Sustainable Viticulture: First Determination of the Environmental Footprint of Grapes

We present for the first time the environmental footprint (EF) of grapes following the methodology proposed by the EU and life cycle assessment (LCA). We used data from three different production systems, conventional high- or low-input and organic from vineyards on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. The life cycle inventory (LCI) data were retrieved from the recently released AGRIBALYSE database, and the EF was determined with the Open LCA software. The system boundary was from “cradle to winery door” and the functional unit was 1 ton of grapes delivered to the winery. Organic grape production had the lowest values for most of the 16 EF impact categories. Machinery, fuel, and sulfur production and use were identified as EF hotspots for organic grapes. Fertilizer production and use were identified as EF hotspots for high-input grape production. The EF impact category values for low-input grapes showed similarities with organic production. Future research needs to enrich the LCI databases with data more applicable to the methods and inputs applied in Mediterranean agriculture.

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Exploring Secondary Metabolite Profiles of Stachybotrys spp. by LC-MS/MS

Toxins ◽

10.3390/toxins11030133 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (3) ◽

pp. 133 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Annika Jagels ◽

Viktoria Lindemann ◽

Sebastian Ulrich ◽

Christoph Gottschalk ◽

Benedikt Cramer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Secondary Metabolites ◽

Future Research ◽

Structural Modifications ◽

Metabolite Profiles ◽

The Individual ◽

First Time ◽

Analytical Standards ◽

Respective Species

The genus Stachybotrys produces a broad diversity of secondary metabolites, including macrocyclic trichothecenes, atranones, and phenylspirodrimanes. Although the class of the phenylspirodrimanes is the major one and consists of a multitude of metabolites bearing various structural modifications, few investigations have been carried out. Thus, the presented study deals with the quantitative determination of several secondary metabolites produced by distinct Stachybotrys species for comparison of their metabolite profiles. For that purpose, 15 of the primarily produced secondary metabolites were isolated from fungal cultures and structurally characterized in order to be used as analytical standards for the development of an LC-MS/MS multimethod. The developed method was applied to the analysis of micro-scale extracts from 5 different Stachybotrys strains, which were cultured on different media. In that process, spontaneous dialdehyde/lactone isomerization was observed for some of the isolated secondary metabolites, and novel stachybotrychromenes were quantitatively investigated for the first time. The metabolite profiles of Stachybotrys species are considerably influenced by time of growth and substrate availability, as well as the individual biosynthetic potential of the respective species. Regarding the reported adverse effects associated with Stachybotrys growth in building environments, combinatory effects of the investigated secondary metabolites should be addressed and the role of the phenylspirodrimanes re-evaluated in future research.

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Life Cycle Assessment and Environmental Valuation of Biochar Production: Two Case Studies in Belgium

Energies ◽

10.3390/en12112166 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 12 (11) ◽

pp. 2166 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Sara Rajabi Hamedani ◽

Tom Kuppens ◽

Robert Malina ◽

Enrico Bocci ◽

Andrea Colantoni ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Life Cycle Assessment ◽

