Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management最新文献

Plastics have revolutionised modern life thanks to their versatility, durability, and low production costs. However, their persistence in the environment has become one of the most pressing global challenges. This review looks closely at the full life cycle of plastics from polymerisation and processing to manufacturing and use across different industries. It also critically examines the environmental impacts of plastic waste. Special attention is given to the two main categories of plastics, thermoplastics and thermosets and the unique challenges they pose for waste management and recycling. We discuss common processing methods like injection moulding, extrusion, blow moulding, and additional operations, with a focus on how they influence material recovery and sustainability efforts. The review also explores various strategies to reduce plastic pollution, including cutting plastic use at the source, promoting reusable alternatives, advancing mechanical and chemical recycling, and developing new biodegradable polymers. Furthermore, it highlights the role of strong policy actions, increased public awareness, and AI-driven recycling systems in moving towards a circular plastic economy. By combining innovation in materials science with environmental responsibility and socio-economic strategies, this review identifies key pathways for sustainable plastic management and stresses the need for interdisciplinary collaboration to address the global plastic crisis.

Sustainable nutrient management remains a critical challenge for agri-food systems worldwide, particularly in resource-constrained island regions. Excessive nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) losses, driven by reliance on imported fertilizers, feed, and inefficient waste management, contribute to eutrophication, greenhouse gas emissions, and soil degradation. These environmental burdens undermine the resilience and sustainability of food systems. This study employed material flow analysis (MFA) to evaluate nutrient flows and losses in Taiwan, a densely populated island that is highly dependent on external nutrient inputs. Results indicate annual inflows of 358.6 kt N and 118.3 kt P, of which 84% of N and 48% of P are lost, primarily through domestic and industrial wastewater discharge and manure mismanagement. Scenario-based assessments demonstrate that enhanced biowaste recycling, including livestock manure, food waste, and wastewater, could reduce fertilizer imports and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions by up to 98,299 t CO2 eq annually. While some progress has been made in municipal wastewater valorization, broader implementation of nutrient recovery strategies remains limited. The findings underscore the need for integrated policy frameworks and cross-sectoral collaboration to enhance nutrient circularity, reduce environmental pressures, and support cleaner food production in island settings. This study provides a comprehensive systems-level assessment of nutrient use inefficiencies and recovery opportunities, offering actionable insights for decision-makers and environmental planners. The approach and findings are relevant for developing science-based policies to improve sustainability in vulnerable agri-food systems globally.

A comprehensive analysis of the bioaccumulation of three cyclic (namely, D4, D5, and D6) and five linear (namely, L2, L3, L4, L5, and L6) volatile methylsiloxanes (VMS) in biota was conducted by reviewing 50 published articles and laboratory reports on aquatic (82%) and terrestrial species (18%). A total of 178 bioaccumulation values were evaluated employing a quantitative weight-of-evidence (qWoE) approach provided by the Bioaccumulation Assessment Tool. Considerable variability of bioconcentration factor (BCF) and bioaccumulation factor (BAF) values was observed for VMS in aquatic organisms, which ranged from below to above their respective regulatory threshold values. The frequency of evidence for non-bioaccumulation (ie, BCF or BAF <2000) was ≥50% for D6, L2, L5, and L6. Conversely, laboratory biomagnification factor (BMF) values were generally (≥71%) less than 1, indicating low bioaccumulation potential through dietary uptake. Field BMFs displayed more variability but still suggested a low bioaccumulation potential. Despite the majority (≥65%) of trophic magnification factors (TMFs) in aquatic food webs being below 1, the broad range of TMF values for all VMS examined indicates potential uncertainties introduced by environmental factors in the target environments (e.g., chemical exposure gradient) and sampling bias. Overall, lines of evidence (≥71%) suggest that cyclic and linear VMS generally do not bioaccumulate in aquatic species, with dietary uptake being the primary pathway. For terrestrial species, primarily rats, predicted and field BMFs were less than 1 at 37 °C, primarily via respiratory elimination. Field TMFs for terrestrial food webs, including invertebrates and various bird species with body temperatures of 18 and 40 °C, respectively, were sourced from a single study, where D4 demonstrated trophic dilution, while D5 and D6 generally did not biomagnify in this terrestrial food web.

