This study presents the development and optimization of a multifunctional pervious alkali-activated slag (PAAS) concrete incorporating phosphoric acid–activated almond shell carbon and natural zeolite for sustainable stormwater management. Designed to combine mechanical strength, permeability, and heavy metal removal, the material applies circular economy principles by integrating agricultural and industrial by-products. Experimental evaluations demonstrated a compressive strength of 22.6 MPa, permeability of 0.95 cm/s, and heavy metal removal efficiencies exceeding 85 % for copper (Cu), lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), and zinc (Zn). The Slime Mould Algorithm (SMA) was employed to optimize the mix design across multiple performance objectives. A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was conducted using ReCiPe 2016 Midpoint (H) within the ISO 14040/14044 framework, revealing a substantial reduction in global warming potential compared to conventional OPC-based mixes. The integrated system exhibited robust structural, hydraulic, and environmental performance, confirming its applicability for real-world stormwater applications. The proposed PAAS concrete offers a novel, waste-derived solution aligned with Low-Impact Development principles, promoting multifunctionality and sustainability in urban water infrastructure.
{"title":"Optimized pervious alkali-activated slag concrete for heavy metal adsorption and ecological risk reduction in LID applications","authors":"Zahra Ahmadi , Shahrokh Soltaninia , Kiachehr Behfarnia , Milad Nimafar , Sara Ahmadi","doi":"10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100335","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100335","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study presents the development and optimization of a multifunctional pervious alkali-activated slag (PAAS) concrete incorporating phosphoric acid–activated almond shell carbon and natural zeolite for sustainable stormwater management. Designed to combine mechanical strength, permeability, and heavy metal removal, the material applies circular economy principles by integrating agricultural and industrial by-products. Experimental evaluations demonstrated a compressive strength of 22.6 MPa, permeability of 0.95 cm/s, and heavy metal removal efficiencies exceeding 85 % for copper (Cu), lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), and zinc (Zn). The Slime Mould Algorithm (SMA) was employed to optimize the mix design across multiple performance objectives. A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was conducted using ReCiPe 2016 Midpoint (H) within the ISO 14040/14044 framework, revealing a substantial reduction in global warming potential compared to conventional OPC-based mixes. The integrated system exhibited robust structural, hydraulic, and environmental performance, confirming its applicability for real-world stormwater applications. The proposed PAAS concrete offers a novel, waste-derived solution aligned with Low-Impact Development principles, promoting multifunctionality and sustainability in urban water infrastructure.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34616,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Environmental Systems","volume":"19 ","pages":"Article 100335"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145109736","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-12DOI: 10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100331
Fabian Kufner, Julian Steinhauer, Petra Rucker-Gramm, Michael Horstmann
Concrete construction faces growing sustainability challenges due to increasing climate requirements and changing labor conditions. Textile-reinforced concrete offers substantial potential by enabling lighter and more resource-efficient components. However, assessing such systems requires holistic methods that go beyond material-based environmental indicators. Existing frameworks often neglect the interactions between manufacturing, structural design, and broader economic and social aspects. This study presents a holistic evaluation model that integrates 36 criteria across ecological, economic, and social dimensions within a transparent multi-criteria decision-making framework. A dominance matrix enables flexible weighting based on stakeholder-specific priorities. The model is applied to five roof component variants: cast-in-place and precast flat roofs with steel reinforcement, a precast shell with steel reinforcement, and two textile-reinforced concrete shells—one manually sprayed on-site, the other produced robotically manufactured using adaptive formwork. The results show that textile-reinforced concrete shells offer major ecological benefits, with up to 90 % material savings compared to conventional flat roofs and the lowest global warming potential among all variants. The precast textile-reinforced shell achieves the highest overall sustainability score due to automated precision production. The precast steel-reinforced shell ranks second under equal weighting of sustainability dimensions and requires 60 % less material than conventional flat slabs, emphasizing the sustainability potential of efficient structural geometry. While cast-in-place flat roofs remain economically advantageous, precast methods—both steel- and textile-reinforced—offer notabel social benefits by improving working conditions and minimizing site disruptions. The developed model demonstrates robustness and transferability, supporting early design decisions and detailed sustainability assessments for diverse components and construction strategies.
