The Experts below are selected from a list of 1614 Experts worldwide ranked by ideXlab platform
Jinglan Hong - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Life cycle assessment and the willingness to pay of waste polyester recycling
Journal of Cleaner Production, 2019Co-Authors: Qingsong Wang, Jinglan Hong, Hongrui Tang, Xueliang Yuan, Jian Zhang, Jian Zuo, Shensong CaoAbstract:Abstract As an important approach to recover solid waste, the recycling of waste polyester has drawn a growing level of public concern. This study aims to investigate the life cycle assessment and social cost of life cycle assessment of waste polyester recycling. The results show that the polyester recycling process itself has significant environmental impact on global warming, fossil resource scarcity, human carcinogenic toxicity, water consumption and Terrestrial Ecotoxicity. Global warming, Terrestrial Ecotoxicity and land use are the most influential categories of social cost of life cycle assessment, with a contribution of 55.7%, 10.9% and 6.3% respectively. Through key process identification, sensitivity analysis and integrated evaluation study, it is found that electricity generation, direct air emissions and transportation are key processes that affect social cost of life cycle assessment and life cycle assessment. The effects of these key processes on social cost of life cycle assessment are greater than that on life cycle assessment. Consequently, the corresponding optimization measures are proposed in order to improve the sustainability performance of polyester industry.
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Life cycle environmental and economic assessment of ceramic tile production: A case study in China
Journal of Cleaner Production, 2018Co-Authors: Jinglan Hong, Donglu YangAbstract:Abstract Ceramic tiles are important building materials, but their production consumes large amounts of energy and raw materials and causes serious pollution. In this study, a cost combined life cycle assessment is conducted to quantify the environmental and economic impacts of ceramic tile production from cradle to gate and identify the key substances and processes to eliminate production issues. Results show that marine Ecotoxicity, climate change, Terrestrial Ecotoxicity, human toxicity, and fossil depletion are the key environmental impact categories. Key substances include chlorine in soil, sulfur dioxide in air, and carbon dioxide in air. The total economic cost is $2.77/m2, and this cost mainly originates from raw materials. Inorganic chemicals used as raw materials account for general environmental (12.9%) and economic (39.6%) burdens. Application of alternative electricity generation types, such as hydropower as a replacement for coal power, can reduce the impacts on climate change and marine Ecotoxicity by 98.4% and 96.4%, respectively, during the electricity generation stage. An environmental and economic win–win situation can be achieved by reducing the use of inorganic chemicals, coal, and electricity and optimizing the transport of raw materials.
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Life cycle environmental and economic assessment of a LID-BMP treatment train system: A case study in China
Journal of Cleaner Production, 2017Co-Authors: Changqing Xu, Shidong Liang, Haifeng Jia, Jinglan Hong, Te XuAbstract:A cost-combined life-cycle assessment was conducted to estimate the environmental and economic burdens of a low impact development best management practice (LID-BMP) treatment train system in China. Results showed that climate change, human toxicity, Terrestrial Ecotoxicity, freshwater Ecotoxicity, marine Ecotoxicity and fossil depletion dominantly contributed to the overall environmental effect. Infiltration pit exhibited the highest environmental effects because of high consumption of PVC and non-woven fabrics, whereas grassed swale and buffer strip had the lowest environmental impacts. The operation phase showed great environmental benefits because a LID-BMP treatment train system can significantly reduce the emissions of heavy metals, suspended solids, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus to water. From an economic perspective, constructed wetland exhibited the highest economic burdens where the costs of graded gravel and bedding plants had a significant function, whereas grassed swale had the lowest economic burdens because of low consumption of raw materials. Optimizing the efficiency of PVC, non-woven fabric consumption, and road transport is an effective way to improve the potential environmental performance of LID-BMP construction phase.
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Life cycle assessment of antibiotic mycelial residues management in China
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2017Co-Authors: Wei Chen, Jinglan Hong, Yong Geng, Harn Wei KuaAbstract:Abstract The increasing antibiotic mycelial residues (AMRs) have brought significant threats to our ecosystems and public health. Aiming to quantify pollutants generated from AMRs management, evaluate corresponding environmental impacts, and identify the key factors related with AMRs management, a life cycle assessment approach was employed on analyzing AMRs. In order to improve the accuracy of results, uncertainty analysis was also performed so that a holistic picture of environmental emissions generated from AMRs management is presented. Results show that human toxicity, Terrestrial Ecotoxicity, marine Ecotoxicity, and fossil depletion are the major environmental impacts caused by AMRs management. Uncertainty analysis reveals that the gasification of AMRs is the best option among the four AMRs treatment scenarios due to its large energy recovery capacity, while incineration scenario has the worst environmental performance due to its large pollutants emissions and sodium hydrogen consumption. Results obtained from this study (e.g., environmental impacts, key factors, and potential improvement) could provide valuable insights to policymakers so that the overall environmental impacts from AMRs management can be mitigated.
