Comparison of life cycle assessment of large-scale biogas projects with different raw materials in China

The anaerobic digestion(AD)disposal of stover and cattle manure is of great significance to the development of low-carbon economy and green energy in China,but it will also have an impact on the environment,and the degree of influence is different for various raw materials.In this study,life cycle assessment(LCA)methods were applied to analyze and compare the impact of corn stovers biogas projects(CSBP)and dairy manure biogas projects(DMBP)on the environment during the whole operation stage.The results of inventory analysis were evaluated by ReCiPe2016 Hierarchy(H)mid-point(problem-oriented)and end-point(destruction-oriented)method,respectively.The results showed that the net energy efficiency of CSBP was higher(763.903 kW·h/FU)and the greenhouse gas(GHG)emission reduction of DMBP was more(5541.418 kg CO_(2)-eq/FU).The anaerobic digestion(AD)units have the greatest environmental impacts,and human carcinogenic toxicity is the largest environmental impact category(1.16-1.43 PE).The key to reducing environmental impact is reducing the input of chemical substances and the waste of electric energy.Both CSBP and DMBP have a favorable impact on ecosystem quality and resources,and CSBP is more beneficial to the environment(-10.297 Pt).Co-digestion is an important measure to reduce the environmental damage from biogas projects.These research results provide theoretical support for the selection of raw materials for large-scale biogas projects in China,provide technical basis for reducing the impact of actual operation on the environment,and promote the resource utilization of agricultural waste and carbon dioxide emission reduction and sequestration.

Environmental load of solid wood floor production from larch grown at different planting densities based on a life cycle assessment

As one of the main structural units in a building,a solid wood floor has significant strategic research value for low-carbon energy saving.Taking the production line of a solid larch wood floor as a case study,we assessed the environmental load during production based upon a life cycle assessment.Using GaBi 6.0 software,we analyzed the associated carbon sequestration during floor production,with the initial planting density serving as the disturbance factor in a modular analysis.The results indicated that the cutting and finishing steps have relatively intense,negative influences on the environment,whereas transportation,ripping,and trimming do not.Additionally,recycling biomass waste has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.When the initial planting density was 3.0×3.0 m,carbon sequestration was relatively high.Although the emissions of freshwater pollutants,volatile organic compounds,and fine particulate matter（matter with a 2.5-μm diameter） were comparatively high,the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions was still excellent at this planting density.

Carbon footprint accounting for cigar production processes: A life cycle assessment perspective

Although the tobacco industry is a significant contributor to energy consumption and carbon emissions its negative environmental impact has received inadequate attention globally.Cigarette factories are a key link in the tobacco industry’s production chain,and using data provided by a cigarette factory in China we conduct a life cycle assessment to account for the carbon footprint of cigar production in cigarette factories.The results of the assessment show that factory air conditioning is the most important contributor to the environmental load of the cigar manufacturing process,while electricity is the key factor that contributes the greatest envi‐ronmental load across all of the processes in the product life cycle.In addition,packaging,including small boxes and cigarette cartons,has a significant impact on the industry’s environmental footprint due to its use of raw materials.We find the carbon footprint of the entire production process for cigar products to be 383.59 kg CO_(2) eq.Based on our findings,we suggest ways to optimize cigar/cigarette factory processes to re‐duce carbon emissions that can help to promote sustainable development in related industries.

The significance of resource recycling for coking wastewater treatment:based on environmental and economic life cycle assessment

The sustainability of the coking industry is supported by reasonable production profit and environmental quality requirements.The traditional measures substantially increased the related costs for enterprises to reach standards.This paper aims to develop a comprehensive cost combined environmental impact assessment method that is necessary for the analysis of wastewater treatment systems.Typical three coking wastewater treatment processes in China were evaluated.Results showed that eutrophication dominantly contributed to the overall environmental effect.Improving effluent quality could significantly reduce the total environmental impact.In terms of an economic perspective,the price of raw materials was the main factor that affected the operating cost of comprehensive treatment.Based on subsystem analysis,the pretreatment stage accounted for the majority of environmental and cost burdens,respectively reaching 64%-78%and 64%-86%.Optimizing the pretreatment process by enhancing the efficiency of high concentration raw material recovery and substituting toxic raw materials for extractant could reduce the environmental impact and economic cost by 43.8%and 57%,respectively,which was an effective way to improve the potential performance of coking wastewater treatment plants(WWTPs).

