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[Display omitted] • Sensitivity analysis in packaging EoL modeling to evaluate influence in EoL impacts. • Take-back presents environmental benefits due to paper and glass recycling. • Incineration with energy recovery reduces EoL impacts from pharmaceutical packaging. • Smaller pharmaceutical packaging and EoL valorization reduces impacts. • Decisions at packaging early design stage influence EoL impacts. Pharmaceutical packaging waste has increased due to a higher global demand for pharmaceutical products, leading to more waste generation and associated environmental impacts. The main goal of this article is to present a cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment of pharmaceutical packaging, evaluating end-of-life (EoL) alternatives, aiming to identify hotspots and opportunities for improvement. A life cycle model was implemented for three types of pharmaceutical packaging (blisters, sachets, bottles; 23 packaging). The functional unit is the storage and delivery of medicines containing the same active pharmaceutical ingredient, dosage, and amount of medicines. Two EoL analyses were performed: 1) compare take-back (recycling and incineration) with domestic waste collection (landfill or incineration); and 2) assess different EoL situations of pharmaceutical packaging in Europe. A life cycle impact assessment was performed for 13 categories. Analysis 1 shows that take-back presents lower environmental impacts than domestic waste collection for seven out of 13 categories due to paper and glass recycling benefits. Analysis 2 shows that in the take-back, higher amounts of packaging are recycled or incinerated, which leads to lower EoL impacts. A sensitivity analysis was performed to evaluate the influence of parameters and assumptions in packaging EoL impacts. Packaging production contributes significantly to life cycle impacts, followed by transportation, EoL, and packing process. Ecodesign initiatives are recommended, such as packaging with less material and volume, using materials with lower impacts to significantly reduce the impacts of pharmaceutical packaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a comprehensive framework for designing in-space propulsion systems, integrating four criteria: global propulsive performance, environmental impact, cost efficiency, and architectural reliability. The study focuses on the emerging class of Orbital Transfer Vehicles to illustrate the application of this method. By examining the synergistic potential of OTVs and greener propellants, the paper addresses different mission scenarios, including LEO, GEO, and lunar missions, with both scientific and commercial objectives. The proposed framework aims to go beyond traditional cost-centric approaches, offering a more complete evaluation method for early design phases. A case study comparing three liquid bipropellant options, pressure-fed MON-3/MMH, 98%-HTP/RP-1, and self-pressurizing N 2 O/Ethane, demonstrates the utility of the tool. Findings suggest that scientific missions benefit most from 98%-HTP/RP-1, while traditional propellants remain preferable for cost-driven commercial missions to GEO and the Moon, though greener alternatives are competitive for less demanding LEO missions. This innovative framework aims to guide the selection of propulsion systems to achieve greener space missions, aligning traditional performance figures with environmental responsibility. • The transition towards greener propellants introduces new requirements beyond pure performance. • A holistic early-design framework is proposed to identify optimal future propulsive solutions. • This approach integrates environmental impact and reliability alongside traditional cost-efficiency and performance targets. • Greener propellants demonstrate a competitive advantage over legacy ones for specific space mission profiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global pursuit of sustainable energy solutions has led to an increased interest in green hydrogen as a significant contributor to the transition towards a low-carbon economy. This comprehensive analysis delves into the progress made in green hydrogen production using alkaline water electrolysis, shedding light on the fundamental principles, materials, design, operational conditions, and integration with renewable energy sources. The paper critically evaluates the economic and environmental aspects, providing valuable insights into the challenges, future prospects, and real-world applications. The importance of green hydrogen as a clean energy carrier is emphasized in the context of mitigating climate change and achieving energy independence. The paper outlines various methods for hydrogen production, with a focus on alkaline water electrolysis, highlighting its role in sustainable hydrogen generation. The structure of the review paper is well-detailed, guiding the reader through a systematic exploration of key aspects related to green hydrogen production. The fundamentals of alkaline water electrolysis are explained in detail, covering the basic principles, reactions at electrodes, components, working mechanisms, efficiency calculations, and existing challenges. An in-depth examination of materials and electrodes is presented, showcasing recent innovations that enhance performance. Electrolysers design and system configurations are discussed, incorporating recent developments aimed at improving efficiency and scalability. The paper explores operating conditions and optimization strategies, emphasizing the impact of temperature, pressure, and current density on electrolysis efficiency. The integration of renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power, with alkaline water electrolysis is analyzed, addressing both the benefits and challenges. The economic feasibility of green hydrogen production and its environmental impacts, including life cycle assessments and carbon footprint, are meticulously examined. The paper concludes with an overview of current challenges and limitations, ongoing research insights, and future prospects for alkaline water electrolysis technology. Real-world case studies are presented to showcase the practical applications of this technology in industries, transportation, and energy storage. In summary, this review highlights the pivotal role of alkaline water electrolysis in advancing green hydrogen production, offering a promising pathway towards a sustainable and decarbonized energy future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• LCA evaluated P recovery scenarios involving HTC and struvite production. • System expansion by substitution handled allocation challenges. • A method for scaling up lab data to industrial scale was demonstrated. Phosphate rock is a finite, non-renewable mineral resource that is used primarily in fertiliser production. The scarcity and the increasing demand for this finite material led the European Commission to include it in the critical raw material list in 2014. As a consequence, efforts have been directed towards enhancing material use efficiency, initiating recycling efforts, and formulating waste policies to mitigate the criticality of raw materials. Interest in the development of technologies for nutrient recovery from organic waste streams has increased in recent years, and dairy processing sludge (DPS) is a potential input waste stream. Although the recovery of P from DPS can contribute to more circular flows of nutrients in society, it has to be assessed whether there are also overall environmental gains. This paper reports on a life cycle assessment (LCA) of the environmental impacts of three scenarios for phosphorus (P) recovery involving hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) and struvite precipitation and a comparison to a reference drying scenario. HTC produces a solid fraction (hydrochar), and a liquid fraction (process water) and in one of the scenarios (Scenario 3), leaching the hydrochar for additional P recovery is considered. From the process water as well as from the hydrochar leachate, P is precipitated in the form of struvite. Scenarios 1 and 2 both consider HTC and struvite production with the only difference that the hydrochar is used as a fuel instead of as a fertilizer in the latter case, and Scenario 3 adds leaching of the hydrochar with subsequent struvite production and considers that hydrochar is used as a fuel. In the fourth (reference) scenario, dewatering and drying of DPS is considered. The recovered product use in agriculture was not assessed at this stage. The assessment of the emerging technologies in Scenarios 1–3 was done by studying the technologies in early stages of development but modelling them as more developed in the future. Additional functions beyond the functional unit of one kg of P recovered were handled through a system expansion by substitution approach. This way, the system was credited for calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN) production in all scenarios and for wood chips production in Scenarios 2 and 3. Looking at net outcomes for all scenarios, the life cycle impact indicator results for scenario 2 are lower than the other scenarios in several impact categories. Large gains in scenario 2 are related to the avoided production of wood chips. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Ejector cycles achieved higher performance than booster cycle within the gas cooler outlet temperature range of 31 and 50°C. • Multi-ejectors can be applied to ejector cycles with different configurations. • Up to 17% annual energy consumption reduction was found using ejector cycles. • Unit product exergy costs of ejector cycles are up to 28% lower than booster cycle. Restrictions on high-GWP refrigerants have made the use of transcritical CO 2 refrigeration systems widespread. Using transcritical booster refrigeration cycle in warm climates is unsatisfactory due to its high energy consumption. This paper presents theoretical analysis and performance comparison of three different transcritical CO 2 supermarket refrigeration cycle configurations with ejector expansion in Türkiye, which has different climatic regions. Bin-hour data were derived using hourly dry-bulb temperature values for provinces from 7 different regions in Türkiye. The applicability of multi-ejectors to each modeled cycle was also investigated. Annual energy consumption and environmental impact reductions of up to 17% were obtained using ejector expansion cycle compared to booster cycle. Ejector expansion cycles achieved higher performance than booster cycle up to 46% in terms of exergy efficiency at investigated ambient temperatures. Unit product exergy costs of the ejector cycles were found up to 28% lower than booster cycle. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is a significant challenge that the medical community must address. Hospitals are large facilities with high water and energy consumption, as well as high levels of waste generation, which makes it important to pursue green hospital initiatives. Neurosurgery requires substantial energy for surgeries and tests. Based on the keywords "Climate change," "green hospital," "neurosurgery," "energy consumption," "environmental impact" listed in this paper, we extracted representative manuscripts, and the practices employed in the authors' hospital were assessed. The "Guidelines for Environmental Consideration in Hospitals" and "Guidelines for the Sustainability of Hospital Environments" have been developed; however, they are not implemented in most hospitals in Japan. Inhalational anesthetics were found to contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. Educating patients and staff and employing the "8 Rs" (rethink, refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle, research, renovation, and revolution) showed promise in achieving green hospital standards. The advent of 'green hospitals' in Japan is imminent. The active participation of neurosurgeons can play a crucial role in diminishing the environmental footprint of health care while simultaneously enhancing medical standards. Given the pressing challenges posed by climate change, there is a critical need for an overhaul of medical practices. It is imperative for neurosurgeons to pioneer the adoption of new, sustainable medical methodologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of new technological innovations for eco-friendly vehicles combined with the usage of renewable energy sources is essential for mitigating the environmental impact of freight transport. In this context, this paper investigates the opportunities for implementing the eHighway system, a novel recent technology designed to supply new hybrid trucks. This technology uses overhead catenary heavy-duty vehicles that are supplied with electric energy from overhead power lines through a pantograph that is positioned at the top of the truck. A novel bi-level multi-objective network electrification design (BM-NED) model is proposed to assess the environmental benefits and opportunities of adopting eHighways, considering the limited budgetary resources for road infrastructure electrification. Still, the implementation of eHighways requires collaboration between public and private stakeholder interests. The upper level considers multiple objectives aiming at minimizing the total travel cost, infrastructure, and environmental costs and maximizing the average traffic density of OC hybrid trucks on electrified arcs, whereas the lower level is the traffic assignment model. The Elitist multi-objective Genetic Algorithms are used as a solution approach for the multi-objective optimization and the Pareto front of the non-dominated solutions have been generated. Results of the model, tested on a part of a motorway network in the Veneto region in Italy, show that the implementation of the eHighway system can lead to an average emission reduction of about 66%, considering all Pareto-optimal solutions. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis has been carried out by giving different weights to the objective functions that can be a basis for decision-makers regarding the adoption of this new technology. • The implementation of the eHighway system is investigated to evaluate its benefits. • A novel bi-level multi-objective network electrification design model is proposed. • The model is tested on a part of a motorway network in the Veneto region (Italy). • Sensitivity analysis evaluates different solutions for potential decision-makers. • The study gives insights for policy makers regarding eHighway adoption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a powerful tool to determine composting environmental impacts. • Greenhouse gas emissions from composting must be carefully evaluated in any LCA composting study. • The need of consistent input data is one of the main challenges for the assessment. • The avoided impacts derived from compost application should also be considered. • The selected functional unit in LCA composting studies is critical for the results obtained. Composting is one of the most widely applied methods for recycling organic waste. This process has been proposed as one option that facilitates the reincorporation of materials into the production cycle. However, composting also generates environmental impacts. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is the most common approach to evaluate the environmental impacts of a process at different system stages. Nevertheless, applying LCA in composting facilities is challenging due to the extensive information required, the lack of standardization on the initial assumptions, the definition of system boundaries, and the high diversity of existing composting technologies. This paper systematically reviews LCA studies in biowaste and/or green waste composting. The study highlights the challenges that should be met in order to improving the application of LCA to evaluate the environmental impacts of this type or waste treatment strategy. The review protocol used identified 456 papers published between 2010 and 2022. After the screening, 56 papers were selected, read, and thoroughly analyzed. The results show that: i) about 68% of the studies aimed to compare composting with other solid waste management options; ii) there was a wide diversity among the impact categories considered, which predominantly included climate change and ozone depletion; iii) there was no consensus on the functional unit or the system boundaries; iv) the main gaseous emissions studied were ammonia, methane, and nitrogen oxide, which were generally determined by emission factors; v) the avoided environmental impacts associated with the end-product quality and its application as an organic amendment or soil improver were ignored. This work demonstrates the complexity of conducting credible and valid composting LCA studies and proposes seven recommendations for improving the application of this assessment methodology to analyze this waste management alternative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

General anaesthesia is in common use for patients undergoing surgical procedures, with the option of both inhalational and intravenous anaesthetic techniques. Anaesthetic gases are often excluded from discussions on sustainable healthcare delivery, despite being a significant contributor to the overall environmental impact of healthcare services. A literature review was carried out on previously published papers on the impact anaesthetic gases have on our environment and at ways to reduce their impact in current anaesthetic practice. The aim was to write a narrative review detailing the areas of concern as well as the current clinical situation in the European setting. The two classes of inhaled anaesthetic agent most frequently used are nitrous oxide and volatile agents (most commonly sevoflurane, isoflurane and desflurane). Both are recognised greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. Minor modifications in the use of anaesthetic gases can have a significant environmental impact. These modifications include avoiding nitrous oxide whenever possible, avoiding desflurane (and using sevoflurane instead), using low flow anaesthesia during maintenance, swapping volatile-based anaesthesia for a TIVA technique when clinically appropriate and considering the use of central neuraxial or regional anaesthesia in place of general anaesthesia when possible. • Anaesthetic gases include volatile agents and nitrous oxide, both known greenhouse gases • The most common volatile anaesthetic agents used in Ireland is sevoflurane • Sevoflurane is the least damaging gas to the environment • Minor modifications in the use of these gases can have an environmental impact [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New Zealand's space sector is at the early stages of growth but already attracts 1.5% of global private investment in space and contributes NZD 1.75 billion per year in revenue to the national economy. Growth has in part been due to the country's desirable location for space operations due to a combination of geographic advantages, with its clear seas and skies and access to a wide range of launch angles, a skilled workforce, and strong government financial incentives. There are however challenges to future space activities such as the risk to long-term access and use of Earth's orbital environment, specifically from space debris and a growing challenge to the whole-of-life of space operations, from the climate emergency and biodiversity crises. Consequently, there is increasing global motivation and urgency to quantify environmental consequences of space activities, which have historically been omitted from legislative and regulatory requirements. This paper provides a summary of the commercial development of New Zealand's space sector and where appropriate environmental regulation and legislation may have been overlooked, as well as outlining broader environmental concerns of space operations. New Zealand's emerging space industry offers a unique opportunity to integrate international best practices for environment and sustainability at a foundational level, for example, the European Space Agency's Clean Space Initiative and their Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Tool and Eco-design Framework. These types of tools provide valuable sources of information to support policy and business decisions. This paper provides a case study for an environmental LCA for a New Zealand designed and launched CubeSat which is the most launched satellite type from New Zealand. The case study indicates how the LCA can be used to identify environmental hotspots during the preliminary and detailed design phases as well as the launch event. Barriers and gaps in data collection have also been identified. As a result of this work, a set of recommendations have been made for further research requirements on the application of LCA to space activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A conference on current research and educational programs in production of crops for bio-fuel was sponsored and organized by the EARTH University and the University of Florida in November, 2008. The meeting addressed current research on crops for bio-fuel production with discussions of research alternatives for future crop production systems, land use issues, ethics of food vs. fuel production, and carbon sequestration in environmentally sensitive tropical and sub-tropical regions of the Americas. The need and potential for development of graduate and undergraduate curricula and inter-institutional cooperation among educational institutions in the region were also discussed. Delegations from Belize, Brazil, Columbia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Honduras, Panama, The Dominican Republic, and the United States including ministers of Agriculture and Energy attended this meeting. Over a two-day period, four working groups provided a framework to facilitate networking, motivate task oriented creative thinking, and maintain a timely accomplishment of assigned duties in the context of the conference themes. Participants in the conference were assigned to one of four working groups, each following given topics: Agronomy, Environment, Socio-Economics and Education/Extension. It was the consensus of representatives of industry, academic and regulatory community assembled in Costa Rica that significant research, education and socio-economic information is needed to make production of bio-fuel crops sustainable. Agronomic research should include better crop selection based on local conditions, improved production techniques, pest and disease management, and mechanical cultivation and harvesting. Another conclusion was that tailoring of production systems to local soil characteristics and use of bio-fuel by-products to improve nutrient use efficiency and reduction of environmental impact on water quantity and quality is critical to sustainability of bio-fuel crop production. