scholarly journals Impact of Road Transport Means on Climate Change and Human Health in Poland

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 195-204 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dorota Burchart-Korol ◽  
Piotr Folęga
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Alternative Fuels ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emission ◽  
Inorganic Compounds ◽  
Road Transport ◽  
Passenger Cars ◽  
The Impact

Operation of means of transport is one of major sources of environmental impact. The goal of this article was to analyse the greenhouse gas emissions and to assess the impact of operation of means of road transport in Poland on human health using the life cycle assessment technique based on an analysis of emission of dust and gas pollutants. Road transport was assessed by taking the following means of transport into account: passenger cars, other cars with weight of up to 3,500 kg, lorries, buses, motorcycles, mopeds and tractors. The analysis covered various dust and gas pollutants, including the emission of CO2, CO, N2O, CH4, NOx, NMVOC, PM and SO2. Using the IMPACT 2002+ life cycle impact assessment method, transport was assessed in a breakdown into the following impact categories: greenhouse gas emission and damage to human health, including damage caused by organic and inorganic compounds. It has been evidenced that the highest emissions of dust and gas pollutants are caused by passenger cars, which is mainly due to the number of vehicles of this type traversing Polish roads. The main cause of climate changes due to road transport is CO2 emission, while NOx emission is the main factor determining individual categories of damage to human health. The negative environmental impact is primarily related to the operation of combustion engine vehicles. Diesel oil and petrol are currently the main fuels used in Polish transport. In order to reduce their impact on the environment one should intensify the efforts aimed at increasing the share of alternative fuels in transport.

scholarly journals Life cycle Assessment of Hydrogen Production via Natural Gas Steam Reforming vs. Biomass Gasification

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peiran Zhao ◽  
Abbas Tamadon ◽  
Dirk Pons
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Hydrogen Production ◽  
Natural Gas ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Steam Reforming ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emission ◽  
Biomass Gasification ◽  
Silica Sand ◽  
The Impact

CONTEXT– Energy is widely involved in human activity and corresponding emissions of SOX, NOX and CO2 from energy generation processes affect global climate change. Clean fuels are desired by society because of their reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Hydrogen is once such candidate fuel. Much hydrogen is produced from fossil fuel, with biomass being an alternative process. OBJECTIVE– The project compared the environmental impact of hydrogen production by natural gas steam reforming vs. biomass gasification. METHOD–Environmental impact was calculated from the input and output data from life cycle inventory analysis. The impact assessment was focused on greenhouse gas emission, acidification, and eutrophication. Models of the two processes were developed and analysed in OpenLCA. The agribalyse database was used to connect inventory flow data to environmental impacts. FINDINGS– For all three metrics, biomass gasification had lower impacts than natural gas steam reforming, sometimes by large margins. For biomass gasification the silica sand production contributes most to all three impact categories, whereas for natural gas steam reforming it is the LPG extraction.

scholarly journals Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) of Novel Air Conditioning System on LPG Fuelled Vehicle: A Lab-Scale Investigation

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 7133-7143
Author(s):  
Muji Setiyo ◽  
Budi Waluyo ◽  
Paolo Gobbato ◽  
Massimo Masi
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Air Conditioning ◽  
Alternative Fuels ◽  
Road Transport ◽  
Intake Manifold ◽  
Cooling Power ◽  
Efficiency Ratio ◽  
Passenger Cars ◽  
Air Conditioning System ◽  
The Impact

Alternative fuels have become an effective solution to reduce the impact of road transport on the environment. On the other hand, the growing uses of air-conditioning (AC) have contributed to worsening the fuel economy of passenger vehicles. Liquid petroleum gas (LPG), if injected in the gaseous phase to power SI engines, may allow reducing the fuel consumption due to AC devices through the recovery of cooling energy from the fuel systems. This paper presents lab-scale tests of an air conditioning system prototype for LPG-fuelled vehicles. The prototype has been assembled using standard vehicle components to quantify the cooling energy recoverable from the LPG evaporation before the fuel is injected into the engine intake manifold. Temperature and humidity of the air exiting the LPG evaporator are measured for fuel mass flow rates typical of light-duty vehicles. The energy efficiency ratio (EER) of the prototype achieves 2.72 when cooling power equals 1.2 kW. Although the system tested needs improvements, the experimental data show that the cooling energy recovered by LPG evaporation can significantly reduce the power consumption of standard AC systems in passenger cars.