Concerns regarding the potential adverse effects of ship-generated scrubber effluent discharged to the marine environment and the growing number of ecotoxicological experiments have motivated a systematic review of the available whole effluent toxicity (WET) studies where marine organisms have been exposed to scrubber effluent. All available WET studies on scrubber effluent exposure were assessed with respect to reliability and relevance, and the respective toxicity metrics (including effect concentrations and no/lowest observed effect concentration) were compiled to determine hazardous concentrations by applying a probabilistic approach. The ecotoxicological impact was assessed by relating the subsequent hazard concentrations, derived from species sensitivity distribution curves as the potentially affected fraction of species, to estimated environmental concentrations. Environmental concentrations were estimated from previous studies that have modelled scrubber effluent dilution or conducted in situ measurement of dilution of ship-generated waste. The hazardous concentration for 5% of the species was determined at 0.0003%, corresponding to environmentally realistic concentrations. Despite the wide range of confidence limits, the results indicate that the discharge of scrubber effluents, particularly from open loop systems, poses a significant environmental hazard. These findings provide a scientific basis for future risk and impact assessments of scrubber effluents, contributing to the ongoing policy discussion regarding the need to restrict scrubber water discharges.

The advancement of low-carbon energy hinges on access to energy transition minerals, driving the development of new mining projects. This review assesses the potential ecological risks of mining discharges in estuaries, with the Guadalquivir Estuary as focal study system. We considered physical, chemical, hydrodynamic, and biological characteristics. Substantial portion of discharged metals would be absorbed by particulate matter and deposited in bottom sediments. The inner estuary, a low-salinity, hypoxic, and sediment-trapping environment, is particularly vulnerable. Its confinement by a dam, coupled with reduced freshwater flow due to climate change and water overuse, exacerbates the retention of pollutants. Furthermore, a recent mining discharge from Las Cruces Mine carried out since 2009 have already compromised the estuary's sediments with high loads of ecotoxic metals. Moreover, two new authorized mining discharges could further contaminate the inner estuary and the downstream Fishing Reserve, where increased salinity may mobilize metals. Riparian forests and Spartina grasslands remain particularly vulnerable to metal pollution. Our analysis highlights the limitations of current environmental assessments, which often oversimplify the complex dynamics of the Guadalquivir Estuary. To adhere to the precautionary principle, we recommend a moratorium on new mining discharges. This aligns with the Non-Deterioration Principle of the Water Framework Directive, emphasizing the need to prevent further degradation of aquatic environments. We propose future research lines to investigate the dynamics of metal pollution and its environmental impacts. Our analysis shows the complexity of estuarine ecosystems and points to the importance of assessing metal metabolism in relation, especially, to sediments and biota in the current context of increasing mining activity.

The European Green Deal, popular for its "2050 climate neutrality" target, also postulates the "zero pollution ambition for a toxic-free environment", supported through the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability (CSS). The CSS mentions Safe and Sustainable-by-Design (SSbD), calling for the integration of safety and sustainability into innovation. Developing the SSbD framework further is a key action enabling both CSS objectives and the broader Green Deal ambitions. Yet, SSbD's complexity and data demands are seen by many companies as burdensome, while the benefits of SSbD adoption remain unclear. Therefore, this study examines SSbD's role in "regulatory readiness", ie, proactive development of novel chemicals, materials, and products for compliance before market entry and for adaptability to future regulations. By analyzing 15 EU policies (prioritized through industry feedback) against 15 SSbD components, this study finds a 64% overlap, ie, many mandates for SSbD components are observed within the analyzed legislation. The findings of this study inform recommendations for industry and policymakers to foster industrial competitiveness in the EU. Companies are recommended to leverage SSbD for early regulatory readiness, internalize SSbD's "fail early and fail cheap" philosophy, and invest in SSbD capacity building. Policymakers are recommended to incentivize corporate SSbD adoption, explicitly integrate SSbD into future legislation, and invest in research to address critical gaps in safety and sustainability sciences to strengthen SSbD further.

