基于生命周期方法的城市绿地生态环境负面影响评估

城市绿地在施工建设以及后续的管理养护工作中所产生的生态环境负面影响往往被人们忽视。本研究以天津市城市绿地为对象,通过实地调研收集数据,采用生命周期评价方法,分析比较了城市绿地乔木层、灌木层以及草本层在建设阶段和管养阶段各环节的生命周期环境影响。结果表明：在50年生命周期内,单位面积乔木层、灌木层和草本层的环境影响综合指数分别为5.51×10³、8.75×10³和1.60×10³。城市绿地最主要环境影响类型是淡水毒性和土壤毒性,分别占总环境影响的73.12%和26.65%。病虫害防治为城市绿地环境影响的主要贡献环节,贡献率高达99.33%。与农林业相比,城市绿地的管养环境影响指数处于中高水平。因此,城市绿地所造成的生态环境负面影响不可忽视。研究结果可以为城市建设低碳生态型绿地以及科学化管养提供参考依据。     

生命周期评价方法在城市生活垃圾管理中的应用研究述评

结合城市生活垃圾管理系统特征,系统归纳基于生命周期评价(Life cycle assessment,LCA)方法的城市生活垃圾管理模型的发展现状,并对LCA方法在城市生活垃圾管理中的实践以及在我国开展城市生活垃圾管理LCA研究的应用前景进行评述。分析表明,LCA是城市生活垃圾管理领域的重要工具之一,基于LCA方法的城市生活垃圾管理模型在全生命周期环境影响评价与识别、处置工艺选择与改进、可持续生活垃圾管理决策支持等方面具有十分重要的应用价值。中国在本地化生活垃圾管理系统LCA模型开发、清单数据库和评价指标体系构建以及与其他研究方法集成等方面面临挑战。     

东北有机及常规大豆对环境影响的生命周期评价

选择我国主要有机出口农产品之一——大豆作为研究对象,采用生命周期评价、DNDC模型、实地调研等方法建立大豆生命周期资源消耗和环境排放清单,分析比较了出口型有机大豆、国内消费型有机大豆以及国内消费型常规大豆的生命周期环境影响.结果表明:3种不同生产消费型大豆生命周期中资源消耗、酸化以及全球变暖对综合环境影响贡献最明显,基本上占到综合环境影响评价的30％左右,而富营养化和生态毒性的贡献率较低,小于10％.从生命周期的不同阶段分析,3种消费模式的大豆其运输阶段对于各分类环境影响的贡献率最大,都在50％以上,对资源消耗的贡献率更是在80％以上.从2种不同的生产模式看无论是全球变暖、酸化、资源消耗还是生态毒性都是有机大豆的环境影响综合指数小于常规大豆,对环境产生的负面影响较小.综合比较3种不同生产消费型大豆,国内消费的有机大豆生命周期综合环境影响最小,其环境影响综合指数比常规大豆的减少31％.但是出口有机大豆由于出口使运输距离延长,其生命周期综合环境影响最大.因此,环境管理关键是提倡有机产品本地消费以缩短运输距离,或者采用环保型能源以减少环境排放.     

产业生态学的回顾与展望

对产业生态学的基本概念、研究方法和研究热点进行了总结与评述,认为产业生态学是研究人类产业活动与自然环境相互关系的一门综合性、垮学科的应用科学。它采用工业代谢、生命周期评价和区域生态建设的方法对产业活动全过程(包括原材料采掘、原材料生产、产品制造、产品使用、产品用后处理)进行定性描述和定量模拟。产业生态学着眼于人类和生态系统的长远利益,追求经济效益、生态效益和社会效益的统一。     

产业生态学的回顾与展望

对产业生态学的基本概念、研究方法和研究热点进行了总结与评述,认为产业生态学是研究人类产业活动与自然环境相互关系的一门综合性、垮学科的应用科学．它采用工业代谢、生命周期评价和区域生态建设的方法对产业活动全过程（包括原材料采掘、原材料生产、产品制造、产品使用、产品用后处理）进行定性描述和定量模拟．产业生态学着眼于人类和生态系统的长远利益,追求经济效益、生态效益和社会效益的统一．     

