Life cycle assessment and sustainable engineering in the context of near net shape grown components: striving towards a sustainable way of future production

Technical product harvesting (TEPHA) is a newly developing interdisciplinary approach in which bio-based production is investigated from a technical and ecological perspective. Society‘s demand for ecologically produced and sustainably operable goods is a key driver for the substitution of conventional materials like metals or plastics through bio-based alternatives. Technical product harvesting of near net shape grown components describes the use of suitable biomass for the production of technical products through influencing the natural shape of plants during their growth period. The use of natural materials may show positive effects on the amount of non-renewable resource consumption. This also increases the product recyclability at the end of its life cycle. Furthermore, through the near net shape growth of biomass, production steps can be reduced. As a consequence such approaches may save energy and the needed resources like crude oil, coal or gas. The derived near net shape grown components are not only considered beneficial from an environmental point of view. They can also have mechanical advantages through an intrinsic topology optimization in contrast to common natural materials, which are influenced in their shape after harvesting. In order to prove these benefits a comprehensive, interdisciplinary scientific strategy is needed. Here, both mechanical investigations and life cycle assessment as a method of environmental evaluation are used.     

Porous materials for the recovery of rare earth elements,platinum group metals,and other valuable metals: a review

Environmental Chemistry Letters - The demand for valuable metals such as rare earth elements and platinum group metals is rising fast in the context of the depletion of natural resources...     

Terrestrial laserscanning of tidal flats—a case study in Jiangsu Province, China

Terrestrial laserscanning (TLS), also called ground-based LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) is a relatively new method which revolutionised geomorphological research in many domains. However, detailed studies of tidal flats by TLS have not been described in the literature yet. This study aims to fill this methodological gap by the application of TLS at two different locations on the coast of Jiangsu Province, Eastern China, and an assessment of the usability of this method for geomorphological research in such environments. The acquired point clouds are first processed to remove erroneous and noisy points. Subsequently, point clouds are computed to produce polygonal meshes and grid-based digital terrain model (DTM) more commonly used by the scientific community. The accuracy of the measurements is assessed by an analysis of elevation deviations for flat and horizontal concrete blocks. High quality point clouds with point densities of up to 4,000 points/m² were acquired for a distance of up to 200 m. The data allowed for the detection of small landforms such as tidal channels, creeks and ripples in centimetre and decimetre scale. The point clouds had an average error of approximately 3 mm, however for some few points errors of up to 1.8 cm were detected. Based on the results it can be concluded that TLS can be a useful additional method for geomorphological research on tidal flats due to its ability to describe the landforms from high density point clouds. Repeated scanning could therefore provide data to quantitatively and qualitatively describe geomorphological changes over wider areas and thereby improve the understanding of sedimentation and erosion on tidal flats.     

Identifying the source and accessing the spatial variations,contamination status,conservation threats of heavy metal pollution in the river waters of Sunderban biosphere reserve,India

This study emphasizes on identification of source and accessing the spatial variation of dissolved heavy metals (Cu, Cd, Fe, Ni, Pb and Zn) in the rivers of Sundarban Biosphere Reserve India, the UNESCO world heritage site. ANOVA (Analysis of Variance), PCA (Principal Component Analysis) as well as FA (Factor Analysis) are used for assessing the significant difference in means of metals concentration among the sites and understanding the sources of these pollutants. Three principal components with cumulative variance of 32, 55, and 73 %, show that Pb, Ni and Cd are closely associated with each other indicating an anthropogenic origin of these metals. Heavy metal evaluation index (HEI) values indicate that areas close to densely populated sites are affected by elevated metals concentration due to anthropogenic activities. The ratio between the concentration of Cd, Ni and Pb in sites and the maximum respective permissible limit for these metals for conserved habitat is Log₁₀ normalized to understand the threats of these pollutants over the distributaries of Sundarbans. Pb pollution is prevalent in the areas that rely on the fossil fuel-operated boats, for transport, whereas higher Cd concentration is found in the areas dependent on rechargeable batteries to meet their energy demand. So these anthropogenic activities and mal-practices may be responsible for the heavy metal pollution in this region. The study concludes that gradual increase in metal pollution in river water due to anthropogenic activities, particularly Pb and Cd, could have a negative impact on the conserved flora and fauna of this ecosystem.     