Life Cycle ◽

Environmental Impacts ◽

Production Systems ◽

Point Of View ◽

Environmental Benefits ◽

Pig Manure ◽

Future Research ◽

Life Cycle Perspective ◽

The Impact

It is unclear whether the production of biochar is economically feasible. As a consequence, firms do not often invest in biochar production plants. However, biochar production and application might be desirable from a societal perspective as it might entail net environmental benefits. Hence, the aim of this work has been to assess and monetize the environmental impacts of biochar production systems so that the environmental aspects can be integrated with the economic and social ones later on to quantify the total return for society. Therefore, a life cycle analysis (LCA) has been performed for two potential biochar production systems in Belgium based on two different feedstocks: (i) willow and (ii) pig manure. First, the environmental impacts of the two biochar production systems are assessed from a life cycle perspective, assuming one ton of biochar as the functional unit. Therefore, LCA using SimaPro software has been performed both on the midpoint and endpoint level. Biochar production from willow achieves better results compared to biochar from pig manure for all environmental impact categories considered. In a second step, monetary valuation has been applied to the LCA results in order to weigh environmental benefits against environmental costs using the Ecotax, Ecovalue, and Stepwise approach. Consequently, sensitivity analysis investigates the impact of variation in NPK savings and byproducts of the biochar production process on monetized life cycle assessment results. As a result, it is suggested that biochar production from willow is preferred to biochar production from pig manure from an environmental point of view. In future research, those monetized environmental impacts will be integrated within existing techno-economic models that calculate the financial viability from an investor’s point of view, so that the total return for society can be quantified and the preferred biochar production system from a societal point of view can be identified.

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Is there a promising market ‘in between’ organic and conventional food? Analysis of consumer preferences

Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems ◽

10.1017/s1742170509990056 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 24 (3) ◽

pp. 205-213 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

Meike Janssen ◽

Astrid Heid ◽

Ulrich Hamm

Keyword(s):

Production Systems ◽

Animal Feed ◽

Consumer Preferences ◽

Food Additives ◽

Organic Production ◽

Low Input ◽

High Preference ◽

Organic Products ◽

Food Market ◽

Certified Organic

AbstractVarious products incorporating single aspects of organic production systems such as lower inputs of pesticides, food additives or concentrated animal feed are found on the food market (referred to as low-input products hereafter). In our study, we analyzed how consumers react to low-input products in a purchase simulation with certified organic, conventional and low-input products. In the purchase simulations, each participant was asked to make three consecutive purchase decisions, one each for milk, yogurt and apples. The results of a cluster analysis revealed one cluster with a high preference for organic products and three clusters that featured considerable shares of low-input purchases. The latter clusters, however, were not characterized by a clear preference for low-input products. Rather, they bought mixed baskets of goods, i.e., low-input products in combination with either organic or conventional products. The low-input products in the categories milk, yogurt and apples did thus not necessarily attract the same groups of people. Interestingly, we found that most consumers who chose low-input products in the simulations usually buy those particular products in conventional quality. We conclude that in our study, we found a heterogeneous group of low-input buyers. For the organic sector, communicating the various aspects of organic production might be a promising strategy for gaining new customers. The low-input products in the purchase simulation only featured one special attribute, whereas organic products incorporate several.

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Cleonis pigra (Scopoli, 1763) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Lixinae): Morphological Re-Description of the Immature Stages, Keys, Tribal Comparisons and Biology

Insects ◽

10.3390/insects10100325 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 10 (10) ◽

pp. 325

Author(s):

Jiří Skuhrovec ◽

Semyon Volovnik ◽

Rafał Gosik ◽

Robert Stejskal ◽

Filip Trnka

Keyword(s):

Life Cycle ◽

Larval Development ◽

Host Plants ◽

Biotic Interactions ◽

Immature Stages ◽

Adult Behavior ◽

Plant Stem ◽

First Time ◽

Asteraceae Family

Mature larvae and pupae of Cleonis pigra (Scopoli, 1763) (Curculionidae: Lixinae: Cleonini) are morphologically described in detail for the first time and compared with known larvae and pupae of other Cleonini species. The results of measurements and characteristics most typical for larvae and pupae of Cleonini are newly extracted and critically discussed, along with some records given previously. Keys for the determination of selected Cleonini species based on their larval and pupal characteristics are attached. Dyar’s law was used for the estimation of a number of larval instars of C. pigra. Descriptions of habitats, adult behavior, host plants, life cycle, and biotic interactions are reported here. Adults and larvae feed on plants from the Asteraceae family only (genera Carduus, Cirsium, Centaurea, and Onopordum). Oviposition occurs on the base of the plant stem or the root neck. In the process of larval development, a fusiform gall forms. C. pigra and Cyphocleonus achates can coexist in the same locality. In open habitats, the weevils become the prey of carnivorous animals.