{"title":"Holistic sustainability assessment of textile-reinforced concrete compared to structural concrete using the example of a roof construction","authors":"Fabian Kufner, Julian Steinhauer, Petra Rucker-Gramm, Michael Horstmann","doi":"10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100331","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100331","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Concrete construction faces growing sustainability challenges due to increasing climate requirements and changing labor conditions. Textile-reinforced concrete offers substantial potential by enabling lighter and more resource-efficient components. However, assessing such systems requires holistic methods that go beyond material-based environmental indicators. Existing frameworks often neglect the interactions between manufacturing, structural design, and broader economic and social aspects. This study presents a holistic evaluation model that integrates 36 criteria across ecological, economic, and social dimensions within a transparent multi-criteria decision-making framework. A dominance matrix enables flexible weighting based on stakeholder-specific priorities. The model is applied to five roof component variants: cast-in-place and precast flat roofs with steel reinforcement, a precast shell with steel reinforcement, and two textile-reinforced concrete shells—one manually sprayed on-site, the other produced robotically manufactured using adaptive formwork. The results show that textile-reinforced concrete shells offer major ecological benefits, with up to 90 % material savings compared to conventional flat roofs and the lowest global warming potential among all variants. The precast textile-reinforced shell achieves the highest overall sustainability score due to automated precision production. The precast steel-reinforced shell ranks second under equal weighting of sustainability dimensions and requires 60 % less material than conventional flat slabs, emphasizing the sustainability potential of efficient structural geometry. While cast-in-place flat roofs remain economically advantageous, precast methods—both steel- and textile-reinforced—offer notabel social benefits by improving working conditions and minimizing site disruptions. The developed model demonstrates robustness and transferability, supporting early design decisions and detailed sustainability assessments for diverse components and construction strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34616,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Environmental Systems","volume":"19 ","pages":"Article 100331"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145107620","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-11DOI: 10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100332
Stefanie Hölbling , Gottfried Kirchengast , Christian Briese , Hans Thüminger
Energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from high-performance computing (HPC) and high-volume data storage (HDS) strongly increased over recent years. This contrasts with the need for emission reductions to halt global warming in line with the Paris climate goals, calling for ambitious action also for these energy-intensive services. Here we focus on options for institutional users that aim at professional institutional climate action management, where the quantification of emissions from HPC and HDS as part of emission inventories is still rare. We present methods and results of a case study, drawing from HPC/HDS usage data of a collaborative consortium project of data centers and Universities in Austria, where institution-level quantifications of energy use and related GHG emissions were obtained.
We find emissions from HPC use strongly dominating, relative to HDS use, for individual institutions and in total; case-study operational emissions summed to about 300–500 tCO2eq annually from HPC while HDS emissions were near 3 tCO2eq; co-estimated embodied emissions sum up to 50 to 100 and 3 to 10 tCO2eq, respectively. Building on the results, the collaboration of data centers and users enabled to derive also more general climate action options, including provider-user synergies. Provider improvements on energy savings, efficiency, shift to renewable sources and transparency to users on energy sources and consumption can meet with deliberate user choice of genuinely “green” data centers and user skill advances in “green coding”, “smart avoidance” of inefficient computations and considerate HDS management. Our findings underpin that providers and users jointly need to bring energy use and emissions under control to help meet the Paris climate goals.
