scholarly journals Life Cycle Assessment as a Methodological Framework for the Evaluation of the Environmental Sustainability of Pig and Pork Production in Ecuador

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (21) ◽  
pp. 11693
Author(s):  
Mayra L. Pazmiño ◽  
Angel D. Ramirez
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Photochemical Oxidation ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Methodological Framework ◽  
Pig Production ◽  
Environmental Burden ◽  
The Impact ◽  
By Products

Pork is one of the proteins of greatest demand worldwide. This study has evaluated the environmental sustainability of pig production by applying the life cycle assessment methodological framework. The system boundaries include feed production, pig production, slaughtering, and slaughterhouse by-product management. Within this context, three scenarios have been proposed: the first related to the management of slaughter by-products in an open dump, the second contemplates a model for using these by-products in a rendering plant, and a third where the environmental burden of slaughterhouse co-products is portioned according to economic allocation. The primary data collected correspond to the period of 2019 for the facilities of a producer in a coastal province of Ecuador. Three functional units were used—“1 kg of pig carcass at the slaughterhouse gate”, “1 kg pig live weigh at the farm gate”, and “1 kg of feed at the plant gate”. The impact categories included were global warming, fossil depletion, marine eutrophication, ozone layer depletion, particulate matter formation, photochemical oxidation formation, and terrestrial acidification. The results revealed that the production of ingredients for feed is the largest contributor to the environmental burden of pig and pork. The rendering of slaughter by-products that avoid the production of other fats and proteins results in a lower environmental impact than the other scenarios in almost all categories.

scholarly journals Life Cycle Assessment on Different Synthetic Routes of ZIF-8 Nanomaterials

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (16) ◽  
pp. 4998
Author(s):  
Vasileios Ntouros ◽  
Ioannis Kousis ◽  
Dimitra Papadaki ◽  
Anna Laura Pisello ◽  
Margarita Niki Assimakopoulos
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Electricity Consumption ◽  
Research Activity ◽  
Synthetic Routes ◽  
The Impact

In the last twenty years, research activity around the environmental applications of metal–organic frameworks has bloomed due to their CO2 capture ability, tunable properties, porosity, and well-defined crystalline structure. Thus, hundreds of MOFs have been developed. However, the impact of their production on the environment has not been investigated as thoroughly as their potential applications. In this work, the environmental performance of various synthetic routes of MOF nanoparticles, in particular ZIF-8, is assessed through a life cycle assessment. For this purpose, five representative synthesis routes were considered, and synthesis data were obtained based on available literature. The synthesis included different solvents (de-ionized water, methanol, dimethylformamide) as well as different synthetic steps (i.e., hours of drying, stirring, precursor). The findings revealed that the main environmental weak points identified during production were: (a) the use of dimethylformamide (DMF) and methanol (MeOH) as substances impacting environmental sustainability, which accounted for more than 85% of the overall environmental impacts in those synthetic routes where they were utilized as solvents and as cleaning agents at the same time; (b) the electricity consumption, especially due to the Greek energy mix which is fossil-fuel dependent, and accounted for up to 13% of the overall environmental impacts in some synthetic routes. Nonetheless, for the optimization of the impacts provided by the energy use, suggestions are made based on the use of alternative, cleaner renewable energy sources, which (for the case of wind energy) will decrease the impacts by up to 2%.

A Life Cycle Assessment Study on a New Countertop Material

2021 ◽  
Vol 897 ◽  
pp. 137-142
Author(s):  
Luiza Silva ◽  
Elisabete Silva ◽  
Isabel Brás ◽  
Idalina Domingos ◽  
Dulcineia Wessel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Water Scarcity ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Photochemical Oxidation ◽  
Impact Categories ◽  
Product Packaging ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Abiotic Depletion

The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is one of the most important analytical tools available to provide the scientific basis of engineering solutions for sustainability. The focus of this study was a LCA (cradle to gate) of a product intended to be used in countertops. The functional unit chosen was 1 m2 of finished panel (countertop) and the boundary system involved the study of raw materials and product packaging and the panel’s production process. The chosen method for impact assessment was EPD (2018) available in SimaPro PhD software and Acidification, Eutrophication, Global Warming, Photochemical Oxidation, Abiotic Depletion (elements), Abiotic Depletion (fossil fuels), Water Scarcity and Ozone Layer Depletion were the impact categories considered. Results showed that the panel’s manufacturing is the process that presented the highest influence in all categories analyzed ranging from 88% on Abiotic Depletion to approximately 101% on Water Scarcity. Polyvinylchloride (PVC) is the greatest contributors to all impact categories except to Photochemical Oxidation that is the Polyester.

