turbine blades waste (carbon fibre/unsaturated polyester resin) using pyrolysis process and its life-cycle assessment

Recovery of carbon fibres and resin from wind turbine blade waste (WTB) composed of carbon fibres (CF)-reinforced unsaturated polyester resin (UPR) has been environmentally challenging due to its complex structure that is not biodegradable and that is rich in highly toxic styrene (main component of UPR). Within this framework, this paper aims to liberate CF and UPR from WTB using a pyrolysis process. The treatment was performed on commercial WTB (CF/UPR) up to 600 °C using a 250 g reactor. The UPR fraction was decomposed into liquid and gaseous phases, while CF remained as a residue. The composition of gaseous phase was monitored during the entire treatment using a digital gas analyser, while gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to characterize the collected liquid phase. CF fraction was collected and exposed to additional oxidation process after treatment at 450 °C for purification propose, then it was analysed using FTIR and SEM-EDX. Finally, the life cycle assessment (LCA) of the CF/UPR pyrolysis was studied using SimaPro software and the results were compared with landfill disposal practices. The pyrolysis results manifested that 500 °C was sufficient for UPR decomposition into styrene-rich oil and gaseous products with yields of 15.23 wt% and 6.83 wt%, respectively, accompanied by 77.93 wt% solid residue including CF. The LCA results showed that pyrolysis with oxidation process has high environmental potential in WTB recycling with significant reduction in several impact categories compared to landfill. However, the pyrolysis scenario revealed several additional environmental burdens related to ecosystems, acidification, Ozone formation, and fine particulate matter formation that must be overcome before upscaling.

Synergistic reduction on PM and NO source emissions during preheating-combustion of pulverized coal

The present research focuses on the synergistic source control of particulate matter (PM) and NOx formation from pulverized coal combustion. Comparative experiments of preheating-combustion and conventional combustion were conducted in a lab-scale high-temperature preheating-combustion furnace, and PM10 and NO were measured by an electrical low pressure impactor and a flue gas analyzer, respectively. The results of the experiment indicate that preheating-combustion has a significant reduction in PM10 (especially PM0.3 up to 37.51 %) and NO, which can achieve the synergistic control of PM10 and NO source emissions during the combustion process. The fragmentation in preheating-combustion was weaker compared to the conventional combustion. Meanwhile, the relatively weak preheating-combustion coal char oxidation reaction leads to a decrease in ultrafine mode PM yielded due to the inhibition on vaporization of mineral inclusions. The PM0.3/PM1 mass ratio of the preheating-combustion has a decreasing trend, implying an elevated yield of PM0.3-1 and a shift of the average PM1 particle size toward a larger particle size. Higher preheating temperature (Tp) presented the potential to further reduce NO formation, and the NO reduction efficiency increased from 46.59 % to 56.60 % when the Tp was increased from 1200 K to 1600 K. All our preliminary results throw light on the nature of synergistic source control of preheating-combustion PM and NO formation.

The “SQUIID claim”: A novel LCA-based indicator for food dishes

Many studies aimed at estimating the environmental impacts associated with the food sector, but most of the existing developed indicators limited the problem only to the climate change, while it is well-known that the food sector may extend its influence on a wider spectrum of environmental categories. In this work, the Life Cycle Assessment was applied to a list of 1001 recipes for an Italian food canteen, prepared with more than 150 ingredients, with the purpose to develop a comprehensive environmental indicator (namely, SQUIID: Simplified Quantitative Impact Indicator for food Dishes). SQUIID includes in the evaluation the environmental categories showing a significant contribution (at least 86%) to the single score, i.e., global warming potential (GWP), particulate matter formation, land occupation, human non-carcinogenic toxicity and water consumption. The list of recipes was then analyzed under three perspectives: mass, GWP and SQUIID. The mass perspective indicates that the list of recipes contains a fairly balanced amount of ingredients, pointing out a remarkable diversification of the menu in the examined canteen. Concerning GWP and SQUIID spheres, meat-based and fish-based recipes resulted the main impacting ones (77% for the former and 73% for the latter), demonstrating to be the two classes mainly responsible for the environmental impacts observed, even if the vegetarian and vegan food dishes represent the 41% in mass. Meat-based dishes represent the 42% of the entire list of recipes in case of GWP, when adopting SQUIID, their overall contribution is reduced to the 35%. In fact, the main percentage of SQUIID is instead attributed to fish, raising from 31% (GWP) to 43%. Such variation demonstrated the relevance of the four additional selected categories for a final and comprehensive evaluation, proving that GWP-based indicators provide to the consumer only a partial representation of the environmental issue.