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Leveraging Crop Budgets to Assess the Environmental Impact of Agricultural Operations

Applied Engineering in Agriculture ◽

10.13031/aea.14453 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 37 (4) ◽

pp. 573-582

Author(s):

Luke E Monhollon ◽

Deepak R Keshwani

Keyword(s):

Life Cycle ◽

Environmental Impact ◽

Crop Production ◽

Production Systems ◽

Impact Category ◽

The United States ◽

List Type ◽

Life Cycle Assessments ◽

Maize Production ◽

Agricultural Operations

Highlights Agriculture Extension Resources should be used for regional life cycle assessments of agriculture. Fertilizer is the major contributing factor of environmental impact, when using a spatial functional unit. Ecoinvent may under-estimate the environmental impact of maize production. Abstract . Current attempts to quantify the sustainability of agricultural operations are hampered by the lack of information to adequately address variation of farming operations. Differences in weather, soil, local consumers, and transportation pathways affect the agricultural operation of a given parcel of land. These differences may significantly influence life cycle assessments involving agricultural systems. Agricultural extension publications and human expertise may fill gaps present in commonly utilized databases for environmental impact calculations. A methodology was developed integrating information from Nebraska Crop Budgets with Ecoinvent 3.6 in OpenLCA, to investigate pesticide production contribution and compare environmental impacts on a per acre and per bushel basis. Seven budgets were selected, outlining no-till corn production under no-rotation, soybean/corn rotation, and ecofallow schemes. Of thirteen tested pesticides, only five were greater than 5% of the total impact relative to 19-Corn in at least one impact category. Pesticide contribution was greatest for products containing multiple active ingredients and with higher yearly applied amounts. Exclusion of pesticide production in agricultural life cycle assessments may not significantly impact results. Relative impacts between budgets were greater than 83% on a per acre and per bushel basis compared to Ecoinvent, demonstrating life cycle assessments can be impacted by operational differences within similar production systems. Per acre impacts were 4% less to 227% greater than published maize grain production in Ecoinvent 3.6 for the United States. Per bushel impacts were similar at 6% to 280% greater. Result differences are dependent on the crop budget used and impact category considered. Fertilizer was the greatest contributor toward all tested categories. Per acre calculations were defined by applied nitrogen while per bushel calculations followed nitrogen productivity. With simple integration and specificity granted with crop budgets, extension resources should be used for region-specific life cycle assessments of agricultural and bio-based products to replace general assumptions. Keywords: Crop production, Extension, Food energy water nexus, Life cycle assessment, Sustainability.

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Determination of PCDDs in spider webs: preliminary studies

E3S Web of Conferences ◽

10.1051/e3sconf/20182801033 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 28 ◽

pp. 01033 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Justyna Rybak ◽

Radosław Rutkowski

Keyword(s):

Exposure Time ◽

Air Pollutants ◽

Future Research ◽

External Exposure ◽

Continuous Exposure ◽

Spider Webs ◽

Non Invasive ◽

First Time ◽

The City

The application of spider webs for determination of polichlorinated dibenzo-para-dioxins (PCDDs) has been studied for the first time. The aim of the studies was to find out if spider webs are suitable for such examinations as it was proved in the previous research they are excellent indicators of air pollutants. Spiders are ubiquitous, thus collection of samples is easy and non-invasive. Studies were conducted within the city of Wrocław and surroundings, one of the biggest and at the same time heaviest polluted city in Poland. Five research sites have been chosen, where spider webs were collected after 60 days of continuous exposure time. Webs belonging to two genera Tegenaria sylvestris and Tegenaria ferruginea (family Agelenidae) have been chosen as they are large and very dense, thus they are very suitable for such examinations. Webs were found to retain dioxins probably mainly by external exposure. These promising results should be continued and expanded in the future research.

