Economic-balance hybrid LCA extended with uncertainty analysis: case study of a laptop computer

The emergence of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) on the global stage as a design and policy tool increases the importance of assessing and managing uncertainty. This article develops and implements uncertainty methods for hybrid LCA. Hybrid LCA combines a bottom-up construction of the supply-chain based on facility-level data on material/energy use with a top-down economic input-output (EIO) model to account for processes for which direct data were unavailable. For the bottom-up part of the LCA, we account for variability in process and usage pattern data by developing parameter ranges. For the EIO side we develop a method to assess price uncertainty. These methods are explored through a case study examining energy use and carbon dioxide emissions of manufacturing and use of a laptop computer, a 2001 Dell Inspiron 2500. Results show that manufacturing the computer requires 3010-4340 MJ of primary energy, 52-67% less than the energy to make a desktop computer, and emits 227-270 kg CO₂. The manufacturing phase represents 62-70% of total primary energy of manufacturing and operation. This indicates, as for desktop computers, that mitigating manufacturing energy use, for example through extending lifespan, can be an important strategy to manage the life cycle energy of laptop computers. Results also indicate that truncation error from excluded processes in the bottom-up process model is significant, perhaps particularly so due to complex supply chains of information technology products.     

Biosorption of mercury by Macrocystis pyrifera and Undaria pinnatifida: Influence of zinc, cadmium and nickel

The article investigated the adsorption of Hg(II) on Macrocystis pyrifera and Undaria pinnatifida in monometallic system and in the presence of Zn(II), Cd(II) and Ni(II).     

六车道高速公路交通噪声预测模型研究

在目前的公路交通噪声预测中,因道路类型不同和采用的预测模型不同,预测出来的结果会有所差异,长久以来以《公路建设项目环境影响评价规范(试行(JTJ 005-96)》的模型应用最多。对于六车道高速公路噪声的预测,考虑将六车道分成两个三车进行道叠加预测和把六车道作为一个整体进行预测这两种方式来进行,并与噪声实测值进行比较,可为今后高速公路六车道交通噪声的预测提供一定的参考依据。     

Morphological relationships of the Wheatears (genus Oenanthe)

The genus Oenanthe comprises approximately 22 species, of which 16 species are restricted to the desert belt of the Palaearctic and Afrotropic regions, where they are often the most conspicuous passerines. Although they have been the subjects of some morphological and ecological studies, no complete morphometrical data has been used to verify their taxonomic relationships, and, the species relationships are still debated. Overall morphometrical similarities between Wheatears and their relationships in size and shape were assessed using measurements of 27 biometrical variables on 417 museum specimens. The 22 Wheatear species comprise some morphological groups: long migratory vegetation-tolerant species (O. pleschanka, O. hispanica, O. cypriaca and O. deserti), ground-dwelling migratory (O. isabellina and O. oenanthe), and sedentary (O. bottae, O. heuglini and O. pileata) of steppe-like habitants, relatively heavy and rock-dwelling species (O. leucura and O. monticola), inhabiting the most arid areas (O. monacha, O. leucopyga and O. alboniger), and finally a central core of medium-sized partial migrants, largely overlapping in morphometric space, that do not present any evident specialization (O. lugens, O. chrysopygia, O. xanthoprymna and O. finschii). It seems Wheatear species are well distributed in a morpho-space of size and shape with moderate overlaps and few hiatuses corresponding to a morphological continuum of species. Furthermore, our results largely hiatuses corresponding to a morphological continuum of species. Furthermore, our results largely differ from previous phylogenetic hypotheses (based on ecological, behavioural, and chromatic characters), but, are in congruence with molecular data.     