{"title":"Energy use and carbon emissions in high-performance computing: A case study for universities and reduction strategies","authors":"Stefanie Hölbling , Gottfried Kirchengast , Christian Briese , Hans Thüminger","doi":"10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100332","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100332","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from high-performance computing (HPC) and high-volume data storage (HDS) strongly increased over recent years. This contrasts with the need for emission reductions to halt global warming in line with the Paris climate goals, calling for ambitious action also for these energy-intensive services. Here we focus on options for institutional users that aim at professional institutional climate action management, where the quantification of emissions from HPC and HDS as part of emission inventories is still rare. We present methods and results of a case study, drawing from HPC/HDS usage data of a collaborative consortium project of data centers and Universities in Austria, where institution-level quantifications of energy use and related GHG emissions were obtained.</div><div>We find emissions from HPC use strongly dominating, relative to HDS use, for individual institutions and in total; case-study operational emissions summed to about 300–500 tCO<sub>2</sub>eq annually from HPC while HDS emissions were near 3 tCO<sub>2</sub>eq; co-estimated embodied emissions sum up to 50 to 100 and 3 to 10 tCO<sub>2</sub>eq, respectively. Building on the results, the collaboration of data centers and users enabled to derive also more general climate action options, including provider-user synergies. Provider improvements on energy savings, efficiency, shift to renewable sources and transparency to users on energy sources and consumption can meet with deliberate user choice of genuinely “green” data centers and user skill advances in “green coding”, “smart avoidance” of inefficient computations and considerate HDS management. Our findings underpin that providers and users jointly need to bring energy use and emissions under control to help meet the Paris climate goals.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34616,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Environmental Systems","volume":"19 ","pages":"Article 100332"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145268216","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-09DOI: 10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100324
Qurrotin Ayunina Maulida Okta Arifianti , Maria Fernanda Rojas Michaga , Karim Rabea , Stavros Michailos , Kevin J. Hughes , Lin Ma , Derek Ingham , Mohamed Pourkashanian
Achieving climate goals demands novel system designs that enable the conversion of municipal waste, such as plastic and food waste into energy and fuels with minimal environmental impact. This study proposes an innovative multi-energy generation system that integrates plasma gasification for plastic waste and anaerobic digestion for food waste, coupled with carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies. This novel conceptual design aims to maximize energy recovery while reducing lifecycle emissions compared to conventional waste-to-energy (WtE) pathways. Two novel system configurations were assessed: (1) a combined cooling, heating, and power (CCHP) system, and (2) a CCHP system integrated with liquid biomethane production. Each configuration was evaluated under three CCS strategies: no CCS, pre-combustion CCS, and post-combustion CCS. The economic analysis and life cycle assessment (LCA) highlight the economic and environmental trade-offs of each design. Specifically, in Scenario 1, the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) increases from 0.171 USD/kWh (no CCS) to 0.311 and 0.354 USD/kWh while in Scenario 2, the levelized cost of biomethane (LCObM) rises from 0.176 USD/kWh to 0.314 and 0.374 USD/kWh for pre- and post-combustion CCS, respectively. While CCS raises production costs, they also represent a tangible commitment to reducing emissions and underscore that transitioning to cleaner energy systems often entails higher near-term expenditures. Across both scenarios, the levelized cost of waste treatment (LCOWT) spans 0.081–0.236 USD/kg of waste. Global warming potential (GWP) ranges from −0.191 to 0.662 kgCO2-eq/kg of feedstock for Scenario 1, and 0.123 to 0.746 kgCO2-eq/kg for Scenario 2. This work provides the first integrated assessment of such a hybrid WtE system, offering new insights for sustainable waste valorisation. The proposed novel designs support future detailed engineering studies and inform policymaking for low-carbon waste management.
{"title":"Economic and life cycle assessment of novel hybrid energy and fuel generation systems from municipal waste through plasma gasification and anaerobic digestion coupled with carbon capture and storage","authors":"Qurrotin Ayunina Maulida Okta Arifianti , Maria Fernanda Rojas Michaga , Karim Rabea , Stavros Michailos , Kevin J. Hughes , Lin Ma , Derek Ingham , Mohamed Pourkashanian","doi":"10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100324","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100324","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Achieving climate goals demands novel system designs that enable the conversion of municipal waste, such as plastic and food waste into energy and fuels with minimal environmental impact. This study proposes an innovative multi-energy generation system that integrates plasma gasification for plastic waste and anaerobic digestion for food waste, coupled with carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies. This novel conceptual design aims to maximize energy recovery while reducing lifecycle emissions compared to conventional waste-to-energy (WtE) pathways. Two novel system configurations were assessed: (1) a combined cooling, heating, and power (CCHP) system, and (2) a CCHP system integrated with liquid biomethane production. Each configuration was evaluated under three CCS strategies: no CCS, pre-combustion CCS, and post-combustion CCS. The economic analysis and life cycle assessment (LCA) highlight the economic and environmental trade-offs of each design. Specifically, in Scenario 1, the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) increases from 0.171 USD/kWh (no CCS) to 0.311 and 0.354 USD/kWh while in Scenario 2, the levelized cost of biomethane (LCObM) rises from 0.176 USD/kWh to 0.314 and 0.374 USD/kWh for pre- and post-combustion CCS, respectively. While CCS raises production costs, they also represent a tangible commitment to reducing emissions and underscore that transitioning to cleaner energy systems often entails higher near-term expenditures. Across both scenarios, the levelized cost of waste treatment (LCOWT) spans 0.081–0.236 USD/kg of waste. Global warming potential (GWP) ranges from −0.191 to 0.662 kgCO<sub>2</sub>-eq/kg of feedstock for Scenario 1, and 0.123 to 0.746 kgCO<sub>2</sub>-eq/kg for Scenario 2. This work provides the first integrated assessment of such a hybrid WtE system, offering new insights for sustainable waste valorisation. The proposed novel designs support future detailed engineering studies and inform policymaking for low-carbon waste management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34616,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Environmental Systems","volume":"19 ","pages":"Article 100324"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145110000","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-03DOI: 10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100327