scholarly journals Life Cycle Assessment of Environmental Impact of Steelmaking Process

Complexity ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huimin Liu ◽  
Qiqiang Li ◽  
Guanguan Li ◽  
Ran Ding
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Molten Iron ◽  
Utilization Efficiency ◽  
Environmental Damage ◽  
High Resource ◽  
The Impact

The steel industry is facing problems such as serious environmental pollution and high resource consumption. At the same time, it lacks effective methods to quantify potential environmental impacts. The purpose of this work is to conduct a specific environmental analysis of steelmaking production in steel plants. The ultimate goal is to discover the main pollution of steelmaking and identify potential options for improving the environment. This paper uses life cycle assessment method to carry out inventory and quantitative analysis on the environmental impact of steelmaking system. Through analysis, the hazards are divided into four major categories, which are human health, climate change, ecosystem quality, and resources. The results show that molten iron has the greatest impact on human health, followed by the greatest impact on resources. The impact of scrap steel on human health ranks third. Molten iron is a key process that affects human health, climate change, ecosystems quality, and resources. In addition, processes such as fuels, working fluids, and auxiliary materials also cause certain environmental damage, accounting for a relatively small proportion. Optimizing the utilization of scrap steel and molten iron resources and improving the utilization efficiency of resources and energy are helpful to reduce the environmental hazards of steelmaking system.

scholarly journals The Impact Of FDI Inflow On The Environment: A Case Of The Baltic-Black Sea Region Countries

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 151-159
Author(s):  
Adisa Đonlagić ◽  
Bogdan A. Moskalenko
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Direct Investment ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Black Sea ◽  
Direct Investment ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emission ◽  
Environmental Legislation ◽  
Black Sea Region ◽  
The Baltic ◽  
The Impact

The article summarizes the arguments within the scientific challenge on improving approaches to estimate the environmental impact of FDI inflow on the economy. The main objective of the research is to systematize the existing statistical approaches to analyze whether and how the macroeconomic determinants could impact the environment in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. Systematization of theoretical and methodological materials on solving the problem of choice of applying more or less stringent environmental regulations with addition to more efficient industrial technologies which are supposed to have a positive impact on the environment. The relevance of solving this problem is that inceptive of FDI inflow could provide the economy with resources that reduce pollution, create better conditions for workers and local citizens. On the other hand, FDI is not interested in investing in economies with strict environmental legislation. The methodical tools of the research are carried out in the following logical sequence: the systematization of existing statistical methods panel data analysis; analysis of data that will be used in the estimation model and in further country environmental policymaking process; application of fixed and random effects models in estimation of the environmental impact of FDI on analyzed data. The research methods combine in the following dimensions: comparative analysis, regression analysis. The period from 1999 to 2018 was chosen as the research period. The objects of the research are foreign direct investment net inflows into the Baltic-Black Sea region countries` economies and their impact on its environment. The article presents the results of empirical analysis, which showed that FDI inflow has an impact on the environment, but it is severely limited by other more significant determinants. The pollution haven hypothesis in the Baltic-Black Sea trans-national region countries policy in attraction FDI has not been proved considering more strict high-standard environmental legislation in EU countries alongside with increase in GHG emission per capita. The results of the research can be useful within government policy-making processes considering the aim to incentivize FDI inflow. Keywords: country investment potential, environment, foreign direct investment, greenhouse gas emission, national economy.

scholarly journals Integrated Building Energy Simulation–Life Cycle Assessment (BES–LCA) Approach for Environmental Assessment of Agricultural Building: A Review and Application to Greenhouse Heating Systems

Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1230
Author(s):  
Cristina Decano-Valentin ◽  
In-Bok Lee ◽  
Uk-Hyeon Yeo ◽  
Sang-Yeon Lee ◽  
Jun-Gyu Kim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Heat Pump ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emission ◽  
Building Energy ◽  
Energy Simulation ◽  
Building Energy Simulation ◽  
Heating Systems

