Quantitative Environmental Impact Assessment Research Articles

Data-driven based estimation of waste-derived ceramic concrete from experimental results with its environmental assessment

The significant requirement for natural resources, specifically as ingredients of cement, is accelerating due to the considerable growth of the construction sector. Further, cement production adversely affects climate change due to the generation of bulk CO2 emissions. At the same time, a significant quantum of ceramic waste is generated either in the ceramic production process or due to the demolition of ceramic products each year. The unavailability of an adequate way to dispose of this ceramic waste negatively impacts the environment and landfills. Numerous researchers have explored the potential of utilizing this ceramic waste powder as a partial cement replacement to reduce the allied issues. Hence, in the current study, the supervised machine learning (ML) algorithms, i.e., Decision Tree (DT), AdaBoost (AdB), Bagging (Bg), Random Forest (RF), Gradient Boosting (GB) and XGBoost (XGB) are employed for predicting the Compressive Strength (CS) of ceramic waste powder concrete (CWPC). The performance of models is also assessed by using the coefficient of determination (R2), Mean Absolute Error (MAE), Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), and Nash Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE). The k-fold cross-validation technique is applied afterwards to validate the model's performance. For predicting the CS of CWPC, the RF algorithm is the most effective among the employed algorithms, with a higher R2 value of 0.97 and significantly lesser RMSE and MAE values of 1.40 and 1.13, respectively. SHAP analysis shows that the curing days feature has the highest influence on the CS of CWPC. As per quantitative Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), the concrete with 10% CWP content can have 6.78%, 8.68%, 7.18%, and 7.19% reduced impacts on natural resources, climate change, ecosystem quality, and human health, respectively. Moreover, the effects on non-renewable energy resources, depletion of the ozone layer, and global warming can also primarily be reduced by a maximum of 7%, 6%, and 9%, respectively. The application of ML techniques for estimating the CS of CWPC would benefit the field of civil engineering in terms of conserving resources, effort, and time.

Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of intra-row and inter-row weeding practices using autonomous robot systems in French vineyards

Viticulture, as well as other crops, is facing obligation to reduce the use of herbicides and to develop alternatives solutions to chemical weed control. These alternatives can be achieved by mechanical weeding either using tractors or weeding robots. This paper provides a quantitative environmental impact assessment using Life Cycle Assessment of intra-row and inter-row weeding practices using autonomous robot systems in three French vineyards. Twenty-seven scenarios were built to assess chemical, mechanical or a combination of the two for intra-row weeding management combined with mechanical weeding or mowing as inter-row management. Results shows that scenarios using weeding robots for the intra-row management have greater impacts than conventional ones on mineral resources, human toxicity, freshwater ecotoxicity and marine eutrophication due to the manufacture, the lifetime (when assumed short) and the functionality of robots. However, these same scenarios have fewer impacts than conventional ones on climate change, fossil resources, ozone depletion, acidification and particle formation, especially when robots are used on plots closed to the winery. This study had shed some light on the relative impacts of a robotic machine intended to replace tractors and vine straddles tractors in certain tillage operations. In particular, it may allow the implementation of an eco-design approach for the use of robots, making it possible to find the operating point that could minimize the overall impact of robotic solutions.

Informative Environment Qualifying Index

Improvement in the quality of the environment and, as a result, in the quality of life, including environmental impact assessments and environmental management, play an important role in the practical implementation of environmental regulations. The goal of this paper is to develop a new type of quantitative environmental impact assessment method to describe changes in environmental elements as well as the environment in an objective and reliable manner for various projects, investments, plans and proposals. An easily adaptable method was sought which provides a clear and well-interpretable result on the condition of and foreseeable changes in the environment. The algorithm operates using the limit values of environmental elements set forth by national regulations. The evaluation is independent of the number of environmental parameters chosen as it was included in the informativity rates of the method. The process results in an aggregated index for qualifying the total environment but, nonetheless, the affected environmental elements and measured environmental parameters can be analysed independently. The Informative Environment Qualifying Index evaluates the environmental parameters in proportion to the strictness of the limit values. The final assessment of the total environment is performed by using varying intervals, therefore, the different cases can be compared to each other. Experts interpret the results as well as explain the changes in the state of the environment and, therefore, identify the cause-effect relationships.

