An environmental impact assessment of quantum dot photovoltaics (QDPV) from raw material acquisition through use

Some emerging technologies are expected to be pivotal for solving many of the environmental challenges faced today, especially those related to energy. However, many of these technologies may incur significant environmental impacts over their life cycle, while having environmental benefits during their use. This paper presents results of a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of a proposed type of nanophotovoltaic, quantum dot photovoltaic (QDPV) module. The LCA is confined to the stages of raw materials acquisition, manufacturing, and use. The impacts of QDPV are compared with other types of PV modules and energy sources - both renewable and nonrenewable. To provide a comprehensive comparative assessment, QDPV modules were compared with mature as well as emerging PV types for which data are available. Comparative assessment with other types of energy sources includes coal, oil, lignite, natural gas, diesel, nuclear, wind, and hydropower.QDPV modules may have the potential to overcome two current barriers of solar technology: low efficiencies and high manufacturing costs. If higher efficiencies are realized, QDPV modules could pave the way to large scale implementation of solar energy, helping nations move toward greater energy independence. On the other hand, candidate materials as quantum dots for solar cell applications are mostly compound semiconductors such as cadmium selenide, cadmium telluride, and lead sulfide which may be toxic and for which renewable options are limited. Toxic effects of these materials may be exacerbated by their nanoscale features.The LCA was carried out using the software SimaPro, and the Ecoinvent Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) database supplemented with available literature and patent information. Our results indicate that while QDPV modules have shorter Energy PayBack Time (EPBT), lower Global Warming Potential (GWP), SO_x and NO_x emissions than other types of PV modules, they have higher heavy metal emissions, underscoring the need for investigation of emerging technologies, especially nano-based ones, from a life cycle perspective. QDPV modules are better in all impact categories assessed than carbon-based energy sources but they have longer EPBT than wind and hydropower and higher GWP.     

LCA of eucalyptus wood charcoal briquettes

This paper sets out to describe the environmental impact assessment for wood charcoal briquettes produced from eucalyptus wood in Brazil, with specific reference to those impacts associated with Global Warming Potential. To achieve that objective, the work was undertaken in accordance with ISO 14040 "Environmental management - Life cycle assessment - Principles and framework" which describes essential LCA characteristics and good practices. Charcoal briquettes are produced from two basic raw materials, charcoal fines and starch. The fines result from the production of charcoal from sustainably managed eucalyptus plantations. Starch is extracted from babaçu pulp in the Amazon region. Multi-output processes were allocated based on income from the different by-products. The results showed that more than 90% of incoming CO₂ was due to biomass production for charcoal, and the remainder to starch biomass production. Based on Brazilian data, as well as information provided by the GaBi4.3 database, it turned out that supplying the energy content of 1 kg of briquettes resulted in the sequestration of 3.9690 kg of CO₂, i.e. around 4 kg of CO₂ per kg of briquettes produced. CO₂ emissions throughout the briquette production process are totally compensated for by the environmental quality of the raw materials used.     

钢渣处理技术的环境性能比较

随着钢铁工业的快速发展,大量钢渣弃置堆积,不仅成为环境污染源,而且占用大量的土地。目前钢渣处理技术较多,其中主要的处理方法有冷弃法、热闷法、热泼法、浅盘法、水淬法、风淬法等。本研究采用生命周期评价方法,对主要钢渣处理技术进行评估,定义了生命周期评估边界和清单指标,建立了清单计算模型,得到了不同钢渣处理技术的生命周期清单。为了提高结果的可信性,对模型进行了不确定性分析。结果表明滚筒法和风淬法的环境性能较好,是值得推广的钢渣处理技术。     

Nitrogen cycle of a typical Suaeda salsa marsh ecosystem in the Yellow River estuary

The nitrogen (N) biological cycle of the Suaeda salsa marsh ecosystem in the Yellow River estuary was studied during 2008 to 2009. Results showed that soil N had significant seasonal fluctuations and vertical distribution. The N/P ratio (15.73±1.77) of S. salsa was less than 16, indicating that plant growth was limited by both N and P. The N absorption coefficient of S. salsa was very low (0.007), while the N utilization and cycle coefficients were high (0.824 and 0.331, respectively). The N turnover among compartments of S. salsa marsh showed that N uptake from aboveground parts and roots were 2.539 and 0.622 g/m2, respectively. The N translocation from aboveground parts to roots and from roots to soil were 2.042 and 0.076 g/m2, respectively. The N translocation from aboveground living bodies to litter was 0.497 g/m2, the annual N return from litter to soil was far less than 0.368 g/m2, and the net N mineralization in topsoil during the growing season was 0.033 g/m2. N was an important limiting factor in S. salsa marsh, and the ecosystem was classified as unstable and vulnerable. S. salsa was seemingly well adapted to the low-nutrient status and vulnerable habitat, and the nutrient enrichment due to N import from the Yellow River estuary would be a potential threat to the S. salsa marsh. Excessive nutrient loading might favor invasive species and induce severe long-term degradation of the ecosystem if human intervention measures were not taken. The N quantitative relationships determined in our study might provide a scientific basis for the establishment of effective measures.     

