Transitions of municipal solid waste management. Part II: Hybrid life cycle assessment of Swiss glass-packaging disposal

In policy support of municipal solid waste (MSW) management, life cycle assessment (LCA) can serve to compare the environmental or economic impacts of two or more options for waste processing. The scope of waste management LCAs generally focuses less attention on future developments, e.g., where will recycling take place, and more on the environmental performance of prototypes, e.g., the incineration of all waste compared to recycling. To provide more robust support for Swiss waste glass-packaging disposal, scenarios of Swiss waste glass-packaging are assessed from a life cycle perspective. The scenarios consist in schemes for the disposal of the total amount of Swiss waste glass-packaging, i.e., different combinations of recycling and downcycling in Switzerland or abroad developed in Part I, Meylan et al. (2013). In this article (Part II), the disposal schemes are assessed with respect to eco-efficiency, an indicator that combines total environmental impacts and gross value added in Switzerland. Results show that no policy alternative guarantees environmental impact reductions and gross value added gains under all developments of exogenous constraints. Downcycling to foam glass in Switzerland is not only an environmentally sound disposal option, but it also buffers gross value added losses in case domestic recycling (and thus glass-packaging production in Switzerland) ceases in the future. The substitution of products based on raw materials other than Swiss cullet is the main responsible for change in environmental and economic impacts. Hence, an eco-efficiency maximizing policy should consider the products of disposal schemes. The combination of scenario analysis and eco-efficiency assessment as presented in this paper can be applied to other contexts (i.e., countries, waste fractions).     

A Cumulative Energy Demand indicator (CED), life cycle based,for industrial waste management decision making

Life cycle thinking is a good approach to be used for environmental decision-support, although the complexity of the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies sometimes prevents their wide use. The purpose of this paper is to show how LCA methodology can be simplified to be more useful for certain applications.In order to improve waste management in Catalonia (Spain), a Cumulative Energy Demand indicator (LCA-based) has been used to obtain four mathematical models to help the government in the decision of preventing or allowing a specific waste from going out of the borders. The conceptual equations and all the subsequent developments and assumptions made to obtain the simplified models are presented.One of the four models is discussed in detail, presenting the final simplified equation to be subsequently used by the government in decision making.The resulting model has been found to be scientifically robust, simple to implement and, above all, fulfilling its purpose: the limitation of waste transport out of Catalonia unless the waste recovery operations are significantly better and justify this transport.     

Domestic or imported? An assessment of carbon footprints and sustainability of seafood consumed in Australia

The distance between where food is produced and consumed is increasing, and is often taken as evidence of an unsustainable global food system. Seafood is a highly traded commodity yet seafood sustainability assessments do not typically consider the impacts of the movement of products beyond the fishery or farm. Here we use life cycle assessment to examine the carbon footprint of the production and distribution of select seafood products that are consumed in Australia and determine differences in the sustainability of imports and their domestically produced counterparts. We found that the distance food is transported is not the main determinant of food sustainability. Despite the increased distance between production and consumption, carbon footprints of meals from imported seafood are similar to meals consisting of domestically produced seafood, and sometimes lower, depending on the seafood consumed. In combining LCA with existing seafood sustainability criteria the trade-offs between sustainability targets become more apparent. Carbon ‘footprinting’ is one metric that can be incorporated in assessments of sustainability, thereby demonstrating a broader perspective of the environmental cost of food production and consumption.     

Sewage sludge disintegration by high-pressure homogenization: A sludge disintegration model

High-pressure homogenization (HPH) technology was applied as a pretreatment to disintegrate sewage sludge. The effects of homogenization pressure, homogenization cycle number, and total solid content on sludge disintegration were investigated. The sludge disintegration degree (DDCOD), protein concentration, and polysaccharide concentration increased with the increase of homogenization pressure and homogenization cycle number, and decreased with the increase of sludge total solid (TS) content. The maximum DDCOD of 43.94% was achieved at 80 MPa with four homogenization cycles for a 9.58 g/L TS sludge sample. A HPH sludge disintegration model of DD_COD= kN^aP^b was established by multivariable linear regression to quantify the effects of homogenization parameters. The homogenization cycle exponent a and homogenization pressure exponent b were 0.4763 and 0.7324 respectively, showing that the effect of homogenization pressure (P) was more significant than that of homogenization cycle number (N). The value of the rate constant k decreased with the increase of sludge total solid content. The specific energy consumption increased with the increment of sludge disintegration efficiency. Lower specific energy consumption was required for higher total solid content sludge.     