Quantitative environmental impact assessment on groundwater quality using geoinformatics techniques

Availability of quality freshwater is one of the most critical environmental issues of the twenty first century (UNEP, 2002). Urbanization leads to the environmental pollution, i.e., urban growth leads to the increasing of slums, solid waste disposal, provision of transport facilities, conjection and groundwater contamination. Groundwater is an important water resource for domestic and agriculture in both rural and urban parts of India. Pollution of groundwater comes from many sources. Groundwater contamination in a major issue, especially in industrial areas especially like Dindigul. The presence of large number of tanniers and allied industrial unit such as dyeing and bleaching units in and around the town are the main factors, which affect the environmental quality of the town. Dindigul town is not having the physical expansion since 1981 with an area of 14.01sq.km. Only wards are increased by enjoying the rapid growth of population. Dindigul is the main industrial hub for the Tanneries. Effluents from the tanneries are discharged in to streams which drain into ponds, thereby polluting the ground water sources and cultivable land. These values are more than the permissible limit in and around the tannery cluster compared to other parts of the area. The pH,CO3, Na, Ca, Mg, NO3, and SO4 values of all groundwater samples are within the permissible limits but all the EC, TDS, HCO3and K values are exceeding the permissible limit. According to TH and Cl 6 samples are exceeding the prescribed limits. There are about 80 tanneries spread within 4-6 kms radius in the south western part of the town i.e., near Paraipatti, so ground water pollution is very high compared to other places. Madurai road tanneries are located so in Begampur near Annamalayar school pollution is high. R. M. Colony is having the highest household wastages because of its vertical expansion so in that areas also pollution is high.

Quantitative assessment of environmental impact of biologics manufacturing using process mass intensity analysis.

Process mass intensity (PMI) is a benchmarking metric to evaluate the efficiency of a manufacturing process, which is indicative of the environmental impact of the process. Although this metric is commonly applied for small molecule manufacturing processes, it is less commonly applied to biologics. In this study, an Excel based tool developed by the ACS GCI Pharmaceutical Roundtable was used to calculate PMI of different manufacturing processes for a monoclonal antibody (mAb). For the upstream process, three different versions were compared: fed-batch, fed-batch with N-1 perfusion, and perfusion in the N-stage bioreactor. For each upstream process version, an appropriate downstream operational mode was evaluated from the following: a column chromatography process utilizing Protein A and anion exchange (AEX) resin, a Protein A column and an AEX membrane, and a three-column periodic counter-current (3C PCC) chromatography process for Protein A and an AEX membrane. The impact of these different process variations on PMI was evaluated. Of all the process inputs, water contributes about 92-94% of the overall PMI. Additionally, the upstream processes and the chromatography steps account for 32-47 and 34-54% of the overall PMI, respectively. Sensitivity analysis was performed to identify opportunities for further reducing PMI. These data indicate that a semicontinuous manufacturing process (perfusion, 3C PCC, and AEX membrane) is the most efficient process, resulting in a 23% reduction of PMI when compared with the fed batch and two-column chromatography process. Together, PMI can be used to guide the development of efficient and environmentally sustainable mAb manufacturing processes. © 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 34:1566-1573, 2018.

Decision-making tool for the assessment and selection of construction processes based on environmental criteria: Application to precast and cast-in-situ alternatives

This paper presents a quantitative environmental impact assessment tool for the decision making of construction processes including structures, infrastructures and buildings by means of an Environmental Impact Index (EII) to be applied at design and/or construction stages. The research is based on multi-attribute utility theory, interviews with experts representatives of the different stakeholders in construction, and an analysis of fifty-nine European and Spanish environmental legislative acts. The resulting tool was applied to two construction alternatives for road drains (one precast and one cast-in-place). The findings show that the tool enables the prioritisation of construction processes and the selection of the best alternative in terms of environmental impact and that the results are stable to reasonable weight variations. The tool contributes to decision making in the context of project management in construction: it can help professionals in public administration, and design and construction companies. It helps to quantify the cradle-to-gate impact of construction work, which has usually been less studied than the operational impact in the life-cycle assessment of buildings. The tool is being piloted in construction projects of the Barcelona City Council.

LCA를 이용한 확공지압형 앵커와 일반 앵커의 환경영향 특성 비교분석

In this study, quantitative environmental impact assessments of the VSL anchor and RB(Reaming and Bearing) anchor systems were conducted after a life-cycle assessment (LCA). In addition, improvements which reduce the adverse environmental effects of the RB anchor system were confirmed through comparisons with results with a VSL anchor system. Both results showed that water ecotoxicity and global warming are the most important in environmental influences. To determine the effect of reducing the RB anchor system environment, the result was normalized for the environmental impact category. Most items appeared to have been improved with regard to the RB anchor system. The most significant improvement was a 77% decrease in POC levels(photochemical oxidant creation). Greenhouse gas emissions, related to global warming, were decreased by 44%. It is expected that these quantitative environmental impact assessment results will serve as the basis of an anchor system for civil engineering and environmental impact assessments.

