Integrated environmental assessment and pollution prevention in Vietnam: the case of anthracite production

Using the concept of life cycle analysis, the whole life cycle of anthracite production in Vietnam was assessed and the environmental “hot-spots” were identified. These include (i) dust pollution at coal transfer points or piles in storage; (ii) noise pollution resulting from the usage of heavy equipment, and (iii) high volume of acid and turbid mine water discharged into the environment.Pollution prevention and treatment options were identified and discussed in this study which consists of wet treatment of dust, planning, collection and treatment of mine water, planting of trees for dust and noise reduction as well as minimization of erosion. Some recommendations are made for pollution abatement from coal production and improvement of anthracite production in the region.     

Greenhouse gas emissions from production and use of used cooking oil methyl ester as transport fuel in Thailand

Biodiesel, produced from various vegetable and/or animal oils, is one of the most promising alternative fuels for transportation in Thailand. Currently, the waste oils after use in cooking are not disposed adequately. Such oils could serve as a feedstock for biodiesel which would also address the waste disposal issue. This study compares the life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from used cooking oil methyl ester (UCOME) and conventional diesel used in transport. The functional unit (FU) is 100 km transportation by light duty diesel vehicle (LDDV) under identical driving conditions. Life cycle GHG emissions from conventional diesel are about 32.57 kg CO₂-eq/FU whereas those from UCOME are 2.35 kg CO₂-eq/FU. The GHG emissions from the life cycle of UCOME are 93% less than those of conventional diesel production and use. Hence, a fuel switch from conventional diesel to UCOME will contribute greatly to a reduction in global warming potential. This will also support the Thai Government's policy to promote the use of indigenous and renewable sources for transportation fuels.     

Life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of emerging municipal solid waste management options: a case study in Thailand

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - Landfilling is the main technology for municipal solid waste (MSW) disposal in Thailand. Semi-aerobic landfill and mechanical biological treatment...     

Carbon footprint of sugar produced from sugarcane in eastern Thailand

Carbon footprint (CFP) of sugar produced from sugarcane in eastern Thailand was estimated from greenhouse gas emissions (CO₂, CH₄, and N₂O) during the sugarcane cultivation and milling process. The use of fossil fuels, chemical and organic fertilizer and sugarcane biomass data during cultivation were collected from field surveys, questionnaires and interviews. Sugar mill emissions, fossil fuel utilization and greenhouse gas emission from wastewater treatments were included. The results show that sugar production has a carbon footprint of 0.55 kg CO₂e kg^?1 sugar. This carbon footprint was a sum of 0.49 kg CO₂e kg^?1 sugar from sugarcane cultivation and 0.06 kg CO₂e kg^?1 sugar from the milling process. For the cultivation part, most of the GHGs emissions were from fertilizer, fossil fuel use and biomass burning. The CFP in eastern Thailand is sensitive to the type of data selected for calculation and of variations of farm inputs during sugarcane cultivation. There was no significant difference of CFP among farm sizes, although small farms tended to give a relatively higher CFP than that of medium and large farms.     

Environmental impact of organic fraction of municipal solid waste treatment by composting in Sri Lanka

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - In Sri Lanka, the management of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) is a challenge. Composting is an environmentally and...     

Greenhouse gas savings potential of sugar cane bio-energy systems

One of the major justifications for bio-energy systems is their low greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions compared to fossil-energy ones. Transforming a sugar mill into a bio-energy plant would contribute to climate change mitigation via the extraction of renewable electricity and ethanol. This study takes the case of the sugar industry in Thailand and identifies scenario options that offer GHG reduction benefits. Improving efficiency in electricity generation from sugar cane residues e.g. excess bagasse and cane trash is such a beneficial option. Furthermore, extracting ethanol in a so-called bio-refinery, where the co-product stillage is utilized for energy, tends to magnify the potential benefit. The largest savings potential achieved with extracting ethanol from surplus sugar versus current practice in the sugar industry in Thailand amounts to 14 million tonnes CO₂e a year. This cannot be realized in practice until the carbon debt from land conversion is repaid, which takes 4.5–7 years, assuming that the land converted is grassland.     