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Life cycle assessment of electronic waste treatment
Waste management (New York N.Y.), 2015Co-Authors: Jinglan Hong, Wenxiao Shi, Yutao Wang, Wei ChenAbstract:Life cycle assessment was conducted to estimate the environmental impact of electronic waste (e-waste) treatment. E-waste recycling with an end-life disposal scenario is environmentally beneficial because of the low environmental burden generated from human toxicity, Terrestrial Ecotoxicity, freshwater Ecotoxicity, and marine Ecotoxicity categories. Landfill and incineration technologies have a lower and higher environmental burden than the e-waste recycling with an end-life disposal scenario, respectively. The key factors in reducing the overall environmental impact of e-waste recycling are optimizing energy consumption efficiency, reducing wastewater and solid waste effluent, increasing proper e-waste treatment amount, avoiding e-waste disposal to landfill and incineration sites, and clearly defining the duties of all stakeholders (e.g., manufacturers, retailers, recycling companies, and consumers).
Phani Adapa - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Life cycle assessment of densified wheat straw pellets in the Canadian Prairies
The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 2012Co-Authors: Edmund Mupondwa, Satyanarayan Panigrahi, Lope G. Tabil, Phani AdapaAbstract:Purpose Densification, a process used to manufacture pellets in order to increase biomass bulk density, plays a crucial role in the economics of biomass utilization. The Canadian Prairies produce large quantities of agricultural residues each year, in particular wheat straw. This study performs life cycle assessment of wheat straw pellets by evaluating environmental effects of the entire pellet production system comprising feedstock production (on-farm wheat straw production), harvesting, baling, transportation, and the industrial processing involving drying, grinding, pelletizing, and packing in the densification plant. The effects of each process on the environmental performance of wheat straw pellets were investigated. Methods This study was conducted using LCA software and incorporating the Ecoinvent database supplemented with literature data for the Canadian Prairies. Wheat straw pellets manufactured from the densification plant are evaluated with respect to their use of resources and energy consumption. Environmental emissions associated with the agricultural processing and manufacturing systems are quantified. Sensitivity analysis is conducted to compare allocation methods and investigate the environmental impact of pelletizing and drying processes. The functional unit is defined as 1 kg wheat straw pellet. Results and discussion The study quantified the environmental impact of producing wheat straw pellets in terms of global warming potential, acidification, eutrophication, ozone layer depletion, abiotic depletion, human toxicity, photochemical oxidation, fresh water aquatic Ecotoxicity, and Terrestrial Ecotoxicity. Drying, pelletizing, and fertilizer are the main contributors to global warming, acidification, abiotic depletion, human toxicity, Terrestrial Ecotoxicity, photochemical oxidation, and most of the other environmental impacts. Wheat seed has more impact on eutrophication. Transportation has an impact on ozone layer depletion, while grinding has an effect on freshwater aquatic Ecotoxicity. Conclusions The environmental impact of materials and energy fluxes on producing wheat straw pellet in the Canadian Prairies is assessed. The effect of each processing step on the entire manufacturing process is described. Overall, drying and pelletizing processes contribute the most environmental burdens except eutrophication and Terrestrial Ecotoxicity which are dominated by agricultural fertilizer/seed utilization and harvesting. In order to mitigate the environmental impact of wheat straw pellet production, minimizing energy consumption and machinery burdens from the drying and pelletizing processes are the main intervention points for wheat straw densification. Fertilizer production and utilization are key variables in strategies to lower eutrophication and Terrestrial Ecotoxicity.