A substantial reduction in the environmental impacts related to the construction and operation of agricultural buildings is needed to adapt to the continuing development of agriculture. The life cycle assessment (LCA) is a methodology used to quantify the environmental impact of different processes involved in the production and therefore has been increasingly applied to assess the environmental burden. However, most LCA-related research studies have focused on the overall environmental impact of the entire system without considering the energy load of the agricultural buildings. By integrating the LCA tool with other design tools such as the building energy simulation (BES), the identification of environmental hotspots and the mitigation options become possible during the design process. Thus, the objective of the paper was to identify the current integration approaches used to combine BES and LCA results to assess the environmental impact of different heating systems such as absorption heat pump (AHP) using energy from thermal effluent, electricity-powered heat pump and kerosene-powered boilers used in a conventional multi-span Korean greenhouse. The assessment result revealed that the environmental impact caused using a kerosene-powered boiler is largest in terms of the acidification potential (AP), global warming potential (GWP) and Eutrophication Potential (EP) of 1.15 × 100 kg SO2-eq, 1.13 × 102 kg CO2-eq and 1.62 × 10−1 kg PO4-eq, respectively. Detailed analysis of the result showed that the main contributor for greenhouse gas emission was caused by the type, amount and source of energy used to heat the greenhouse, which contributed to a maximum of 86.59% for case 1, 96.69% for case 2 and a maximum of 96.47% for case 3, depending on the type of greenhouse gas being considered.

scholarly journals Share of road transport in greenhouse gas emissions in Poland in 1988–2015

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 13-20
Author(s):  
Zdzisław Chłopek ◽  
Anna Olecka ◽  
Krystian Szczepański ◽  
Katarzyna Bebkiewicz
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Greenhouse Effect ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Emission ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Road Transport ◽  
Motor Vehicles ◽  
Passenger Cars ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Equivalent

Abstract The results of an analysis of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission inventory in Poland in the years 1988–2015 are presented, paying special attention to the impact of road transport on the intensification of greenhouse effect. The analysis was made based on the official results compiled by the National Centre for Emissions Management and Balancing (KOBiZE) at the Institute of Environmental Protection – National Research Institute. It was found that carbon dioxide emission represented the dominant part of the total GHG emissions, despite that there were other gases having far greater greenhouse effect potential. There was a general downward trend for the national annual emission of basic GHGs. The estimated share of road transport in the GHGs emission was not high: from 4% in 1988 to around 12% in 2015. For motor vehicles, there is a dominant share in the GHGs emissions of passenger cars: (50 ÷ 60)%. In the years 1988–2015, there was a relative decrease by about 32% in the national annual emission of carbon dioxide equivalent from all sources covered by the inventory. That notwithstanding, the national annual emission of carbon dioxide equivalent arising from transportation increased generally by about 93% and that from the road transport increased by as much as 117%. The increase in GHGs emissions from motor vehicles resulted mainly from a significant growth in car numbers. Technical progress in the construction of motor vehicles can be evaluated by considering the average annual emission of carbon dioxide equivalent from a conventional car, which has been decreasing since 1998.

scholarly journals Assessment of the Environmental Impact of a Car Tire throughout Its Lifecycle Using the LCA Method

Materials ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (24) ◽  
pp. 4177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Piotrowska ◽  
Weronika Kruszelnicka ◽  
Patrycja Bałdowska-Witos ◽  
Robert Kasner ◽  
Jacek Rudnicki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Natural Resources ◽  
End Of Life ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Significant Risk ◽  
Cumulative Energy ◽  
The Impact

There are numerous threats to the natural environment that pose a significant risk both to the environment and to human health, including car tires. Thus, there is a need to determine the impact of the life cycle of car tires on the environment, starting with the processes of raw materials acquisition, production, and ending with end-of-life management. Therefore, the authors of this study chose to do research on passenger car tires (size: P205/55/R16). As part of the research, the life cycle assessment (LCA) of traditional car tires was performed with the use of the Eco-indicator 99, cumulative energy demand (CED), and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) methods. The level of negative effects was determined for the life cycle of a tire and its particular stages: Production, use, and end of life. The negative impact on the atmosphere, soil, and water, as well as on human health, the environment, and natural resources was also investigated. The results show that the most energy-absorbing stage of a car tire life cycle is the use stage. It was found that the most harmful impact involves the depletion of natural resources and emissions into the atmosphere. Recycling car tires reduces their negative environmental impact during all their life cycle stages.