Relationship between herbaceous community distribution and soil environmental factors in the riparian zone of the Baiyangdian River Basin北大核心CSCD

Riparian zone vegetation is an important part of the riparian ecosystem and plays an important role in the riparian zone functioning. Herbs, which are one of the main types of riparian vegetation, are extremely sensitive to environmental changes and human activities and have become a hot spot of riparian vegetation research. In this study, the herbaceous communities of four representative rivers (Xiaoyi, Baohe, Fuhe, and Baigouyin River) entering Baiyangdian Lake in China were researched. The herbaceous species in their riparian zones were systematically investigated using the sample plot method. The Shannon-Wiener diversity (H’), Pielou evenness (J), and Patrick richness (R) indices were estimated to examine the species composition and diversity of the herb communities, following which redundancy analysis (RDA) was conducted. The relationship between species diversity, distribution patterns of herbaceous plant communities, and soil environmental factors in the riparian zone of the four rivers is discussed. (1) Eighty-three species of herbaceous plants belonging to 66 genera and 27 families in the riparian zone entering Baiyangdian Lake. Most herbaceous plants, including Poaceae, Compositae, and Chenopodiaceae, were weeds or associated plants. Riparian vegetation was greatly affected by human disturbance. (2) All the three estimated indices of the Xiaoyi, Baigouyin, and Fuhe rivers were better than those of the Baohe River. (3) The vegetation coverage and species diversity of riparian herbaceous communities were positively correlated with soil organic matter and water content but negatively correlated with pH, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus. Therefore, these communities are conducive to the restoration of vegetation and the stability of biodiversity in the riparian core area to reduce the disturbance of human activities and increase humidity. © 2022 Science Press. All rights reserved.     

Anaerobic digestion and recycling of kitchen waste: a review

About 1.6 billion tons of food are wasted worldwide annually, calling for advanced methods to recycle food waste into energy and materials. Anaerobic digestion of kitchen waste allows the efficient recovery of energy, and induces low-carbon emissions. Nonetheless, digestion stability and biogas production are variables, due to dietary habits and seasonal diet variations that modify the components of kitchen waste. Another challenge is the recycling of the digestate, which could be partly solved by more efficient reactors of anaerobic digestion. Here, we review the bottlenecks of anaerobic digestion treatment of kitchen waste, with focus on components inhibition, and energy recovery from biogas slurry and residue. We provide rules for the optimal treatment of the organic fraction of kitchen waste, and guidelines to upgrade the anaerobic digestion processes. We propose a strategy using an anaerobic dynamic membrane bioreactor to improve anaerobic digestion of kitchen waste, and a model for the complete transformation and recycling of kitchen waste, based on component properties.

     

The underground industry of wastewater adulteration: how to trick legal testing with COD removers

Environmental Chemistry Letters - Adulteration is an illegal practice often committed in food and cosmetic industries, yet rarely in environmental regulation compliance. The Chinese Ministry of...     

大数据挖掘和机器学习在毒理学中的应用

随着高通量筛选技术的快速发展,化学品的毒性相关信息与日俱增。现今快速发展的数据挖掘技术和机器学习等计算机方法为化学品的毒性预测和风险防控提供了新途径。有害结局路径(adverse outcome pathway, AOP)将化合物的结构、分子启动事件和生物的有害结局建立关联,为污染物的毒性测试、预测和评估提供了新的模式,最终实现风险评估并应用于管理决策。定量结构-活性关系(QSAR)建模、分子模拟以及多组学技术在AOP的各个方面发挥了重要作用。基于此,本综述主要介绍数据挖掘与机器学习在毒理学中的应用方法,涉及QSAR建模、分子模拟及组学等方面,并结合实例分析系统阐述了当前研究的重点与方向,以更好地适应当前大数据时代的研究背景。     

Improved electricity production and nitrogen enrichment during the treatment of black water using manganese ore-modified anodes

Environmental Chemistry Letters - The decline of fossil fuel availability is calling for alternative energy such as electricity produced by degradation of waste in microbial fuel cells. The...     

Combined toxicity of chlorpyrifos,abamectin, imidacloprid,and acetamiprid on earthworms (Eisenia fetida)

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Mixed pesticides have been broadly used in agriculture. However, assessing the combined effects of pesticides in the environment is essential for...