Central and individual air-conditioning systems — A comparison of environmental impacts and resource consumption in a life cycle perspective

This paper compares individual (split) and central systems of air-conditioning in a life cycle perspective, taking into account the environmental impacts and resource consumption during resource extraction, material production, production of the air-conditioning units, their use, disposal and recycling. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is used in conducting this comparison.

Central systems have a longer lifetime than individual systems, lower electricity consumption and maintenance requirements during the use phase, and a higher recycling potential during the disposal phase. However, to transfer cool air, central systems use a large quantity of water pipes or air ducts, the production of which contributes significantly to resource use. The LCA study reveals that, on the whole, the central systems generally use less resources than split systems and result in lower environmental impacts.

The paper suggests a need for producers of air-conditioners to consider a change from being suppliers of air-conditioning hardware to being suppliers of cool air in order to overcome the initial cost constraints of central systems and realize their environmental and economic improvement potential to the benefit of the environment, and the industry as well as customers.     

Innovation cycles,niches and sustainability in the shrimp aquaculture industry in Thailand

In this paper we explain how a shift from culture of the black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon) to the Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) took place during 2002–6 in Thailand. We use system innovation theory to help explain how niche substitution led to a regime change within a Thai aquaculture industry trying to maintain international competitiveness but under pressures from a global landscape in which consumers are increasingly concerned with health and ecological sustainability. Support from a vertically integrated major firm, an extensive foundation of learning networks within the industry, and early profitability made the scaling-up and embedding of the experiment with white shrimp very rapid once the formal ban on import of exotic broodstock was lifted. Disease management with domesticated, specific pathogen-free strains of white shrimp has proven much easier than with black shrimp still dependent on capture of wild broodstock. Moreover relative production costs are lower. The switch in species had significant consequences for the environment and firms. Using life cycle analysis we found that rearing white shrimp requires less resource and produces less waste than black shrimp. The shift in regime, however, also made it more difficult for small farms and hatchery businesses.     

Sustainability assessment of municipal solid waste management in Sri Lanka: problems and prospects

Solid waste disposal in Sri Lanka has been assessed using environmental, economic, and social indicators, based on a life cycle approach. The existing situation of open dumping in Sri Lanka was compared with that of a sanitary landfill with gas recovery, since the latter is anticipated to constitute an initial step towards sustainable development. The results revealed the extent to which sanitary landfills with gas recovery systems could contribute to reducing environmental impacts such as global warming potential, acidification potential, and eutrophication potential. Assessment of life cycle cost and damage to human health also showed results in favour of sanitary landfills with gas recovery system. The results obtained quantify the sustainability benefits of the proposed option for solid waste management, and can be useful for justifying policy measures that encourage the replacement of open dumping with sanitary landfills.     

Estimation of construction waste generation and management in Thailand

This study examines construction waste generation and management in Thailand. It is estimated that between 2002 and 2005, an average of 1.1 million tons of construction waste was generated per year in Thailand. This constitutes about 7.7% of the total amount of waste disposed in both landfills and open dumpsites annually during the same period. Although construction waste constitutes a major source of waste in terms of volume and weight, its management and recycling are yet to be effectively practiced in Thailand. Recently, the management of construction waste is being given attention due to its rapidly increasing unregulated dumping in undesignated areas, and recycling is being promoted as a method of managing this waste. If effectively implemented, its potential economic and social benefits are immense. It was estimated that between 70 and 4,000 jobs would have been created between 2002 and 2005, if all construction wastes in Thailand had been recycled. Additionally it would have contributed an average savings of about 3.0 x 10(5) GJ per year in the final energy consumed by the construction sector of the nation within the same period based on the recycling scenario analyzed. The current national integrated waste management plan could enhance the effective recycling of construction and demolition waste in Thailand when enforced. It is recommended that an inventory of all construction waste generated in the country be carried out in order to assess the feasibility of large scale recycling of construction and demolition waste.