scholarly journals Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of an Innovative Compact Hybrid Electrical-Thermal Storage System for Residential Buildings in Mediterranean Climate

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 5322
Author(s):  
Gabriel Zsembinszki ◽  
Noelia Llantoy ◽  
Valeria Palomba ◽  
Andrea Frazzica ◽  
Mattia Dallapiccola ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Mediterranean Climate ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Storage System ◽  
Hot Water ◽  
Electrical Consumption ◽  
The Impact

The buildings sector is one of the least sustainable activities in the world, accounting for around 40% of the total global energy demand. With the aim to reduce the environmental impact of this sector, the use of renewable energy sources coupled with energy storage systems in buildings has been investigated in recent years. Innovative solutions for cooling, heating, and domestic hot water in buildings can contribute to the buildings’ decarbonization by achieving a reduction of building electrical consumption needed to keep comfortable conditions. However, the environmental impact of a new system is not only related to its electrical consumption from the grid, but also to the environmental load produced in the manufacturing and disposal stages of system components. This study investigates the environmental impact of an innovative system proposed for residential buildings in Mediterranean climate through a life cycle assessment. The results show that, due to the complexity of the system, the manufacturing and disposal stages have a high environmental impact, which is not compensated by the reduction of the impact during the operational stage. A parametric study was also performed to investigate the effect of the design of the storage system on the overall system impact.

scholarly journals Exploring sustainability potentials in vineyards through LCA? Evidence from farming practices in South Africa

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Russo ◽  
A. E. Strever ◽  
H. J. Ponstein
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Human Health ◽  
South African ◽  
Wine Grape ◽  
Impact Categories ◽  
Farming Practices ◽  
Manual Labour ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Purpose Following the urgency to curb environmental impacts across all sectors globally, this is the first life cycle assessment of different wine grape farming practices suitable for commercial conventional production in South Africa, aiming at better understanding the potentials to reduce adverse effects on the environment and on human health. Methods An attributional life cycle assessment was conducted on eight different scenarios that reduce the inputs of herbicides and insecticides compared against a business as usual (BAU) scenario. We assess several impact categories based on ReCiPe, namely global warming potential, terrestrial acidification, freshwater eutrophication, terrestrial toxicity, freshwater toxicity, marine toxicity, human carcinogenic toxicity and human non-carcinogenic toxicity, human health and ecosystems. A water footprint assessment based on the AWARE method accounts for potential impacts within the watershed. Results and discussion Results show that in our impact assessment, more sustainable farming practices do not always outperform the BAU scenario, which relies on synthetic fertiliser and agrochemicals. As a main trend, most of the impact categories were dominated by energy requirements of wine grape production in an irrigated vineyard, namely the usage of electricity for irrigation pumps and diesel for agricultural machinery. The most favourable scenario across the impact categories provided a low diesel usage, strongly reduced herbicides and the absence of insecticides as it applied cover crops and an integrated pest management. Pesticides and heavy metals contained in agrochemicals are the main contributors to emissions to soil that affected the toxicity categories and impose a risk on human health, which is particularly relevant for the manual labour-intensive South African wine sector. However, we suggest that impacts of agrochemicals on human health and the environment are undervalued in the assessment. The 70% reduction of toxic agrochemicals such as Glyphosate and Paraquat and the 100% reduction of Chlorpyriphos in vineyards hardly affected the model results for human and ecotoxicity. Our concerns are magnified by the fact that manual labour plays a substantial role in South African vineyards, increasing the exposure of humans to these toxic chemicals at their workplace. Conclusions A more sustainable wine grape production is possible when shifting to integrated grape production practices that reduce the inputs of agrochemicals. Further, improved water and related electricity management through drip irrigation, deficit irrigation and photovoltaic-powered irrigation is recommendable, relieving stress on local water bodies, enhancing drought-preparedness planning and curbing CO2 emissions embodied in products.

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