Cleaner Environmental Systems最新文献

Plastics provide numerous societal benefits but have adverse effects on the environment over their life cycles; however, the magnitude, time horizon, and scope of these impacts is uncertain, particularly for plastics that are lost to the environment. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a method intended to capture environmental impacts of a product from cradle-to-grave, and has often been applied to plastics. This article undertakes a systematic literature review of LCA and life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) methods tailored to plastics, with particular focus on end-of-life stages and impacts from plastics lost to the environment. The review identified 1541 articles for screening, of which 51 were selected for review. Results show that even when LCA studies are largely focused on end-of-life, most ignore the risks of losing plastics to the environment, and omit the attendant impacts. Articles devoted to creating LCIA methods for plastics in the environment are growing in number, and focus primarily, on the effects of macroplastics in the marine environment. The review shows an urgent need to better understand the probability of plastic losses to the environment and their fate and transport, and develop impact characterization factors that better reflect the effects of plastics on humans and ecosystems.

Building materials and components account for about 10% of the world's anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. Carbonate decomposition and fuel combustion from the cement production process are responsible for almost 7% of carbon dioxide emissions. Since clinker is the most impacting component of ordinary Portland cement, this paper presents a statistical analysis of the life cycle impacts of 41 recipes of grey clinker produced in Europe from 2015 to 2023 to identify the consumption impact categories (e.g., fossil fuels, renewable and non-renewable secondary fuels) which better explain the assessment of the Global Warming Potential (GWP), typically exploited to quantify the environmental impact of clinker production. More in detail, several regression methods are applied to the available dataset to build predictive models for GWP and to determine the most relevant impact categories. The regression models are then compared with respect to their statistical accuracy and goodness of fit. The results provide information that can support cement producers in developing low-impacting cement recipes.

In small and medium-sized cities from developing countries, the early selection of integrated wastewater management systems is challenging due to the lack or limitations in the availability of basic information and skilled professionals. This study presents CPESI, a cumulative processes-based parsimonious workflow for early evaluation of sanitary infrastructure. CPESI is aimed to provide a simple, objective, and systematic analysis framework at the early stages of development of sanitary systems in underdeveloped nations. CPESI was applied to evaluate sanitation system alternatives for Riohacha (Colombia) in three stages, namely, (1) an initial assessment of citizens acceptability of the alternatives and analysis of basic laboratory testing; (2) a process analysis and technical-economic evaluation of alternatives based on CAPEX and OPEX indicators; and (3) engineering judgment to select the most viable alternative through multi-criteria evaluation. Our results suggest that CPESI could be highly replicable in developing countries and that it has the potential to expedite the alternatives assessment process when compared to data-intensive methods and expert requirements. Several researchers have highlighted the need to develop tools suitable to evaluate SDG 6 in developing nations. We believe that CPESI has the potential to contribute to that end.

The use of inhibitors retain nitrogen as ammonium in soil, giving plants ample time for its uptake. This can reduce nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions, but extended retention may increase ammonia (NH₃) volatilization. This study assessed the efficacy of coated urea fertilizers in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and NH₃ volatilization in rice fields. A field experiment with Pusa 44 rice in the kharif seasons of 2019 and 2020 compared unfertilized control (No N), prilled urea (PU), nitrification inhibitors (NIs): neem oil-coated urea (NCU), karanj oil-coated urea, and dual inhibitor (DI: Limus + NCU). The coated urea fertilizers were analysed with scanning electron microscopy, fourier transform infrared spectrometry, and energy-dispersive spectroscopy. Compared to PU, DI reduced N₂O emissions by 23.7%, methane by 11.9%, and NH₃ by 29.8%. DI also reduced NH₃ emissions by 36–39% compared to other NIs. Overall, DI can lower the global warming potential of rice cultivation in trans Indo-Gangetic plains region by 17.1% for both direct and indirect emissions, suggesting its significant potential to reduce India's contribution to total agricultural GHG emissions.

As more companies start disclosing environmental, social, & governance (ESG) information, a holistic understanding of environmental impact is needed to provide transparency on the different concerns of stakeholders from different backgrounds. The extraction industries are poised to play a pivotal role in providing key environmental information to downstream organizations. However, these industries face unique environmental challenges, making it difficult to identify what is significant to disclose. This article explores significant environmental impacts within the quarrying sector, from a lifecycle perspective. Quarries, where mechanical extraction and processing for rock products (including aggregates and ornamental stone) occur, are integral for infrastructure projects worldwide. To identify significant environmental aspects that should be considered in comprehensive environmental assessment for quarry stakeholders, a systematic literature review is conducted with in-depth content analysis. This reveals potential significant environmental impacts, trends, and crucial knowledge gaps. Nine relevant environmental aspects are found across six lifecycle stages for quarries. Notably, differences in environmental concepts are observed. To help overcome some conceptual barriers and improve understanding at a holistic level, environmental aspects are mapped to endpoint impacts where notable damages can occur. The findings suggest more harmonization of significance assessment for environmental impacts is needed to facilitate cross-disciplinary discourse. Waste management and transport emerge as key areas that demand increased attention. Additionally, future research efforts should focus on exploring ways to reduce environmental impact in quarries.

