Article
Engineering, Environmental
Valentina Innocenzi, Federica Cantarini, Svetlana Zueva, Alessia Amato, Barbara Morico, Francesca Beolchini, Marina Prisciandaro, Francesco Veglio
Summary: This study compared the sustainability of six alternatives for industrial wastewater treatment. The results showed that using thermal waste as utilities and optimizing the crystallization unit are the most environmentally and economically favorable alternatives.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Chuan Jiet Teo, Efthalia Karkou, Ozana Vlad, Antonia Vyrkou, Nikolaos Savvakis, George Arampatzis, Athanasios Angelis-Dimakis
Summary: Slaughterhouses are significant industrial water users and potential pollution sources for water bodies. This paper studies the wastewater treatment of a slaughterhouse and compares three scenarios for environmental performance, revealing that the best scenario is tertiary treatment followed by partial water reuse.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING RESEARCH & DESIGN
(2023)
Review
Agronomy
Giuliana Vinci, Roberto Ruggieri, Marco Ruggeri, Sabrina Antonia Prencipe
Summary: Rice is a crucial crop in terms of human consumption, and assessing the sustainability of its production process is of great importance. This research investigates the recent literature on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of rice primary production to determine the extent to which Life Cycle Thinking (LCT) and sustainability have been applied in the rice sector, as well as identify research gaps. The study reveals limited consideration of multiple functional units, methodological differences leading to result variability, and inadequate focus on socio-economic aspects.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Madeline Sena, Matthew Seib, Daniel R. Noguera, Andrea Hicks
Summary: Wastewater treatment focuses on removing phosphorus and nitrogen to prevent eutrophication, but interest has shifted to recovering these nutrients. Struvite precipitation can help control unwanted deposits and produce a valuable fertilizer, but the environmental impacts of recovery methods may not be fully offset by their benefits. A life cycle assessment of a wastewater treatment plant showed overall environmental impacts were similar before and after implementing struvite recovery.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Weixing Liu, Cristina Maria Iordan, Francesco Cherubini, Xiangping Hu, Dafang Fu
Summary: Improving sewage discharge standards can reduce the eutrophication potential of the system, but increases the impacts on fossil energy depletion, global warming potential, human toxicity, freshwater ecological toxicity, and acidification potential. It is necessary to decrease the moisture content of dewatered sludge and prioritize physical methods for advanced treatment, and use clean energy to minimize trade-offs with other environmental impacts. The efficiency of energy recovery in the sludge disposal system is critical to the total environmental impact of the entire system, offering opportunities for improvements.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Seda Capa, Alp Ozdemir, Zerrin Gunkaya, Aysun Ozkan, Mufide Banar
Summary: This study examines the effects of industrial wastewater treatment and water recovery processes on the environment using Life Cycle Assessment and Environmental Life Cycle Cost methodologies. The results show that the electricity consumption is the main factor impacting the environment, and the water recovery process has significant benefits in reducing certain impact categories. The study suggests that industrial parks should establish appropriate energy policies to improve the energy efficiency of wastewater treatment plants.
JOURNAL OF WATER PROCESS ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
I Bianchi, A. Forcellese, M. Marconi, M. Simoncini, A. Vita, V Castorani
Summary: This study evaluates the environmental impact of an innovative technology for reclaiming carbon fiber prepreg scraps, showing a significant reduction in environmental impacts compared to traditional composite production processes. The innovative process can effectively recycle waste materials and produce recycled composite parts, demonstrating a more sustainable manufacturing alternative for composite products.
SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGIES
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Ziyue Cheng, Tianzuo Zhang, Xinying Zhou, Ziheng Li, Yuke Jia, Ke Ren, Tianshu Xu, Changting Li, Jinglan Hong
Summary: This study analyzed the environmental impact and optimization potential of prefabricated components through a life cycle assessment method. It found that a prefabrication rate of 50% and 30% could reduce potential global warming impact by 31.78% and 13.94% respectively. However, the production of prefabricated components in China incurred a social cost of up to $4.35 billion, with Shandong and Hubei provinces being the key areas for optimization.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Pooja Yadav, Norafiqah Ismail, Mohamed Essalhi, Mats Tysklind, Dimitris Athanassiadis, Naser Tavajohi
Summary: Polymeric membranes are essential in advanced separation technologies due to their high efficiency and low environmental impact. However, the current production procedures are not sustainable. This study evaluates the environmental impact of fabricating polymeric membranes, including the use of different materials and solvents, and suggests measures to reduce the impact.
JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE SCIENCE
(2021)
Review
Engineering, Chemical
Siti Safirah Rashid, Siti Norliyana Harun, Marlia M. M. Hanafiah, Khalisah K. K. Razman, Yong-Qiang Liu, Duratul Ain Tholibon
Summary: This paper provides a review of wastewater treatment systems and the use of life cycle assessment (LCA) for evaluating their environmental performance. The review examines the geographical relevance of LCA for WWTPs and the evaluation of sustainable wastewater treatment in both developed and developing countries. It identifies a lack of studies that consider specific local criteria, particularly in developing countries, and highlights the need for research on seasonality, site-specific inventory data, and the environmental sustainability of different processes for upgrading WWTPs. Thorough assessment of environmental impacts is crucial for the sustainable development of WWTPs and can inform future policies and decision-making in the water industry.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Laura Flores, Irene Josa, Joan Garcia, Rocio Pena, Marianna Garf
Summary: In wineries, the production of wastewater and solid waste can have serious negative impacts on the environment. Constructed wetland systems are effective in treating winery wastewater and sludge, reducing organic pollutants and solids while avoiding clogging. These systems have high technical performance and can significantly reduce the environmental impacts and costs associated with winery wastewater treatment.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Mattia Mele, Giampaolo Campana, Giovanni Fumelli
Summary: Arburg Plastic Freeforming (APF) is an advanced Additive Manufacturing technology that melts thermoplastics and deposits droplets layer-by-layer to build three-dimensional objects. The study shows that printer utilisation is the most significant factor for environmental impacts, and electrical consumption during 3D printing phase is crucial to human health and ecosystem quality.
SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Atima Dubsok, Pummarin Khamdahsag, Suthirat Kittipongvises
Summary: This study assesses the environmental impacts of cyanate degradation using nano-TiO2/FeCl3 photocatalysis and compares the life cycle impacts under different irradiation sources. The results show that aquatic ecotoxicity, nonrenewable energy, terrestrial ecotoxicity, and global warming are the main contributors to environmental damage. Electricity consumption associated with climate change has the greatest environmental impact.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2022)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Doris Brockmann, Yves Gerand, Chul Park, Kim Milferstedt, Arnaud Helias, Jerome Hamelin
Summary: The Life Cycle Assessment was used to compare the environmental feasibility of a novel wastewater treatment technology with a traditional system, finding that factors such as artificial lighting, biomass fate, and nitrogen flows in the system contribute to the potential environmental impact. Optimization is needed to reduce the overall environmental impact, with the potential for an energy neutral treatment system with optimized lighting.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Burcin Atilgan Turkmen, Tuba Budak Duhbaci, Seyma Karahan Ozbilen
Summary: This study analyzed the environmental impacts of glazed ceramic tile production, finding that it has a significant impact on the environment due to high energy consumption. The importance of life cycle assessment in improving the sustainability of the ceramic sector is emphasized by the results of this work.
CLEAN TECHNOLOGIES AND ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
(2021)
Editorial Material
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Reinout Heijungs
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Peipei Tian, Hongwei Lu, Junguo Liu, Kuishuang Feng, Reinout Heijungs, Dan Li, Xing Fan
Summary: This study discusses the virtual water transfer pattern and water resources stress in China from the perspective of virtual water hypothesis. The results show that the distribution of water resources and virtual water transfer play a significant role in water resources stress in China. The study highlights the importance of improving land productivity and water efficiency to alleviate water stress and address the imbalance in water resources between different regions.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Jeroen B. Guinee, Arjan de Koning, Reinout Heijungs
Summary: A recent review of LCA-based Absolute Environmental Sustainability Assessment (AESA) methods and their applications found that temporal issues of assigning carrying capacity to product systems are often overlooked. Many studies focus on spatial differentiation and principles for assigning carrying capacity, neglecting the time dimension. This article argues that assigning planetary boundaries to product systems is technically challenging and that even product LCA-based AESA should be considered relative.
JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Management
Ettore Settanni, Reinout Heijungs, Jagjit Singh Srai
Summary: This paper provides a unified methodological view of semi-quantitative problem structuring and modelling (SPSM), comparing and contrasting different techniques and highlighting overlaps and inconsistencies between them. The study emphasizes the importance of critically applying key analytical principles and leveraging human-computer interaction in SPSM research.
JOURNAL OF THE OPERATIONAL RESEARCH SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Horticulture
Dewi Pramanik, Marlies Spaans, Twan Kranenburg, Diego Bogarin, Reinout Heijungs, Frederic Lens, Erik Smets, Barbara Gravendeel
Summary: Phalaenopsis is an important ornamental pot plant for the global horticultural market. This study investigated the lignification patterns and orientation of Phalaenopsis inflorescence stems and found significant differences among different species and hybrids. The study also revealed a positive correlation between inflorescence orientation and the degree of lignification.