scholarly journals Environmental Impacts of Electricity from Incineration and Gasification: How the LCA Approach Can Affect the Results

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 92
Author(s):  
Isabella Bianco ◽  
Deborah Panepinto ◽  
Mariachiara Zanetti
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Waste To Energy ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Sustainable Solutions ◽  
Environmental Consequences ◽  
Economic Allocation ◽  
Accounting Rules ◽  
The Impact ◽  
By Products

Waste-to-energy (WtE) technologies can offer sustainable solutions for waste, which can no more be reused or recycled, such as the part of municipal solid waste (MSW) that is not suitable for recycling processes. This study focused on the environmental consequences of the production of electricity from incineration and gasification of MSW. To this aim, the standardised life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology was used. A life cycle inventory, mainly composed by primary data, is provided. Starting from these data, different highly shared LCA approaches were used to calculate the potential impacts of 1 kWh provided by the two analysed WtE technologies. The different approaches concern the method of accounting for the by-products (through an economic allocation and a system expansion) and the inclusion/exclusion of environmental benefits due to the avoided landfill for the MSW. For each approach, impact-assessment results were calculated with the ReCiPe midpoint (H) method. A comparison was carried out (i) between the results obtained for the same WtE technology but calculated with different approaches and (ii) between the impact results of electricity generated by the two WtE technologies calculated with the same approach. From the study, it emerged that, according to the accounting rules, the impact results can significantly change and, for some impact categories, even lead to opposite conclusions. In the absence of category rules that harmonise the environmental assessments of WtE processes, it is therefore recommended that the development/use/reproduction/comparison of studies focused on the valorisation of waste should be carried out with caution.

scholarly journals Life cycle assessment as a tool to evaluate the impact of reducing crude protein in pig diets

2017 ◽  
Vol 47 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandra Nardina Trícia Rigo Monteiro ◽  
Jean-Yves Dourmad ◽  
Paulo Cesar Pozza
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Crude Protein ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Research Area ◽  
Nitrogen Excretion ◽  
Pig Production ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACT: Environmental impacts of livestock systems, especially pig production, have come under increasing debate in recent years. The challenge is in meeting the growing demand for food at an affordable cost, without compromising environmental integrity. Previous studies have shown that feed production is responsible for the majority of CO2-eq. emission resulting from pig farming systems. This seems to indicate that feed strategies could be an effective tool to achieve the sustainability of the pork chain. Therefore, dietary crude protein reduction, through the addition of industrial amino acids, lessens the nitrogen excretion by pigs and, consequently, could mitigate the effects on the environment of pig production. In this sense, to effectively evaluate the environmental impacts of pig production systems, life cycle assessment has been widely used in agriculture, but the effects of feed are still understudied in Brazilian conditions. Owing to the importance and the great concern in this research area, we presented in this paper an updated review focusing on the nutritional techniques and their potential to reduce the global warming potential of pig production, considering both the direct effects, related to the choice of feed ingredients and the indirect effects, related to changes in the efficiency of use of nutrient by the animals.

scholarly journals Environmental Sustainability in Beef Production and Life Cycle Assessment as a Tool for Analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-25
Author(s):  
Pedro Henrique Presumido ◽  
Fernando Sousa ◽  
Artur Gonçalves ◽  
Tatiane Cristina Dal Bosco ◽  
Manuel Feliciano
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Environmental Performance ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Meat Production ◽  
Beef Production ◽  
Conservation Of Natural Resources ◽  
Intuitive Method ◽  
The Impact

The sustainability of meat production systems has been highlighted by the impact on the environment and the conservation of natural resources. The aim of this manuscript is to provide a specific review of the environmental sustainability of beef production in a life cycle assessment (LCA) context. Questions about the main environmental impacts caused by beef production were discussed. The phases of the LCA were detailed as well as the main functional units, boundaries of the systems and categories of impacts used in recent studies. LCA is a fast, easy and intuitive method that correlates human activities and their environmental performance in different sectors, such as beef production.

scholarly journals Simulation-based environmental-impact assessment of glycerol-to-hydrogen conversion technologies