Role of mushrooms in soil mycoremediation:a review

Bioremediation is an innovative and promising technology available for the removal and recovery of heavy metals from contaminated media. Bioremediation uses organisms to absorb heavy metals at low cost and with no secondary pollution. Bioremediation by macrofungi that degrade pollutants or wastes is referred to as mycoremediation. Macrofungi, like mushrooms, can produce enzymes and have the ability to degrade and accumulate a wide range of toxic metals. In this paper, the research status and advances in the field of mycoremediation using different mushroom species are reviewed. Generally mushrooms use three effective strategies to recover contaminated or polluted soils: biodegradation, bioconversion, and biosorption. Mushrooms can degrade and recycle wastes and pollutants to their mineral constituents and convert wastes, sludge, and pollutants into useful forms. In addition, they can uptake heavy metals from substrates via biosorption, which is a very effective method to reclaim polluted lands. Different wild and cultivated mushroom species are used in mycoremediation, which can degrade large quantities of organic and inorganic pollutants and produce vendible products. Mycoremediation is still in its infancy, but it has notable remediation potential for pollutants or metals in soil. Mushroom species that can biodegrade, bioconvert, or absorb pollutants and metals effectively should be given the highest preference. Further research is needed to verify that this method is an easy, cost effective,and eco-friendly tool.     

Humic substances. Part III. sorptive interactions with environmental chemicals†

The formation of covalent binding to DNA of a carcinogen is now widely accepted to represent a classical mechanism of tumour induction in mammals. This mechanism does not operate with metals since no covalent binding of these agents to DNA does occur. Nevertheless, somatic mutations as typical consequences of DNA‐damage have been reported to be induced by metals in various model systems. Beside DNA‐alkylation such damages can be caused by changes in the conformation of DNA or in the fidelity of DNA‐repair. The activity of the repair enzymes DNA‐polymerases is indeed impaired by many metal ions at least in vitro. It is not yet established whether these mechanisms are also important in the intact mammalian organism. Much evidence has accumulated during the last years that a disturbance of the balance of cations and especially metal ions represents another possible mechanism of tumour induction. The tumours found with high doses of chelating agents such as nitrilo‐triacetic acid (NTA) have to be discussed in this context. Since most—if not—all of the speculative mechanisms of metal carcinogenesis resemble classical pharmacological reactions the existence of a threshold level is likely. So metal carcinogenesis will not be a problem of the environmental contamination at trace levels but a problem of occupational medicine.     

Sulfur mediated heavy metal biogeochemical cycles in coastal wetlands: From sediments,rhizosphere to vegetation

• In sediments, the transformation of sulfides may lead to the release of heavy metals. • In the rhizosphere, sulfur regulates the uptake of heavy metals by plants. • In plants, sulfur mediates a series of heavy metal tolerance mechanisms. • Explore interactions between sulfur and heavy metals on different scales is needed. The interactions and mechanisms between sulfur and heavy metals are a growing focus of biogeochemical studies in coastal wetlands. These issues underline the fate of heavy metals bound in sediments or released into the system through sediments. Despite the fact that numerous published studies have suggested sulfur has a significant impact on the bioavailability of heavy metals accumulated in coastal wetlands, to date, no review article has systematically summarized those studies, particularly from the perspective of the three major components of wetland ecosystems (sediments, rhizosphere, and vegetation). The present review summarizes the studies published in the past four decades and highlights the major achievements in this field. Research and studies available thus far indicate that under anaerobic conditions, most of the potentially bioavailable heavy metals in coastal wetland sediments are fixed as precipitates, such as metal sulfides. However, fluctuations in physicochemical conditions may affect sulfur cycling, and hence, directly or indirectly lead to the conversion and migration of heavy metals. In the rhizosphere, root activities and microbes together affect the speciation and transformation of sulfur which in turn mediate the migration of heavy metals. As for plant tissues, tolerance to heavy metals is enhanced by sulfur-containing compounds via promoting a series of chelation and detoxification processes. Finally, to further understand the interactions between sulfur and heavy metals in coastal wetlands, some major future research directions are proposed.     