Risk assessment of heavy metals from combustion of pelletized municipal sewage sludge.

Fly ash and slag are important by-products obtained from combustion of municipal sewage sludge (MSS) after pelletization. The quantitative environmental impact assessment of heavy metals in fly ash and slag, compared to MSS, were performed in accordance with bioavailability and eco-toxicity, geo-accumulation index (GAI), risk assessment code (RAC), and potential ecological risk index (PERI). The results demonstrated that not only direct but also long-term bioavailability and eco-toxicity of heavy metals in fly ash and slag decreased except direct bioavailability and eco-toxicity of Pb in fly ash. The GAI demonstrated that combustion significantly weakened (P < 0.05) the pollution levels of heavy metals. PERI indicated that all risks attributed to heavy metals were significantly lowered (P < 0.05) from 777.07 (very high risk) in MSS to 288.72 (moderate risk) and 64.55 (low risk) in fly ash and slag, respectively. In terms of the RAC, seven heavy metals had low even no risk to the environments after combustion besides As in slag. The environmental risk of heavy metals in fly ash and slag was decreased compared with MSS. However, the results of PERI showed that fly ash had a moderate risk.

Quantitative environmental impact assessment of the Open cast mining in Sonbhadra district, Uttar Pradesh, India

The district Sonbhadra, previously a part of Mirzapur district in Uttar Pradesh, India, was created as a separate district in 1991.Geologically the area consists of Vindhyan supergroup, Mahakoshal group and Dudhi granitoid complex.The district Sonbhadra has rich mineral resources and their potential. The area is known for production of cement grade Limestone and Dolomite; the other minerals are Clay, Calcite, Silimanite and base metals for more than last three decades. These mining areas show impacts on the environmental status of the district. In the present study, the different mining and environmental parameters have been considered for analysing the environmental impact assessment (EIA). A matrix method has been used to delineate the quantitative EIA in the area. Finally, the resulted assessment impact value index (-2861.76), shows significant impact on environment such as degradation of forest land, air contamination due to mining dust, water quality and related health aspect of the area. Thus, major environmental control measures should be taken for sustainable development of the study area such as improvement of mining equipments, proper dumping of the mining waste and large scale plantation.

Environmental impact and risk quantification based on selected water quality indicators

Environmental assessments are often approached in an integrated manner, taking into consideration the decision-making processes, the stakeholders’ roles and the preservation of environmental components and human health. An environmental impact and risk assessment (EIRA) methodology could respond to the new challenges in water resources management such as those related to industrial/agricultural development and urbanization. Romania is a country that still faces problems in terms of integrated water resources management implementation, due to some industrial/agricultural activities that exceed water quality discharge limits and the influence of diffuse pollution sources over surface waters. This study presents the development and implementation of a methodology for the quantitative assessment of environmental impact and associated risk of the economic activities from four counties from the northeastern part of Romania (Botosani, Iasi, Vaslui and Galati counties) within the Prut river catchment. This methodology was developed for river basin evaluations by using representative quality indicators for the case of surface water pollution, i.e. biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solids (TSS), ammonia (NH4 +) and detergents, with reference to the maximum concentrations allowed by the national standards. The monthly water samples from 112 wastewater discharging agents (industry, agriculture, wastewater treatment plants, and small and medium enterprises) were analyzed, and the yearly average values of these five indicators were considered in the integrated assessment procedure. The results revealed that there are consistent environmental impacts and risks within Prut river basin, these being mainly produced by industry. The integrated impact and risk assessment methodology presents the advantages of rapidity and the potential for improving the decision-making process.