生命周期评价应用于温室气体排放的研究进展

致使全球气候变暖的温室气体排放问题已经全面引起了人们的广泛关注。生命周期评价作为一种评价环境负荷的评价工具,用于科学定量地估算产品、服务及工艺流程改造等方面的温室气体排放有其独特的优势。文章介绍了估算温室气体排放简化生命周期的技术框架及生命周期评价方法在第一产业(种植业、畜牧业),第二产业(硬纸板加工、橡胶生产、废塑料燃烧的能源再利用)以及第三产业(交通运输、旅游业)的应用情况,并综述了三个产业中的主要系统边界划分原则以及对温室气体排放影响的主要因素;同时,介绍了我国在节能减排方面利用生命周期评价方法的研究与应用实例。     

典型岩溶土壤微生物丰度与多样性及其对碳循环的指示意义

探讨土壤微生物指标的变化规律,用于揭示其在岩溶土壤碳循环中的指示意义.以桂林岩溶试验场洼地、坡地和垭口这3种岩溶地貌形态下的剖面(0~10、10~20、20~30cm)土壤为研究对象,采用聚合酶链式反应-变性梯度凝胶电泳(PCRDGGE)和荧光定量PCR相结合的方法,分析这个典型岩溶土壤剖面中的微生物多样性和丰度变化.数据显示,16S rRNA最高丰度出现在洼地,为1.32×1011拷贝·g-1,而18S rRNA最高丰度出现在垭口,为1.12×1010拷贝·g-1;洼地和垭口剖面的16S rRNA丰度随着深度的增加而降低,3种岩溶地貌形态的18S rRNA丰度均随着剖面深度的增加而降低,与土壤有机碳质量分数的变化趋势一致.但是,在3种岩溶地貌形态中,3个16S rRNA和6个18S rRNA的多样性指数均随土壤剖面深度的增加而增大.由于16S rRNA和18S rRNA的多样性与丰度和土壤有机碳之间总体上表现出相反的变化趋势,说明微生物丰度指标在土壤碳循环中的指示意义比微生物多样性指数更重要.     

需求视角的中国能源消费氮氧化物排放研究

基于经济投入产出生命周期评价(EIO-LCA)模型构建了中国1990—2010年能源消费氮氧化物完全排放矩阵,从需求的角度分析了氮氧化物排放在部门和不同需求间的分布结构,并通过情景模拟深入探讨了最终需求结构变化对氮氧化物排放的综合影响和拉动效应,以期探索中国氮氧化物减排的多元化途径.研究结果显示,1990—2010年中国氮氧化物排放总量从878万t上升到2398万t,历年来由工业部门拉动产生的氮氧化物占总量的比重高达70%左右;由最终消费拉动的氮氧化物排放比重逐年下降,资本形成和出口拉动的氮氧化物排放比重逐年上升.氮氧化物排放强度则从47.0 kg·万元-1降至6.0 kg·万元-1,其中,能源和交通部门的排放强度最高.通过情景模拟可以看出,提高最终消费比重,扩大内需有利于氮氧化物总量减排,尤其是对工业部门的减排效果显著.实现氮氧化物总量减排目标,要求在技术进步之外,积极寻求多元减排措施,以强化减排效果,突出能源和交通等重点部门的氮氧化物防治体系建设,并通过扩大内需优化最终需求结构以促进工业部门氮氧化物减排.     

家用空调碳足迹及其关键影响因素分析

我国居民家庭空调拥有量迅速增加,其生命周期中产生的温室效应也日益受到关注.本文依据国际标准PAS 2050,采用RCEES 2012和Ecoinvent 2.1数据库,并运用SimaPro 7.1软件计算了中国典型家用空调的碳足迹.主要结论为:家用空调生命周期中使用阶段用电产生的碳足迹最大,占67%;制冷剂的泄漏是除电力使用外第二大碳足迹贡献因素,产生了23%的碳足迹;生产制造阶段和废物处理阶段的碳足迹分别占16%和-6%.敏感性分析表明,空调日使用时间、空调年使用季节和制冷剂的泄漏比例是家用空调碳足迹的关键影响因素.     

造纸过程白水封闭循环回用对抄造的影响

研究了网下白水不同循环次数的性能指标。白水中干扰物质DCS对聚乙烯亚胺(PEI)与阳离子聚丙烯酰胺(CPAM)、膨润土组成的三元微粒助留助滤效果的影响,结果表明,随着白水循环次数的增加,白水性能指标变差;DCS的累积降低了阳离子聚丙烯酰胺的助留效果;白水循环次数的增加使纸页裂断长降低;助留助滤效果随着白水循环次数的增加而降低。     

隔河岩水库二氧化碳通量时空变化及影响因素

随着气候变化研究的深入,大型河流拦截工程对水域碳循环及温室气体交换的影响引起越来越多的关注.为了评估河流拦截工程对水域生态系统碳循环和二氧化碳交换通量时空分布模式的影响,选择清江隔河岩水库作为典型案例,采用在线分析仪与浮箱相结合的方法,在2015年3月至2016年2月期间开展了完整水文年连续观测实验,获取了水库坝前、上游、支流、消落带与库湾等典型区域二氧化碳通量数据.数据分析结果表明隔河岩水库水气界面二氧化碳平均通量为(55.691 8±66.332 9)mg·(m2·h)-1,呈现年内冬季高其他季节低的时间变化规律,空间上则表现为水库消落带坝前较低、典型库湾区域较高的分布格局.作为水库背景的库尾断面渔峡口区域二氧化碳通量季节变化非常稳定,在大部分时间内反而高于坝前和消落带断面的二氧化碳通量.数据分析表明二氧化碳通量时空分布格局受到水温、pH值和水体碳浓度的显著影响,但其相关程度受到季节和蓄水的双重影响.