Benedetta Esposito , Bruno Notarnicola , Pietro Alexander Renzulli , Rosa Di Capua
The shift towards circular production patterns in the agri-food supply chain is becoming increasingly essential for sustainable development. In this scenario, measuring circularity is critical for ensuring an effective and efficient transition towards such development. Given its relevance, the scientific community and standard-setting bodies are progressively focusing on identifying appropriate circularity indicators. Accordingly, most existing studies have provided broad overviews of available indicators, systematically reviewing academic and grey literature in the context of the agri-food supply chain. Considering the peculiarities of each supply chain within this sector, it is crucial to identify specific indicators in line with their characteristics, providing a practical guide for companies committed to the circular transition. However, a significant gap in research focused on identifying specific indicators for different agri-food supply chain has emerged. To fill this gap, the present research aims to provide a comprehensive framework to measure circularity within the pasta supply chain, representing an essential sector of the worldwide economy. To achieve this, a structured approach was adopted that integrates a systematic literature review with an assessment of the available standards on circular economy measurement. By implementing a rigorous selection process, a final set of 51 indicators – reclassified according to the analytical framework developed in the study – was identified for each pasta supply chain phase. Results show that most indicators could be transversally applied to the PSC. This multi-indicator framework could represent a helpful tool for the pasta industry to measure, monitor and disclose circularity performance in line with the ISO 59020:2024 standard.
{"title":"Circularity in the pasta supply chain: Developing a multi-indicator framework for circular economy assessment","authors":"Benedetta Esposito , Bruno Notarnicola , Pietro Alexander Renzulli , Rosa Di Capua","doi":"10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100327","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100327","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The shift towards circular production patterns in the agri-food supply chain is becoming increasingly essential for sustainable development. In this scenario, measuring circularity is critical for ensuring an effective and efficient transition towards such development. Given its relevance, the scientific community and standard-setting bodies are progressively focusing on identifying appropriate circularity indicators. Accordingly, most existing studies have provided broad overviews of available indicators, systematically reviewing academic and grey literature in the context of the agri-food supply chain. Considering the peculiarities of each supply chain within this sector, it is crucial to identify specific indicators in line with their characteristics, providing a practical guide for companies committed to the circular transition. However, a significant gap in research focused on identifying specific indicators for different agri-food supply chain has emerged. To fill this gap, the present research aims to provide a comprehensive framework to measure circularity within the pasta supply chain, representing an essential sector of the worldwide economy. To achieve this, a structured approach was adopted that integrates a systematic literature review with an assessment of the available standards on circular economy measurement. By implementing a rigorous selection process, a final set of 51 indicators – reclassified according to the analytical framework developed in the study – was identified for each pasta supply chain phase. Results show that most indicators could be transversally applied to the PSC. This multi-indicator framework could represent a helpful tool for the pasta industry to measure, monitor and disclose circularity performance in line with the ISO 59020:2024 standard.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34616,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Environmental Systems","volume":"19 ","pages":"Article 100327"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145119638","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-03DOI: 10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100323
Siti Naderah Sulin , Mohd Noriznan Mokhtar , Azhari Samsu Baharuddin , Mohd Afandi P. Mohammed
The palm oil industry faces increasing pressure to adopt sustainable and circular production practices, particularly in waste management and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction. Integrated biomass utilization within palm oil mills (POMs) offers a promising approach to improve both environmental and economic outcomes. This study evaluates the techno-economic and environmental performance of an integrated POM system incorporating palm oil mill effluent (POME) treatment, empty fruit bunch (EFB) composting, and residual oil recovery within a unified flowsheet. A detailed simulation model of a 60 MT/h mill was developed using SuperPro Designer® software, based on actual mill operations and literature data. The model assessed mass and energy balances, capital and operating costs, and carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent emissions. Results showed a 5 % increase in revenue through by-product valorization and a 53 % reduction in CO2 equivalent emissions when combining EFB composting with biogas capture. The system achieved a positive net present value (NPV) of MYR 75.63 million, an internal rate of return (IRR) of 30.08 %, a return on investment (ROI) of 19.20 %, and a payback period (PBP) of 5.21 years. Sensitivity analysis showed that the prices of fresh fruit bunches (FFB), crude palm oil (CPO), and the CPO yield are key factors influencing economic performance. These outcomes highlight the feasibility of implementing circular economy principles, where waste streams are transformed into valuable products such as compost, biogas, and recovered oil, thereby closing material loops and reducing environmental impact.