植物及土壤碳同位素组成对环境变化响应研究进展

植物和土壤的δ13C（碳同位素组成）能可靠记录环境信息,综合反映植物的生理生态特征以及碳循环过程中的生物化学过程,为人们理解生态系统碳循环提供有用信息.因此,研究植物和土壤的δ13C与环境因子的关系可以揭示生态系统碳循环的格局及其控制因子,进而有效预测全球变化及其对生态系统的影响.对植物和土壤的δ13C以及二者的差值（Δδ13C）与气候因子（如温度、降水量、大气压强等）、土壤因子（如C/N、土壤质地、土壤pH等）的关系进行了综述.现有研究表明:C₃植物的δ13C与降水量、大气压强均呈负相关,与温度的关系非常复杂,而针对C₄植物和在群落水平上开展的研究还较少;土壤δ13C与降水量、土壤C/N、土壤w（粉粒）及w（黏粒）均呈负相关,与温度、土壤pH、土壤w（砂粒）均呈正相关,然而环境因素间的耦合作用使得情况复杂化,多种环境因素的匹配关系究竟如何影响土壤δ13C的机制问题仍有待深入研究;Δδ13C能够更加全面准确地反映土壤碳循环信息,但对其与环境因子关系的研究较少,并且影响Δδ13C的驱动因子及机制也不明确.因此,在土壤-植物体系内,同时在物种和群落水平上,进行植物和土壤δ13C特别是Δδ13C与环境因子关系的研究,能够更加准确地预测和揭示环境变化对生态系统碳循环的影响,这也将是今后该领域的研究重点.      

基于恢复能力与影响周期的围海养殖工程生态损害特征及补偿标准——以象山县水湖涂名优水产养殖区为例

以宁波市象山县水湖涂名优水产围海养殖工程为研究对象,通过构建生态服务价值损害评估指标体系,分析了围海养殖区的生态损害特征,并基于海域自我恢复能力,研究了围海养殖工程的生态补偿标准和资源恢复周期。结果显示：（1）名优水产围海养殖工程造成的生态损害总价值为318.90万元/a,单位面积损害价值为3.20万元/hm²·a。生态损害主要以生态服务型为主,占总量比例为53.54%。（2）生物资源型损害类别中,潮间带生物损害价值最大,为59.71万元,其次为紫菜养殖和鱼卵、仔鱼,二者损害价值量相当,占总量比例均为13.55%,底栖生物和游泳生物价值损失则均较小。（3）生态服务型损害类别中,一级类别主要以调节服务价值为主,占总量比例为32.56%。二级损害类别中,废弃物处理损害价值最大,为71.77万元,休闲娱乐损害价值也较大,占总量比例为12.80%,其他类型则价值损失较小。（4）名优水产围海养殖工程基于海域自我恢复能力的生态补偿标准为280.90万元/a,单位面积补偿价值为2.82万元/hm²·a,对比生态损害价值确定的补偿标准,总量减少11.92%。项目施工结束后,近岸滩涂恢复速度为4.6320 hm²/a,约13年后新围大堤附近滩涂将恢复到围海前的基线水平。     