Life cycle assessment of four different precision agriculture technologies and comparison with a conventional scheme

Precision farming technologies have the potential to enhance agricultural sustainability, but their exact environmental impact remains uncertain. This study aimed to (1) compare the life cycle assessment (LCA) of a conventional five-year crop rotation system with and without precision agriculture technologies (PATs) in Lower Austria; (2) to assess the emission hotspots and (3) to perform a sensitivity analysis on fertilization using the DeNitrification-DeComposition (DNDC) soil model to quantifying soil emission. Evaluated PATs included automatic steering systems, automatic section control (ASC), proximal sensors, and prescription maps from remote sensors. The crop rotation system included spring barley, soy, winter wheat, rapeseed, and winter barley. Assessed agricultural processes encompassed tillage, seeding, plant protection, fertilization, and harvesting. The impacts evaluated were climate change, fine particulate matter formation, freshwater eutrophication, freshwater ecotoxicity, terrestrial acidification, terrestrial ecotoxicity, and human carcinogenic toxicity. The sensor scheme scenario showed the highest reductions in climate change, followed by the prescription map, ASC, and autosteer scheme with reductions of −17.0, −8.9, −6.4, and −2.4%, respectively. This study emphasizes the potential of PATs to minimize environmental impacts in crop production while recognizing the influence of site and technology-specific factors. Future research should consider local variables for a comprehensive environmental assessment.

The Environmental Impact of Reusing Post-Earthquake Demolition Waste: İskenderun Case Study

Producing recycled aggregate from construction and demolition waste generated by earthquakes
 and using it as raw material in concrete production would be effective for urgent waste
 management after disasters and to reduce the environmental impact of concrete production by
 decreasing resource use. In this study, the life cycle assessment (LCA) method was used to
 examine the environmental implications of concrete produced using recycled aggregates (RA)
 derived from construction and demolition waste (CDW) of buildings demolished after the
 earthquake that struck Iskenderun and was centered in Kahramanmaraş. In addition, the
 environmental consequences of an equal volume of concrete produced in the same location
 utilizing natural aggregates (NA) were assessed. For the LCA of these two types of concrete,
 openLCA software and the ReCiPe midpoint database were used. LCA was conducted
 considering terrestrial ecotoxicity, climate change, terrestrial acidification, photochemical
 oxidant formation, marine ecotoxicity, human toxicity, freshwater ecotoxicity, ozone depletion,
 particulate matter formation, marine eutrophication, and ionizing radiation impact factors. The
 results show that cement has the highest impact on the environment by far. RAC (recycled
 aggregate concrete) has a lower environmental impact than NAC (natural aggregate concrete), in
 general.

Advancing Biodiesel Production System from Mixed Vegetable Oil Waste: A Life Cycle Assessment of Environmental and Economic Outcomes

This study aims to evaluate the environmental and economic performance of biodiesel production from mixed vegetable oil waste using the life cycle assessment (LCA) model. Due to its huge potential, Pakistan is taken as a case study. It produces 468,842 tons of vegetable oil waste annually. As no biodiesel production plant exists to process it, the environmental performance of biodiesel prototypes has not been investigated. Therefore, the current study is conducted to support the design of a plant to produce biodiesel from mixed oil waste. An attributional LCA was conducted using ReCiPe (H) and found that 400 kg of biodiesel can be produced from 1 t of mixed oil waste. The results, based on a functional unit of 1 ton, showed that biodiesel production from mixed vegetable oil waste is more eco-friendly than the existing landfilling practices with a global warming potential of 1.36 × 10−4 kg CO2 eq, human toxicity of 5.31 kg 1.4 DB eq, ozone depletion potential of 0.00271 kg CFC-11 eq, eutrophication potential of 0.0118 kg P eq, acidification potential of 123 kg SO2 eq, and photochemical ozone formation of 51.4 kg NOx eq. Scenario modelling was conducted using electricity from photovoltaic solar cells, which decrease fine particulate matter formation from 44.5 to 0.725 kg PM2.5 eq, instead of using electricity from a grid to the plant. Hotspot identification was carried out to highlight the effects of individual impact categories. An economic analysis showed that 638,839 USD/year revenue would be generated. Generating energy from discarded vegetable oils through biodiesel production presents a sustainable and economically viable approach. This process benefits the environment and contributes to cost savings by reducing waste disposal in landfills. Furthermore, it aligns with the principles of a circular economy, in which resources are reused and recycled. It also supports the pursuit of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG-7, which focuses on affordable and clean energy, and SDG-12, which emphasizes responsible consumption and production.