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• A life cycle analysis on recycling and secondary use of lithium-ion batteries. • Based on the recycling in China, the LCA of different methods has been established. • Compared to other recovery, the secondary use has the lowest environmental impact. • Secondary use has the greatest impact on assessment results in dynamic situations. With the rapid development of the global new energy vehicle industry, how to minimize the environmental impact of the recovery has become a common concern and urgent concern. China is a major production and consumption market for electric vehicles, there are no specific and extensive resource and environmental assessment system for batteries. In this paper, the retired Electric vehicles lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) was the research object, and a specific analysis of the recycling treatment and gradual use stages of power batteries were based on life cycle assessment. Different battery assessment scenarios were established according to the development of battery recycling in China. The results showed that the secondary use has the optimal performance compared to the full-component physical, pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgy recycling. The results showed that direct recycling has a GWP of 0.037 kg-CO 2 eq·kg LIB-1, which is lower than others. Secondary use of LIB accounts for the most emission reductions with Global warming (GWP) as 12.134 kg-CO 2 eq·kg LIB-1. The secondary use has the greatest impact on the assessment results, especially in dynamic scenarios. Through a comprehensive comparison of different recycling technologies, the secondary use, increasing the recycling rate, reducing resource, energy consumption and pollution emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrokinetic turbines interact with the dynamics of the sedimentary bottom at small and large scale. Despite the interest that the study of these interactions deserves, little research has been published in the field. In this paper, we investigate by numerical simulation the interaction between modeled hydrokinetic turbines and bed load under clear-water scour conditions. The mixture of water and sediment is accounted for by an Eulerian multiphase model developed in the open source platform OpenFOAM. The turbine blades are parameterized by two models: the Blade Element Method (BEM) and the Actuator Disc Theory (AD). A good agreement with measurements is obtained in the near wake. The effects of the two different turbine models on the bedload sediment transport and on the wake characteristics are then examined. The local impact of the turbine modeled by BEM is more pronounced on the bed than the one modeled by the AD. So, the BEM modeling is preferable to the AD one for local studies of the impact of a turbine on the bed morphology. However, combining BEM with the two-phase fluid-sediment is time consuming and make difficult the use of this method to study a farm of several stream turbines. In such a case the use of AD is still remains recommended for now. Moreover, more studies must be done at real scale as the turbine rotational speed is relatively low and could induced less impact of the swirl on the bottom shear stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using seawater and sea sand to prepare concrete could effectively alleviate the shortage of freshwater and river sand resources and promote the sustainable development of concrete. However, the current research on the setting process, hardened properties, and sustainability of ultra-high-performance seawater sea sand concrete (UHPSSC) remain considerably limited. In this paper, the UHPSSC was designed to mitigate the autogenous shrinkage and enhance the sustainability, and the effect of seawater, untreated and desalinated sea sand on the setting process, mechanical properties, durability, and sustainability was explored by various tests. Results show that the abundant ions (e.g., Cl- and SO 4 2-) in seawater and untreated sea sand promote the dissolution and nucleation of cement, accelerating the hydration process, and seawater provides a high pH hydration environment, which enhances the pozzolanic reaction activity of silica fume and fly ash. This leads to the enhanced flexural and compressive strengths at early age, reduced flowability, and increased autogenous shrinkage. Although the seawater and untreated sea sand considerably alleviate the natural raw materials consumption, the mechanical performance at 28 d and durability are reduced, thereby decreasing the sustainability index by 7.8 %. The desalination treatment of sea sand decelerates the hydration process of UHPSSC with untreated sea sand due to the lower ion content in desalinated sea sand. The application of desalinated sea sand mitigates the adverse impact of untreated sea sand on the workability, mechanical properties, and durability. However, this desalination process requires more energy and freshwater consumption, thereby decreasing sustainability index. The fly ash incorporation could improve the workability of UHPSSC, and decrease the autogenous shrinkage value by 17.9 %. Moreover, it mitigates the environmental effect without compromising the mechanical properties and durability, leading to an impressive 42.8 % improvement in sustainability. Durability assessment reveals that the prepared UHPSSC specimen maintains outstanding mechanical properties even after 360 d of exposure to severe marine environment, indicating its excellent durability. This paper provides novel insights for achieving a cleaner and more sustainable concrete production. • A comprehensive assessment of the sustainability of UHPSSC is performed. • The sustainability of designed UHPSSC is increased by 42.8 %. • The correlation between the autogenous shrinkage values and IRH is established. • 360 d of marine exposure test implies the excellent durability of prepared UHPSSC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydraulic structures can be a promising place for tidal energy extraction due to the high flow velocities, easy access to the power grid and easy access for maintenance. However, quantification of the impacts of a tidal power plant in a hydraulic structure is not straight forward. In 2015 a pilot plant consisting of an array of five Tocardo tidal turbines was installed in the Eastern Scheldt Storm Surge Barrier in the Netherlands. This pilot was accompanied by monitoring studies to verify that the operation of the plant had no adverse impact on the barrier and its surroundings. This paper presents the assessment of the hydraulic impact of the tidal power plant in the storm surge barrier based on an analysis of water level and current measurements, combined with numerical modeling and followed by an assessment of the environmental impact with emphasis on the effects on the intertidal areas in the estuary. This validation approach by a pilot plant is imperative to understand the interaction between tidal turbines and the hydraulic structure on the local scale. This understanding gives extra credibility to the predictions of the extrapolated large-scale and large array assessments which will always be fully numerical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Life cycle assessment was carried out using IMPACT2002+ to estimate the environmental impact of coated white board production, which is common in China. Normalized results showed that the potential impacts of respiratory inorganics, terrestrial ecotoxicity, global warming, and non-renewable energy had a dominant contributions to overall environmental impact. Specifically, emissions from chemical and energy production processes exhibited higher potential impact (more than 80% of the total contribution) on the environment than that of emissions generated from transport, landfill, wastewater treatment, and paper plants infrastructure. Energy recovery from black liquor and energy generation based on natural gas are key factors in reducing overall environmental potential impact. The current paper presents improvements on the environmental performance of a coated white board production site in China. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• BSFL biodiesel shows lesser environmental impacts than other types of biodiesel. • BSFL valorization has 100x lesser global warming potential than sludge landfilling. • BSFL lipid content is the most sensitive factor that affects the LCA outcomes. • Sludge pre-treatment inflicts the most impact on BSFL biodiesel production. More energy is needed nowadays due to global population growth. Concurrently, sewage sludge generation has also increased steadily stemming from the inevitable urbanization. As such, black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) can be potentially deployed to solve both issues. This paper investigates the environmental sustainability of biodiesel production derived from sludge-fed BSFL feedstock. A cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment (LCA) was performed through SimaPro software utilizing the ReCiPe 2016 Midpoint (H) and Endpoint (H) methods. The entire LCA covered 3 main stages, including the thermal pre-treatment of sludge, BSFL rearing and processing, and lastly lipid extraction and biodiesel production. LCA showed that the sludge pre-treatment stage had the highest environmental impact, while BSFL rearing and processing had the least due to the suitable geographical climate. Electricity usage during the pre-treatment stage was the main contributing component, followed by chemical usage during biodiesel production. After normalizing, it was observed that land occupation, marine ecotoxicity, freshwater ecotoxicity and freshwater eutrophication were more impactful than the commonly studied global warming potential (GWP). Lipid content and biodiesel conversion efficiency were determined as the sensitive factors which could influence the LCA outcome. In comparison with other types of biodiesel, BSFL biodiesel had a milder impact in terms of climate change, land occupation, terrestrial acidification, marine and freshwater eutrophication. Furthermore, this biological reduction of sludge through BSFL valorization avoided sludge landfilling, which reduced up to 100 times GWP. Therefore, sludge-fed BSFL biodiesel production is an environmentally-sound and highly potential solution that should be investigated comprehensively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to holistically study hydrogen production options essential for a sustainable and carbon-free future. This study also outlines the benefits and challenges of hydrogen production methods to provide sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels by meeting the global energy demand and net-zero targets. In this study, sixteen hydrogen production methods are selected for sustainability investigation