基于GIS的产业生态学研究述评

产业生态学由于缺少关于空间分析的工具,使得研究结果因缺乏空间维度信息而影响对管理效率和精准度的支持。基于GIS的产业生态学相关研究已成为产业生态学研究的一个新的方向。为总结已有的研究成果并展望未来的研究方向,运用文献计量及对比分析的手段,系统分析了国内外基于GIS的产业生态学的相关研究进展,得出以下结论:当前基于GIS的产业生态研究主要集中在物质代谢、产业共生和生命周期评价3个方面,将GIS技术引入到物质代谢研究中,可以更好的展示物质代谢的时空分布格局,为物质代谢研究提供了一种新的方法;基于GIS技术,不仅可以更加高效地挖掘潜在的产业共生机会,还可应用于生态产业园的规划管理如企业的选址、空间布局等以及废弃物的回收再利用方面;将GIS与LCA耦合在一起,可以很好地补充、完善和管理传统数据,有助于探索产品、活动或工艺的环境影响的空间特性以及进行土地利用相关的环境影响评价。另外,国内外研究的侧重点也不尽相同。在物质代谢研究中,国内研究较少,仅在城市尺度上进行了基础设施的物质代谢及其存量分析,国外在国家、城市尺度上研究了铜、锌等金属的物质代谢情况;在产业共生研究中,国内侧重于生态产业园的研究,而国外侧重于城市尺度的产业共生机会识别的研究;在LCA的研究中,国内开展了基于GIS的生命周期评价数据库和产品材料信息管理系统的研究,而国外侧重于进行区域化的生命周期评价、进行土地利用影响类型的相关评价以及污染物的追踪,国内在该方面尚处于起步阶段。国内外在研究方法上存在共性,都是基于GIS的空间分析方法、缓冲区分析方法以及数据库技术等。未来将GIS作为一个平台,面向产业转型展开产业生态学综合理论方法的研究,可以为产业的可持续性管理提供有效支持。     

基于生命周期视角的产业资源生态管理效益分析——以虚拟共生网络系统为例

资源流代谢失调是造成产业生态环境问题的主要原因之一,对其实施基于共生网络的生态管理是解决问题的一项重要的举措。运用全生命周期的思想构建了产业资源共生网络及其管理框架,并运用全生命周期评价的方法,借助生命周期评价软件GaBi4,分别选取EI99 (Eco-Indicator 99)、CML2001 EP评价体系,以武汉市造纸产业为例,通过设计合理的资源流网络关系及中水、废纸和污泥利用共生路径构建虚拟造纸产业共生网络,对比分析了共生设计系统与原有共生系统的各生态环境影响。并运用市场价值法对共生设计系统的经济效益进行了分析。结果表明:共生设计系统总的环境影响、生态系统质量、人体健康、资源损耗值的环境影响分值分别为1166.445、814.509、148.893、203.045,比原有系统分别减少23.91%、19.15%、46.56%、22.26%;其中富营养化、气候变化的影响分别比原有系统降低56.25%、16.62%。同时共生设计系统通过污水、废纸及污泥的回用,在不考虑市场波动的情况下,可获得1018-7252万元的经济效益。可见,通过构建共生网络的生态管理是提高资源利用效率的有效手段之一,在一定条件下可取得明显的环境和经济效益。     

与环境管理有关的生态学研究展望

当今世界 ,自然资源和环境管理间有许多问题需要解决。决策者们不断寻求能够实现环境质量改善和有效、持续利用资源的途径和手段。而环境资源的有限性和稀缺性也决定了必须进行有效的环境管理 ,这就需要借助生态学知识作出有效可行的管理决策 [10 ,11]。然而 ,在我国目前的条件下 ,生态学家和环境管理人员之间通常缺乏联系 ,在许多方面难以达成共识。其原因 ,既有人为造成的 ,也有历史发展的原因。在解决有关生态保护、环境管理和可持续发展之间的种种问题时 ,对生态学研究所处的地位和作用缺乏理论上的探索。另一方面 ,生态系统管理比我们…     

生态系统管理的概念及其要素

生态系统管理起源于传统的自然资源管理和利用领域,形成于本世纪９０年代。它是指基于对生态系统组成、结构和功能过程的最佳理解,在一定的时空尺度范围内将人类价值和社会经济条件整合到生态 营中,以恢复或维持生态系统整体性和可持续性。生态系统管理要求收集被管理系统核心层次的生态学数据并监测生态系统的变化过程。生态系统管理的要素包括：有明确的管理目标,有确定的系统边界昨单元,基于对生态 深刻理解,有适宜的尺度     