{"title":"Simulation and techno-economic evaluation of integrated palm oil mill processes for advancing a circular economy","authors":"Siti Naderah Sulin , Mohd Noriznan Mokhtar , Azhari Samsu Baharuddin , Mohd Afandi P. Mohammed","doi":"10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100323","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100323","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The palm oil industry faces increasing pressure to adopt sustainable and circular production practices, particularly in waste management and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction. Integrated biomass utilization within palm oil mills (POMs) offers a promising approach to improve both environmental and economic outcomes. This study evaluates the techno-economic and environmental performance of an integrated POM system incorporating palm oil mill effluent (POME) treatment, empty fruit bunch (EFB) composting, and residual oil recovery within a unified flowsheet. A detailed simulation model of a 60 MT/h mill was developed using SuperPro Designer® software, based on actual mill operations and literature data. The model assessed mass and energy balances, capital and operating costs, and carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>) equivalent emissions. Results showed a 5 % increase in revenue through by-product valorization and a 53 % reduction in CO<sub>2</sub> equivalent emissions when combining EFB composting with biogas capture. The system achieved a positive net present value (NPV) of MYR 75.63 million, an internal rate of return (IRR) of 30.08 %, a return on investment (ROI) of 19.20 %, and a payback period (PBP) of 5.21 years. Sensitivity analysis showed that the prices of fresh fruit bunches (FFB), crude palm oil (CPO), and the CPO yield are key factors influencing economic performance. These outcomes highlight the feasibility of implementing circular economy principles, where waste streams are transformed into valuable products such as compost, biogas, and recovered oil, thereby closing material loops and reducing environmental impact.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34616,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Environmental Systems","volume":"19 ","pages":"Article 100323"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145047604","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The Hooghly-Matlah Estuarine System (HMES) supports rich fisheries and millions of livelihoods, but overfishing and habitat loss are driving stock declines. Ensuring sustainable fisheries is essential to protect the ecosystem and dependent communities. This study explores how sustainable HMES fisheries truly are, using a modified Rapid Appraisal for Fisheries (RAPFISH) approach. We based our assessment on the hypothesis that current fishing practices may be less sustainable, largely due to challenges across five dimensions—ecology, economy, social, technology, and governance. Multi-dimensional scaling was used to score 45 attributes, followed by leverage analysis to identify key drivers. Data were collected from 38 fishing sites across four zones (8029 km2), including 238 fisher interviews, focus group discussions (4), key informants, and secondary sources. Species- and zone-specific RAPFISH results showed sea catfish fisheries as the most sustainable (57.01 %) and tiger prawn seed fisheries as the least (34.34 %). None of the 22 fisheries were in ‘good’ (75.1–100 %) or ‘poor’ (0–25 %) categories, suggesting room for improvement. Marine zone II (MZII) was “quite sustainable” (53.83 %), while marine zone I (MZI), true estuary (TE), and freshwater (FW) zones were “less sustainable” (25.1–50 %), largely due to lower scores in social, governance, technology, and ecology. Overall RAPFISH scores for HMES were 47.06 % (species-based) and 46.7 % (zone-based), indicating a “less sustainable” status. Although economic and governance dimensions showed moderate strength, zone-specific actions—such as conflict resolution (TE, MZI); enhancing vessel registration and fishing bans (FW, TE); and consolidating governance in MZII, etc., can build resilience and support sustainable estuarine fisheries.