Life cycle assessment as a prospective tool for sustainable agriculture and food planning at a local level

Owing to the far-reaching environmental consequences of agriculture and food systems,such as their contribution to climate change,there is an urgent need to reduce their impact.International and national governments set sustainability targets and implement corresponding measures.Nevertheless,critics of the globalized system claim that a territorial administrative scale is better suited to address sustainability issues.Yet,at the subnational level,local authorities rarely apply a systemic environmental assessment to enhance their action plans.This paper employs a territorial life cycle assessment methodology to improve local environmental agri-food planning.The objective is to identify significant direct and indirect environmental hotspots,their origins,and formulate effective mitigation strategies.The methodology is applied to the administrative department of Finistere,a strategic agricultural region in North-Western France.Multiple environmental criteria including climate change,fossil resource scarcity,toxicity,and land use are modeled.The findings reveal that the primary environmental hotspots of the studied local food system arise from indirect sources,such as livestock feed or diesel consumption.Livestock reduction and organic farming conversion emerge as the most environmentally efficient strategies,resulting in a 25%decrease in the climate change indicator.However,the overall modeled impact reduction is insufficient following national objectives and remains limited for the land use indicator.These results highlight the innovative application of life cycle assessment led at a local level,offering insights for the further advancement of systematic and prospective local agri-food assessment.Additionally,they provide guidance for local authorities to enhance the sustainability of planning strategies.

Diagnosing the environmental impacts of typical fatliquors in leather manufacture from life cycle assessment perspective

The environmental impacts of typical fatliquors were diagnosed by the life cycle assessment of industrial production and use(post-tanning)processes.Life cycle impact assessment and sensitivity analysis showed that fatliquor and fatliquoring operation were the major contributors to the environmental impacts of post-tanning because a large amount of fatliquors was consumed during fatliquoring operation.The environmental impacts of fatliquors decreased in the following order:chlorinated paraffin(CP)>sulfonated rape oil(SNR)>sulfated rape oil(SR)>phosphated rape oil(PR)>oxidized-sullfited rape oil(OSR).Sulfuric acid,fuming sulfuric acid,and chlorine used for fatliquor modification gave the main contribution to most impact categories for SR,SNR,and CP production,whereas rape oil contributed the most for PR and OSR production.OSR use process reduced the primary energy demand,abiotic depletion potential,and global warming potential by 38.5%,56.0%,and 48.5%,respectively,compared with CP use process.These results suggested that biomass-derived fatliquors,especially oxidized-sulfited and phosphate modified fatiiliquors,helped reduce the environmental burdens in leather manufacturing.

Synthesis,characterization and life cycle assessment of electrochemically exfoliated KOH-activated holey graphene

Graphene materials have drawn tremendous attention in recent years.The formation of holes and pores on graphene sheets can provide transfer channels and facilitate the ion/electron transport kinetics.In this study,graphene nanosheets were prepared electrochemically,and then,they were used as the starting material for the preparation of holey graphene(HG)through the KOH activation process.The weight ratio of initial electrochemically exfoliated graphene(EEG)to KOH was optimized according to the morphological features,BET surface area examination,graphene number of layers calculated from XRD patterns,and the ID/IG ratio obtained from Raman analysis.Results showed that increasing the KOH amount led to the achievement of higher values of ID/IG and surface area and less re-stacking of graphene sheets which occurs because of the heat treatment process.The environmental burdens of the production routes for the preparation of EEG and HG were investigated by cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment(LCA).The LCA results of EEG production indicated that electricity with the contributions of 94%,91%,82%,and 75%of the total impact in four environmental categories,including fossil fuel depletion,ozone depletion,global warming,and smog was the main environmental weakness.In the pore generation process,KOH was recognized as the biggest contributor(about 51%to 83%of the total impact)in six impact categories,including ozone depletion,non-carcinogenics,smog,global warming,carcinogenics,and eutrophication which could be attributed to its high consumption amount(21.9 kg).This work offers environmental considerations for the development of sustainable graphene materials.

Evaluation for Applied Materials of Eco-technology

The eco-materials(include natural and artificial material) applied in the eco-technology in internal currently,usually lack of evaluation for applicative conditions.Hence,this study carry on the whole research and identifications to draft the eco-materials of eco-technology.The evaluation models of applied materials for eco-technology were proposed.The quantitative score were obtained by expert’s person evaluation.Three models were proposed to quantify the effects of applied materials on the ecological environment.The statistical procedures were adopted to compare the performance of these materials for eco-technology.The results indicated that the comparison of applied materials can be treated by quantitative analysis.For the further analysis,more evaluated data from expert’s experience need to be collected then the bias of person subject can be reduced.In addition to reach the benefits in the respects of ecosystem,society,economy and function,also practice the comprehensive effects in eco-technology.