SCIENTIA HORTICULTURAE
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Marina Dumont, Ranran Wang, Diana Wenzke, Kornelis Blok, Reinout Heijungs
Summary: High-temperature heat pump technologies can improve process efficiency, reduce energy demand, and enable a shift from fossil fuels to renewable electricity. By integrating these technologies into the heat processes of the German food and beverages industry, it is possible to meet a portion of the heat demand and reduce emissions.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kai Fang, Jianjian He, Qingyan Liu, Siqi Wang, Yong Geng, Reinout Heijungs, Yueyue Du, Wenze Yue, Anqi Xu, Chuanglin Fang
Summary: The growing water scarcity due to international trade poses a serious threat to global sustainability. This paper tracks the virtual water trade and water footprint of BRI countries in 2005-2015 and finds a substantial increase in BRI's water footprint after considering water scarcity. The BRI acts as a net exporter of virtual water globally, but the export volume is decreasing. Noticeable transitions in nations' role are found between the BRI and global scales, as well as between with and without considering water scarcity. Overall economic and population growth drive the scarcity-weighted water footprint for BRI nations, highlighting the need for improved international trade and cooperation on water resources management.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Baiwen Ma, Mathias Ulbricht, Chengzhi Hu, Hongwei Fan, Xu Wang, Yi-Rong Pan, Seyed Saeid Hosseini, Stefan Panglisch, Bart Van der Bruggen, Zhiwei Wang
Summary: Membrane science and technology is rapidly growing worldwide, offering high separation efficiency with low energy consumption. While most research focuses on membrane fabrication and modification to enhance properties and performance, less attention has been given to membrane life cycle management, particularly at the end of service. This study highlights the importance of life cycle assessment (LCA) and specifically discusses membrane recycling to achieve green development and sustainability goals.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Studies
Reinout Heijungs
Summary: A recent study suggests that the cost associated with noise-related health impacts would favor a specific type of alternative road material. However, if a portion of the noise is attributed to the vehicles rather than solely to the road, the opposite conclusion could be drawn. Therefore, the study calls for further investigation into this allocation problem and the implementation of sensitivity analyses until a satisfactory solution is found.
TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH PART D-TRANSPORT AND ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications
Mozhgan Assari, Ayse Sena Eruguz, Wout Dullaert, Reinout Heijungs
Summary: This paper presents a sustainable inventory model for perishable products, which is the first model to explicitly consider product decay during transportation. The model can assess different transportation alternatives with different costs, emissions, and lead times to select the most sustainable and cost-efficient option. Numerical experiments show that considering product decay leads to different optimal solutions than those proposed by existing models.
COMPUTERS & INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Reinout Heijungs
ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Zhetai Hu, Lanqing Li, Xiaotong Cen, Min Zheng, Shihu Hu, Xiuheng Wang, Yarong Song, Kangning Xu, Zhiguo Yuan
Summary: Integrated urban water management is an effective approach for managing urban water resources, which utilizes integrated technological solutions to achieve system-wide benefits. Research has shown that the process of producing iron salts can improve wastewater treatment in urban water systems and simultaneously recover high-quality bioenergy.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Letter
Environmental Sciences
Reinout Heijungs
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Reinout Heijungs
Summary: The ecological scarcity method (ESM) is a widely used system for assessing environmental impact in the context of life cycle assessment (LCA). This study critically analyzes and modifies the method, finding that the attempt to align it with LCA standards has been less successful than expected. Referring to ESM as a distance-to-target method further obscures its interpretation.
Letter
Engineering, Environmental
Reinout Heijungs
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Lars odegaard Bentsen, Narada Dilp Warakagoda, Roy Stenbro, Paal Engelstad
Summary: This study investigates uncertainty modeling in wind power forecasting using different parametric and non-parametric methods. Johnson's SU distribution is found to outperform Gaussian distributions in predicting wind power. This research contributes to the literature by introducing Johnson's SU distribution as a candidate for probabilistic wind forecasting.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2024)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Xing Liu, Qiuchen Wang, Yunhao Wen, Long Li, Xinfang Zhang, Yi Wang
Summary: This study analyzes the characteristics of process parameters in three lean gas ethane recovery processes and establishes a prediction and multiobjective optimization model for ethane recovery and system energy consumption. A new method for comparing ethane recovery processes for lean gas is proposed, and the addition of extra coolers improves the ethane recovery. The support vector regression model based on grey wolf optimization demonstrates the highest prediction accuracy, and the multiobjective multiverse optimization algorithm shows the best optimization performance and diversity in the solutions.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2024)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Cairong Song, Haidong Yang, Xian-Bing Meng, Pan Yang, Jianyang Cai, Hao Bao, Kangkang Xu
Summary: The paper proposes a novel deep learning-based prediction framework, aTCN-LSTM, for accurate cooling load predictions. The framework utilizes a gate-controlled multi-head temporal convolutional network and a sparse probabilistic self-attention mechanism with a bidirectional long short-term memory network to capture both temporal and long-term dependencies in the cooling load sequences. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed method, which can serve as an effective guide for HVAC chiller scheduling and demand management initiatives.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2024)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Zhe Chen, Xiaojing Li, Xianli Xia, Jizhou Zhang
Summary: This study uses survey data from the Loess Plateau in China to evaluate the impact of social interaction on the adoption of soil and water conservation (SWC) technology by farmers. The study finds that social interaction increases the likelihood of farmers adopting SWC, and internet use moderates this effect. The positive impact of social interaction on SWC adoption is more pronounced for farmers in larger villages and those who join cooperative societies.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2024)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Chenghua Zhang, Yunfei Yan, Kaiming Shen, Zongguo Xue, Jingxiang You, Yonghong Wu, Ziqiang He
Summary: This paper reports a novel method that significantly improves combustion performance, including heat transfer enhancement under steady-state conditions and adaptive stable flame regulation under velocity sudden increase.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2024)