Human population intake fractions and environmental fate factors of toxic pollutants in life cycle impact assessment

The present paper outlines an update of the fate and exposure part of the fate, exposure and effects model USES-LCA. The new fate and exposure module of USES-LCA was applied to calculate human population intake fractions and fate factors of the freshwater, marine and terrestrial environment for 3393 substances, including neutral organics, dissociating organics and inorganics, emitted to 7 different emission compartments. The human population intake fraction is on average 10(-5)-10(-8) for organics and 10(-3)-10(-4) for inorganics, depending on the emission compartment considered. Chemical-specific human population intake fractions can be 1-2.7 orders of magnitude higher or lower compared to the typical estimates. For inorganics, the human population intake fractions highly depend on the assumption that exposure via food products can be modelled with constant bioconcentration factors. The environmental fate factor is on average 10(-11)-10(-18) days m(-3) for organics and 10(-10)-10(-12) days m(-3) for inorganics, depending on the receiving environment and the emission compartment considered. Chemical-specific environmental fate factors can be 1-8 orders of magnitude higher or lower compared to the typical estimates. The largest differences between the new and old version of USES-LCA are found for emissions to air and soil. This is caused by a significant change in the structure of the air and soil compartments in the new version of USES-LCA, i.e. the distinction between rural and urban air, including rain-no rain conditions and including soil depth dependent intermedia transport.     

Exposure and hazard assessment within the life cycle impact assessment

Environmental Science and Pollution Research -     

基于生命周期的中国荧光灯的环境影响分析

我国是世界上生产和出口荧光灯最多的国家之一,同时每年也会有数量众多的荧光灯被废弃,这些都伴随着大量的资源消耗以及环境污染。但是关于我国荧光灯的环境影响分析却很少有人研究。对紧凑型荧光灯以及直管型荧光灯进行了全生命周期的环境影响评价,同时又在国家层面对我国荧光灯的生产和出口的环境负荷进行了定量分析。结果表明,对于这两种灯,环境影响最大的阶段是使用阶段,在提供相同的光照条件下,直管型荧光灯的环境影响明显优于紧凑型荧光灯。2011年,我国生产荧光灯会产生1.45亿t CO2-equivalents和69万t PM2.5-eq,负载了大量的能源资源消耗和污染排放,其中约有一半左右来自于出口的荧光灯。政府需要通过政策措施来引导生产和贸易向环境友好型转变。     

脱硫灰处理生命周期环境影响评价

随着半干法烟气脱硫技术的普及,其副产物脱硫灰的产量亦日益增加.大量堆存的脱硫灰导致了土地占用、环境污染等问题.氧化和填埋是半干法烟气脱硫灰主要的处理方式,采用生命周期评价(LCA)理论,对脱硫灰氧化和填埋处理进行清单分析,定量评价两种处理方式产生的环境影响和经济效益.结果表明,填埋处理环境代价虽低于脱硫灰氧化处理,但综...     

Sources of priority substances entering an urban wastewater catchment--trace organic chemicals

The implementation of new legislation such as the Water Framework Directive (WFD) requires Member States to gain a better understanding of priority substances entering surface waters. This will include inputs from wastewater treatment works as well as from other urban, industrial and agricultural sources. There is currently a lack of available data regarding the magnitude and sources of organic priority substances entering treatment works. As a consequence the concentrations of organic priority substances including PAHs, surfactants, polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs), diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), pesticides and solvents were determined in the wastewater from an urban catchment located in the UK, as part of a project undertaken for UK Water Industry Research (UKWIR). Most organic priority substances were detected in the microg/l range. Significant variations in the concentration of linear alkylbenzene sulphonate (LAS), DEHP, PBDEs and nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEOs), in particular, were observed for the different sources. The greatest differences were evident between new and older domestic discharges. Solvent levels varied considerably reflecting use and production within the catchment. Chloroform levels were highest in domestic effluent, while trichloroethene and tetrachloroethene were detected only in commercial samples.     

Environmental impact of mining and beneficiation of copper sulphate mine based on life cycle assessment

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - China is a major producer of copper concentrate as its smelting capacity continues to expand dramatically. The present study analyzes the life cycle...     