Life cycle environmental impact assessment of biochar-based bioenergy production and utilization in Northwestern Ontario,Canada

Biochar-based bioenergy production and sub- sequent land application of biochar can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by fixing atmospheric carbon into the soil for a long period of time. A thorough life cycle assessment of biochar-based bioenergy production and biochar land application in Northwestern Ontario is conducted using SimaPro Ver. 8.1. The results of energy consumption and potential environmental impact of biochar-based bioenergy production system are compared with those of conventional coal-based system. Results show that biocbar land application consumes 4847.61 MJ per tonne dry feedstock more energy than conventional system, but reduces the GHG emissions by 68.19 kg CO2e per tonne of dry feed- stock in its life cycle. Biochar land application improves ecosystem quality by 18 %, reduces climate change by 15 %, and resource use by 13 % but may adversely impact on human health by increasing disability adjusted life years by 1.7 % if biomass availability is low to medium. Replacing fossil fuel with woody biomass has a positiveimpact on the environment, as one tonne of dry biomass feedstock when converted to biochar reduces up to 38 kg CO2e with biochar land application despite using more energy. These results will help understand a comprehensive picture of the new interventions in forestry businesses, which are promoting biochar-based bioenergy production.

Life cycle assessment in the environmental impact evaluation of urbandevelopment--a case study of land readjustment project,Hyogo District, Japan

In this paper, the Life Cycle of Urban Development was firstly analyzed, and the phases of Life Cycle Assessment applied to Urban Development (ULCA) were described. As a case study, ULCA was applied in the environmental impact assessment of the land readjustment project of Hyogo District of Saga, Japan. In addition, mitigation proposals for reducing CO2 were also presented and the relevant environmental ef-fects were simulated.

Evaluation on Contribution of Steel Products to Environmental Improvement from Life Cycle Assessment Perspectives

High functionality given to steel products results in incremental environment loads at the steelmaking stage.However,at the stage of utilization,high-functional steel products prove more environment friendly than their conventional counterparts in many cases.Therefore,evaluation on contribution of steel products to environmental improvement requires an integrated approach that considers the product over its entire life cycle - life cycle assessment(LCA).This paper discusses the relationship between the improvement of steel products performance and environmental impact from the entire life cycle perspectives.The LCA method to calculate and assess contribution of high-functional steel products during the life cycle to environmental improvement is explained.Two case studies of Baoshan Iron & Steel Co.,Ltd.(Baosteel for short) are given to show that LCA is a scientific and systematic method for eco-materials evaluation or eco-design:in a power transformer,using silicon steel B30P110 to replace B30G130 can reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the region of 15.1% over the life cycle of the power transformer;tinplate steel of Baosteel for two-piece steel cans experienced six times thickness reduction from 0.280 to 0.225 mm,which results in 14.5% emission reduction over the life cycle of two-piece steel cans.It is a systematic and scientific method for evaluating on products environmental performance from life cycle perspective.

Diagnosing the environmental impacts of typical fatliquors in leather manufacture from life cycle assessment perspective

The environmental impacts of typical fatliquors were diagnosed by the life cycle assessment of industrial production and use(post-tanning)processes.Life cycle impact assessment and sensitivity analysis showed that fatliquor and fatliquoring operation were the major contributors to the environmental impacts of post-tanning because a large amount of fatliquors was consumed during fatliquoring operation.The environmental impacts of fatliquors decreased in the following order:chlorinated paraffin(CP)>sulfonated rape oil(SNR)>sulfated rape oil(SR)>phosphated rape oil(PR)>oxidized-sulfited rape oil(OSR).Sulfuric acid,fuming sulfuric acid,and chlorine used for fatliquor modification gave the main contribution to most impact categories for SR,SNR,and CP production,whereas rape oil contributed the most for PR and OSR production.OSR use process reduced the primary energy demand,abiotic depletion potential,and global warming potential by 38.5%,56.0%,and 48.5%,respectively,compared with CP use process.These results suggested that biomass-derived fatliquors,especially oxidized-sulfited and phosphate modified fatiliquors,helped reduce the environmental burdens in leather manufacturing.

