scholarly journals Environmental Impacts Associated with Intensive Production in Pig Farms in Mexico through Life Cycle Assessment

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (20) ◽  
pp. 11248
Author(s):  
Mario Rafael Giraldi-Díaz ◽  
Eduardo Castillo-González ◽  
Lorena De Medina-Salas ◽  
Raúl Velásquez-De la Cruz ◽  
Héctor Daniel Huerta-Silva
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Environmental Performance ◽  
Pig Slurry ◽  
Growth Phases ◽  
Product System ◽  
Life Cycle Assessment Methodology ◽  
Intensive Production ◽  
Pig Farm

In this research, environmental impacts associated with the intensive production of pigs on a farm in Mexico were determined through the application of life cycle assessment methodology. The research was focused on the following stages of the product system: (i) pig rearing and growth phases; (ii) production operations in the pig-house; (iii) the supply of feed. The life cycle inventory database was mainly made up of data collected in field visits to local farms. The functional unit was defined as one finished swine weighing 124 kg. The results for the selected impact categories of carbon, water, and energy footprints were 538.62 kg CO2eq, 21.34 m3, and 1773.79 MJ, respectively. The greatest impact was generated in the final stages of pig fattening, mainly due to the large quantity of feed supplied. The impacts caused by operation of the pig farm were less significant, their contribution in all cases was less than a third of the total quantified values. The energy conversion of pig slurry improves the environmental performance of the product system by reducing the carbon footprint.

The Application of the Life-Cycle Assessment in the Building Sector: An Italian Case Study

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-108
Author(s):  
Maurizio Cellura ◽  
Francesco Guarino ◽  
Sonia Longo
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
Life Cycle Thinking ◽  
Single Family ◽  
Building Sector ◽  
Life Cycle Assessment Methodology ◽  
Use Of Resources ◽  
Whole Life Cycle

The building sector is one of the most relevant in terms of generation of wealth and occupation, but it is also responsible for significant consumption of natural resources and the generation of environmental impacts, mainly greenhouse gas emissions. In order to improve the eco profile of buildings during their life-cycle, the reduction of the use of resources and the minimization of environmental impacts have become, in the last years, some of the main objectives to achieve in the design of sustainable buildings. The application of the life-cycle thinking approach, looking at the whole life cycle of buildings, is of paramount importance for a real decarbonization and reduction of the environmental impacts of the building sector. This paper presents an application of the life-cycle assessment methodology for assessing the energy and environmental life-cycle impacts of a single-family house located in the Mediterranean area in order to identify the building components and life-cycle steps that are responsible of the higher burdens. The assessment showed that the largest impacts are located in the use stage; energy for heating is significant but not dominant, while the contribution of electricity utilized for households and other equipment resulted very relevant. High environmental impacts are also due to manufacture and transport of building materials and components.

scholarly journals Resources Sustainability. N Application in Crops to Determine the Best Environmental Performance Using Life Cycle Assessment Methodology

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 71
Author(s):  
Roberto Quirós ◽  
Pere Muñoz
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Performance ◽  
Mineral Fertilizer ◽  
Real Field ◽  
Mineral Fertilizers ◽  
Assessment Methodology ◽  
Life Cycle Assessment Methodology ◽  
Tomato Crop ◽  
Horticultural Crops

The use of mineral fertilizer in horticultural crops is a very important issue due to its effects on crop yield and its environmental impact. For the period 2011-2012, the total mineral fertilizer consumption in EU-27 reached 10.4 million tons of nitrogen (N), 1.0 million tons of phosphorus (K) and 2.2 million tons of potassium (K). Though many recent studies have examined horticultural crops, few have focused on mineral fertilizers in order to make an environmental assessment of a tomato crop. Therefore, the aim of this research was to study the agronomical (i.e. yield) and the environmental performance of a horticultural tomato crop fertilized with four different doses of mineral fertilizer (N0, N1, N2 and N3), using Life Cycle Assessment methodology. Data and conditions for the crop were taken from a real field trial with an experimental design carried out in North-east Catalonia, Spain. Following the guidelines of the ISO 14044, the study considered all stages of the life cycle of a horticultural tomato crop (i.e. mineral fertilizer production, transport and cultivation phase). Six impact categories were included in the study: climate change, photochemical oxidation formation, land acidification, freshwater and marine eutrophication and fossil depletion. Overall, the results showed that the best result was for the N1 treatment, with a yield of 61 ton ha-1 and 55 ton ha-1 for total and commercial yield, respectively. N1 showed the best environmental performance in all categories assessed.