Assessment of commercially available polymeric materials for sorptive microextraction of priority and emerging nonpolar organic pollutants in environmental water samples

Among the different organic pollutants, persistent organic pollutants and emerging organic contaminants (EOCs) are of particular concern due to their potentially dangerous effects on the ecosystems and on human health. In the framework of the analysis of some of these organic pollutants in water samples, sorptive extraction devices have proven to be adequate for their monitoring. The efficiency of four commercially available and low-cost polymeric materials [polypropylene, poly(ethylene terephthalate), Raffia, and polyethersulfone (PES)] for the simultaneous extraction of 16 organic compounds from five different families from environmental water samples was evaluated in this work. Firstly, the homogeneity of the sorbent materials was confirmed by means of Raman spectroscopy. After the optimization of the parameters affecting the extraction and the liquid desorption steps, it was found that PES showed the largest efficiencies for slightly polar analytes and, to a lesser extent, for nonpolar analytes. Additionally, Raffia rendered good extraction efficiencies for nonpolar compounds. Thus sorptive extraction methods followed by large volume injection-programmable temperature vaporizer-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry were validated using PES and Raffia as sorbent materials. The validation of the method provided good linearity (0.978?r ²?r ²?-1 level). Finally, these materials were applied to the analysis of contaminants in environmental water samples.     

Comparative health impact assessment of local and regional particulate air pollutants in Scandinavia

The ongoing program Clean Air for Europe (CAFE) is an initiative from the EU Commission to establish a coordinated effort to reach better air quality in the EU. The focus is on particulate matter as it has been shown to have large impact on human health. CAFE requested that WHO make a review of the latest findings on air pollutants and health to facilitate assessments of the different air pollutants and their health effects. The WHO review project on health aspects of air pollution in Europe confirmed that exposure to particulate matter (PM), despite the lower levels we face today, still poses a significant risk to human health. Using the recommended uniform risk coefficients for health impact assessment of PM, regardless of sources, premature mortality related to long-range transported anthropogenic particles has been estimated to be about 3500 deaths per year for the Swedish population, corresponding to a reduction in life expectancy of up to about seven months. The influence of local sources is more difficult to estimate due to large uncertainties when linking available risk coefficients to exposure data, but the estimates indicate about 1800 deaths brought forward each year with a life expectancy reduction of about 2-3 months. However, some sectors of the population are exposed to quite high locally induced concentrations and are likely to suffer excessive reductions in life expectancy. Since the literature increasingly supports assumptions that combustion related particles are associated with higher relative risks, further studies may shift the focus for abatement strategies. CAFE sets out to establish a general cost effective abatement strategy for atmospheric particles. Our results, based on studies of background exposure, show that long-range transported sulfate rich particles dominate the health effects of PM in Sweden. The same results would be found for the whole of Scandinavia and many countries influenced by transboundary air pollution. However, several health studies, including epidemiological studies with a finer spatial resolution, indicate that engine exhaust particles are more damaging to health than other particles. These contradictory findings must be understood and source specific risk estimates have to be established by expert bodies, otherwise it will not be possible to find the most cost effective abatement strategy for Europe. We are not happy with today's situation where every strategy to reduce PM concentrations is estimated to have the same impact per unit change in the mass concentration. Obviously there is a striking need to introduce more specific exposure variables and a higher geographical resolution in epidemiology as well as in health impact assessments.     

Performance analysis and life cycle greenhouse gas emission assessment of an integrated gravitational-flow wastewater treatment system for rural areas

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Due to the lack of appropriate wastewater treatment facility in rural areas, the discharging of wastewater without sufficient treatment results in...     

A new approach of ecologically based life cycle assessment for biological wastewater treatments focused on energy recovery goals

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The energy potential of high-organic loaded agro-industrial effluents receiving biological treatment is often neglected, particularly in emergent...     

GIS-based impact assessment and spatial distribution of air and water pollutants in mining area

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Mining is a significant part of the transforming economy, which is generally considered as essential as well as social evil at the same time. It is...     

Integrating life cycle assessment and a farmer survey of management practices to study environmental impacts of peach production in Beijing,China

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - While intensive peach production has expanded rapidly in recent years, few studies have explored the environmental impacts associated with specific...     

用生命周期的方法评价铜炉渣作为铜选矿原料的环境影响

运用生命周期评价的方法,分别对铜炉渣和铜矿石回收铜的选矿过程的环境协调性进行了对比研究,得到了选矿生产过程中各工序的环境负荷数据。评价结果表明,铜炉渣的人类健康损害、生态系统损害和资源损害分别为0.20783、0.00764和0.01919,而铜矿石的分别是0.08165、0.0075和0.08857,铜炉渣生产铜的资源损害比铜矿石低,而人类健康损害和生态系统损害比铜矿石高,铜炉渣选矿生产过程每生产1 kg渣精矿的环境负荷约为铜矿石的1.32倍。随着国内铜精矿供应缺口的增大,从铜炉渣中回收铜资源将显著地提高资源利用率,有利于循环经济的发展。     

