1,721,060 research outputs found
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) analysis of renders and paints for the restoration of historical buildings
No full textA significant percentage of the building stock in Europe was built before 1950, hence the restoration, retrofitting and renovation of historical buildings is of paramount importance not only for society, but also for the overall sustainability of the construction sector, which is known to have a huge environmental impact. In particular, the applicationof new paints and renders is extremely common in the restoration interventions carried out in historical buildings. In the selection of these materials, it is important to consider that they must comply with compatibility requirements, in terms of low stiffness and high water vapour permeability, not to give rise to premature defects and detachment. However, their environmental impact is basically never evaluated. In this study, a preliminary evaluation of the environmental impact of some selected rendersand paints for the restoration of historical buildings by Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) analysis was carried out. This analysis was performed using the information that are supplied by the manufacturers of the materials (as reported in the technical data sheets), so from the point of view of the designers, who must select among a range of commercial alternatives. Both ready-mix dry renders and mortars purposely prepared in the building site, with or without paint, mechanically or manually applied, were analysed. The paint, notwithstanding its low amount with respect to the render, seems to have a very high impact. The results also suggest that an evaluation of these materials by LCA is definitely not easy, mostly because some key characteristics of materials which are needed for this analysis are currently not reported at all in the technical datasheet, thus jeopardizing a proper evaluation of their environmental impact
Sustainability Assessment Applied to an Air Treatment Biotechnology: Methodology and Results of Life Cycle Assessment
No full textLife Cycle Assessment methodology has been applied to the sustainability evaluation of an environmental biotechnology in an eco-design perspective. This to avoid possible shifting of burdens among different environmental matrices possibly occurring when a remediation activity is performed. GHG Protocol and IMPACT 2002+ calculation methods have been applied. Results show that about 80% of the impact generated is to be attributed to energy consumption during the use phase, thus promoting an integration of the technology under study with renewable energy sources. In order to try and consider environmental benefit deriving from air treatment activity, an evaluation of the technology as carbon sink has been performed, comparing results obtained from impact assessment with specific reference. Results obtained suggest that a single bioreactor unit could act as carbon sink equivalent to a number of trees ranging from 43 (high growth rate species), to 268 (low growth rate species)
Energy Balance of Waste Management Systems: A Case Study
No full textPublic policies for waste regulation can foster sustainable production systems in related fields. It is a common perception that waste to energy plants (WTE) are optimal solutions in terms of energy balance for dismissed materials, since they recovery part of the energy as electricity and heat. A few researchers state that there is an optimal threshold beyond whom separated collection of waste is of no use, since it results in a reduction of total energy recovered. This paper investigates the effects of the reduction of unsorted waste in terms of climate factors and energy balance. It is shown that energy saving density from recycling is higher than energy recovery from incineration, hence, source segregated recycling is a better option for waste management. The paper proposes a benchmark to assess the net energy balance of different waste management systems. A case study is reported, based on data of Emilia- Romagna, Italy, where unsorted waste was recently reduced of about 30% thanks to a dedicated waste tax and policies to promote waste separation and re-use. The case study is used to validate the proposed benchmark, while the method is general and can be used for different waste management systems and in different countries
Application of natural treatment systems for wastewater reuse in agriculture in Gaza Strip
No full textWater supply represents a constant worldwide challenge for people and authorities. This problem is significantly severe in arid and semiarid regions such as Gaza Strip, where groundwater constitutes the only freshwater source. Furthermore, Gaza Strip area suffers from water scarcity due to the decrease in water recharge, constant groundwater over-pumping, seawater intrusion, and the huge gap between water demand and water supply, which cause serious problems in freshwater supply by quantity and quality point of view. In that region, agriculture represents the second-highest sector for water consumption, using more than 50% of the water from the stressed polluted Gaza’s coastal aquifer. Treated wastewater reuse and recycling could represent a sustainable approach to increase water resource availability, alleviate stressed polluted Gaza’s coastal aquifer, and contribute to local agriculture.
This study presents an analysis for applying of natural wastewater treatment system in Al-Mawasi District, Rafah Governorate, Gaza Strip, where the inadequate management of wastewaters has a high impact on public health and the environment.
The experimental study began at the end of 2018 with an environmental and territorial framework of the Southern area of Gaza Strip and in-depth research to choose the appropriate technology (phytoremediation and aerated lagoon). Firstly, a pilot-scale plant has been designed and installed to evaluate the feasibility of a municipal wastewater recovery for agricultural purposes in Rafah (Gaza Strip), reproducing real working conditions and performances of a real plant. The pilot plant has been fed by the sewage coming from the municipal WWTP of Rafah City after the primary treatment. The technology was monitored with physico-chemical, and microbiological analysis, which has been carried out in the “Coastal Municipalities Water Utility Central Lab – State of Palestine”, to evaluate the quality of treated water in comparison with the Palestinian legal limits for wastewater reuse in irrigation. The preliminary results highlighted that the phytoremediation system, followed by natural disinfection, improves the overall wastewater treatment process. The analysis of the effluents demonstrates that, under controlled conditions, treated municipal wastewater can be used for agriculture purposes with effective economic and environmental benefits. The results have allowed the construction, in summer 2021, of a real scale finishing treatment plant, in the same area, able to treat a municipal wastewater flow of about 1000 m3/day that will be used for local crops (such as olives, citrus, potatoes, grapes, and guava) by many farmers, final beneficiaries of the project.