{"title":"Multidimensional assessment of fisheries sustainability in India's largest estuarine system","authors":"Abhilash Thapa , Neha W. Qureshi , P.S. Ananthan , Dibakar Bhakta , Piyashi Debroy","doi":"10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100325","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100325","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Hooghly-Matlah Estuarine System (HMES) supports rich fisheries and millions of livelihoods, but overfishing and habitat loss are driving stock declines. Ensuring sustainable fisheries is essential to protect the ecosystem and dependent communities. This study explores how sustainable HMES fisheries truly are, using a modified Rapid Appraisal for Fisheries (RAPFISH) approach. We based our assessment on the hypothesis that current fishing practices may be less sustainable, largely due to challenges across five dimensions—ecology, economy, social, technology, and governance. Multi-dimensional scaling was used to score 45 attributes, followed by leverage analysis to identify key drivers. Data were collected from 38 fishing sites across four zones (8029 km<sup>2</sup>), including 238 fisher interviews, focus group discussions (4), key informants, and secondary sources. Species- and zone-specific RAPFISH results showed sea catfish fisheries as the most sustainable (57.01 %) and tiger prawn seed fisheries as the least (34.34 %). None of the 22 fisheries were in ‘good’ (75.1–100 %) or ‘poor’ (0–25 %) categories, suggesting room for improvement. Marine zone II (MZII) was “quite sustainable” (53.83 %), while marine zone I (MZI), true estuary (TE), and freshwater (FW) zones were “less sustainable” (25.1–50 %), largely due to lower scores in social, governance, technology, and ecology. Overall RAPFISH scores for HMES were 47.06 % (species-based) and 46.7 % (zone-based), indicating a “less sustainable” status. Although economic and governance dimensions showed moderate strength, zone-specific actions—such as conflict resolution (TE, MZI); enhancing vessel registration and fishing bans (FW, TE); and consolidating governance in MZII, etc., can build resilience and support sustainable estuarine fisheries.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34616,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Environmental Systems","volume":"19 ","pages":"Article 100325"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145027861","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-03DOI: 10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100322
Ian Vázquez-Rowe , Patricia Mogrovejo , Eizo Muñoz-Sovero , Pablo González-Socorro , Jhonnatan Murga , Shenali Madhanaroopan , Salma Fotovat , Taylor Stanley , Karin Bartl , Isabel Quispe
Limited studies have been conducted in Latin America related to the environmental profile of cocoa and chocolate production using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The current study conducts a cradle-to-gate LCA of the production of organic chocolate products in Peru, considering cocoa cultivation practices by a group of 21 female producers located in central Peru in the year 2022. Data were collected on-site at cultivation sites and processing plant using questionnaires with the technical staff. Beyond fossil and biogenic emissions linked to cultivation, transport of dried cocoa, and manufacturing activities at the chocolate producing plant, carbon capture on fields by cocoa and shading trees was modeled and included in the carbon balance. A total of 8 impact categories were selected, considering different environmental compartments. Results for global warming using the main scenario show a range of values from 4.33 kg CO2eq per kilogram of final chocolate product to 4.88 kg CO2eq. Most impacts are derived from the production of dry cocoa beans and, to a lesser extent, upstream sugarcane production. However, important differences were evident when the individual cocoa producers were analyzed, with agroforestry systems presenting lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than cocoa monocrops. Regarding water scarcity, the activities at the chocolate processing plant were found to contribute more than water use at the cocoa cultivation sites. For other impact categories, toxicity emissions at the cultivation site were relatively low given the organic characteristics of the fields, which do not use conventional pesticides. The post-harvest management of the cocoa pods (i.e., composting) is a critical source of GHG emissions. Hence, adequate composting conditions maintain methane emissions low, but direct return of the pods to the field can generate a substantial increase in GHG emissions. Carbon sequestration from above ground biomass, mainly from shading and cocoa trees, appears to mitigate an important fraction of these emissions if shading is homogeneous and sufficiently dense across the fields.