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Determination of organochlorine pesticides in organic quinoa grains (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) by GC-µECD, using the QuEChERS method

Revista de Investigaciones Altoandinas - Journal of High Andean Research ◽

10.18271/ria.2016.174 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

pp. 19

Author(s):

Rosario Edely Ortega Barriga ◽

Walter Alejandro Zamalloa Cuba ◽

Valdemar Luiz Tornisielo ◽

Franz Zirena Vilca

Keyword(s):

Organochlorine Pesticides ◽

Production Systems ◽

Environmental Pollutants ◽

Chenopodium Quinoa ◽

Organic Production ◽

Toxic Substances ◽

Quechers Method ◽

Pesticides Residues ◽

Organic Certification

ABSTRACT There is currently great interest in environmental pollutants in relation to food security; previous studies show that persistent organic pollutants (POPs) could be found in small amounts, even in organic food; therefore, in this research, 12 organochlorine pesticides residues (p, p'-DDD; p, p'-DDE, o,p'-DDD, o,p'DDE, Dicofol, α-endosulfan, β-endosulfan, endosulfan sulfate, α-BHC, β-BCH, heptachlor and mirex) were monitored in quinoa grains from organic production systems, sampled in the region of Puno – Peru; the QuEChERS method was used for pesticides extraction and gas chromatography coupled to an electron capture detector (GC-µECD) for the detection and quantification of the pesticides. The method was validated using a quinoa sample without pesticide residues used as a blank and spiked to 0.01 and 0.10 mg kg-1; means recoveries for pesticides ranged from 73.66 to 128.09% with RSD ≤ 16%; the method showed linearity of r2 ≥ 0.99 and the Limits of Quantification (LOQ) ranged from 0.001 to 0.010 mg kg-1. The results indicate that there is no matrix effect and reveal the presence of three organochlorine pesticides (p, p'-DDD, p, p'-DDE and mirex) in five different samples; two of them showed concentrations of p, p'-DDE above 0.01 mg kg-1. The results demonstrate the susceptibility of quinoa grain to the accumulation of toxic substances and show the need to establish new criteria for organic certification. RESUMENEn la actualidad existe un gran interés por los contaminantes ambientales en relación con la seguridad alimentaria; estudios previos muestran que los contaminantes orgánicos persistentes (COP) pueden ser encontrados en pequeñas cantidades, incluso en los alimentos orgánicos; por lo tanto, en esta investigación, residuos de 12 plaguicidas organoclorados (p, p'-DDD; p, p'-DDE, o,p'-DDD, o,p'DDE, Dicofol, α-endosulfan, β-endosulfan, sulfato de endosulfan, α-BHC, β-BCH, heptacloro y mirex) fueron monitoreados en granos de quinua de sistemas de producción orgánica muestreadas en la región de Puno-Perú, el método QuEChERS fue utilizado para la extracción de los pesticidas y un sistema cromatográfico de fase gaseosa acoplado a un detector de captura de electrones (GC-µECD) para la detección y cuantificación de los pesticidas. El método fue validado utilizando una muestra de quinua sin residuos de pesticidas utilizado como blanco, el mismo que fue fortificado a 0,01 y 0,10 mg kg-1; los promedios de recuperación para los pesticidas variaron entre 73,66 a 128,09% con un desviación estándar ≤ 16%; el método mostro linealidad de r2 ≥ 0,99 y los límites de cuantificación (LQ) variaron entre 0,001 a 0,010 mg kg-1, los resultados muestran que no existe efecto matriz y revelan la presencia de tres pesticidas organoclorados (p, p'-DDD, p, p'-DDE y mirex) en cinco muestras diferentes, dos de ellas muestran concentraciones de p, p'-DDE mayores a 0,01 mg kg-1. Los resultados demuestran la susceptibilidad de los granos de quinua a acumular substancias toxicas y muestran la necesidad de establecer nuevos criterios para la certificación orgánica.