Clean Energy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 387-402
Author(s):  
Yehia F Khalil
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
H2 Production ◽  
Simulation Software ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Base Case ◽  
Operating Pressure ◽  
Simulation Based ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Lca Results

Abstract This simulation-based comparative assessment aims to quantify the environmental and human-health impacts of greener hydrogen (H2) production via three glycerol-based technologies, including: supercritical water reforming (SCWR), aqueous-phase reforming (APR) and autothermal reforming (ATR). The GaBi (2018 edition) life-cycle assessment (LCA) platform is used to develop cradle-to-gate product system models for these technologies and the TRACI 2.1 methodology is used to quantify their midpoint impact categories. Aspen HYSYS (v11) process-simulation software is used to generate the life-cycle inventory (LCI) primary data required to produce 1 kg of H2 via each of the indicated glycerol-reforming technologies. Per ISO 14040:2006 reporting requirements for the LCA results interpretation step, three base case (BC) scenarios and four sensitivity scenarios (SS) are developed and quantified to compare the effects of different process electricity sources (US grid mix versus wind power) and thermal energy sources (natural gas versus biogas) on the LCA results. The high operating pressure (viz. 240 bar) of SCWR enabled assessment of the impact of in situ electricity generation to offset some of electricity required for this technology. The major insights from this research are as follows: (i) per 1 kg of produced H2, APR reduces CO2 emissions by ≈95% compared to ATR and by ≈92% compared to SCWR, (ii) for BC scenarios, the primary energy consumption (in MJ/kg of produced H2) is in the following order from highest to lowest: ATR > SCWR > APR and (iii) H2 production via glycerol APR is more environmentally sustainable than SCWR and ATR, and thus offers a promising path for greener H2 production. Future environmental sustainability studies should focus on expanding the scope of this study to include H2 production via water electrolysis using renewable electricity sources and via solar and nuclear-driven thermochemical water splitting.

scholarly journals ANALISIS POTENSI DAMPAK LINGKUNGAN DARI BUDIDAYA TEBU MENGGUNAKAN PENDEKATAN LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT (LCA)

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-64
Author(s):  
Arieyanti Dwi Astuti
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Natural Resources ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Photochemical Oxidation ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Human Toxicity

ENGLISHMinimizing the adverse impact of sugarcane plantation can be carried out through many ways including increasing the efficiency of energy and natural resources consumption as well as improving the management of waste and emissions. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was applied to assess the environmental impact of sugarcane plantation without considering sugarcane usage as a raw material in the sugar industry (gate to gate). CML (baseline) was used as Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) method. This study aimed to: 1) examine the natural resources and energy consumption; 2) analyze and identify potential environmental impacts; and 3) recommend alternative improvements to reduce environmental impacts. It used primary data and secondary data. The results showed that: 1) natural resources were used to produce 16,097 ton of sugarcane or 1 ton of sugar, were land requirement (0.233 ha), water consumption (2,223.117 m3), and energy consumption (19,234.254 MJ); 2) there are five most potential environmental impacts which are analyzed by using openLCA including climate change (134,275.23 kg CO2 eq), eutrophication (120.24 kg PO4 eq), acidification (1.54 kg SO2 eq), photochemical oxidation (0.36 kg ethylene eq), and human toxicity (0.15 kg 1.4-dichlorobenzene eq); 3) alternative recommendation could be conducted by reducing the usage of inorganic fertilizer, and utilizing cane trash (dry leaves, green leaves, and tops) as boiler fuel for production process in sugar factory. INDONESIABudidaya tebu menimbulkan dampak negatif terhadap lingkungan sehingga diperlukan upaya untuk meminimalisir dampak negatif tersebut melalui efisiensi konsumsi energi, konsumsi sumber daya alam (SDA), serta pengelolaan limbah dan emisi. LCA merupakan salah satu metode untuk menganalisis dampak lingkungan dari budidaya tebu tanpa mempertimbangkan penggunaan tebu panen sebagai bahan baku industri gula (gate to gate). Metode yang digunakan untuk LCIA adalah CML (baseline). Penelitian ini  bertujuan untuk: 1) menghitung penggunaan SDA dan energy, 2) menganalisis dan mengidentifikasi potensi dampak lingkungan, dan 3) menyajikan rekomendasi perbaikan untuk menurunkan dampak lingkungan. Data penelitian berupa data primer dan data sekunder. Unit fungsional pada penelitian ini adalah produksi 1 ton gula untuk satu tahun. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa: 1) konsumsi SDA berupa lahan tebu seluas 0,233 ha, air sebanyak 2.223,117 m3 dan energi sebesar 19.234,254 MJ; 2) potensi dampak lingkungan yang dianalisis menggunakan OpenLCA menghasilkan 5 dampak lingkungan tertinggi, yaitu climate change (134.275,23 kg CO2 eq), eutrophication (120,24 kg PO4 eq), acidification (1,54 kg SO2 eq), photochemical oxidation (0,36 kg ethylene eq), and human toxicity (0,15 kg 1,4-dichlorobenzene eq); 3) alternatif perbaikan yang direkomendasikan berupa penggunaan pupuk anorganik dengan dosis yang tepat dan memanfaatkan limbah pasca pane n (daun kering, serasah) sebagai bahan bakar boiler untuk proses produksi industri gula.