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Life cycle assessment of densified wheat straw pellets in the Canadian Prairies
International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 2012Co-Authors: Xue Li, Edmund Mupondwa, Satyanarayan Panigrahi, Lope G. Tabil, Phani AdapaAbstract:Densification, a process used to manufacture pellets in order to increase biomass bulk density, plays a crucial role in the economics of biomass utilization. The Canadian Prairies produce large quantities of agricultural residues each year, in particular wheat straw. This study performs life cycle assessment of wheat straw pellets by evaluating environmental effects of the entire pellet production system comprising feedstock production (on-farm wheat straw production), harvesting, baling, transportation, and the industrial processing involving drying, grinding, pelletizing, and packing in the densification plant. The effects of each process on the environmental performance of wheat straw pellets were investigated. This study was conducted using LCA software and incorporating the Ecoinvent database supplemented with literature data for the Canadian Prairies. Wheat straw pellets manufactured from the densification plant are evaluated with respect to their use of resources and energy consumption. Environmental emissions associated with the agricultural processing and manufacturing systems are quantified. Sensitivity analysis is conducted to compare allocation methods and investigate the environmental impact of pelletizing and drying processes. The functional unit is defined as 1 kg wheat straw pellet. The study quantified the environmental impact of producing wheat straw pellets in terms of global warming potential, acidification, eutrophication, ozone layer depletion, abiotic depletion, human toxicity, photochemical oxidation, fresh water aquatic Ecotoxicity, and Terrestrial Ecotoxicity. Drying, pelletizing, and fertilizer are the main contributors to global warming, acidification, abiotic depletion, human toxicity, Terrestrial Ecotoxicity, photochemical oxidation, and most of the other environmental impacts. Wheat seed has more impact on eutrophication. Transportation has an impact on ozone layer depletion, while grinding has an effect on freshwater aquatic Ecotoxicity. The environmental impact of materials and energy fluxes on producing wheat straw pellet in the Canadian Prairies is assessed. The effect of each processing step on the entire manufacturing process is described. Overall, drying and pelletizing processes contribute the most environmental burdens except eutrophication and Terrestrial Ecotoxicity which are dominated by agricultural fertilizer/seed utilization and harvesting. In order to mitigate the environmental impact of wheat straw pellet production, minimizing energy consumption and machinery burdens from the drying and pelletizing processes are the main intervention points for wheat straw densification. Fertilizer production and utilization are key variables in strategies to lower eutrophication and Terrestrial Ecotoxicity.
Louise Deschênes - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Regionalized Terrestrial Ecotoxicity assessment of copper-based fungicides applied in viticulture.
Sustainability, 2018Co-Authors: Ivan Viveros Santos, Cécile Bulle, Annie Levasseur, Louise DeschênesAbstract:Life cycle assessment has been recognized as an important decision-making tool to improve the environmental performance of agricultural systems. Still, there are certain modelling issues related to the assessment of their impacts. The first is linked to the assessment of the metal Terrestrial Ecotoxicity impact, for which metal speciation in soil is disregarded. In fact, emissions of metals in agricultural systems contribute significantly to the ecotoxic impact, as do copper-based fungicides applied in viticulture to combat downy mildew. Another issue is linked to the ways in which the intrinsic geographical variability of agriculture resulting from the variation of management practices, soil properties, and climate is addressed. The aim of this study is to assess the spatial variability of the Terrestrial Ecotoxicity impact of copper-based fungicides applied in European vineyards, accounting for both geographical variability in terms of agricultural practice and copper speciation in soil. This first entails the development of regionalized characterization factors (CFs) for the copper used in viticulture and then the application of these CFs to a regionalized life-cycle inventory that considers different management practices, soil properties, and climates in different regions, namely Languedoc-Roussillon (France), Minho (Portugal), Tuscany (Italy), and Galicia (Spain). There are two modelling alternatives to determine metal speciation in Terrestrial Ecotoxicity: (a) empirical regression models; and (b) WHAM 6.0, the geochemical speciation model applied according to the soil properties of the Harmonized World Soil Database (HWSD). Both approaches were used to compute and compare regionalized CFs with each other and with current IMPACT 2002+ CF. The CFs were then aggregated at different spatial resolutions—global, Europe, country, and wine-growing region—to assess the uncertainty related to spatial variability at the different scales and applied in the regionalized case study. The global CF computed for copper Terrestrial Ecotoxicity is around 3.5 orders of magnitude lower than the one from IMPACT 2002+, demonstrating the impact of including metal speciation. For both methods, an increase in the spatial resolution of the CFs translated into a decrease in the spatial variability of the CFs. With the exception of the aggregated CF for Portugal (Minho) at the country level, all the aggregated CFs derived from empirical regression models are greater than the ones derived from the method based on WHAM 6.0 within a range of 0.2 to 1.2 orders of magnitude. Furthermore, CFs calculated with empirical regression models exhibited a greater spatial variability with respect to the CFs derived from WHAM 6.0. The ranking of the impact scores of the analyzed scenarios was mainly determined by the amount of copper applied in each wine-growing region. However, finer spatial resolutions led to an impact score with lower uncertainty.