The level and nature of sustainability for clusters of abandoned limestone quarries in the southern Palestinian West Bank

The question of how sustainable a mining site is at the end of its operational life has been somewhat unanswered. The fundamental problem has been how to evaluate the sustainability of a mining site once operations cease and is abandoned. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is certainly a way to evaluate sustainability of such sites, but only through inference and subjective evaluation. This is because the topic of sustainability still hotly debated, and is predominantly focussed on an anthropocentric approach. Even with quantitative-based EIAs, the question is how to directly evaluate sustainability from the data available using a consistent quantitative approach rather than on a case-by-case basis or subjective evaluation. However, by using the ideas and concepts concerning the coupled relationship between the environment and humans prevalent in sustainability science, the question of what is and how to evaluate sustainability has become capable of being answered. Based on previous work of the author in the development and application of a mathematical model of sustainability, the paper applies the model to the results of a quantitative EIA evaluation for nine clusters of abandoned limestone quarries located in the southern Palestinian West Bank. The results indicate that seven of the nine clusters were deemed to be unsustainable, whilst the other two clusters were considered as sustainable at a very weak level only. The results are discussed within the broader context of the coupled environment-human system using one of the supporting frameworks for the development and application of the mathematical model of sustainability: Earth System Analysis. Within this context, the discussion indicates the fact that unmanaged impacts by humans has created the situation for unsustainability to occur. The paper therefore provides for the clearest indication yet of the nature of sustainability at the end of the mining operational life-cycle without an effective and proper management strategy or policies.

Real-time hydro-environmental modeling and visualization system for public engagement

Quantitative environmental impact assessment (EIA) provides a tool for decision makers and the public to understand issues relating to sustainable development. The use of advanced hydro-environmental modelling and visualization technology can help to provide an intuitive and interactive digital platform to better communicate EIA issues and thus promote continuous public involvement and stakeholder engagement. Such a platform must be based on a robust hydrodynamic model engine that provides seamless predictions from the near to far field. This lecture summarizes the key issues of impact assessment in urban coastal cities, and presents examples of impact assessment of several major sewage outfalls, including the Hong Kong Harbour Area Treatment Scheme. The predictions of a recently developed Distributed Entrainment Sink Approach (DESA) for dynamic coupling of the near and far fields are compared with alternative “actual source" approaches and field experiments. The conceptual elements of a real time water quality forecast and management system are outlined.

RETRACTED ARTICLE: Environmental Impact Assessment of Industrial Structure Change in a Rural Region of China

As the embodiment of human activities, the change of regional industrial structure is an essential driving factor of global environmental change. Consequently, the research on the change of regional industrial structure and associated effects on the environment is one of the key issues of researches on sustainable development, human-environment relationship, and regional response to global environment change. However, compared to the flourish of researches on environmental impact assessment of industrial departments, few studies have been conducted to assess the environmental impact of regional industrial structure. In this study, based on a synthetic analysis of environmental disturbances of different industrial departments, the environmental impact coefficient of industrial department associated with the index of environmental impact of industrial structure was constructed, so as to make a quantitative assessment of environmental impact of the change of regional industrial structure. And the results of the case study in Lijiang City, a rural region of China, have showed that there are two obvious changes of industrial structure in the study area from 1992 to 2003, associated with a continuous decreasing of the index of environmental impact of industrial structure, which indicated a positive environmental effects of the change of regional industrial structure.

Degradation model: a quantitative EIA instrument, acting as a decision support system (DSS) for environmental management.

Environmental assessment of alternative development plans, programs, and policies may bring conflict among decision-makers, particularly when some quantitative measures for decision-making are needed and where cumulative impacts are neglected. Environmental impact assessment (EIA) and environmental economics theories, despite their usefulness, are not capable of addressing those issues and problems alone. In recent years, the decision support system (DSS) has provided some solutions, but mathematical analysis of the system to show the internal structure of the problem is not always possible. To addres the above shortcomings and ongoing problems of decision-making in Iran, a degradation model (DM) was introduced as an instrument of EIA, to act as a DSS for managers. The model is a compromise between knowledge-based decision support systems, detailed models, digested information models, and the basic theorem of environmental economics. In the present study (1996-2000), the model was applied in three provinces of Iran, representing three of four biogeographical regions of Iran. The study area was divided into a set of grids (100 km(2)). The degradation coefficient ( H) was computed for all grids (1333), representing the degree of degradation in the grid. It is obvious that the higher the coefficient the more area is degraded and less prone to further development, and vice versa. In order to provide decision-makers with a set of quantitative measures to observe impacted areas (critical and noncritical) for resource allocation and further development, the degradation coefficients of all grids were classified into categories and criteria, using a fuzzy set theoretic approach. Accordingly, only 24% of study areas are prone to further development. The degradation model as a knowledge-based decision support system has its strengths and weaknesses, but it has solved managers' ongoing problems in Iran and it could be used elsewhere.

Quantitative Assessment of Environmental Impact

Quantitative Assessment of Environmental Impact