Industrial symbiosis (IS) has been recognized as an important approach to succeed in the transition towards increased circularity in industry and society. IS involves collaboration between different actors sharing resources, aiming to minimize waste, improve resource and/or energy efficiency, resulting in reduced emissions and environmental impact. This study conducts an embedded single case study at an IS network in Sotenäs, Sweden, where both private and public actors collaborate by exchanging resources. The study identifies benefits and adverse effects of the IS network and explores how these are considered in the actors' decision-making regarding participation. The results indicate that different actors perceive different types and degrees of benefits and adverse effects. To add further value, this study develops an analytical framework for mapping benefits and adverse effects in the form of an impact assessment matrix. The framework maps at what level in society effects accrue and at what point in time they are expected to occur. The results of this study can help understand the role of specific benefits and adverse effects in actors’ decision-making, and show the distribution of effects across societal levels. This knowledge can help understand the complexity of IS networks and thereby facilitate the implementation of IS.

The need for more studies on the dynamics of business models has been recognized, especially when considering how business models need to transform to support the transition toward sustainable development and a circular economy. System dynamics business model simulations can explore relationships between business strategy, daily operations, strategy implementation, and stakeholder interactions. This study aims to synthesize and analyze findings from existing literature on system dynamic modeling of business models. Following the PSALSAR systematic literature review framework, the results highlight a noticeable focus shift in the evolution of sustainable business model strategies. Before 2016, scholars focused on resource maximization strategies and sustainable scale-up solutions. Post-2016 emphasis has revolved around strategies delivering functionality, adopting a stewardship role, and closing the resource loop. The findings support that system dynamics is a powerful tool for business model innovation, allowing risk-free testing of scenarios and helping to identify leverage points, such as regulations, policies, and product/service design. System dynamics advance the business model paradigm, especially for implementing sustainability strategies. Consequently, this study has implications for scholars, policymakers, and the business community, given its application to furthering sustainable development and the circular economy.

Sea fennel is a minor crop of emerging socioeconomic importance in the Mediterranean region. Despite its potential, there has been no assessment of its environmental impacts to support its perceived sustainability for broader promotion. Using a life cycle assessment (LCA), we evaluated the environmental performance of sea fennel production in an open field. A cradle-to-farm gate assessment was conducted using a functional unit (FU) of 1 kg of fresh sea fennel at the farm gate. The system boundaries encompassed the nursery, cultivation, and waste management phases. Primary data was collected from farms in the Marche region of Italy. The environmental impacts were assessed using the Environmental Footprint (EF) 3.0 midpoint life cycle impact assessment method. From the results, the primary hotspot input was plastic mulch, with a relative contribution of over 50% across most impact categories. Increasing the recycling rate from 30% to 70% substantially improved the environmental performance of sea fennels, reiterating the need for further investment in plastic recycling. This study provides insights into the environmental sustainability of sea fennel production. Findings demonstrate that sea fennel cultivation offers a promising path toward sustainable biomass production, underscoring the prospects for its commercial exploitation.

Consumer-level food waste has considerable environmental consequences and is related to packaging and its impact on product shelf life. This study uses the life cycle assessment methodology to compare food packaging systems with similar or varying shelf life. When comparing packaging with different shelf life, estimating food waste from retail to consumer related to shelf life becomes crucial. Currently, no validated models exist for this purpose, and this paper contributes, for the first time, to a critical comparison of existing models. Key findings from a case study on chicken meat packaging reveal that extending the shelf life from 6 to 15 days in a PET tray, employing a modified atmosphere (with the highest packaging-to-food ratio), led to an average reduction in food waste from 47% to 15% of the total chicken meat produced at the slaughterhouse, consequently reducing Climate Change by approximately 78%. The range of food waste estimate was 24–66% using 5 different models. Despite this variation, a sensitivity analysis demonstrates that the comparison results remain consistent, emphasising the significance of food waste in the environmental impact. This underscores the crucial need for a validated method to assess food waste based on shelf life in food packaging ecodesign.

Recent works have highlighted the interconnected impacts of stratospheric ozone depletion, ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and climate change on various sectors, including water quality, agriculture, human health, and biodiversity. Increased UV-B exposure has diverse environmental impacts, including potential benefits like enhanced plant resistance and reduced vitamin D deficiency. However, the quantification of these effects remains incomplete. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) serves to quantify the environmental impacts of product systems. This article revisits challenges related to ozone depletion in LCA by reviewing 15 Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) methods. It is shown that the currently available LCA ozone depletion practices are outdated. The combined effects of outdated background databases and incomplete impact assessment methods must be further investigated. Collaboration with atmospheric scientists and expansion of substances covered by characterization models are required. The study emphasizes the need to address interlinkages between impact categories and recommends climate scenario-dependent characterization for robust decision-making in an uncertain world.