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Including metal atmospheric fate and speciation in soils for Terrestrial Ecotoxicity in life cycle impact assessment
The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 2018Co-Authors: Lycia Aziz, Louise Deschênes, Rifat-ara Karim, Laure Patouillard, Cécile BulleAbstract:Purpose The aim of the study is to calculate regionalized characterization factors for the atmospheric emissions of metals transferred to soil for zinc, copper, and nickel taking into account the atmospheric fate and speciation.
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Characterization factors for zinc Terrestrial Ecotoxicity including speciation
The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 2016Co-Authors: Geneviève Plouffe, Cécile Bulle, Louise DeschênesAbstract:Purpose Ignoring metal speciation in the determination of characterization factors (CFs) in life cycle assessment (LCA) could significantly alter the validity of LCA results since toxicity is directly linked to bioavailability.
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Case study: taking zinc speciation into account in Terrestrial Ecotoxicity considerably impacts life cycle assessment results
Journal of Cleaner Production, 2015Co-Authors: Geneviève Plouffe, Cécile Bulle, Louise DeschênesAbstract:Abstract Metals are a major concern in life cycle assessment (LCA): they dominate the ecotoxicological impacts due to the use of models that do not consider metal speciation. The objective of this study was to measure the influence of zinc (Zn) speciation on LCA results and evaluate the importance of including it in LCA. A case study in which ecosystem quality impacts are dominated by zinc (Zn) when using the current characterization factor (CF) for Zn was performed on the market for electricity, low voltage CA-QC (Canada-Quebec) ecoinvent data using the IMPACT 2002 + methodology. Different CFs for Zn were tested: IMPACT 2002 + CF and USEtox-derived Terrestrial CF without speciation, generic default CF values for the world, and minimum and maximum regionalized CF values including speciation based on either soluble or true solution Zn. For each scenario, the following outcomes were determined and compared with those obtained using the other CFs for Zn: the contribution of Zn emitted to soil to the Terrestrial Ecotoxicity impact category and ecosystem quality damage category scores, the rank of Zn emitted to soil as a contributor to the Terrestrial Ecotoxicity impact category, and the total Terrestrial Ecotoxicity impact score. To our knowledge, this is the first study that includes zinc speciation in soil in a real LCA case study. In this case study, when including speciation, the contribution of Zn emitted to soil to the Terrestrial Ecotoxicity impact score falls from 26% to a maximum of 1.27%; the impact scores of Zn emitted to soil drop by 1.44–14.37 orders of magnitude; the total Terrestrial Ecotoxicity and ecosystem quality impact scores decrease by approximately 25% and 21%, respectively; and among the major contributors to Terrestrial Ecotoxicity, Zn falls from the 2nd to between the 9th and 255th position. Considering that the contribution of all metals emitted to soil represents between 56.2% and 75.7% of the total Terrestrial Ecotoxicity impact score for this case study, the results highlight the need to include metal speciation in LCA and the considerable influence it could have on ecotoxicological impacts.
Yonghong Bao - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Life cycle assessment of the winter wheat-summer maize production system on the North China Plain
International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology, 2007Co-Authors: Mingxin Wang, Wenna Liu, Yonghong BaoAbstract:A life cycle assessment (LCA) method was used to examine the environmental impact of the winter wheat-summer maize production system on the North China Plain. The LCA considered the entire system required to produce 1 ton each of winter wheat and summer maize. The analysis included raw material extraction and transportation, agrochemical production and transportation, and arable farming in the field. First, all emissions and resource consumption connected to the different processes were listed in a life cycle inventory (LCI) and related to a common unit (1 ton of grain). Subsequently, a life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) was conducted, in which the inventory data were aggregated into indicators for environmental effects, including energy depletion, climate change, acidification, aquatic eutrophication, human toxicity, aquatic and Terrestrial Ecotoxicity. For winter wheat systems, energy depletion and acidification were the most relevant environmental impacts, and energy depletion and aquatic eutrophicati...