Arzneimittelentwicklung: Die Reduzierung von Umweltbelastungen durch gezieltes Moleküldesign

Results of the study In a long-term perspective innovations which are directed towards the principles of sustainable active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) will result in substituting problematic substances with other ones which are therapeutically effective as well as degradable in an environmentally compatible way. The substitution leads to a considerable decrease in water pollution with respect to the influx of APIs. The article summarizes the standard of knowledge considering measures with which such innovations and the consequent water improvement can be achieved. Discussion With an adequate promotion of research within this field and a modified scientific education the appliance of specific molecular designs could be established in the pharmaceutical sciences and industry. Examples will show that this, as a first step, may result in effective structures (model structures, which are already comprising synthetic substances) being modified so as to achieve a good degradability. By providing a list with evaluated and successfully established practical examples the basic practicability of this approach can convincingly be demonstrated. Especially within a changed political framework it will on this basis be possible as a second step to show that the approach also works in a systematic way when it comes to a broader development of new substances. With the help of advertising efforts the swift establishment of those innovations within the pharmaceutical market can be achieved thus supporting an accelerated environmental relief. Conclusions There is an option to develop a method of resolution, which will bring forward a trans-formation within the pharmaceutical industry with respect to a sustainable development. Those new methods furthering an improved degradability of pharmaceutical substances will result in an important reduction of influx into the environment and they will at the same time be able to improve the pharmaceutically relevant properties. Recommendations and perspectives The hereby suggested strategic approach is also applicable for environmentally relevant chemicals, i.?e. not for pharmaceuticals only.     

Morphological variation and phenotypic plasticity of buoyancy in the macroalga Turbinaria ornata across a barrier reef

Many aspects of morphology of benthic algae (length, surface area-to-volume ratio, and blade undulation) are plastic traits that vary in response to physical factors (such as light or water flow environment). This study examines whether frond buoyancy is a plastic trait, and whether differences in morphology including buoyancy affect the potential persistence of macroalgae in habitats characterized by different water flow regimes. Fronds of the tropical alga Turbinaria ornata in protected backreef environments in Moorea, French Polynesia possess pneumatocysts (gas-filled floats) and experience positive buoyant forces, whereas fronds in wave-exposed forereef sites either lack pneumatocysts entirely or have very small, rudimentary pneumatocysts and experience negative buoyant forces. Forereef fronds transplanted to the backreef developed pneumatocysts and experienced increased buoyant force indicating that buoyancy is a phenotypically plastic trait in T. ornata. In comparing the potential for dislodgement by drag, drag was greater on forereef fronds at low flow speeds as these fronds were stiffer and did not bend over at low flow speeds and therefore were less streamlined in the flow than backreef algae, which bent easily. The environmental stress factor (ESF) (a measure of the likelihood of detachment for a frond in its habitat) was higher for forereef than backreef fronds at all flow speeds. When examined with respect to the flow velocities likely in their respective habitats however, the chance of detachment for backreef and forereef was similar. Neither backreef nor forereef fronds were predicted to break under normal, non-storm conditions, but both were predicted to break in storms. Strong forereef morphologies are well suited to habitats characterized by rapid flow, whereas the weaker, buoyant, tall backreef fronds are well suited to habitats where crowding and shading is common but hydrodynamic forces are low.     

Identification and Choice of a Biological Indicator for the Study of the Contamination of a River Environment by Heavy Metals

Biological indicators are efficient tools for establishing pollution levels in a given environment (Phillips, 1980). In this study the organisms used are endowed with the ability to accumulate heavy metals in the river ecosystem, where a biological indicator may be preferable to direct analysis of water samples as a means of monitoring pollution (Popham and D'Auria, 1981). Further, biological indicators provide estimates of the average level of pollution over a given period of time, and can discriminate a given pollutant present in water on the basis of its biological availability. The selection of a suitable organism, however, should fulfil other requirements, thus it must be sedentary, abundant in various environments and longeval. In the Po river a bivalve mollusc (Unio elongatulus) and some macrophytes (Potamogeton crispus, Lagarosiphon major, Miriophyllum verticillatum, Phragmitescornrnunis), known for their bio-accumulative properties (Ravera, 1966, 1973) have been identified as possible biological indicators of heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Cu, Zn, Ni, Co, Cr, Mn, Fe).     

