Article
Engineering, Environmental
Ryu Koide, Haruhisa Yamamoto, Keisuke Nansai, Shinsuke Murakami
Summary: This study proposes an agent-based model for assessing product-level circular economy strategies and conducts simulation experiments to study the diffusion of product service systems, product circularity, and lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions. The results identify the synergies, bottlenecks, and rebound effects that can be used to identify effective interventions in the transition to a net-zero circular economy.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Enoku Sai, Ryu Koide, Shinsuke Murakami
Summary: Product service systems (PSS) are gaining attention for their potential in achieving a circular economy, yet there is a lack of effective evaluation methods. This study combines life cycle assessment (LCA) and a consumer survey to quantify the environmental consequences of PSS, using the example of digital camera rental services in Japan. Results showed that the rental scenario increased greenhouse gas emissions but also reduced abiotic depletion potential compared to conventional purchase. The study highlights the importance of carefully designing PSS to mitigate unintended consequences.
SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Viktoria Mannheim
Summary: This paper assesses the environmental impacts of polypropylene and PP-PE-PET mixed-plastic products in the production stage using a life cycle assessment method, comparing the effects of different production methods on resource use and emissions. The research results can be used to develop more environmentally friendly injection-molding processes.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Huaping Xiao, Kai Li, Dongqing Zhang, Zhihua Tang, Xiaojun Niu, Linzi Yi, Zhang Lin, Mingli Fu
Summary: This study evaluates different management strategies for sewage sludge disposal based on their environmental, energy, and economic impact. The findings suggest that co-incineration in cement kiln is the most environmentally friendly and cost-effective option, while mono-incineration is the least favorable in terms of environmental impact, energy demand, and cost.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Lin Shi, Katharine J. Mach, Sangwon Suh, Adam Brandt
Summary: Life cycle assessment (LCA) is widely used to evaluate the environmental impacts of ICT products. This study proposes a user-oriented, functionality-based LCA (FLCA) framework to analyze the environmental impact of multifunctional ICT products. The study provides a computational method and applies it to two case studies to demonstrate the application of FLCA.
JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Zhuocheng Duan, Qiong Huang, Qiming Sun, Qi Zhang
Summary: This study examines the life cycle greenhouse gas emissions (LCGHGE) and life cycle primary energy (LCPE) of three high-rise residential buildings in cold regions of China. The results show that cross laminated timber (CLT) buildings and hybrid CLT buildings have lower LCGHGE compared to conventional reinforced concrete (RC) buildings. Additionally, the operational phase of RC buildings has lower energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions compared to CLT alternatives. CLT demonstrates great recycling potential and biomass residues during the end-of-life stage.
JOURNAL OF BUILDING ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Lugas Raka Adrianto, Stephan Pfister
Summary: This study investigates different reprocessing pathways for copper tailings to produce secondary metals and building materials. It finds that only when all co-products are utilized, reprocessing can offer environmental benefits, saving from 25 to 930 kg CO2-eq per tonne of treated copper tailings. Recommendations are proposed to enhance the environmental performance of mine tailings reprocessing strategies for sustainable development of the metal industry.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Francesco Todaro, George Barjoveanu, Sabino De Gisi, Carmen Teodosiu, Michele Notarnicola
Summary: This article discusses an original approach based on sustainability to select the best reactive capping alternatives for remediating contaminated sediments from Mar Piccolo in Italy. Experimental tests show that capping with activated carbon and zero valent iron is the most effective solution, both for chemical isolation and degradation aid. The proposed methodology can lead to more sustainable decision making for contaminated sediments remediation.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Xin Guo, Yu Zhao, Hailong Zhao, Yanna Lv, Lijiang Huo
Summary: Plastic straws are popular due to their low price and flexibility, but their short lifespan and improper disposal cause resource waste and environmental burdens. Paper straws and PLA alternatives have emerged to address these issues. This article presents a sustainability study of straws made of PP, paper, and PLA in China, including a scenario analysis of low-carbon electricity availability and recycling capacity. The study reveals that plastic straw alternatives are not superior in all indicators and may lead to environmental problem-shifting. The findings highlight the importance of considering a combination of low-carbon electricity and recycling capacity to minimize the environmental burden of paper straws.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Ali Azhar Butt, John Harvey, Arash Saboori, Maryam Ostovar, Manuel Bejarano, Navneet Garg
Summary: The study demonstrates the use of the airfield LCA framework developed for the FAA in a case study at Nashville International Airport, focusing on alternative pavement designs. The study covers material selection, transportation, and construction stages, while excluding maintenance, use, and end of life stages.