不同工况下轻型车油耗试验驾驶方式评价

在一台性能稳定的汽油车上由同一驾驶人员按平顺、粗暴和正常3种驾驶方式分别进行NEDC （新欧洲行驶工况）、FTP75（美国认证工况）以及WLTC （世界统一轻型车测试循环）工况油耗试验,采用能量变化率（ER）、距离变化率（DR）、能量经济性变化率（EER）、绝对速度改变率（ASCR）、速度平方根误差（RMSSE）以及惯性做功改变率（IWR）6个指标作为驾驶质量评价指标,通过分析计算每次试验各项评价指标及其与燃料消耗量变化的相关性,确定了油耗试验驾驶方式的合理性边界条件.结果表明,对于WLTC和FTP75工况,平顺驾驶和粗暴驾驶均会导致评价指标变大或者变小,驾驶方式与评价指标呈规律性变化;对于NEDC工况,不同的驾驶方式对NEDC工况油耗影响较小.油耗试验的边界条件,WLTC工况的EER为（0.25±0.47）%、ASCR为（1.20±0.97）%、RMSSE为（0.85+0.15）km/h、IWR为（2.15±1.27）%时,可认为油耗试验的驾驶方式较为合理;FTP75工况的EER为（-0.09±0.69）%、ASCR为（-0.59±0.42）%、RMSSE为（0.88+0.34）km/h以及IWR为（-0.69±1.66）%时,油耗试验的驾驶方式较为合理.     

热障涂层对DD6单晶高温合金高周疲劳性能的影响

目的研究电子束物理气相沉积热障涂层对单晶高温合金高周疲劳性能的影响,为热障涂层在涡轮叶片上的应用提供技术支持。方法采用真空电弧镀和电子束物理气相沉积工艺制备YSZ热障涂层,进行900℃条件下高周疲劳性能测试,采用扫描电镜对测试后的试样表面、断口形貌进行观察与分析。结果在900℃、380 MPa条件下,带涂层的DD6单晶试棒循环次数(Nf)超过了107,420 MPa条件下超过了106。通过对DD6单晶试棒断口分析,失效后的带涂层试棒仍以DD6单晶常见滑移解离形式发生破坏。结论高周疲劳性能测试条件下,带YSZ热障涂层的试棒中粘结层率先产生垂直微裂纹,但是裂纹扩展延伸中发生氧化钝化,之后DD6基体沿正常的滑移方向从表面向内部疲劳扩展,带涂层的试棒疲劳裂纹并非由涂层微裂纹直接扩展形成,热障涂层对DD6单晶高温合金高周疲劳性能影响较小。     

自然生境中厌氧氨氧化功能微生物生态学研究进展

自然生境中发生的厌氧氨氧化过程是继反硝化和好氧氨氧化后的又一条氮损失途径,对全球生态系统氮循环具有重要意义,但不同自然生态系统中存在不同种类的厌氧氨氧化微生物.通过阐述厌氧氨氧化反应发生的生理机制,并对不同自然环境中发现的厌氧氨氧化功能微生物进行梳理,分析了厌氧氨氧化菌分布的空间异质性成因.结果表明,适量的无机氮可以促进厌氧氨氧化的发生,有机碳含量低和低氧条件更有利于厌氧氨氧化菌的生存且厌氧氨氧化的活性较高,这与厌氧氨氧化菌的化能自养代谢途径有着紧密的联系,低养分条件下反硝化菌的活性受到短暂抑制,促进了厌氧氨氧化的发生.同时,适当的高盐环境会提高厌氧氨氧化活性并促进厌氧氨氧化菌群落结构转变,高盐度环境下Scalindua属占优势,低盐度环境下Brocadia属更占优势.厌氧氨氧化菌对温度变化有很好的适应性,大部分厌氧氨氧化菌（如Scalindua属、Kuenenia属和Brocadia属）对于极端环境均有较强的环境适应性;此外,悬浮颗粒物浓度、含水量等因素也会影响厌氧氨氧化菌的分布及其代谢活性.建议今后从基因组学、蛋白组学和转录组学相结合的角度对自然环境中的厌氧氨氧化菌开展生理生态机理的研究,并探明厌氧条件下Fe3+、Mn4+、SO₄2-等电子受体与厌氧氨氧化过程的生物化学联系,以更好地应用于工程技术研究,并为生态环境修复提供理论依据.      

Evolutionof Sustainable Carbon Cycling Processes in China

This report summarizes the surveys on carbon inventories and initiatives on sustainable carbon cycling taken by RCEES. The first part of this report deals with the concept of sustainable carbon cycling, the historical evolution of carbon cycling processes in China, carbon pool enhancement, value addition, carbon sequestration and carbon balance. The second part covers the modeling of carbon dynamics, emission inventories of various carbon containing greenhouse gases and their potential abatement measures.