Life cycle assessment for the "implicit" environmental impact of construction projects

The paper has established an assessment system and a quantitative calculation method of the 'implicit' environmental impact including environmental impact indicator,resources consumption indicator and energy consumption indicator. The quantitative calculation of the environmental impact indicator is based on the life cycle assessment system and the evaluation software BEES. The paper identifies normalization reference values and weights for 12 categories of the environmental impact. It also analyzes the environmental impact indicator in life cycle stages,raw materials,transportation,manufacturing,utilization,and end of life. A university refectory project is studied. The result has shown that human health,global warming and acidification are the first three environmental impacts in 12 categories. The environmental impact indicator per m2 of this project is 18.448×10-2 standard human equivalent weight. Moreover,97.3% of the total environmental impact occurs at the raw material stage,in which the most severe environmental impact is cancerous health effect; the global warming is the main impact at the transportation and manufacturing stages; the indoor air quality impact is at the usage stage.

Environmental assessment of date(Phoenix doctylifera)production in Iran by life cycle assessment

Environmental indicators have been considered as a main element of environmental impact assessments because of their role on decision and policy making in different fields of special environmental management.The present study was conducted in order to evaluate date(Phoenix doctylifera)production in viewpoint of environmental indicators using life cycle assessment method.The required information was collected by questionnaire and interview with farmers and experts in Khuzestan Province,Iran.The SimaPro Software was used to calculate 11 different environmental indicators for producing one Tonne of the produced date.Diesel fuel,pesticides and nitrogen fertilizer had the highest shares in the studied environmental indicators.

Sustainability Perspectives When Crop Use Is Implemented in Different Sectors:A Life Cycle Assessment Approach

The present study aims to provide a preliminary overview of the sustainability concept when biomasses conceived for food goals become the raw materials upon which different sectors,such as plastic or energy industry,can develop innovative strategies,according to a so called "greener" competitiveness.In the results hereafter presented,the definition of sustainability perspectives,according to the use of a life cycle assessment(LCA) approach,will be described for maize use as raw material in different sectors.The current biopolymer industry and conventional biofuel technologies,the so called first-generation biofuels,are the more and more in competition with the food sector.The presented environmental evaluation,in terms of air emissions,energy and water consumption,is useful in order to understand the sustainability of a bio-sourced product,in comparison with the equivalent item produced by fossil fuels.

Life Cycle Assessment of Creosote-Treated Wooden Railroad Crossties in the US with Comparisons to Concrete and Plastic Composite Railroad Crossties

Creosote-treated wooden railroad crossties have been used for more than a century to support steel rails and to transfer load from the rails to the underlying ballast while keeping the rails at the correct gauge. As transportation engineers look for improved service life and environmental performance in railway systems, alternatives to the creosote-treated wooden crosstie are being considered. This paper compares the cradle-to-grave environmental life cycle assessment (LCA) results of creosote-treated wooden railroad crossties with the primary alternative products: concrete and plastic composite (P/C) crossties. This LCA includes a life cycle inventory (LCI) to catalogue the input and output data from crosstie manufacture, service life, and disposition, and a life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) to evaluate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, fossil fuel and water use, and emissions with the potential to cause acidification, smog, ecotoxicity, and eutrophication. Comparisons of the products are made at a functional unit of 1.61 kilometers (1.0 mile) of rail-road track per year. This LCA finds that the manufacture, use, and disposition of creosote-treated wooden railroad crossties offers lower fossil fuel and water use and lesser environmental impacts than competing products manufactured of concrete and P/C.

Life cycle assessment of HFC-134a production by calcium carbide acetylene route in China

HFC-134a is a widely used environment-friendly refrigerant.At present,China is the largest producer of HFC-134a in the world.The production of HFC-134a in China mainly adopts the calcium carbide acetylene route.However,the production route has high resource and energy consumption and large waste emission,and few of the studies addressed on the environmental performance of its production process.This study quantified the environmental performance of HFC-134a production by calcium carbide route via carrying out a life cycle assessment(LCA)using the CML 2001 method.And uncertainty analysis by Monte-Carlo simulation was also carried out.The results showed that electricity had the most impact on the environment,followed by steam,hydrogen fluoride and chlorine,and the impact of direct CO_(2) emissions in calcium carbide production stage on the global warming effect also could not be ignored.Therefore,the clean energy(e.g.,wind,solar,biomass,and natural gas)was used to replace coal-based electricity and coal-fired steam in this study,showing considerable environmental benefits.At the same time,the use of advanced production technologies could also improve environmental benefits,and the environmental impact of the global warming category could be reduced by 4.1%via using CO_(2) capture and purification technology.The Chinese database of HFC-134a production established in this study provides convenience for the relevant study of scholars.For the production of HFC-134a,this study helps to better identify the specific environmental hotspots and proposes useful ways to improve the environmental benefits.