产品生命周期评价在固体废弃物管理中的应用

产品生命周期评价应用到固体废弃物的管理 ,可以改变传统的管理方法 ,为固体废弃物管理从产品设计、生产到废弃、处置全过程 ,提供系统的全过程管理概念     

制药废水有机污染物的微生物降解

以宜昌某制药废水为惟一碳源,通过选择性富集、驯化培养和划线分离纯化,分别从三峡大学求索溪、三峡某药业及三峡大学接待中心3种活性污泥中分离得到菌株HS150,其中三峡大学求索溪的活性污泥中菌株HS150含量最大,其降解能力最强。经革兰氏染色、氧化酶实验、触酶实验及DNA酶实验等,初步鉴定菌株HS150为奈瑟氏菌属(Neisseria)。由单因子优化法实验得出菌株HS150降解宜昌某制药废水的最适条件：温度为30℃,pH为7,当底物浓度为600 mL/L时,制药废水降解率可达85%,其矿化程度较高。     

LCA of tomato greenhouse production using spatially differentiated life cycle impact assessment indicators: an Albanian case study

The increasing attention to agricultural exports and sustainability issues is driving a surge of interest in the life cycle assessment (LCAs) of greenhouse crop production in Albania. Meanwhile, most of the reported agricultural LCAs tend to be generic without considering regionalized environmental sensitivities. In this study, ReCiPe 2016, covering 18 midpoint indicators and 3 endpoint indicators was used to generate a full-fledged cradle-to-farm gate LCA of greenhouse tomatoes in a typical Albanian farm including spatial differentiation and indicators not covered by contemporary LCAs. The most important midpoint categories per 1 ha identified from foreground–background analysis were global warming (2660.4 kg CO2-eq), stratospheric ozone depletion (0.0308 kg CFC11-eq), particulate matter formation (7.99 kg PM2.5-eq), human health and ecosystem ozone formation (8.47 and 14.95 kg NOx-eq), water consumption (2293.23 m3), and terrestrial acidification (42.28 kg SO2-eq). The application of spatial differentiation resulted in higher impacts with about 21% for particulate matter formation, 12% for human health ozone formation, 134% for ecosystem ozone formation, 19% for terrestrial acidification, and 13% for water consumption. The impacts primarily originated from nitrogen-based fertilizer emissions and diesel fuel with the origin of the impact from nitrous oxide (N2O), ammonia volatilization (NH3), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs). Water consumption was dominated by irrigation water use. Overall, at the endpoint level, 9% and 24% less cumulative damage to human health and ecosystem quality were calculated with respect to the site-generic analysis primarily from the cause-and-effect chain of water consumption (mainly lower water stress index). This affirms the importance of regional considerations in LCA calculations to reflect the impacts accordingly (i.e., the magnitude of impacts, the most relevant midpoint categories, and their relevance on endpoint level) and increase the possibility of making correct conclusions and sub-optimizations, i.e., increase the discriminating power of LCA.     

城市河道底泥中微生物组成及其转化氮、硫污染物的潜力

城市河道是城市生态系统的重要组成部分.以淮河流域某城市河道为研究对象,在了解其污染物分布特征的基础上,分析了底泥中的微生物组成,分别测定了厌氧氨氧化、硫酸盐还原氨氧化、异养反硝化、硫自养反硝化和硫酸盐还原等氮、硫转化过程的潜力.结果表明:(1)底泥中微生物以变形菌门为主,相对丰度为30％左右,同时包含与氮、硫循环密切相...     

Fluoxetine effects assessment on the life cycle of aquatic invertebrates

Fluoxetine is a serotonin re-uptake inhibitor, generally used as an antidepressant. It is suspected to provoke substantial effects in the aquatic environment. This study reports the effects of fluoxetine on the life cycle of four invertebrate species, Daphnia magna, Hyalella azteca and the snail Potamopyrgus antipodarum exposed to fluoxetine spiked-water and the midge Chironomus riparius exposed to fluoxetine-spiked sediments. For D. magna, a multi-generational study was performed with exposition of newborns from exposed organisms. Effects of fluoxetine could be found at low measured concentrations (around 10mugl(-1)), especially for parthenogenetic reproduction of D. magna and P. antipodarum. For daphnids, newborns length was impacted by fluoxetine and the second generation of exposed individuals showed much more pronounced effects than the first one, with a NOEC of 8.9mugl(-1). For P. antipodarum, significant decrease of reproduction was found for concentrations around 10mugl(-1). In contrast, we found no effect on the reproduction of H. azteca but a significant effect on growth, which resulted in a NOEC of 33mugl(-1), expressed in nominal concentration. No effect on C. riparius could be found for measured concentrations up to 59.5mgkg(-1). General mechanistic energy-based models showed poor relevance for data analysis, which suggests that fluoxetine targets specific mechanisms of reproduction.