Life cycle assessment of waste paper management: The importance of technology data and system boundaries in assessing recycling and incineration

The significance of technical data, as well as the significance of system boundary choices, when modelling the environmental impact from recycling and incineration of waste paper has been studied by a life cycle assessment focusing on global warming potentials. The consequence of choosing a specific set of data for the reprocessing technology, the virgin paper manufacturing technology and the incineration technology, as well as the importance of the recycling rate was studied. Furthermore, the system was expanded to include forestry and to include fossil fuel energy substitution from saved biomass, in order to study the importance of the system boundary choices. For recycling, the choice of virgin paper manufacturing data is most important, but the results show that also the impacts from the reprocessing technologies fluctuate greatly. For the overall results the choice of the technology data is of importance when comparing recycling including virgin paper substitution with incineration including energy substitution. Combining an environmentally high or low performing recycling technology with an environmentally high or low performing incineration technology can give quite different results. The modelling showed that recycling of paper, from a life cycle point of view, is environmentally equal or better than incineration with energy recovery only when the recycling technology is at a high environmental performance level. However, the modelling also showed that expanding the system to include substitution of fossil fuel energy by production of energy from the saved biomass associated with recycling will give a completely different result. In this case recycling is always more beneficial than incineration, thus increased recycling is desirable. Expanding the system to include forestry was shown to have a minor effect on the results. As assessments are often performed with a set choice of data and a set recycling rate, it is questionable how useful the results from this kind of LCA are for a policy maker. The high significance of the system boundary choices stresses the importance of scientific discussion on how to best address system analysis of recycling, for paper and other recyclable materials.     

The greenhouse gas balance of the Province of Siena

There is a profound debate over how to assign greenhouse gas (GHG) responsibilities; therefore, we have decided to follow IPCC guidelines, as they offer the only standardized method. We have identified each type of greenhouse emission and its level of absorption. We have studied the province and its districts and municipalities. We have determined that the energy sector is that with the highest level of emissions, even if the per capita emissions of the Province of Siena are very low. This is caused by a very low level of industrialization and the presence of a local geothermal production of energy. In order to highlight this aspect, we have considered scenarios both with and without geothermal production. Our research was then focused on single districts (groups of homogenous municipalities) and municipalities, where we found great differences among the greenhouse emissions of the areas. We have constructed a map of the greenhouse emissions of the whole province. It has been interesting to note that there are 14 municipalities with net negative emissions, seven with low positive emissions, 12 with medium positive emissions and three with elevated positive emissions. These latter correspond to the main city and to two of the most industrialized municipalities.     

饮用水中高氯酸盐污染现状与去除技术的综述

高氯酸盐作为强氧化剂,在广泛的应用中造成了严重的环境污染,并会在人体富集,当在人体内含量超过0．0007mg／kg人体体重,相当于饮用水中的浓度为24．5μg／L时,就会对健康造成影响,尤其会破环甲状腺机能。美国、日本等国已开始采取措施加强对高氯酸盐的控制,我国许多水源也受到此污染但尚未引起重视。本文分析了饮用水中高氯酸盐的物理化学性质及毒理特性,对环境的污染状况以及目前常用的去除技术,其中以生物处理和离子交换膜生物反应器较为有效。     

放射源使用中潜在照射危险的评价与控制浅述

文章介绍了潜在照射的主要来源及危害。结合实际应用中的具体情况,对其使用实践中可能导致的潜在危害作了简单的分析,并根据ICPLP的相关建议和国家相关的具体要求,提出在放射源应用领域潜在照射控制的主要原则和措施。     

河北省钢铁工业主要大气污染物减排潜力分析

通过对河北省钢铁工业存在问题的分析,得出我省钢铁行业主要大气污染物为二氧化硫和粉尘.结合我省钢铁企业的实际情况,从工程技术、政策管理等方面提出相应治理措施,并对"十一五"期间我省钢铁行业二氧化硫和粉尘减排效益进行预测.预测结果显示:采用所建议的减排措施后,我省钢铁工业二氧化硫减排量对全省"十一五"减排计划的贡献率为81.4%;粉尘可减排60%.     

南亚热带丘陵土壤水分循环及其有效性的研究──Ⅵ.丘陵赤红壤-果树-大气连续体中能量的变化及其分布规律

依据田间实测资料,分析了南亚热带丘陵赤红壤-果树-大气连续体中的能量变化及其分布规律、结果表明,土壤基质势的年度变化特征说明南亚热带丘陵赤红壤存在明显的湿季和旱季．果树叶水势随土壤基质势、大气水势、气温及大气相对湿度的变化而变化,荔枝、龙眼叶水势的变化比芒果叶水势的变化大.以荔枝、芒果和龙眼作为供试植物,水分从土壤到达植物根表皮、进入根系并通过植物茎到达叶片,其能量降低分别约为0．9063～1.7428、0．2818～0．6979和0．2904～1．8707MPa;水分从叶部汽化扩散到大气中,其能量降低分别达15．1491～57．3669、15．4491～58．4036和14．5824～56．9536MPa,说明水流在南亚热带丘陵赤红壤-果树-大气连续体中运移时,其能量主要消耗在由叶部到大气这一环节上。     

温州市粮食生产潜力及土地人口承载力研究

在光能生产潜力计算的基础上,经过温度、降水、土壤肥力和土壤质量等自然因素的订正,分析了温州市的土地生产潜力、粮食生产潜力。通过对温州市历年来主要粮食作物产量分析,采用产潜比增长速度法预测了２０００年和２０１０年的粮食产量,并据此计算了２０００年、２０１０年和潜在最大的人口承载量,指出温州市建立稳定协调可持续发展的人地关系的关键。     

氯酚与富里酸的缔合作用

本文用超滤膜方法证实氯酚与富里酸之间存在缔合作用,并计算出表观缔合常数在２．７＊１０＾３－－１２１＊１０＾３ｍｌ．ｇ＾－１范围内。实验结果表明”ＰＨ、富里酸含量,氯酚取代氯原子个数都能够影响Ｋ值的大小。     

西南涌流域底泥重金属污染特征及潜在生态危害评价

西南涌流域近年来受到比较严重的污染,为了解受重金属污染状况,对该流域底泥重金属污染水平与特征进行了调查与分析,并在此基础上采用地累积指数法和潜在生态危害指数法对西南涌流域底泥重金属污染程度与生态危害进行了评价。结果表明,西南涌流域底泥已不同程度受到重金属Cu、Zn、Pb、Cd、Cr的污染,与珠三角土壤背景值相比,西南涌流域底泥重金属Cu、Zn、Pb、Cd、Cr分别超标11.38、3.32、1.81、19.45、3.20倍;底泥中的Cu、Zn、Cr、Cd之间呈极显著正相关(r=0.615~0.964)。通过地累积指数法评价表明,西南涌流域底泥中的Cd为偏重污染,Cu、Zn为偏中度污染,Pb为轻度污染,Cr为无污染;潜在生态危害指数法评价结果表明,西南涌流域底泥重金属的潜在生态危害程度总体属中等,主要是由Cd的含量过高引起。     

昌吉州农田地膜污染现状及治理对策

通过对昌吉州农田地膜使用现状进行调查,阐述了地膜污染的危害,并提出了适期揭膜、残膜回收、推广新型生物膜等措施与防治对策。