scholarly journals Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of Grid-Integrated Hybrid Renewable Energy Systems in Northern Nigeria

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (21) ◽  
pp. 5889 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ismail Abubakar Jumare ◽  
Ramchandra Bhandari ◽  
Abdellatif Zerga
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Energy Systems ◽  
Northern Nigeria ◽  
Renewable Energy Systems ◽  
Toxicity Potential ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Depletion Potential

Life cycle assessment is a crucial tool in evaluating systems performances for sustainability and decision-making. This paper provided environmental impact of integrating renewable energy systems to the utility-grid based on a baseline optimized energy production data from “HOMER” for renewable systems modelling of a site in northern Nigeria. The ultimate goal was to ascertain the best hybrid option(s) in sustaining the environment. Different assumptions and scenarios were modelled and simulated using Ganzleitlichen Bilanz (GaBi). Uncertainty analysis was ensured to the impact data based on pedigree-matrix and Excel-program, as well as overall policy relevance. The results of the impact categories revealed first scenario (i.e., conventional path-based) with the highest impacts on global warming potential (GWP), acidification potential (AP), human toxicity potential (HTP), and abiotic depletion potential (ADPfossils). The lowest impacts arise in the renewable-based scenarios for all the considered categories except the Ozone-layer depletion potential Category where the highest contribution falls in the third scenario (i.e., photovoltaic (PV)/biomass-biogas system) although all values being infinitesimal. In quantitative terms, the reduction in the GWP from the highest being the first scenario to the lowest being the fourth scenario (i.e., wind/biomass-biogas system) was 96.5%. Hence, with the outstanding contributions of the hybrid renewable systems, adopting them especially the lowest impact scenarios with expansions is relevant for environmental sustainability.

Environmental sustainability assessment of wooden furniture produced in Pakistan

2024 ◽  
Vol 84 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Ali ◽  
F. Rehman ◽  
R. Hadi ◽  
G. Raza ◽  
N. Khan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Sustainability Assessment ◽  
Weighted Average ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Cumulative Energy ◽  
Cumulative Energy Demand ◽  
Wooden Furniture

Abstract Life cycle assessment was carried out for a conventional wooden furniture set produced in Mardan division of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan during 2018-19. Primary data regarding inputs and outputs were collected through questionnaire surveys from 100 conventional wooden furniture set manufacturers, 50 in district Mardan and 50 in district Swabi. In the present study, cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment approach was applied for a functional unit of one conventional wooden furniture set. Production weighted average data were modelled in the environmental impacts modelling software i.e., SimaPro v.8.5. The results showed that textile used in sofa set, wood preservative for polishing and preventing insects attack and petrol used in generator had the highest contribution to all the environmental impact categories evaluated. Total cumulative energy demand for wooden furniture set manufactured was 30,005 MJ with most of the energy acquired from non-renewable fossil fuel resources.

Life cycle assessment of agro-industrial by-product reuse: a comparison between anaerobic digestion and conventional disposal treatments

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (20) ◽  
pp. 7119-7139
Author(s):  
Francesca Valenti ◽  
Wei Liao ◽  
Simona M. C. Porto
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Anaerobic Digestion ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Product Reuse ◽  
By Products

Different treatments of six selected Mediterranean agro-industrial by-products, were investigated through LCA application with the aim of analysing their environmental sustainability, in terms of “level of greenness”.

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