{"title":"Life cycle assessment of organic chocolate production in Peru","authors":"Ian Vázquez-Rowe , Patricia Mogrovejo , Eizo Muñoz-Sovero , Pablo González-Socorro , Jhonnatan Murga , Shenali Madhanaroopan , Salma Fotovat , Taylor Stanley , Karin Bartl , Isabel Quispe","doi":"10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100322","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100322","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Limited studies have been conducted in Latin America related to the environmental profile of cocoa and chocolate production using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The current study conducts a cradle-to-gate LCA of the production of organic chocolate products in Peru, considering cocoa cultivation practices by a group of 21 female producers located in central Peru in the year 2022. Data were collected on-site at cultivation sites and processing plant using questionnaires with the technical staff. Beyond fossil and biogenic emissions linked to cultivation, transport of dried cocoa, and manufacturing activities at the chocolate producing plant, carbon capture on fields by cocoa and shading trees was modeled and included in the carbon balance. A total of 8 impact categories were selected, considering different environmental compartments. Results for global warming using the main scenario show a range of values from 4.33 kg CO<sub>2</sub>eq per kilogram of final chocolate product to 4.88 kg CO<sub>2</sub>eq. Most impacts are derived from the production of dry cocoa beans and, to a lesser extent, upstream sugarcane production. However, important differences were evident when the individual cocoa producers were analyzed, with agroforestry systems presenting lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than cocoa monocrops. Regarding water scarcity, the activities at the chocolate processing plant were found to contribute more than water use at the cocoa cultivation sites. For other impact categories, toxicity emissions at the cultivation site were relatively low given the organic characteristics of the fields, which do not use conventional pesticides. The post-harvest management of the cocoa pods (i.e., composting) is a critical source of GHG emissions. Hence, adequate composting conditions maintain methane emissions low, but direct return of the pods to the field can generate a substantial increase in GHG emissions. Carbon sequestration from above ground biomass, mainly from shading and cocoa trees, appears to mitigate an important fraction of these emissions if shading is homogeneous and sufficiently dense across the fields.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34616,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Environmental Systems","volume":"19 ","pages":"Article 100322"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145107619","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Apple pomace (AP), a by-product of the apple juice and cider industries, represents a significant waste challenge, generating approximately 5 million tons produced worldwide in 2021. Often disposed of in landfills, AP contributes to health and environmental risks. Despite its disposal, AP remains a valuable source of bioactive compounds, recognized for their biological properties. This study assesses the carbon footprint associated with extracting these bioactive compounds using innovative technologies, namely supercritical CO2 (SC–CO2) and subcritical water extraction (SWE). Utilizing SimaPro software and the ecoinvent database, the Life Cycle Assessments (LCA; cradle-to-gate) were conducted for extracting 1 g of bioactive compounds from AP. The findings reveal that the SC-CO2 process emits 71.42 kgCO2eq, while the SWE results in significantly lower emissions of 6.20 kgCO2eq. These results highlight the environmental impact of different extraction technologies and emphasize the potential for more sustainable practices in valorizing AP. This study highlights the importance of conducting Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) for sustainable technologies, offering critical insights that can inform future industrial practices and policy decisions. Furthermore, the findings indicate that a technology labeled as 'green' is not necessarily environmentally superior, prompting a reconsideration of current sustainability definitions.
{"title":"Subcritical or supercritical? A comparative life cycle assessment of bioactive compound extraction from apple pomace","authors":"Lauriane Bruna , Carla Marty , Micheline Draye , Giancarlo Cravotto , Gregory Chatel","doi":"10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100311","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100311","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Apple pomace (AP), a by-product of the apple juice and cider industries, represents a significant waste challenge, generating approximately 5 million tons produced worldwide in 2021. Often disposed of in landfills, AP contributes to health and environmental risks. Despite its disposal, AP remains a valuable source of bioactive compounds, recognized for their biological properties. This study assesses the carbon footprint associated with extracting these bioactive compounds using innovative technologies, namely supercritical CO<sub>2</sub> (SC–CO<sub>2</sub>) and subcritical water extraction (SWE). Utilizing SimaPro software and the ecoinvent database, the Life Cycle Assessments (LCA; cradle-to-gate) were conducted for extracting 1 g of bioactive compounds from AP. The findings reveal that the SC-CO<sub>2</sub> process emits 71.42 kg<sub>CO2eq</sub>, while the SWE results in significantly lower emissions of 6.20 kg<sub>CO2eq</sub>. These results highlight the environmental impact of different extraction technologies and emphasize the potential for more sustainable practices in valorizing AP. This study highlights the importance of conducting Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) for sustainable technologies, offering critical insights that can inform future industrial practices and policy decisions. Furthermore, the findings indicate that a technology labeled as 'green' is not necessarily environmentally superior, prompting a reconsideration of current sustainability definitions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34616,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Environmental Systems","volume":"18 ","pages":"Article 100311"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145003945","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-01DOI: 10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100321
M. Madhavaraj, Karthikeyan K
The utilization of municipal solid waste (MSW) for energy production has been widely adopted across the globe for several decades. In contrast, Chennai city continues to rely heavily on landfilling for MSW disposal, with Kodungaiyur and Perungudi being the city's two major dumpsites. Given the growing concerns over greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and diminishing availability of land, there is a pressing need to explore sustainable alternatives for solid waste management in Chennai.