based on seven different criteria. The criteria selected in the comparative evaluation cover various dimensions of hydrogen production in terms of economic, technical, environmental, and thermodynamic aspects for better sustainability. The current study results show that steam methane reforming with carbon capture could provide sustainable hydrogen in the near future while the other technologies' maturity levels increase and the costs decrease. In the medium- and long-terms, photonic and thermal-based hydrogen production methods can be the key to sustainable hydrogen production. [Display omitted] • A holistic study of hydrogen production options for a sustainable and carbon-free future. • It outlines the benefits and challenges of hydrogen production methods. • Sixteen methods are selected for sustainability investigation based on seven different criteria. • It covers economic, technical, environmental, and thermodynamic aspects of sustainability. • It can help stakeholders deploy a hydrogen roadmap for a more sustainable future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Petrochemical industries produce a huge amount of wastewater during the production of various petrochemical products. The generated wastewater must be properly treated before being released into the environment because it contains harmful chemical compounds that affect human health, the aquatic ecosystem, and the environment. However, studies on the lifecycle assessment of petrochemical wastewater treatment processes on energy recovery are rare. This paper aims to evaluate the environmental impact of an industrial-scale petrochemical wastewater treatment plant (PWWTP) in the Malaysian state of Pahang using a life cycle assessment (LCA) method. The goal of this LCA study was to assess the environmental benefits and drawbacks of an existing treatment plant where greenhouse gas emissions are released directly into the air. In addition, the environmental impacts of the existing treatment plant were compared with those observed in an ideal case in which the methane gas is reused as an energy source. The 2001 version of the Center of Environmental Science-Leiden University (CML2001) impact assessment method was employed using GaBi 9 software, which entailed the analysis of the operational, sludge landfilling, and sludge transportation phases of the treatment process. Among the inventory components, the wastewater (direct emission) showed the highest eutrophication potential (EP) and global warming potential (GWP) in both the actual and hypothetical cases. In contrast, the electricity generation inventory component caused an increased acidification potential (AP) in the case of the existing treatment plant. Most of the global warming potential impact from the treatment results from the anaerobic digestion process. Other indirect global warming potential impacts from the chemical consumption (34.7 kg CO 2 -eq) and solid sludge transport (13.7 kg CO 2 -eq) are minimal compared to the treatment and electricity consumption impacts. The second most relevant source of the environmental impact of the treatment plant is electricity generation, which has impacted many categories. Acidification potential (89.2%), fossil abiotic depletion (59.4%), marine ecotoxicity (52%), human toxicity (45%), photochemical ozone depletion, and global warming (15%) are the main impact categories that significantly contributed by electricity consumption by the plant. Simple integration of the anaerobic digestion in the secondary treatment stage with the energy recovery unit reduced the total environmental impact by 30%. The results demonstrate that the least environmental impact was registered for the case where the methane gas produced from the anaerobic digestion is reused, indicating that the use of clean energy can reduce both the overall environmental burden and the treatment plant's operational costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Constructing large-section underground structures using the pipe jacking technique presents challenges, including the insufficient size of the rectangular pipe-jacking machine and the transportation and hoisting of large prefabricated ring structures. This paper introduces and investigates the construction, challenges, and key techniques involved in jacking a super-large rectangular prefabricated tunnel underpass a rainwater box culvert. The adoption of an assembly concept for manufacturing both the super-large rectangular pipe-jacking machine and ring structures, along with innovative in-shaft assembly and jacking techniques, effectively addresses issues in super-large section pipe-jacking engineering. The on-site monitoring data analysis reveals that the jacking force for the super-large rectangular tunnel significantly exceeds the estimated value. This is primarily attributed to excessive resistance during jacking in the reinforcement areas of the launching and receiving shafts, constituting 55 % of the total jacking force. Additionally, the jacking resistance from the soil chamber pressure accounts for approximately 22 % of the total force. The frictional resistance of the ring structures represents only 23 % of the total jacking force, with the average surface friction force approximately at 12.4 kPa. Vertical and horizontal relative deviations of the tunnel were controlled at 32 mm and 22 mm, respectively. The settlements of the ground surface and box culvert induced by pipe-jacking were vulnerable to the grouting pressure of lubricants, with maximum values of 35.9 mm and 39.1 mm, respectively. The experience learnt from this project can provide valuable insights for the application of large-section rectangular pipe-jacking technology in underground space development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limited in-depth literature reviews have been conducted on the history, synthesis, hydration kinetics, and carbon footprint of limestone calcined clay cement (LC3). This review paper extensively surveys, for the first time, the impact of various critical parameters on the performance of LC3 paste, mortar, and concrete. BFBF These parameters include the role of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs)-based wastes as an alternative to calcined clay (CC), the addition of nanomaterials, alkali-activator content, and sulfation, the addition of calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) seeds, curing temperature, and the reactivity and content of CC. The study found that incorporating SCMs-based wastes reduced the demand for superplasticizer, improved workability, and mitigated the CO 2 emissions of LC3. While nanosilica and alkali-activator based on alkali sulfate salts accelerated the early hydration rate of LC3, they slowed down its later hydration rate. Nano halloysite and zeolitic imidazolate improved the early and later strength despite decreasing the flowability of LC3. Incorporating C-S-H seeds, increasing curing temperature, and increasing CC reactivity improved the hydration rate of LC3, reduced pore volume, and enhanced electrical resistivity. The use of blast-furnace slag (BFS) as a partial alternative source to CC is recommended, as it reduces the demand for superplasticizer, improves workability, increases both early and later compressive strength and durability, and reduces processing costs and carbon footprint. Overall, LC3 with different OPC replacement materials presents a sustainable and high-performance substitute for OPC, effectively decreasing the environmental impact of cement production by reducing its carbon footprint • The impact of critical parameters on the LC3 performance was deeply reviewed. • It includes SCMs-based wastes, the addition of nanomaterials, alkali-activator content, and sulfation. • In addition to calcium silicate hydrate seeds, curing temperature and the reactivity and content of calcined clay • SCMs-based wastes reduced the SP demand, improved workability, and mitigated CO 2 emissions of LC3. • Nanosilica and alkali-activator accelerated the early hydration of LC3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the economic viability of biochar application in crop production, focusing on varying application rates of 0, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, and 28 tons per hectare. Biochar, produced through biomass pyrolysis, has shown promise in improving crop yields and contributing to environmental sustainability. The biochar production financial metrics were analyzed, and it shows that the economic parameters such as Operational Expenditure (OPEX) amounting to $2339.40, feedstock cost of $2420.25, and transport cost of $293.71. The total biochar production cost was $232.87 per ton, with labour costs comprising 27.07 % of the overall production and application expenses. The analysis revealed that the maximum annual revenue from crop production (peas in the rabi season and maize in the kharif season) reached $525.88 per hectare at a biochar application rate of 12 tons/ha. Carbon sequestration revenue was estimated at $186.6 per ton of biochar. Economic indicators revealed that the benefit-cost ratio (BCR) was the highest at 1.476, with an 8 ton/ha biochar application rate. At the same time, the net present worth (NPW) and internal rate of return (IRR) also maximized at this rate, reaching $932.85 and 85.71 %, respectively. Conversely, higher biochar application rates of 24 and 28 tons/ha resulted in negative NPW and IRR values and BCR values below 1, indicating economic infeasibility at these levels. These findings highlight the economic viability and potential agronomic benefits of biochar application at optimal rates of 8 tons/ha for promoting sustainable crop production. • Biochar production cost is $232.87 per ton of biochar. • One ton of biochar production mitigates 6.22 tons of CO 2. • Biochar can support a circular bioeconomy in crop production by reusing agricultural crop residue. • Biochar application of 8 tons/ha is feasible; policymakers should support this rate and discourage rates over 20 tons/ha. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper compares conventional earth construction with innovative additive techniques. The goal is to assess the sustainability of employing digital fabrication in earth construction, with a particular emphasis on analyzing the Global Warming Potential. The research also investigates how printing speed and resolution impact environmental outcomes. Using a Cradle-to-Gate Life Cycle Assessment model, the analysis reveals that integrating digital fabrication leads to an overall increase in environmental impact across all cases studied. The environmental impact of 1m3 of digitally fabricated earth-based material is nearly double that of conventional earth techniques, ranging from 65 to 20 kgCO 2 eq/m3 compared to 20–40 kgCO 2 eq/m3. This emphasizes the urgent need to reduce material usage in digitally fabricated structures. Higher system resolution leads to increased environmental impacts and may require the same construction time as conventional methods. These findings underscore the importance of carefully weighing the trade-offs between the benefits of digital fabrication and its potential environmental drawbacks. • Earth-based materials used in digital fabrication exhibit higher embodied carbon compared to conventional techniques. • Material processing and deposition increase the overall environmental impact in digital fabrication processes. • Implementing smart design strategies that reduce material usage can offset the higher environmental impact. • Digital fabrication offers greater potential for mitigating the impact of high-carbon materials. • Resolution significantly affects construction time and environmental footprint in digitally fabricated low-carbon materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of waste plastic into asphalt concrete paving mix (ACP) has been explored in recent literature to improve the functional properties of the mix. However, exploration on their recyclability potential at the end of its service life remains scarce. This study explores the potential of recycling aged waste plastic-modified asphalt concrete (AACP) for road pavements, with focus on four commonly disposed household plastics: high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS) and polyethylene (PET). Marshall stability test, Cantabro abrasion test, indirect tensile strength test, resilient modulus (M R) test, Hamburg's wheel tracking test and stripping test were performed to evaluate the engineering properties of recycled waste plastic-modified asphalt concrete (RACP) containing proportions ranging from 20 % to 100 % aged component (AACP) blended with virgin mixtures. This paper highlights significant engineering performance of RACP, and most notably for RACP containing PP with 20 % aged content which exhibits 1.6 times greater resistance to moisture damage compared to conventional recycled asphalt concrete (RAPA). Although RACP with HDPE and PP (consisting of 20 % and 40 % AACP in mix) yield improvements in resilient modulus over RAPA, this improvement is less pronounced for RACP with PS and PET. Overall, RACP with 40 % aged components exhibits better rutting, moisture damage and abrasion loss performance, along with improved stability and flow value. Environmental impact in terms of water leachability was also found to be negligible in this study and RACP can be considered a feasible sustainable pavement material, with potential for second and more lives. • The recyclability potential of plastic-modified asphalt concrete was investigated. • Recycling mix containing 20 % to 100 % aged content enhance overall performance. • Polypropylene-modified recycling mix outperforms other plastic-modified mixes. • Water contaminants leaching is minimal on plastic-modified recycled asphalt mixes. • Waste Plastic-modified asphalt is recyclable for full circular economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chile is the world's leading producer of many terrestrial mineral resources; however, the potential of the country's marine mineral resources has been largely overlooked. Within its continental shelf (up to 200 nautical miles from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured), Chile has favorable geological characteristics for hosting and forming marine minerals and energy resources. During the last decades, several novel studies have demonstrated the potential of gas hydrate reservoirs in Chile (between 33° and 56°S) as an energy resource and source of greenhouse gases, which has attracted the attention of the Chilean scientific community. In addition, some studies have highlighted the potential value of marine minerals in the Chilean continental shelf, mainly due to the increasing demand for minerals for low-carbon energy production, such as cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts, polymetallic nodules, and massive sulfides on the seafloor. The goal of this study is to review all information on the non-conventional energy and mineral resources of the Chilean continental shelf. Furthermore, we provide data (e.g., core samples, seismic profiles, or research from related papers) on marine deposits in the Chilean seabed. Here, we show unpublished seismic images of a previously unidentified massive hydrate deposit in the southernmost part of the 1960 Valdivia earthquake rupture zone, which was the largest earthquake recorded in history. We also present geological data that suggests the presence of nodules, sulfides, and crusts on the Chilean continental shelf. Collectively, these findings represent the most important but least explored resources for critical elements and base metals in the country. This study provides a primer for policymakers to apprise them of future research needed to develop potential mineral and energy resources within prospective deep-sea areas. It also includes advice on developing an environmental baseline for future environmental impact assessment. The new understanding of mineral and energy resources presented here greatly expands Chile's position beyond that as a source of terrestrial minerals to include potentially vast marine-based energy and metal resources, which are highly valued by industry. Based on these considerations, we encourage decision makers to promote and support studying marine deposits to further protect and evaluate future exploration. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Desalination of seawater accounts for a worldwide water production of 24.5 million m3/day. A “hot spot” of intense desalination activity has always been the Arabian Gulf, but other regional centers of activity emerge and become more prominent, such as the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea, or the coastal waters of California, China and Australia. Despite the many benefits the technology has to offer, concerns rise over potential negative impacts on the environment. Key issues are the concentrate and chemical discharges to the marine environment, the emissions of air pollutants and the energy demand of the processes. To safeguard a sustainable use of desalination technology, the impacts of each major desalination project should be investigated and mitigated by means of a project- and location-specific environmental impact assessment (EIA) study, while the benefits and impacts of different water supply options should be balanced on the scale of regional management plans. In this context, our paper intends to present an overview on present seawater desalination capacities by region, a synopsis of the key environmental concerns of desalination, including ways of mitigating the impacts of desalination on the environment, and of avoiding some of the dangers of the environment to desalination. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper comparatively discusses hydrogen production options through coal gasification, including plasma methods, and evaluate them for practical applications. In this regard, it focuses on numerous aspects of hydrogen production from coal gasification, including (i) state of the art and comparative evaluation, (ii) environmental and economic dimensions, (iii) energetic and exergetic aspects, (iv) challenges, opportunities and future directions. Furthermore, this review paper outlines what differences it brings in and what contributions it makes to the current literature about such a significant domain of potential hydrogen production which can be used as clean fuel, energy carrier and feedstock. Accordingly, this comprehensive review offers some results as follows: (i) plasma gasification system produces higher amount of hydrogen from other gasification processes, (ii) less amounts of solid wastes (slag, ash, tar, etc.) are released during plasma gasification process compared to other gasification processes, and (iii) it is overall more sustainable Thus, plasma gasification is proposed as a potential option for hydrogen fuel production from coals and for practical application in energy sector. As a case study, some plasma gasifiers in the literature are analyzed in terms of the exergetic sustainability. Furthermore, the case study results show that the exergetic sustainability index decreases from 0.642 to 0.186, and the exergetic efficiency drops from 0.342 to 0.156, while the environmental impact factor increases from 1.556 to 5.372 with an increase of waste exergy ratio from 0.839 to 0.532, respectively. • Hydrogen production from coal is efficiently conducted by applying gasification techniques. • Energetic, economic, environmental and sustainability aspects are important for better evaluating the gasification methods. • For a higher amount of hydrogen production from low quality coal, plasma gasification technique can be a more efficient and effective solution. • Plasma gasification process results in less wastes compared to other gasification processes. • Plasma gasification is more environmentally friendly, more efficient and hence more sustainable than other gasification methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of the leading countries have already started mass scale electrical power production by renewable energy sources (RESs) to meet global net-zero emissions target. Harvesting RESs for electrical power generation has significant negative environmental impact which must be addressed before their full-fledged implementation. Crucial challenge of the scientist, as considered in this paper, is to supply electrical power with increasing future demand avoiding negative environmental impact as much as possible. In this context, correspondence of the adverse environmental impacts for utilizing RESs for the leading countries are focused on this paper as they are major stakeholders in this regard. State of the art, present status, prospects of various RES based power plants of the leading countries, forecasted capacity of installation, global potential, emission, required annual growth rate of utilizing RESs to meet the global net-zero emissions target, their environmental impacts considering comparative analysis of RES practices, and different government plans are discussed. It would be supportive to find out the possible sustainable solution to meet the future electricity demand with minimizing adverse environmental impact. [Display omitted] • Prospects of harvesting different RESs for electrical power generation are pointed out. • Analysis of environmental impacts for utilizing RESs is performed. • Forecast with time series analysis is illustrated to find the gap between the current progress and target. • Correspondence among the current installation, prospect, challenge, target, and forecast are depicted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, climate change is a challenge for the dairy sector and its effects are expected to have important consequences on the environmental performance of the dairy products value chains. At the same time, this sector significantly contributes to global warming and other environmental impacts. This paper addresses this twin challenge from a life cycle perspective, i.e. covering from dairy farms, dairy factory, distribution and retail, to consumption. To do so, literature reviews were done on the contribution of the sector to climate change and on the biophysical impacts of climate change on the dairy sector in the near term in Europe. Both reviews were linked to qualitatively analyse the interaction and connect in a matrix the biophysical impacts caused by the effects of climate change on the environmental performance of the sector. Not surprisingly, dairy farms were identified as the major contributor to the total