农用地土壤重金属生态安全阈值确定方法的研究进展

农用地土壤重金属生态安全阈值作为农用地土壤环境质量基准制定的重要依据,近年来随着多学科的共同发展,农用地土壤重金属生态安全阈值的确定方法变得越来越完善,但目前对其的研究综述却鲜见报道。因此,文章综述了农用地土壤重金属生态安全阈值的确定方法,详细阐述了点模型、概率模型以及经验模型中的代表方法在确定农用地土壤重金属生态安全阈值方面的概念、原理、发展及应用,并深入探讨了各方法的适用情况和优缺点,系统分析了各方法在确定农用地土壤重金属生态安全阈值时的不确定性及影响因素,最后在前人的研究基础上提出了今后的主要发展方向,以期为我国农用地土壤环境质量标准的完善与细化及农用地土壤其他污染物生态安全阈值的确定提供参考依据。     

Materialphilia,biophilia, and sustainable use of the planet

SUMMARY

The intricate and complex relationships between transhumant pastoralists, livestock and environment at the high altitudes of Indian Central Himalaya has started to break down at an alarming rate. Some of the important factors attributed to this are depletion of grazing resources, commercialization of the rural economy, and integration of these communities with the mainstream of development through education and employment. Traditionally these livestock were assigned different roles in society depending upon their economic benefit and utility. The roles which once depended upon attitude to various risks, such as environmental, social and economic, have lost their significance due to changing of the production process. This paper gives an overview of the various types of roles the livestock played in the transhumant society, and how they are being replaced by the developmental process in the region, and whether the changes are sustainable for such remote regions in a developing country.     

The cost of tolerance: sensitivity of stream benthic communities to UV-B and metals.

The ability to tolerate disturbance is a defense strategy that minimizes the effects of damage to fitness and is essential for sustainability of populations, communities, and ecosystems. Despite the apparent benefits of tolerance, there may be an associated cost that results in a deficiency of a system to respond to additional disturbances. Aquatic ecosystems are often exposed to a variety of natural and anthropogenic disturbances, and the effects of these compound perturbations are not well known. In this investigation, we examine whether tolerance to one stressor, metals, results in a cost of increased sensitivity to an additional stressor, ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation. Heavy metal pollution is recognized as a major environmental problem in Rocky Mountain streams. These high-elevation, typically clear streams may be at particular risk to elevated UV-B levels associated with reduced levels of ozone. Microcosm experiments were conducted using natural stream benthic communities collected from a reference site and a site with a long-term history of heavy-metal pollution. Direct and interactive effects of heavy metals and UV-B radiation on structural and functional characteristics of benthic communities were evaluated among four treatments: control, UV-B, metals, and metal and UV-B. Communities from the metal-polluted site were more tolerant of metals but less tolerant to UV-B compared to reference communities. Increased mayfly drift and reduced metabolism in response to metal exposure were observed in reference communities but not in the metal-polluted communities. In contrast to these results, UV-B radiation significantly reduced community metabolism, total macroinvertebrate abundance, and abundances of mayflies, caddisflies, and dipterans from the metal-polluted site, but had no effects on benthic communities from the reference site. ANOSIM results demonstrated that community responses differed among treatments at both sites. Metals had the largest impact on community differences at both sites, while UV-B had greater impacts at the metal-polluted site. This research demonstrates the need to account for potential costs associated with tolerance and that these costs can result in behavioral, structural, and functional impacts to benthic communities.     

Non-cooperative and cooperative climate policies with anticipated breakthrough technology

Global warming can be curbed by pricing carbon emissions and thus substituting fossil fuel with renewable energy consumption. Breakthrough technologies (e.g., fusion energy) can reduce the cost of such policies. However, the chance of such a technology coming to market depends on investment. We model breakthroughs as an irreversible tipping point in a multi-country world, with different degrees of international cooperation. We show that international spill-over effects of R&D in carbon-free technologies lead to double free-riding, strategic over-pollution and underinvestment in green R&D, thus making climate change mitigation more difficult. We also show how the demand structure determines whether carbon pricing and R&D policies are substitutes or complements.     