农业生命周期评价研究进展

作为评价产品系统全链条环境影响的有效工具,生命周期评价（LCA）方法已广泛用于工业领域。农业领域也面临着高强度的资源和环境压力,LCA在农业领域的应用应运而生。旨在综述已有农业LCA研究的基础上,鉴别农业LCA应用存在的问题,并为农业LCA未来的发展提出建议。目前农业LCA存在系统边界和功能单位界定不明晰、缺少区域清单数据库、生命周期环境影响评价模型（LCIA）不能准确反映农业系统环境影响、结果解释存在误区等方面的问题。为了科学准确地衡量农业系统的环境影响,促进农业系统的可持续发展,文章认为农业LCA应该从以下几个方面加强研究,即科学界定评价的参照系、系统边界的扩大及功能单位的合理选取、区域异质性数据库构建与LCIA模型开发、基于组织农业LCA的开发以及对于利益相关者行为的研究。     

From Life Cycle Assessment to Life Cycle Management

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a widely accepted methodology to support decision‐making processes in which one compares alternatives, and that helps prevent shifting of environmental burdens along the value chain or among impact categories. According to regulation in the European Union (EU), the movement of waste needs to be reduced and, if unavoidable, the environmental gain from a specific waste treatment option requiring transport must be larger than the losses arising from transport. The EU explicitly recommends the use of LCA or life cycle thinking for the formulation of new waste management plans. In the last two revisions of the Industrial Waste Management Programme of Catalonia (PROGRIC), the use of a life cycle thinking approach to waste policy was mandated. In this article we explain the process developed to arrive at practical life cycle management (LCM) from what started as an LCA project. LCM principles we have labeled the “3/3” principle or the “good enough is best” principle were found to be essential to obtain simplified models that are easy to understand for legislators and industries, useful in waste management regulation, and, ultimately, feasible. In this article, we present the four models of options for the management of waste solvent to be addressed under Catalan industrial waste management regulation. All involved actors concluded that the models are sufficiently robust, are easy to apply, and accomplish the aim of limiting the transport of waste outside Catalonia, according to the principles of proximity and sufficiency.     

Impact Assessment of Biodiversity and Carbon Pools from Land Use and Land Use Changes in Life Cycle Assessment,Exemplified with Forestry Operations in Norway

There is a strong need for methods within life cycle assessment (LCA) that enable the inclusion of all complex aspects related to land use and land use change (LULUC). This article presents a case study of the use of one hectare (ha) of forest managed for the production of wood for bioenergy production. Both permanent and temporary changes in above‐ground biomass are assessed together with the impact on biodiversity caused by LULUC as a result of forestry activities. The impact is measured as a product of time and area requirements, as well as by changes in carbon pools and impacts on biodiversity as a consequence of different management options. To elaborate the usefulness of the method as well as its dependency on assumptions, a range of scenarios are introduced in the study. The results show that the impact on climate change from LULUC dominates the results, compared to the impact from forestry operations. This clearly demonstrates the need to include LULUC in an LCA of forestry products. For impacts both on climate change and biodiversity, the results show large variability based on what assumptions are made; and impacts can be either positive or negative. Consequently, a mere measure of land used does not provide any meaning in LCA, as it is not possible to know whether this contributes a positive or negative impact.     

Alternatives for Reducing the Environmental Impact of the Main Residue From a Desalination Plant

One of the most important problems today is the scarcity of fresh water safe enough for human, industrial, and agricultural use. Desalination is an alternative source of fresh water supply in areas with severe problems of water availability. Desalination plants generate a huge amount of brine as the main residual from the plant (about 55% of collected seawater). Because of that, it is important to determine the best environmental option for the brine disposal. This article makes a global environmental analysis, under Spanish conditions, of a desalination plant and an environmental assessment of different final brine disposals, representing a range of the most common alternatives: direct disposal, wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) outflow dilution, and dilution with seawater. The environmental profile of the plant operation and a comparison of the brine final disposal alternatives were established by means of the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. From an analysis of the whole plant we observed that the highest environmental impact was caused by energy consumption, especially at the reverse osmosis stage, while the most relevant waste was brine. From an analysis of brine final disposal we have elaborated a comparison of the advantages and detriments of the three alternatives. As all of them might be suitable in different specific situations, the results might be useful in decisions about final brine disposal.     