Environmental and human health impact assessment of major interior wall decorative materials

Despite the growing interest in green products in the interior wall decorative material market,knowledge gaps exist because determining which product is more environmental and user friendly than the others is difficult.This work assesses the environmental and human health profiles of interior latex and wallpape匸Two interior latex products of different raw material ratios and one nonwoven wallpaper product are considered.The environmental impact assessment follows life cycle assessment(LCA)methodology and applies Building Environmental Performance Analysis System(BEPAS).The human health impact is based on impact-pathway chain and is performed using Building Health Impact Analysis System(BHIAS).The assessment scope,associated emissions,and territorial scope of various emissions are defined to facilitate comparison study of interior wall decorative products.The impacts are classified into 15 categories belonging to three safeguard areas:ecological environment,natural resources,and human health.The impacts of categories are calculated and monetized using willingness to pay(WTP)and disability-adjusted life year(DALY)and summarized as an integrated external cost of environmental and human health impacts.Assessment results reveal that the integrated impact of interior latex is lower than that of non-woven wallpaper,and the interior latex of low quality causes low life cycle integrated impact.The most impacted categories are global warming,respiratory effects,and water consumption.Hotspots of product manufacturing are recognized to promote green product design.

Life Cycle Assessment of CCA-Treated Wood Highway Guard Rail Posts in the US with Comparisons to Galvanized Steel Guard Rail Posts

A cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment is done to identify the environmental impacts of chromated copper arsenate (CCA)-treated timber used for highway guard rail posts, to understand the processes that contribute to the total impacts, and to determine how the impacts compare to the primary alternative product, galvanized steel posts. Guard rail posts are the supporting structures for highway guard rails. Transportation engineers, as well as public and regulatory interests, have increasing need to understand the environmental implications of guard rail post selection, in addition to factors such as costs and service performance. This study uses a life cycle inventory (LCI) to catalogue the input and output data from guard rail post manufacture, service life, and disposition, and a life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) to assess anthropogenic and net greenhouse gas (GHG), acidification, smog, ecotoxicity, and eutrophication potentially resulting from life cycle air emissions. Other indicators of interest also are tracked, such as fossil fuel and water use. Comparisons of guard rail post products are made at a functional unit of one post per year of service. This life cycle assessment (LCA) finds that the manufacture, use, and disposition of CCA-treated wood guard rails offers lower fossil fuel use and lower anthropogenic and net GHG emissions, acidification, smog potential, and ecotoxicity environmental impacts than impact indicator values for galvanized steel posts. Water use and eutrophication impact indicator values for CCA-treated guard rail posts are greater than impact indicator values for galvanized steel guard rail posts.

Preliminary sensitivity study on an life cycle assessment(LCA)tool via assessing a hybrid timber building

In order to address concerns related to global warming and increased atmospheric carbon content,the life cycle assessment(LCA)tool has demonstrated usefulness in the building and construction sector.The LCA is used to evaluate environmental impacts concerning all stages of the building process from“cradle”to“grave”.The LCA helps promote sustainable development by considering environmental indicators such as stratospheric ozone depletion,eutrophication,global warming potential,and many more.It is of an interest to know the degree of impact on a given environ-mental indicator if an input is changed in terms of the type or amount of the materials used.The LCA software Athena IE4B was employed to analyze data of a selected timber building.This study was aimed at evaluating the sensitivity of LCA analysis on a hybrid timber building,which was done via two case studies.Case 1 focused on changes in the volume of wood materials,meanwhile Case 2 focused on simultaneous changes in the volume of materials for wood,steel,and concrete.In Case 1,it was observed increasing wood materials increased environmental indicators,with stratospheric ozone depletion being the most sensitive and global warming potential as the least sensitive.Case 2 discovered that proportionally increasing wood materials in relation to steel and concrete materials decreased environmental indicators,with eutrophication being the most sensitive and stratospheric ozone depletion as the least sensitive.This study helped support the feasibility of using Athena IE4B for LCA analysis in the initial assessment of a building.