This study evaluates the energy, economic, and environmental (3 E) feasibility of implementing Waste-to-Energy (WtE) technologies at the Kodungaiyur and Perungudi landfill sites in Chennai. Eight technology scenarios, including Landfill Gas Recovery Systems (LFGRS), Anaerobic Digestion (AD), incineration, gasification, and their hybrid combinations, are preferred. AD demonstrated Anaerobic Digestion (AD) was identified as the Pareto-optimal solution for Chennai's 3 E nexus, offering the best balance between energy recovery, economic returns, and environmental performance. AD achieved the highest energy recovery, generating output and producing up to 492,712 m3/day of biogas and 1034.69 MWh/day of electricity. Economically, it delivered net profits ranging from 31,397 to 159,964 USD/day, supported by revenues from electricity, district heating, and fertilizer. Environmentally, AD demonstrated strong climate benefits, with net emissions reduced to 136.36 tCO2/day, compared to the landfill, which emits an average of 2452 tCO2/day from AD and conventional landfilling. The hybrid LFGRS & AD achieve substantially lower net emissions, with AD averaging −136.36 tCO2/day. The scenario also performed well, offering a practical balance across all dimensions. These results underscore AD's potential as a scalable and LFGRS & AD averaging 259.24 tCO2/day, demonstrating strong climate benefits, which also enables digestate recovery and a sustainable WtE strategy for urban solid waste management in India.
{"title":"Assessment of waste-to-energy strategies for municipal solid waste landfills in Chennai: A case study using energy-economic-environmental (3E) approach","authors":"M. Madhavaraj, Karthikeyan K","doi":"10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100321","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100321","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The utilization of municipal solid waste (MSW) for energy production has been widely adopted across the globe for several decades. In contrast, Chennai city continues to rely heavily on landfilling for MSW disposal, with Kodungaiyur and Perungudi being the city's two major dumpsites. Given the growing concerns over greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and diminishing availability of land, there is a pressing need to explore sustainable alternatives for solid waste management in Chennai.</div><div>This study evaluates the energy, economic, and environmental (3 E) feasibility of implementing Waste-to-Energy (WtE) technologies at the Kodungaiyur and Perungudi landfill sites in Chennai. Eight technology scenarios, including Landfill Gas Recovery Systems (LFGRS), Anaerobic Digestion (AD), incineration, gasification, and their hybrid combinations, are preferred. AD demonstrated Anaerobic Digestion (AD) was identified as the Pareto-optimal solution for Chennai's 3 E nexus, offering the best balance between energy recovery, economic returns, and environmental performance. AD achieved the highest energy recovery, generating output and producing up to 492,712 m<sup>3</sup>/day of biogas and 1034.69 MWh/day of electricity. Economically, it delivered net profits ranging from 31,397 to 159,964 USD/day, supported by revenues from electricity, district heating, and fertilizer. Environmentally, AD demonstrated strong climate benefits, with net emissions reduced to 136.36 tCO<sub>2</sub>/day, compared to the landfill, which emits an average of 2452 tCO<sub>2</sub>/day from AD and conventional landfilling. The hybrid LFGRS & AD achieve substantially lower net emissions, with AD averaging −136.36 tCO<sub>2</sub>/day. The scenario also performed well, offering a practical balance across all dimensions. These results underscore AD's potential as a scalable and LFGRS & AD averaging 259.24 tCO<sub>2</sub>/day, demonstrating strong climate benefits, which also enables digestate recovery and a sustainable WtE strategy for urban solid waste management in India.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34616,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Environmental Systems","volume":"18 ","pages":"Article 100321"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145018714","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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