greenhouse gas emissions across the dairy value chains but also as the most vulnerable stage to climate change. Depending on the region, the dairy sector will face opportunities but also threats such as significant cows' heat stress, crop cultivation variability, on-farm water availability, cows' diseases, crop pests' pressure and product safety risk, which is associated with product losses and waste. Measures will be needed to mitigate them but with an environmental cost. The clear definition of the dairy sector-climate change interaction is the starting point to begin preparing this sector for a near-future under climate change conditions. • Climate change effects influences the dairy sector's environmental performance. • Dairy farm stage is the main contributor to climate change and the most vulnerable. • The European dairy sector will experience unequally the opportunities and threats. • Climate change will raise food safety risk, raw milk losses and dairy product waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A simplified but effective method is proposed to quantitatively evaluate the carrying-soil phenomenon. • The influence of multiple construction parameters are quantitatively considered. • The effects of some key construction parameters on the carrying-soil phenomenon are detailed investigated. • Targeted recommendations for the design and construction of large cross-section rectangular pipe jacking are provided. During the large cross-section rectangular pipe jacking, the soil within a certain range above the jacking pipe is prone to move along with the pipe jacking machine and jacking pipe under various effects generated by the jacking construction, known as the carrying-soil phenomenon. However, there is currently a lack of evaluation methods to quantitatively analyse this phenomenon. Thus this paper proposes a semi-analytical evaluation method for the carrying-soil phenomenon in large cross-section rectangular pipe jacking. This method considers the soil disturbance caused by the joint effect of the added thrust, the friction force, the grouting pressure, and the over excavation of soil generated during the jacking process through the applications of the Mindlin solution and stochastic medium theory, which allows for a quantitative analysis of the yielding range of the surrounding soil around the pipe jacking and hence a quantitative evaluation of the carrying-soil phenomenon. This method is also well validated by comparing its simulated results with measured ones. Based on the proposed method, the influential factor analysis of carrying-soil phenomenon in large cross-section rectangular pipe jacking is also carried out. It is found that increasing the buried depth, reducing the excavation width, maintaining appropriate grouting pressure, and minimizing ground loss and friction forces can effectively control the carrying-soil phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The materials stocked in infrastructures are rapidly growing, and their distribution is uneven. • The gap in material stocks across different provinces is increasing. • Affluence is the major driving factor increasing MS, and the population and technology changes have different effects. • Relevant countermeasures and suggestions are proposed based on an analysis of different scenarios. The materials stocked in infrastructures comprehensively reflect resource consumption, waste generation and sustainable development; therefore, research investigating this topic is particularly important. First, this paper uses the bottom-up material flow analysis method to account for the material stocks (MS) in urban infrastructures and examines the spatial and temporal changes in the MS in China from 1997 to 2016. The results show that MS increased 4.04 times during this period and are spatially inclined to decrease from coastal regions to inland areas. Second, this paper combines the population and economic factors using the IPAT model (which considers the environmental Impact as a product of the Population, Affluence and Technology) and a panel data regression analysis to conclude that affluence is the major driving factor increasing MS, while the impact of technology has a negative effect throughout China. The effect of affluence in different regions is consistent with that throughout China, but the population and technology changes have different effects. Third, this study estimates the environmental impact under different scenarios and proposes suggestions and strategies for promoting sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The feasibility of recycling clean waste glass in construction products has been demonstrated. However, the direct utilization of contaminated waste glass from consumed beverage glass bottles may negatively affect the performance of concrete. This study aimed to investigate the effect of impurities in waste glass on the properties of ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC). Washed and unwashed waste glass powder and sand were used as cement and river sand substitutes, respectively. Light particles, clay and fine silt, organic impurities and aluminium content in waste glass were determined. The results showed that the use of washed waste glass powder (W-WGP), washed waste glass sand (W-WGS) and unwashed waste glass powder (U-WGP) had a limited negative effect on the compressive strength of UHPC. In contrast, the use of unwashed U-WGS significantly decreased the compressive strength of UHPC due to the presence of impurities (e.g., paper and metallic aluminium). However, the impurities in the unwashed waste glass could positively reduce the autogenous and drying shrinkages of UHPC. The metallic impurities reacted with an alkaline solution to generate gases, resulting in the expansion of the matrix and reduction of autogenous shrinkage at the early stage. X-ray CT and microstructural images indicated that expansion resulting from the U-WGS caused cracks in the matrix and degraded the interfacial zone between the U-WGS and the paste. However, the incorporation of waste glass did not induce any alkali-silica reaction expansion in UHPC due to its low water-cement ratio and dense structure. The UHPC prepared with 30 % U-WGP as a replacement for cement was found to achieve satisfactory performance and lower carbon emissions. • Waste glass was used to prapare green ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC). • The impact of impurities in waste glass on the properties of UHPC was investigated. • Potential environmental impacts of different mixed waste glass UHPC designs were assessed through the life cycle assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The energy demand in Sweden is increasing due to the growing electrification, and to meet this need, the generation must be expanded. Wind power generation is a very attractive renewable power production alternative for Sweden because of the favorable weather conditions. Research looks at how much wind energy may be deemed sustainable. Increased energy demand puts pressure on the government and industry to build more wind farms and, as a result, produce more wind turbines. Raw materials are necessary for wind turbines to provide a secure transition to green energy technologies. To meet these demands, the materials from various countries should efficiently contribute towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This paper gathers information about raw resources from diverse nations worldwide. All materials are mapped to the country where they are produced using social science criteria. A few nations are chosen based on a sample approach for further analysis, and the implications of mining operations are investigated. Finally, the direct and indirect effects of the SDGs are considered. Based on the data gathered, recommendations and considerations are given to avoid or mitigate the repercussions of raw materials mining and make wind power generation more socially and environmentally sustainable. • Evaluation of side effects of wind turbine raw materials. • The extraction of raw materials often violates human rights. • Mining of raw materials for wind turbines negatively affects the environment. • Extraction of wind turbine materials affects several Sustainable Development Goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Microwave-assisted pyrolysis is a promising method for biomass/waste valorisation. • Life cycle analysis shows reduced energy consumption, low global warming potential. • Innovations in reactor design and operation parameters aids in cost reduction. Microwave-assisted pyrolysis (MAP) has been perceived as a promising technology for biomass and waste conversion due to its distinctive features, including fast, even, and precise heating. This results in higher energy efficiency when compared to conventional pyrolysis via thermal heating. However, the scaling up of MAP of biomass and waste poses challenges, with investigations ongoing to uncover not only the technological aspect, but also both the environmental impacts and economic feasibility associated with this process/technology. The possible environmental impacts associated with MAP processes can be analyzed through systematic life-cycle assessment (LCA), while the economic feasibility can be evaluated via techno-economic analysis (TEA). This paper presents an overview of the current research trend in MAP and the products produced, as well as the LCA and TEA of the pyrolysis technologies. The LCA study reported a 2.5 folds reduction in energy consumption and up to 62% reduction in global warming potential. TEA study revealed that conventional pyrolysis has a greater profit for long-term assessment due to a higher maturity and less complexity technology; however, MAP may be more economically feasible in the future owing to the increased maturity and more established technology. Finally, the challenges and future perspectives for LCA and TEA in MAP are elucidated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hybridized engines have become the focus of research nowadays in order to update the existing engines in different transportation sectors. This paper presents a hybridized aircraft engine consisting of a molten carbonate fuel cell system and a commercial turbofan system. The MCFC units are connected to a steam reforming and a water gas shift system. Also, five clean fuels are selected, such as dimethyl ether, hydrogen, ethanol, methane, and methanol, which are combined with different mass ratios to form five different fuel blends. The hybridized aircraft is investigated using three approaches: exergy analysis, exergoeconomic analysis, and exergoenvironmental analysis. It is found that the proposed engine has an average exergetic efficiency of 88% and an average exergy destruction ratio of 12%. The specific exergetic cost of electricity of the engine has an average value of 710 $/GJ for the high-pressure turbine and 230$/GJ for the intermediate and low-pressure turbines, as well as 50 $/GJ for the MCFC. The average specific exergoenvironmental impact of electricity is 14 mPt/MJ for turbines and 4 mPt/MJ for the MCFC. In addition, a blend of ethanol and hydrogen appears to be a viable option economically and environmentally. [Display omitted] • Five alternative fuels are chosen with different