A critical review of building environmental assessment tools

Since the field of environmental assessment tools for buildings is vast, the aim of this study is to clarify that field by analysing and categorising existing tools. The differences between the tools are discussed and the current situation within the tools is critically analysed. However, the comparison of the tools is difficult, if not impossible. For example, the tools are designed for assessing different types of buildings, and they emphasise different phases of the life cycle. In addition to environmental aspects, sustainable building includes economic and social aspects. The shift from green building to sustainable building and the future requirements are challenging for building environmental assessment tools. Furthermore, the benefits of using the tools should be analysed — how the tools and their results have affected decision making?     

深圳市纯电动泥头车减污降碳协同效益评价研究

新能源汽车替代传统燃油车是减缓能源与环境压力并如期实现“双碳”目标的重要途径,但在重型车辆、工程车等领域推广较为缓慢.深圳市自2019年开始推广使用纯电动泥头车,并计划到2025年新能源环卫、泥头车数量达到8000辆.为深入探究纯电动泥头车替代柴油泥头车所产生的减污降碳协同效益,本研究基于一手调研数据,采用生命周期评价方法并结合GREET模型,对比分析了两类泥头车在燃料周期、车辆周期和配套设施周期3个周期内的能耗、主要空气污染物及碳排放情况.结果表明,纯电动泥头车全生命周期内能耗较柴油泥头车可减少36.2%,主要污染物如NO_x、SO₂、VOC和PM_2.5降幅分别达81.3%、37.8%、29.0%和25.9%;温室气体(GHGs)排放强度减少14.4%,基准情境下2030年和2050年推广纯电动泥头车GHGs累计减排量分别为71.4万t和258.5万t.尽管节能减排效果显著,但其初始购置和售后维保成本过高是制约其推广的最主要因素,通过降低车辆及电池生产制造成本、提高充换电设施数量及售后维保能力等有望加快泥头车纯电动化.     

Modeling the carbon dynamics of the La Grande hydroelectric complex in northern Quebec

A mechanistic semi-empirical carbon cycle model of the La Grande reservoir complex in northern Quebec, Canada was conceived in order to investigate the climate impact of such a large alteration of the continental water cycle. The model includes inputs from the drainage basin, organic matter release from flooded soils, CO₂ emissions across the water-atmosphere interface and sedimentation. Most input data stems from previous research by our group on those ecosystems. The model includes the seven reservoirs of the La Grande complex and was run for periods of 50 and 100 years. Terrigeneous dissolved, particulate and suspended soil carbon fluxes and concentrations were computed. Over 100 years, 31.3 × 10¹² g C are released from flooded soils, equivalent to 28-29% of inputs from the drainage basin. 40-74% of dissolved organic carbon is mineralized. CO₂ fluxes over 100 years are 50.5-79.8 × 10¹² g C, 46.4-67.9 × 10¹² g C more than in the absence of reservoirs. The increase in mineralization of organic matter and in CO₂ emissions is a result of the increase in cumulated water residence time due to the creation of the reservoirs. Changes in other carbon sinks and sources likely offset a part of this additional carbon flux to the atmosphere. In the first years following flooding of the reservoir, organic carbon release from flooded soils exceeds CO₂ emissions, implying the downstream export of large quantities of eroded soil organic carbon. After this initial period, CO₂ emissions are fuelled by organic carbon originating from the drainage basin.     

U型工作面上隅角埋管瓦斯抽采数值模拟研究

传统的U型通风工作面上隅角瓦斯积聚现象经常出现，严重制约着矿井正常生产能力的有效发挥，对矿井安全生产造成重大威胁。基于前人对采空区非均质多孔介质气体运移理论的研究，采用Fluent软件数值模拟研究了U型和上隅角埋管条件下U型通风系统的静压力场和瓦斯浓度场。研究结果表明：在相同的模型参数条件下，U型通风容易造成上隅角瓦斯积聚，上隅角瓦斯超限问题十分严重；采空区5m处埋管，治理上隅角瓦斯积聚的效果欠佳，达不到安全开采的条件；15m处埋管可以较好的解决上隅角瓦斯超限问题，工作面没有出现瓦斯积聚现象，工作面和回风巷的瓦斯浓度始终处于1％以下；25m处埋管的效果与15m基本相同，没有表现出更好的瓦斯治理效果。综合数值模拟的结果，确定了上隅角埋管抽放采空区瓦斯的理想抽放位置为距离地板垂高1．2m、沿走向深入采空区15m处。     