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A Conceptual Framework for Biointelligent Production—Calling for Systemic Life Cycle Thinking in Cellular Units

Clean Technologies ◽

10.3390/cleantechnol3040049 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 3 (4) ◽

pp. 844-857

Author(s):

Robert Miehe ◽

Lorena Buckreus ◽

Steffen Kiemel ◽

Alexander Sauer ◽

Thomas Bauernhansl

Keyword(s):

Life Cycle ◽

Production System ◽

Production Systems ◽

Life Cycle Thinking ◽

Future Research ◽

Management Framework ◽

Integrated Production ◽

On Demand ◽

Future Viability ◽

Normative Logic

A sustainable design of production systems is essential for the future viability of the economy. In this context, biointelligent production systems (BIS) are currently considered one of the most innovative paths for a comprehensive reorientation of existing industrial patterns. BIS are intended to enable a highly localized on-demand production of personalized goods via stand-alone non-expert systems. Recent studies in this field have primarily adopted a technical perspective; this paper addresses the larger picture by discussing the essential issues of integrated production system design. Following a normative logic, we introduce the basic principle of systemic life cycle thinking in cellular units as the foundation of a management framework for BIS. Thereupon, we develop a coherent theoretical model of a future decentralized production system and derive perspectives for future research and development in key areas of management.

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Disability as a social phenomenon

10.33920/med-03-2007-01 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 22-38

Author(s):

Natalia Guseva ◽

Vitaliy Berdutin

Keyword(s):

Social Protection ◽

Russian Society ◽

Stage Model ◽

High Quality ◽

Rehabilitation Programs ◽

Current State ◽

The Social ◽

Consistent Solution ◽

First Time

At present, the problem of establishing disability is a point at issue in Russia. Despite the fact that medical criteria for disability are being developed very actively, high-quality methods for assessing social hallmarks are still lacking. Since disability is a phenomenon inherent in any society, each state forms a social and economic policy for people with disabilities in accordance with its level of development, priorities and opportunities. We have proposed a three-stage model, which includes a system for the consistent solution of the main tasks aimed at studying the causes and consequences of the problems encountered today in the social protection of citizens with health problems. The article shows why the existing approaches to the determination of disability and rehabilitation programs do not correspond to the current state of Russian society and why a decrease in the rate of persons recognized as disabled for the first time does not indicate an improvement in the health of the population. The authors proposed a number of measures with a view to correcting the situation according to the results of the study.

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Nitrate Leaching to a Shallow Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain Aquifer as Influenced by Conventional No-Till and Low-Input Sustainable Grain Production Systems

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.1993.0475 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 28 (3-5) ◽

pp. 691-700 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

J. P. Craig ◽

R. R. Weil

Keyword(s):

Management Practices ◽

Production Systems ◽

Cropping Systems ◽

Cropping System ◽

Atlantic Coastal Plain ◽

Grain Production ◽

Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽

Mineral N ◽

Low Input ◽

No Till

In December, 1987, the states in the Chesapeake Bay region, along with the federal government, signed an agreement which called for a 40% reduction in nitrogen and phosphorus loadings to the Bay by the year 2000. To accomplish this goal, major reductions in nutrient loadings associated with agricultural management practices were deemed necessary. The objective of this study was to determine if reducing fertilizer inputs to the NT system would result in a reduction in nitrogen contamination of groundwater. In this study, groundwater, soil, and percolate samples were collected from two cropping systems. The first system was a conventional no-till (NT) grain production system with a two-year rotation of corn/winter wheat/double crop soybean. The second system, denoted low-input sustainable agriculture (LISA), produced the same crops using a winter legume and relay-cropped soybeans into standing wheat to reduce nitrogen and herbicide inputs. Nitrate-nitrogen concentrations in groundwater were significantly lower under the LISA system. Over 80% of the NT groundwater samples had NO3-N concentrations greater than 10 mgl-1, compared to only 4% for the LISA cropping system. Significantly lower soil mineral N to a depth of 180 cm was also observed. The NT soil had nearly twice as much mineral N present in the 90-180 cm portion than the LISA cropping system.

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