concentrations. • Hybridized MCFC-aircraft has 86%–89% high exergetic efficiency. • Hybridized MCFC-aircraft engine has 15% exergy destruction ratio. • The total annual levelized investment of the hybridized system is 76 k $/h. • The total component-related environmental impact rate is less than 40 mPt/h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploitation of fossil fuel sources in the power generation and transportation sector has been a major source of carbon dioxide emissions that contributes to global warming. Replacement of hydrocarbon-based fuel sources with cleaner fuels is imperative for environmental preservation at the global level. In this regard, hydrogen can be used as an effective non-carbonaceous fuel option as well as an energy carrier. Canada is currently one of the economically advanced countries in the world and aims at achieving a net-zero economy by 2050. However, fossil fuels are still largely utilized for both transportation and power generation purposes. Slightly less than a quarter of the total grid power in Canada is supplied through fossil fuel combustion including natural gas, coal, and petroleum. As a matter of fact, Canada, as one of the top ten global producers of hydrogen, exhibits a great potential of achieving the goal of sustainable development. Thus, this paper discusses the current status, challenges, and opportunities offered by the hydrogen sector and its development in the near- and long-term future in Canada. The potential methods of hydrogen production in Canada are described by categorizing them according to the energy and feedstock sources required for their realization. In addition, the status of hydrogen storage and distribution in Canada is also discussed. Various sectors consuming hydrogen as the end-users in Canada are categorized based on hydrogen use as a fuel, a heating source, and an industrial feedstock and are comprehensively discussed. Several challenges and the necessary line-of-actions to establish a hydrogen economy in Canada in the long-term future are also discussed, and a road map for accomplishing the net-zero economy by 2050 is further explained based on achieving certain near-term, mid-term, and long-term goals. Moreover, the job creation opportunities in Canada are discussed by considering numerous critical sectors. [Display omitted] • Overview of Canada's global position with regards to hydrogen production. • Overview of Canada's natural resources and infrastructural potential. • Comprehensive discussion on hydrogen production pathways and end-use in Canada. • Identification of several key challenges to achieve net-zero economy by 2050. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The mechanism of rolling resistance of asphalt pavements is presented. • The measuring and modelling approaches of rolling resistance are summarised. • The prediction methods of fuel consumption and environmental impact are reviewed. In the context of climate change and global warming, the attention on the environmental cost of pavements is increasing. To scientifically quantify the environmental cost of pavements, accurate prediction of rolling resistance and fuel consumption is important. In this paper, a comprehensive review on rolling resistance of asphalt pavements and its environmental impact was presented. At first, the commonly used definitions of rolling resistance and texture characterisation methods of pavement surface were introduced. Then, the influence of different factors on rolling resistance was discussed. Next, the measuring and modelling approaches of rolling resistance were reviewed. At last, methods which can be used to predict fuel consumption and environmental impact were presented. It was found that an ideal approach for texture characterisation of pavement surface is to make use of the entire wavelength spectrum of road profiles and consider the enveloping curve of tire treads. Furthermore, the fact that rolling resistance can be influenced by different factors introduces difficulties in accurate measurement and modelling of rolling resistance. Moreover, testing methods and conditions have a significant effect on the empirical modelling of rolling resistance, while it is difficult and time-consuming to consider all the energy loss in the computational modelling of rolling resistance. In addition, the prediction of fuel consumption and environmental impact highly depends on the formulating methods and measuring conditions. The work presented in this paper will help to gain more insight into rolling resistance and its environmental impact, which ultimately promotes the construction of environmentally friendly pavements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pathways to decarbonisation are commonly explored by government and industry through the use of energy system models. However, such models rarely consider where new energy infrastructure might be located. This is problematic as the spatial context of new renewable energy infrastructure will determine, in part, the environmental, social, and technical impacts of the energy transition. This paper presents the ADVENT-NEV model which brings together innovations in energy and natural capital modelling to identify the optimal locations of multiple renewable energy technologies at a national scale and high spatial resolution. Using Great Britain as a case study, the results show how the spatial distribution of renewable energy technologies changes when a natural capital approach is taken. In particular, the least-cost locations for onshore wind farms and bioenergy crops are highly influenced by the value of carbon sequestration, or emissions associated with their land use change. Siting using a natural capital approach produced appreciable ecosystem service benefits, such that the overall welfare gain to society was estimated at nearly £25 B. Overall, this paper demonstrates that understanding the geospatial context of the energy transition is essential to identifying which renewable energy pathways are consistent with decarbonisation and environmental objectives. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops a four-step copper-chlorine cycle for hydrogen production with conceptual modification through flash vaporization and evaluates its economic and environmental performances through exergy approach. The flash vaporization method is employed as a new approach for realizing the anolyte separation under vacuum conditions for reducing the thermal requirement of the anolyte separation step and consequently of the overall cycle. A flash vaporization is usually employed commercially for seawater desalination purposes. However, its utilization in a thermochemical hydrogen production process has not been considered previously which is really one of primary novelties of this investigation. The obtained results for the exergoeconomic and exergoenvironmental analyses of the conceptually modified cycle are also compared with those of the existing integrated cycle at the Ontario Tech University. The exergoeconomic analysis of the cycle has also been carried out for the cycle operating with and without waste heat recovery. In this regard, waste heat recovery from a steel furnace has been considered for supplying the required thermal energy for the hydrolysis step. The cost assessment of the cycle is carried out in the Aspen-plus. Compared with the existing cycle, the cycle with the proposed modification results in a lower unit cost of hydrogen. Moreover, a significant reduction in the unit cost of hydrogen is observed when waste heat recovery is considered for the modified cycle. The average unit hydrogen cost for the modified version of the cycle is evaluated to be 4.7 $/kg which reduces to 2 $/kg with incorporation of waste heat recovery. Furthermore, the overall environmental impact of the existing cycle can be potentially minimized by considering the proposed modification through flash vaporization. • Exergoeconomic and exergoenvironmental assessement of copper-chlorine cycle. • Comparative evaluation of cycle operating with and without waste heat recovery. • Comparative evaluation of the modified and existing integrated cycles. • Evaluation of exergy and unit exergy cost at each state point of the cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen is a clean, renewable secondary energy source. The development of hydrogen energy is a common goal pursued by many countries to combat the current global warming trend. This paper provides an overview of various technologies for hydrogen production from renewable and non-renewable resources, including fossil fuel or biomass-based hydrogen production, microbial hydrogen production, electrolysis and thermolysis of water and thermochemical cycles. The current status of development, recent advances and challenges of different hydrogen production technologies are also reviewed. Finally, we compared different hydrogen production methods in terms of cost and life cycle environmental impact assessment. The current mainstream approach is to obtain hydrogen from natural gas and coal, although their environmental impact is significant. Electrolysis and thermochemical cycle methods coupled with new energy sources show considerable potential for development in terms of economics and environmental friendliness. [Display omitted] • Various H 2 production methods from renewable/non-renewable resources were reviewed. • H 2 production methods were compared in terms of cost and life cycle assessment. • The current mainstream approach is to obtain hydrogen from natural gas and coal. • Electrolysis and thermochemical cycle using new clean energy are more sustainable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review presents the power-to-gas concept, particularly with hydrogen, from renewable energy sources to end-use applications in various sectors, ranging from transportation to natural gas distribution networks. The paper includes an overview of the leading related studies for comparative evaluation. Due to the intermittent/fluctuating phenomena of most renewables, power-to-hydrogen appears to be a promising option to offset any mismatch between demand and supply. It is a novel concept to increase the renewability of fuels and reach a sustainable energy system for future transportation, power and thermal process sectors. Comparisons of different hydrogen production methods fed by several energy sources are made regarding environmental impact, cost and efficiency. The present results show that hydrogen production (with power-to-hydrogen concept) via polymer electrolyte membrane electrolyser has lower environmental effects than other traditional methods, such as coal gasification and reforming and steam methane reforming. The geothermal energy-based system has the lowest levelized cost of electricity during hydrogen production, while natural gas has the highest value. The best option for the plant efficiency is found for high-temperature steam electrolysis fed from biogas, while the lowest efficiency value belongs to polymer electrolyte membrane electrolyser driven by solar photovoltaics, respectively. • Renewable energy-based power-to-gas concept is reviewed specifically for hydrogen production. • Multiple renewable energy sources are considered for comparative evaluation. • Electrolysis based hydrogen