scholarly journals Computer Applications in Eco-efficiency Assessment in Logistics

Management ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 232-244 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dorota Burchart-Korol ◽  
Krystyna Czaplicka-Kolarz
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Flow Analysis ◽  
Material Flow Analysis ◽  
Computer Applications ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Product System ◽  
Logistics System ◽  
Efficiency Assessment

Abstract Computer Applications in Eco-efficiency Assessment in Logistics The goal of this study is to present computer applications in eco-efficiency assessment in Logistics based on Umberto for Ecoefficiency software. The study defines the major components of eco-efficiency analysis like: Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Material Flow Analysis (MFA). According to ISO 14045:2012 eco-efficiency assessment is a quantitative management tool which enables the study of life-cycle environmental impacts of a product system along with its product system value for a stakeholder. Within eco-efficiency assessment, environmental impacts are evaluated using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The eco-efficiency methodology is proposed with using Umberto for Eco-efficiency software. Therefore, this article presents the results of Life Cycle Assessment according to methods used in Umberto software on the case study of valuation of the different logistic possibilities. The results of this study can be used as the first step in performing a full cradle-to-grave eco-efficiency that includes all phases of the logistics system.

Environmental impacts of peanut production system using life cycle assessment methodology

2015 ◽  
Vol 92 ◽  
pp. 84-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amin Nikkhah ◽  
Mehdi Khojastehpour ◽  
Bagher Emadi ◽  
Alireza Taheri-Rad ◽  
Surur Khorramdel
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Production System ◽  
Assessment Methodology ◽  
Life Cycle Assessment Methodology ◽  
Peanut Production

scholarly journals Life Cycle Assessment of Solar Façade Concepts Based on Transparent Insulation Materials

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 4212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karel Struhala ◽  
Miroslav Čekon ◽  
Richard Slávik
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Limiting Factors ◽  
Life Cycle Assessment Methodology ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Insulation Materials ◽  
Energy Gains ◽  
Solar Wall ◽  
Contemporary Architecture

Contemporary architecture and construction industry are trying to cope with increasing requirements concerning energy efficiency and environmental impacts. One of the available options is the active utilization of energy gains from the environment, specifically solar energy gains. These gains can be utilized by, for example, solar walls and facades. The solar façade concept has been under development for more than a century. However, it has not achieved widespread use for various reasons. Rather recently the concept was enhanced by the application of transparent insulation materials that have the potential to increase the efficiency of such façades. The presented study evaluates the environmental efficiency of 10 solar façade assemblies in the mild climate of the Czech Republic, Central Europe. The evaluated façade assemblies combine the principles of a solar wall with transparent insulation based on honeycomb and polycarbonate panels. The study applies Life-Cycle Assessment methodology to the calculation of environmental impacts related to the life cycle of the evaluated assemblies. The results indicate that even though there are several limiting factors, façade assemblies with transparent insulation have lower environmental impacts compared to a reference assembly with standard thermal insulation. The highest achieved difference is approx. 84% (in favor of the assembly with transparent insulation) during a modelled 50-year façade assembly service life.

scholarly journals Holzprodukte in vergleichenden Ökobilanzen | Wood Products in Comparative Life Cycle Assessment Studies

1999 ◽  
Vol 150 (3) ◽  
pp. 96-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank Werner ◽  
Tina Künniger ◽  
Klaus Richter
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Wood Products ◽  
Product System ◽  
Comparative Life Cycle Assessment

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) quantifies the potential environmental impacts of a product system throughout its life cycle. LCA methods are discussed taking into account the exceptional position of forestry and wood products. The results of three studies are presented where wood products are being compared to alternative products.

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