Review
Engineering, Environmental
Vishal Kumar Parida, Duduku Saidulu, Abhradeep Majumder, Ashish Srivastava, Bramha Gupta, Ashok Kumar Gupta
Summary: The review provides a comprehensive assessment of the occurrence, ecotoxicological effects, and treatment methods of emerging contaminants. It compares statutory guidelines with calculated drinking water equivalent limits and conducts a risk assessment analysis highlighting substances like caffeine, bisphenol-A, diazinon, and malathion with high risk quotients. The study evaluates the performance of different treatment technologies in reducing the concentration of contaminants below established guidelines, with advanced hybrid methods showing promising results.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Mohammed Al-zharani, Fahd A. Nasr, Ibrahim O. Barnawi, Omar M. Noman, Rashed N. Herqash, Sami A. Alsufyani, Ashraf Ahmed Qurtam, Hassan A. Rudayni, Mohammed S. Aleissa, Ali S. Alqahtani
Summary: In this study, an ethanolic crude extract and its fractions from Abutilon pannosum were tested for their cytotoxic effects on cancer cells. The chloroform fraction showed the strongest activity against MCF-7 breast cancer cells, leading to cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. The GC-MS analysis identified several phytoconstituents in the fraction. Overall, A. pannosum could be a potential source of anticancer agents.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Armand V. Cardello, Fabien Llobell, Davide Giacalone, Christina M. Roigard, Sara R. Jaeger
Summary: Plant-based alternatives to dairy milk are gaining popularity, and this research investigates consumer preferences and segmentation for these products. Through tasting samples and surveys, four consumer segments were identified based on their liking and preferences for dairy and plant-based beverages. This study contributes to the understanding of plant-based beverages and their complex consumer preferences. Importance of the research: 7/10.
FOOD QUALITY AND PREFERENCE
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Nicolas M. Clauser, M. Soledad Gutierrez, Fernando E. Felissia, M. Cristina Area, Maria E. Vallejos
Summary: This study explores the alternatives for utilizing pine sawdust, including pellet production and biorefinery schemes to produce levulinic acid and its by-products. The results show that the production of levulinic acid has great potential, and variables such as pellet price, sawdust availability, conversion yield, and sugar concentration significantly affect the economic viability of the different scenarios.
BIOMASS CONVERSION AND BIOREFINERY
(2022)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Gessica Zila Batista dos Santos, Lucas Rosse Caldas, Joao de Almeida Melo Filho, Nathalie Barbosa Reis Monteiro, Sandra Isabel Moreira Rafael, Neliton Marques da Silva
Summary: The use of residues and renewable materials are important strategies for more sustainable production. This study evaluated and compared the environmental performance of two sisal fiber composites using life cycle assessment (LCA). The results showed that the composite with the Portland cement matrix had less environmental impact compared to the geopolymeric composite.
JOURNAL OF BUILDING ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Alice Maury-Micolier, Lei Huang, Franck Taillandier, Guido Sonnemann, Olivier Jolliet
Summary: This paper develops a Life Cycle Assessment-based methodology to assess and compare the burden shifting between indoor air quality and energy consumption, as well as between the building construction and use stages, focusing on three insulation materials. The study finds that human health damage due to indoor exposure is dominant and substantial, except for extruded polystyrene, due to its high global warming potential. The total damages on human health depend on building materials production, emissions during use stage, and impacts related to energy load, and can be minimized with specific insulation thickness and air renewal rate.
BUILDING AND ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mikolaj Owsianiak, Michael Z. Hauschild, Leo Posthuma, Erwan Saouter, Martina G. Vijver, Thomas Backhaus, Melanie Douziech, Tamar Schlekat, Peter Fantke
Summary: This study advances the characterization of ecotoxicity in life cycle impact assessment by proposing recommendations based on international expert workshops and work conducted under the UNEP-SETAC Life Cycle Initiative in the GLAM project. The study includes specific recommendations for expanding the assessment scope by introducing additional environmental compartments and utilizing chronic test data. The researchers propose a mathematical framework for calculating freshwater ecotoxicity characterization factors and apply it to a life cycle assessment case study on rice production and consumption. The results highlight the need for careful interpretation of life cycle assessment scores in consideration of species sensitivity distributions.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Susan A. Oginah, Leo Posthuma, Lorraine Maltby, Michael Hauschild, Peter Fantke
Summary: Freshwater ecosystems face threats from chemical pollution, and there is a need for mechanistic models and frameworks to translate ecotoxicity data into damage on species diversity, functional diversity, and ecosystem services. This paper proposes an evaluation of available approaches to characterize the damage of chemical pollution on freshwater ecosystem services, and presents possible stepwise approaches to link ecotoxicity effects to species loss, functional diversity loss, and damage on ecosystem services. Harmonization of assumptions and boundary conditions is needed to integrate this pathway into life cycle assessment and other comparative frameworks.
ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Editorial Material
Environmental Sciences
Peter Fantke, Natalie von Goetz, Matti Jantunen
ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yasmine Emara, Olivier Jolliet, Matthias Finkbeiner, Stefanie Hess, Marissa Kosnik, Peter Fantke
Summary: To guide environmental and public health policies, it is important to assess antibiotic resistance selection pressure under measured environmental concentrations (MECs) and compare mitigation strategies. This study aims to derive minimum selective concentrations (MSCs) and species sensitivity distributions (SSDs) for different antibiotics. The results highlight specific environmental compartments and antibiotics that should be examined for their role in resistance dissemination.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Cecilia Askham, Valentina H. Pauna, Anne-Marie Boulay, Peter Fantke, Olivier Jolliet, Jerome Lavoie, Andy M. Booth, Claire Coutris, Francesca Verones, Miriam Weber, Martina G. Vijver, Amy Lusher, Carla Hajjar
Summary: Current efforts focus on quantifying and describing the magnitude of plastic pollution and its impacts on human and environmental health. This study examines existing approaches for gathering and reporting data on micro-and nanoplastics (MNPs) exposure and effects in order to improve the integration of this data into Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The outcomes suggest the need for improved data collection, validation, and reporting, and propose a set of requirements for increasing the potential use of receptor-oriented studies in LCA.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Toxicology
Beate I. Escher, Rolf Altenburger, Matthias Blueher, John K. Colbourne, Ralf Ebinghaus, Peter Fantke, Michaela Hein, Wolfgang Koeck, Klaus Kuemmerer, Sina Leipold, Xiaojing Li, Martin Scheringer, Stefan Scholz, Michael Schloter, Pia-Johanna Schweizer, Tamara Tal, Igor Tetko, Claudia Traidl-Hoffmann, Lukas Y. Wick, Kathrin Fenner
Summary: The assessment of persistence, bioaccumulation, and toxicity is crucial for ensuring chemical safety and is a cornerstone of the EU's chemicals regulation. Existing methods for PBT assessment are complex, inaccurate, and rely on animal testing. New-approach methodologies propose innovative hazard indicators, CTE and PTE, which can be measured using high throughput in vitro bioassays.
ARCHIVES OF TOXICOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Nicolo Aurisano, Olivier Jolliet, Weihsueh A. Chiu, Richard Judson, Suji Jang, Aswani Unnikrishnan, Marissa B. Kosnik, Peter Fantke
Summary: This study developed a semi-automated approach to determine surrogate oral route point of departure (POD) values and corresponding toxicity values for chemicals without regulatory assessments. By using data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Toxicity Value Database, the researchers were able to significantly expand the coverage of chemicals for risk assessment and management purposes.
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES
(2023)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Alice Maury-Micolier, Lei Huang, Olivier Jolliet
Summary: We developed a numerical model to predict human exposure to pollutants and heating load by coupling heat and chemical transfers in the building envelope. Our study shows that temperature variation by season and location have a significant effect on chemical emission dynamics from building materials and human exposure. Increasing indoor temperature by 10 degrees C doubles the maximum indoor air concentration of VOCs and SVOCs from vinyl flooring, leading to a 50% increase in chemical intake by occupants. In 2050, due to climate change-induced temperature increase, occupants' exposure to SVOCs emission in Lille is likely to increase by 20%.
JOURNAL OF BUILDING PERFORMANCE SIMULATION
(2023)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Rachna Bhoonah, Alice Maury-Micolier, Olivier Jolliet
BUILDING AND ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Susan Anyango Oginah, Leo Posthuma, Michael Hauschild, Jaap Slootweg, Marissa Kosnik, Peter Fantke
Summary: Bridging applied ecology and ecotoxicology is crucial for ecosystem protection. Splitting species sensitivity distributions (SSDs) can improve pollution impact assessments, especially for chemicals with specific modes of action and narcotic chemicals. This study provides a potential framework for using split SSDs in environmental protection, life cycle assessment, and freshwater ecosystem management, with significant implications for decision-support globally.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Zhehan Huang, Gael Kijko, Kelly Scanlon, Shannon Lloyd, Andrew Henderson, Peter Fantke, Olivier Jolliet, Shaobin Li
Summary: This study proposes a system approach and new data set to characterize and evaluate occupational health impacts in work environments, aiming to improve the comprehensiveness of life cycle assessment methods. The study finds that the data set of characterization factors for occupational health impacts varies significantly by industry, indicating that occupational health impacts are concentrated in a small portion of industries. A case study demonstrates the feasibility and importance of incorporating occupational health impacts into life cycle impact assessment methods.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