Edmund Mupondwa - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Life cycle assessment of densified wheat straw pellets in the Canadian Prairies
The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 2012Co-Authors: Edmund Mupondwa, Satyanarayan Panigrahi, Lope G. Tabil, Phani AdapaAbstract:Purpose Densification, a process used to manufacture pellets in order to increase biomass bulk density, plays a crucial role in the economics of biomass utilization. The Canadian Prairies produce large quantities of agricultural residues each year, in particular wheat straw. This study performs life cycle assessment of wheat straw pellets by evaluating environmental effects of the entire pellet production system comprising feedstock production (on-farm wheat straw production), harvesting, baling, transportation, and the industrial processing involving drying, grinding, pelletizing, and packing in the densification plant. The effects of each process on the environmental performance of wheat straw pellets were investigated. Methods This study was conducted using LCA software and incorporating the Ecoinvent database supplemented with literature data for the Canadian Prairies. Wheat straw pellets manufactured from the densification plant are evaluated with respect to their use of resources and energy consumption. Environmental emissions associated with the agricultural processing and manufacturing systems are quantified. Sensitivity analysis is conducted to compare allocation methods and investigate the environmental impact of pelletizing and drying processes. The functional unit is defined as 1 kg wheat straw pellet. Results and discussion The study quantified the environmental impact of producing wheat straw pellets in terms of global warming potential, acidification, eutrophication, ozone layer depletion, abiotic depletion, human toxicity, photochemical oxidation, fresh water aquatic Ecotoxicity, and Terrestrial Ecotoxicity. Drying, pelletizing, and fertilizer are the main contributors to global warming, acidification, abiotic depletion, human toxicity, Terrestrial Ecotoxicity, photochemical oxidation, and most of the other environmental impacts. Wheat seed has more impact on eutrophication. Transportation has an impact on ozone layer depletion, while grinding has an effect on freshwater aquatic Ecotoxicity. Conclusions The environmental impact of materials and energy fluxes on producing wheat straw pellet in the Canadian Prairies is assessed. The effect of each processing step on the entire manufacturing process is described. Overall, drying and pelletizing processes contribute the most environmental burdens except eutrophication and Terrestrial Ecotoxicity which are dominated by agricultural fertilizer/seed utilization and harvesting. In order to mitigate the environmental impact of wheat straw pellet production, minimizing energy consumption and machinery burdens from the drying and pelletizing processes are the main intervention points for wheat straw densification. Fertilizer production and utilization are key variables in strategies to lower eutrophication and Terrestrial Ecotoxicity.
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Life cycle assessment of densified wheat straw pellets in the Canadian Prairies
International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 2012Co-Authors: Xue Li, Edmund Mupondwa, Satyanarayan Panigrahi, Lope G. Tabil, Phani AdapaAbstract:Densification, a process used to manufacture pellets in order to increase biomass bulk density, plays a crucial role in the economics of biomass utilization. The Canadian Prairies produce large quantities of agricultural residues each year, in particular wheat straw. This study performs life cycle assessment of wheat straw pellets by evaluating environmental effects of the entire pellet production system comprising feedstock production (on-farm wheat straw production), harvesting, baling, transportation, and the industrial processing involving drying, grinding, pelletizing, and packing in the densification plant. The effects of each process on the environmental performance of wheat straw pellets were investigated. This study was conducted using LCA software and incorporating the Ecoinvent database supplemented with literature data for the Canadian Prairies. Wheat straw pellets manufactured from the densification plant are evaluated with respect to their use of resources and energy consumption. Environmental emissions associated with the agricultural processing and manufacturing systems are quantified. Sensitivity analysis is conducted to compare allocation methods and investigate the environmental impact of pelletizing and drying processes. The functional unit is defined as 1 kg wheat straw pellet. The study quantified the environmental impact of producing wheat straw pellets in terms of global warming potential, acidification, eutrophication, ozone layer depletion, abiotic depletion, human toxicity, photochemical oxidation, fresh water aquatic Ecotoxicity, and Terrestrial Ecotoxicity. Drying, pelletizing, and fertilizer are the main contributors to global warming, acidification, abiotic depletion, human toxicity, Terrestrial Ecotoxicity, photochemical oxidation, and most of the other environmental impacts. Wheat seed has more impact on eutrophication. Transportation has an impact on ozone layer depletion, while grinding has an effect on freshwater aquatic Ecotoxicity. The environmental impact of materials and energy fluxes on producing wheat straw pellet in the Canadian Prairies is assessed. The effect of each processing step on the entire manufacturing process is described. Overall, drying and pelletizing processes contribute the most environmental burdens except eutrophication and Terrestrial Ecotoxicity which are dominated by agricultural fertilizer/seed utilization and harvesting. In order to mitigate the environmental impact of wheat straw pellet production, minimizing energy consumption and machinery burdens from the drying and pelletizing processes are the main intervention points for wheat straw densification. Fertilizer production and utilization are key variables in strategies to lower eutrophication and Terrestrial Ecotoxicity.