Characterizing efforts to reduce consumer demand for wildlife products

The unsustainable trade in wildlife is a key threat to Earth's biodiversity. Efforts to mitigate this threat have traditionally focused on regulation and enforcement, and there is a growing interest in campaigns to reduce consumer demand for wildlife products. We aimed to characterize these behavior-change campaigns and the evidence of their impacts. We searched peer-reviewed and grey literature repositories and over 200 institutional websites to retrieve information on demand-reduction campaigns. We found 236 campaigns, mainly in the grey literature. Since the 1970s, the number of campaigns increased, although for over 15% a start date could not be found. Asia was the primary focus, although at the national level the United States was where most campaigns took place. Campaigns most often focused on a single species of mammal; other vertebrates groups, with the exception of sharks, received limited attention. Many campaigns focused on broad themes, such as the wildlife trade in general or seafood. Thirty-seven percent of campaigns reported some information on their inputs, 98% on strategies, 70% on outputs, 37% on outcomes (i.e., changes in the target audience), and 9% on impacts (i.e., biological changes or threat reduction). Information on outcomes and impacts was largely anecdotal or based on research designs that are at a high risk of bias, such as pre- and postcampaign comparisons. It was unclear whether demand-reduction campaigns had direct behavioral or biological impacts. The lack of robust impact evaluation made it difficult to draw insights to inform future efforts, a crucial part of effectively addressing complex issues, such as the wildlife trade. If demand-reduction campaigns are to become a cornerstone of the efforts to mitigate the unsustainable trade in wildlife, conservationists need to adopt more rigorous impact evaluation and a more collaborative approach that fosters the sharing of data and insights.     

Biosorbents for solid-phase extraction of toxic elements in waters

Some trace metals are highly toxic for the environment. There is therefore a need for reliable methods for the determination of metals at trace levels. To this end, new sample pretreatment methods such as separation, preconcentration and speciation prior to the determination of metal ions have developed rapidly. Biosorption has become a major tool for solid-phase extraction methods. This review covers selected biosorbents such as algae, bacteria, filamentous fungi and yeasts, as new sorbents used in the solid-phase extraction of metal ions from various water sample matrices. A survey of the literature over 2004-2014 shows possible applications of selected new sorbents available for use in trace metal analysis in waters using solidphase extraction. We highlight the preconcentration of the toxic elements prior to their determination by atomic spectrometry.     

Frog occupancy of polluted wetlands in urban landscapes

Urban sprawl and the rising popularity of water-sensitive urban design of urban landscapes has led to a global surge in the number of wetlands constructed to collect and treat stormwater runoff in cities. However, contaminants, such as heavy metals and pesticides, in stormwater adversely affect the survival, growth, and reproduction of animals inhabiting these wetlands. A key question is whether wildlife can identify and avoid highly polluted wetlands. We investigated whether pond-breeding frogs are attempting to breed in wetlands that affect the fitness of their offspring across 67 urban wetlands in Melbourne, Australia. Frog species richness and the concentration of contaminants (heavy metals and pesticides) were not significantly related, even in the most polluted wetlands. The proportion of fringing vegetation at a wetland had the greatest positive influence on the number of frog species present and the probability of occurrence of individual species, indicating that frogs inhabited wetlands with abundant vegetation, regardless of their pollution status. These wetlands contained contaminant levels similar to urban wetlands around the world at levels that reduce larval amphibian survival. These results are, thus, likely generalizable to other areas, suggesting that urban managers could inadvertently be creating ecological traps in countless cities. Wetlands are important tools for the management of urban stormwater runoff, but their construction should not facilitate declines in wetland-dependent urban wildlife.     