On the usefulness of life cycle assessment of packaging

In reaction to a paper inEnvironmental Management in which the sense and sensibility of environmental assessments of packaging were questioned, it is argued that these types of assessments may be very useful, provided the relevant types of questions are posed. These boundary conditions are discussed, along with an overview of more recent methodological developments with respect to environmental assessment of products.     

An approach for analysing the potential for material efficiency improvement

Material efficiency improvement saves energy and reduces the consumption of primary resources and reduces the volume of waste. In this article an approach for analysing the potential for material efficiency improvement is proposed and discussed. In this approach the product functions performed by the materials and various improvement measures are taken into account. The potential for material saving and associated energy saving is assessed and evaluated economically. In this paper the approach is tested in an analysis of the potential for material efficiency improvement with respect to plastic packaging in the Netherlands. The technical reduction potential is found to be 34 ± 7% (157 ± 30 ktonne virgin plastics). Realization of this potential would improve the energy efficiency of the lifecycle of plastic packaging by 31% (10 PJ in 1988). From our study we conclude that our approach can indeed be used to investigate the potential for material efficiency improvement. However, a reliable technical and particularly an economical assessment of reduction measures cannot be made until more detailed data become available.     

MANGANESE CYCLE IN IMPOUNDMENT WATER

Manganese entering impounded water will undergo a cyclic transformation. Oxidation precipitates manganese from top waters. At the bottom of the lake, biological activity will render manganese soluble by both intracellular as well as extracellular activity. The study was made to demonstrate that biological reduction and transformation, organometallic complexation, together with the presence of carbon dioxide and the lowering of pH all have some effect on the solubility of manganese. Dissolved manganese may be brought back to top waters during the lake overturn and therefore deteriorates the water quality.     

城市生活垃圾的生命周期管理

根据国际标准化组织１９９７ 年颁布的ＩＳＯ１４０００ 环境管理体系“生命周期评价—原则与框架”,本文对可持续城市生活垃圾生命周期管理进行研究,指出城市生活垃圾应在环境可持续性、经济可负担性及社会可接受性的原则基础上,通过垃圾的减量化、无害化、资源化和社会化管理,实现城市可持续发展的管理目标     

General prevention and risk minimization in LCA A combined approach

Methods for life cycle assessment of products (LCA) are most often based on the general prevention principle, as opposed to the risk minimization principle. Here, the desirability and feasibility of a combined approach are discussed, along with the conditions for elaboration in the framework of LCA methodology, and the consequences for LCA practice. A combined approach provides a separate assessment of above and below threshold pollution, offering the possibility to combat above threshold impacts with priority. Spatial differentiation in fate, exposure, and effect modelling is identified to play a central role in the implementation. The collection of region-specific data turns out to be the most elaborate requirement for the implementation in both methodology and practice. A methodological framework for the construction of characterization factors is provided. Along with spatial differentiation of existing parameters, two newly introduced spatial parameters play a key role: the sensitivity factor and the threshold factor. The practicability of the proposed procedure is illustrated by an example of its application. Providing a reasonable data availability, the development of separate LCA characterization factors for the respective assessment of pollution levels above and below environmental threshold values seems to be a feasible task that may add to LCA credibility.     

基于优势隐含周期分析的气象灾害预报

建立了优势因子和优势隐含周期的概念,并提出了多因子逐步回归周期分析的新方法。该方法既能增长预报期,又能充分利用物理因子的重要信息,同时在计算过程中还能挑选出起显著作用的优势因子和优势隐含周期,对预报气象要素的变化趋势效果较好,有一定的实用价值,是气象灾害预报的一条比较有效的途径。