In the meantime, a socio-economic study to identify the beneficiaries and evaluate the social impact of the project was carried out. The whole project has been designed according to a sustainability approach, demonstrating actual environmental, social, and economic effectiveness.
This study has been developed inside a research project carried on by the University of Bologna together with the Italian NGO “Overseas”, the University of Applied Sciences (UCAS), Gaza, and the Union of Agricultural Work Committees Association (UAWCA) – Gaza, in the context of a longtime collaboration between University of Bologna and Palestine
Scenario of the plastic waste recycling in Emilia Romagna Region (Italy) as effort for the recent European Strategy for plastics in a circular economy
No full textLife Cycle Thinking and waste prevention activities: the case of Emilia-Romagna region
No full textThis paper investigates the potential advantages of including waste prevention activities in the LCA study of
the waste management system of Emilia-Romagna region. A review of literature about the inclusion of waste
prevention activities in LCA studies has been performed. Starting from the analysis of the legislative
background in the field of waste prevention, the Emilia-Romagna waste management plan has been studied,
with focus on the prevention programme. Prevention measures planned in the programme have been
analysed and classified, in order to understand their impacts on waste generation and their potential
contribution in terms of environmental benefits
VALORIZATION OF RARE EARTH ELEMENTS FROM END-OF-LIFE FLUORESCENT LAMPS: A CONTRIBUTION TO URBAN MINING
Full text linkIn recent decades, Rare Earth Elements (REEs) have assumedfundamental place
in the electrical and electronic (EE) industry as a result of the increasing interest
in low-energy and intelligent technologies. Availability of those elements in limited
area of the globe, the complexity of extraction processes and the high costs of their
valorization negatively influence the supply chain to such an extent as to jeopardize
the future offer of EE equipment. This issue is particularly acute in Europe where all
REEs are imported, particularly from China that has a dominant position in the global
market. To contrast this dependence and ensure a stable future demand, industrial
stakeholders have embarked on an ambitious path aimed at recovering REEs from
EEE waste. Indeed, the promotion of policies and measures for a circular economy
has identified in urban mining the way to address this challenge.Cities are considered as a reserve of minerals, although applied research is still in its infancy and
currently only 1% of REEs is recovered. Whilst handling waste, fluorescent lamps
proves mainly challenging due to the presence of hazardous substances; however,
they yield the highest purity rare-earth oxides. This article represents a preliminary
multi-criteria analysis aimed at assessing the feasibility of launching an urban mining project based on the valorization of REEs from fluorescent lamps. The work is the
result of the activities undertaken by the Italian WEEE company DISMECO in collaboration with the University of Bologna, paving the way for a more profitable circular
economy for REEs
Combining Eco-Design and LCA as Decision-Making Process to Prevent Plastics in Packaging Application
Full text linkThe diffusion of the culture of sustainability and circular economy increasingly pushes
companies to adopt green strategies and integrate circular business models in the corporate agenda.
It assumes higher relevance in the packaging industry because of the growing plastics demand,
the increasing awareness of consumers on single-use-products, the low recyclability performance and
last but not least, the challenge of urban littering and microplastics dispersion in marine ecosystem.
This paper presents the case of a small-medium enterprise that implemented a decision-making
process to rethink the design of frozen food packaging in accordance with systemic and life cycle
thinking. Eco-design and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) have been simultaneously used to test
and validate the redesign process, thus fostering the substitution of the plastic “open and close”
cap with a closing method entirely made of cardboard. Results shows how using an integrated
decision-making system at the design stage have allowed to get up many benefits at multiple levels,
including sustainable and safe supply chain, efficient logistic operations, better recyclability, and lower
energy consumption. Moreover, even if it cannot be assessed by the existing tools, the solution
provides a strong contribution to the reduction in the consumption of plastics and the prevention of
marine pollution
A case study of industrial symbiosis to reduce GHG emissions: performance analysis and LCA of asphalt concretes made with RAP and steel slags
Full text linkThe concept of sustainability in the road construction sector is a complex issue because of the various steps that contribute to the production and release of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Addressing this issue, the European Commission has put various policy initiatives in place to encourage the construction industry to adopt circular economy (CE) and industrial symbiosis (IS) principles e.g., the use of recycled materials. Cooperativa Trasporti Imola (CTI), a company located in the Emilia-Romagna region (Italy), has been chosen for the current case study to examine practices, management, and the industrial symbiosis network among various companies in the road construction and rehabilitation sector. In this regard, the use of steel slags, obtained by an electric arc furnace (EAF), and reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP), obtained by the deconstruction and milling of old asphalt pavement have been investigated. Two mixtures of recycled hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) i) were prepared incorporating different recycled material percentages for the wearing and binder course, respectively, ii) were characterized in terms of size distribution, strength modulus and volumetric properties, iii) and finally were compared to the performances of two mixtures entirely designed by virgin materials for the wearing and binder course, respectively. Therefore, the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) tool was chosen to evaluate the environmental impacts that affect the designed road life cycle. The results show that recycling RAP and EAF slags in a CTI batch plant provides benefits by reducing the consumption of virgin bitumen and aggregates and by reducing CO2eq emissions. Finally, practical implications on the use of recycled materials in new asphalt mixtures from a life cycle and industrial symbiosis perspective are provided
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