Driven by the high contents of organic materials in municipal solid waste (MSW) by 70% in Iran and the growing demand for mineral fertilizer, refinement of the composting technology is imperative. In the pursuit of environmental sustainability, further investigation into the life cycle assessment of the composting process and end-of-life waste management must be conducted. Hence, this study scrutinized the environmental burdens of the composting plant operation from cradle to gate. Since 50% of the raw MSW was not converted to compost, its final disposal was evaluated based on incineration, landfill, and integrated approaches. The results indicated marine and freshwater ecotoxicity of the composting process (> 50.4 kg 1,4-DB eq). Heavy metal and gas emissions during the MSW decomposition were the pivotal parameters for most impact categories. CO2 emission intensified climate change by 3523 kg CO2 eq; however, waste incineration led to emission savings of 98.75%. The environmental benefits of incineration were observed in 13 impact categories alongside a net-negative value for natural land transformation. Landfilling also induced savings in freshwater eutrophication and metal depletion by 98.67% and 99.08%, respectively. Unlike previous studies relying on generalized data, this study uses detailed, plant-level operational data and scenario-based modeling from Sistan and Baluchestan province. This approach provides realistic impact estimates and decision-relevant insights.

Understanding how polluted ecosystems self-regulate in response to contamination is important for developing nature based solutions for environmental management. However, plant species identification with the highest role in environmental management remains a major challenge. This study applies ecological principles to identify and assess plant indicators for environmental management in lead-zinc and manganese mining polluted ecosystems. A total of 234 plant species were recorded, of which key indicator species were identified using Indicator Species Analysis (ISA) and validated through Generalized Linear Models (GLM). Macaranga pustulata, Leucosceptrum canum, and Hypoestes triflora were identified as key indicators in lead-zinc and Morus macroura, Woodfordia fruticosa, and Eremochloa ciliaris in manganese polluted environments. Phytoremediation assessments showed that H. triflora hyperaccumulates Pb, Zn, Cd, Cr, Ni and E. ciliaris accumulates Cr, Cu, Cd and Ni (BCF, TF and BAC values >1). Macaranga pustulata, M. macroura and W. fruticosa demonstrated strong phyto-stabilization potential against different heavy metals. These results were further validated by Generalized Linear Mixed Models (GLMM) which comprehend a significant relationship between heavy metal pollution and plant bioaccumulation traits. This study presents a systematic ecological approach for appropriate plants selection for environmental management and recommends the integration of these indicator species into restoration and sustainability programs.

Climate change is one of the major reasons for biodiversity decline. Due to a changing climate, trees experience shrinking and shifting of ecologically suited areas, which ultimately leads to population loss and even extinction. A recent global assessment of trees indicates that nearly 40% are at extinction. Diospyros crumenata Thwaites (Ebenaceae) is a critically endangered tree species, endemic to the evergreen and semi-evergreen forests of the Western Ghats-Sri Lanka biodiversity hotspot. This tree species, which is economically and ecologically important, is facing serious threats in its natural habitat and needs immediate conservation measures. The current work sought to comprehend D. crumenata's distribution pattern and habitat appropriateness under present and future climate change scenarios (2050 and 2070) using MaxEnt. The research also aimed to determine the main environmental factors influencing the distribution of D. crumenata. We used 19 bioclimatic variables and other topographical variables including elevation, slope, aspect, and soil data for predicting the current and future potential distribution of the species. Along with this, we used three different global climate models -HadGEM3-GC31-LL, MICROC6, and BCC-CSM2-MR, for 2050 and 2070, using four SSP scenarios for predicting the future distribution of species. An area under the curve value of 0.926 indicated that the MaxEnt modelling performed exceptionally well in forecasting the distribution of D. crumenata. We found that precipitation of the wettest month, followed by elevation, precipitation of the driest quarter, precipitation of the driest month, and precipitation of the wettest quarter are the most significant variables.