Usage and the economic potential of the medicinal plants in Eastern Black Sea Region of Turkey

Medically used plant species in Eastern Black Sea Region of Turkey was determined in this study. Totally 50 species within 24 families have been designated in 25 research points, using the face to face polling method with the herbs sellers and purchasers. 14 species of studied plants are endemic and pointed out as endangered species according to the IUCN list (The World Conservation Union). In which health problem the medicinal plants are used, their usage art, area and the used parts have been determined too. The research results show that 12.58% of the species are used in intestinal problems and 8.60% for diuretic. Evaluating from this point of view the region includes very rich species could be used in different health problems. The results shows that average annual income of the medically used plant selling companies is about 33,333$. Increasingly demands for the medically used plants have been raised the medically used plant companies about 60% in the last decade. The relevance of Ethnopharmacologically used plants is increasing in Turkey and in the World. Important is to meet the demand without endanger the rich plant species resources.     

Comparative study of the fate and mobility of metals discharged in mining and urban effluents using sequential extractions on suspended solids

The fate, bioavailability and environmental impacts of metals discharged in municipal and mining wastewater discharge will depend to a large extent on chemical speciation and distribution. Previous studies on metal bioaccumulation have shown that total metal concentrations are not a good predictor of bioavailability in the dispersion plumes of municipal effluents. The objective of this study was to determine the solid phase speciation of metals in surface waters receiving urban and mining effluents in order to assess their fate and relative mobility in the receiving environment. Suspended particulate matter was sampled using sediment traps at several sites downstream of effluent outfall plumes as well as at reference upstream sites. Particulate metal in operationally defined fractions—exchangeable/carbonates, reducible, oxidisable and residual—were determined in suspended particulate matter with a series of selective chemical extractions. Metal enrichment in suspended particles was generally observed in both mining and urban effluent discharges. When compared to its receiving environment, the mining effluent appeared to release more particulate metals (Cu, Fe, Zn) in the most reactive fractions (i.e. exchangeable/carbonates + reducible forms, 23–43%), while other released metals, such as Cd and Mn, were predominantly in the least reactive forms (i.e., oxidisable + residual, 73–97%). In contrast, the reactivity of all particulate metals, with the exception of Mn, from the urban effluent was much higher, with up to 65, 42, 30 and 43% for Cd, Cu, Fe and Zn, respectively, in the two most reactive fractions. As expected in effluent dispersion plumes, parameters such as the organic carbon, Fe oxide and carbonate contents have specific effects on the partitioning of several trace metals, particularly Cd, Cu and Zn. Our results indicated that the relative distributions of metals among geochemical fractions varied in the effluent receiving waters where organic carbon and Fe oxides appeared as the most important parameters. This could therefore decrease the exposure for aquatic organisms that are exposed to those contaminated sediments as well as the risk to human health.     

Restoration of the Marine Ecological Environment Along the Charting Coast: Primary Productivity and Biomass Study

Since 1986, when green oysters occurred due to the copper and organic pollution in the Charting coastal area, the government banned all maricultural activity. It has been claimed that growing algae in a polluted environment may clean the water of pollutants and restore the marine ecosystem. to test this hypothesis, in the Charting coastal area a three-year programme (from August 1992 to July 1995) was carried out. the survey programme included environmental components such as salinity, temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, biological oxygen demand (BOD), particulate organic carbon (POC), heavy metals and ecological indicators such as nutrients, chlorophyll-a, primary productivity. in the first year study, the environmental background data collected was used to select the suitable season and locations for growing large algae transferred from the laboratory to the field study area. Since September 1993, various species of large algae have been cultured. Although some of the growing algae were damaged by a typhoon in August 1994, the impact of the growing algae on the environmental conditions in the area has been monitored throughout. Elsewhere, we have reported that in the algae growing area higher dissolved oxygen with lower values of BOD and POC were found, and the concentrations of heavy metals in both water and sediments decreased. the purpose of this paper is to evaluate the possible impact of growing large algae on the ecological conditions in Charting coastal waters through the period from August 1983 to May 1995. As a result of the positive results obtained, large amounts of algae have again been cultured in the same area during the period from April 29 to May 25, 1995. We expect that inorganic and organic pollutants will be reduced by the algal growth, oyster mariculture will be restored and finally, the fishery resources potential will be increased.