Environmental Assessment of Single‐Walled Carbon Nanotube Processes

The environmental assessment of nanomanufacturing during the initial process design phase should lead to the development of competitive, safe, and environmentally responsible engineering and commercialization. Given the potential benefits and concerns regarding the use of single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), three SWNT production processes have been investigated to assess their associated environmental impacts. These processes include arc ablation (arc), chemical vapor deposition (CVD), and high‐pressure carbon monoxide (HiPco). Without consideration of the currently unknown impacts of SWNT dispersion or other health impacts, life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology is used to analyze the environmental impact and provide a baseline for the environmental footprint of each manufacturing process. Although the technical attributes of the product resulting from each process may not be fully comparable, this study presents comparisons that show that the life cycle impacts are dominated by energy, specifically the electricity used in production. Under base case yield conditions, HiPco shows the lowest environmental impact, while the arc process has the lowest impact under best case yield conditions.     

Life Cycle Assessment of Medium Surge Arresters in the Context of Size‐Reduction Design

Zinc oxide (ZnO) polycrystalline ceramics are the focal point of lightning arrester technology. These semiconductor materials are able to switch rapidly from high to low impedance while handling large amounts of electrical energy. Since the early 1970s, considerable efforts have been made to improve the specific energy absorption capacity and device reliability of such components. This document describes a case study carried out on the life cycle impacts of three different designs of electroceramics made of ZnO. Results show that the best design involves decreasing the diameter while maintaining the thickness of the compound. Of the production, transport, use, and end‐of‐life phases, the use phase is found to contribute by far the most to environmental impacts, with leakage currents in the 10^?6 ampere range. The next‐largest impacts come in the transport and production stages. Sensitivity analysis shows that impacts associated with the production stage originate from ZnO production and are related to the by‐products (heavy metals) of zinc metallurgy.     

Methodological Aspects of Applying Life Cycle Assessment to Industrial Symbioses

In view of recent studies of the historical development and current status of industrial symbiosis (IS), life cycle assessment (LCA) is proposed as a general framework for quantifying the environmental performance of by‐product exchange. Recent guidelines for LCA (International Reference Life Cycle Data System [ILCD] guidelines) are applied to answer the main research questions in the IS literature reviewed. A typology of five main research questions is proposed: (1) analysis, (2) improvement, and (3) expansion of existing systems; (4) design of new eco‐industrial parks, and (5) restructuring of circular economies. The LCA guidelines were found useful in framing the question and choosing an appropriate reference case for comparison. The selection of a correct reference case reduces the risk of overestimating the benefits of by‐product exchange. In the analysis of existing systems, environmentally extended input‐output analysis (EEIOA) can be used to streamline the analysis and provide an industry average baseline for comparison. However, when large‐scale changes are applied to the system, more sophisticated tools are necessary for assessment of the consequences, from market analysis to general equilibrium modeling and future scenario work. Such a rigorous application of systems analysis was not found in the current IS literature, but would benefit the field substantially, especially when the environmental impact of large‐scale economic changes is analyzed.     

The Environmental Importance of Energy Use in Chemical Production

In many cases, policy makers and laymen perceive harmful emissions from chemical plants as the most important source of environmental impacts in chemical production. As a result, regulations and environmental efforts have tended to focus on this area. Concerns about energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, however, are increasing in all industrial sectors. Using a life cycle assessment (LCA) approach, we analyzed the full environmental impacts of producing 99 chemical products in Western Europe from cradle to factory gate. We applied several life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) methods to cover various impact areas. Our analysis shows that for both organic and inorganic chemical production in industrial countries, energy‐related impacts often represent more than half and sometimes up to 80% of the total impacts, according to a range of LCIA methods. Resource use for material feedstock is also important, whereas direct emissions from chemical plants may make up only 5% to 10% of the total environmental impacts. Additionally, the energy‐related impacts of organic chemical production increase with the complexity of the chemicals. The results of this study offer important information for policy makers and sustainability experts in the chemical industry striving to reduce environmental impacts. We identify more sustainable energy production and use as an important option for improvements in the environmental profile of chemical production in industrial countries, especially for the production of advanced organic and fine chemicals.