production options are further discussed. • Comparative performance assessments are carried out in terms of environmental impact, cost and efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the preliminary findings on a new mortar prepared with alkali-activated seashell waste (AASW). Three mortars were manufactured with seashell waste to Activator ratios of 2.5, 3 and 3.5. The mechanical properties were determined, and the chemical products of each mixture were characterized using TG/DTG, XRD and FTIR analyses. From both an economic and an environmental point of view, the obtained results are very encouraging where they show that SW can be used as precursor to formulate an alkali-activated mortar with a compressive strength of 22 MPa and a porosity of 16.5%. The AASW paste was found to be mainly composed of C-S-H and different carbonates such as gaylussite, pirssonite and thermonatrite. In terms of mechanical strengths and porosity, it was established that the water to binder ratio is the key factor. Furthermore, the microstructural images showed a good compatibility between the AASW paste and aggregates. [Display omitted] • Development of a new eco-friendly alkali-activated mortar • Valorization of seashell by-products as precursor in alkali-activated mortars • Mix-design optimization of alkali-activated seashell waste • Mechanical and physical performances of mortars based on alkali-activated seashell waste [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analysed and summarised the significant research outputs published on the environmental impact assessment of mining and mineral processing industries through life cycle assessment. The paper presents valuable insights in identifying the gaps, where should the focus be in the mining and mineral processing industries for a sustainable future. Mining and mineral processing industries have been the key focus of research in many countries due to its increasing sustainability concerns that affect global warming and climate change. Use of heavy equipment that consumes electrical energy, mechanical energy, and an enormous amount of process heat is a key contributor to the overall impacts in the industry. Due to the use of heavy equipment and associated energy consumption, these industrial sectors contribute notably to global warming, human health, ecosystems, and resources. Among the various environmental impact assessment tools which are widely used to identify sustainability indicators, life cycle assessment (LCA) is a well-justified approach among the practitioners and researchers. Though state of the art technological tools and resources are being used now a days, there is still a research gap in identifying the key mining processes which need to be the focus of attention. Renewable energy integration in the mineral processing sector and process heating from green energy sources is becoming the emergent field of research. The review results reveal, the assessment indicators in human health and ecosystems are key factors that are mostly missing in the previous studies which are crucial for people or community living nearby mining area. This review paper identifies the research gaps to the existing literature that can form the base for future research direction in the field of LCA and sustainable energy integration in mining and mineral processing industries. • A review based on life cycle assessment studies in mining and mineral processing. • 16 metal mining industries are reviewed. • Summarised key factors of environmental effects using LCA. • Future research directions are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change mainly caused by increased greenhouse gases and reduced fossil fuel reserves, have launched a more intensive use of renewable energy on a global scale. One of the oldest types of the renewable sources is well known small hydro electric facility. In this paper description of small hydro plant location, selection of the turbine, sizing of the plant, connecting plant to the grid, as well as the legal aspect and environmental impact of the future facility in Serbia are presented and discussed. Besides, techno-economic analysis of future small hydro electric plant is presented and discussed. The main contribution of this paper is multidisciplinary approach to complex analysis of building, integration, economic performance and environmental impact of a small hydro-plant demonstrated on the specific site in Serbia. Finally, major barriers and threats for the growth of the small hydro-electric power capacity have been identified and proposals to increase the penetration level of the small hydro and other renewable sources into the grid in Serbia are made. To increase the contribution of the small hydro and other renewables in Serbia and South-East Europe countries, the gouverments should remove all the bariers and strongly encourage the investment in the renewable energy sector. • Choice of small hydro plant location, sizing of the plant and the environmental impact are presented and discussed. • Verification of the requirements for connecting small hydro plant to the grid is presented. • Techno-economic analysis of small hydro electric plant is presented and discussed. • Major barriers and threats for the growth of the small hydro-electric power capacity have been identified. • Proposals to increase the penetration level of the small hydro plants into the grid in Serbia are made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • This paper is to enhance the current EPA emission factors for paved and unpaved roads. • The ANN method was customized for the presented method. • The presented method was demonstrated by higher R2 and lower RMSE. • The presented method contributes to developing more reliable emission factors. Abstract Road dust is a primary source of PM that is having a significant impact on human health and air quality. In order to efficiently develop PM control strategies, it is critical to improving the ability to estimate the emission levels of PM resuspended from paved and unpaved roads. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has developed emission factor equations to quantify the magnitude of PM for paved and unpaved roads based on multiple linear regression (MLR) models. However, the MLR models are not suitable to capture the complex and non-linear mechanisms of PM emissions, thereby limiting the accuracy of the MLR-based PM prediction models. This paper is to present a method to improve the quality of the existing EPA emission factor equations for paved and unpaved roads by employing an artificial neural network (ANN). The presented method consists of the following steps: data processing, ANN model training, and validation of the presented method through data testing. The data utilized for the case study were retrieved from the database used by the EPA to generate PM 10 emission factor equations for the paved and unpaved roads for a fair comparison. The presented method was evaluated by demonstrating its improved performance as shown in the coefficient of determination (R2) and the root mean square error (RMSE) values. The empirical findings of the case study verified that the presented method using the ANN model is capable of improving the quality of the EPA emission factor equations, resulting in higher R2 and lower RMSE values for both paved and unpaved roads. The expected significance of this paper is that the presented method improves the ability to develop more reliable emission factor equations for predictable PM levels that can help agencies establish enhanced PM control strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract A wide variety of water sources, treatment methods, and recycling options have created a myriad of water management options. For modeling of sustainable water treatment options, computationally efficient models may be required. This paper provides a comprehensive and comparative review of the water management systems and the associated economic, environmental, and performance metrics. The water management systems are represented as a network of sources, users, technologies, recycling options, and quality of water. Special attention is given to desalination systems. The two main technology categories currently used for desalination are thermal (e.g., Multistage Flash "MSF", Multi-Effect Distillation "MED", and Mechanical Vapor Compression "MVC") and membrane (e.g., seawater reverse osmosis "SWRO", brackish water reverse osmosis "BWRO"). The cost assessment includes a capital cost comparison (for which regression analysis has been used to account for the non-linear nature of the capacity-cost curves), an operating cost comparison, which includes energy requirements, labor costs, chemicals used, maintenance and repair costs, membrane replacement costs and a unit product cost ($/m3) breakdown, which combines the capital and operating costs. Numerous data were collected for the cost of desalination systems. Statistical methods were then used to analyze these collected data to establish deeper understanding of the relationship to capital cost, operating cost, capacity, constraints due to treatment method capabilities, requirements of the users. The paper also briefly discusses other cost considerations such as the water intake and distribution costs. The environmental impacts (concentrate disposal and CO 2 footprint) have also been compared for the various technologies considered. Some integration strategies such as use of hybrid systems, cogeneration plants and use of renewable energy have shown reductions in cost associated due to energy consumption and thereby, reducing the unit product cost. Finally, the paper provides a selection guide suitable for various situations with consideration of the different factors affecting cost, environmental impact and energy demands. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • Capital, operating and unit product cost comparison for treatment technologies • Cost data compiled from over 100 research articles, white papers, technical reports • Network representation of water distribution and treatment followed by reuse options • Membrane techniques more suitable than thermal due to lower cost and energy demands • Integration or coupling strategies can lower cost based on conventional techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Electric vehicles (EVs) have become increasingly popular due to zero carbon emission, reduction of fossil fuel reserve, comfortable and light transport. However, EVs employing lithium-ion battery are facing difficulties in terms of predicting accurate health and remaining useful life states due to various internal and external factors. Currently, very few papers are addressed to summarize the state of health (SOH) and remaining useful life (RUL) estimation approaches. In this regard, the goal of this paper is to comprehensively review the different estimation models to predict SOH, and RUL in a comparative manner. The results identify the classifications, characteristics and evaluation processes with advantages and disadvantages for EV applications. The review also investigates the issues and challenges with possible solutions. Furthermore, the review provides some selective proposals for the further technological development of SOH, and RUL estimation for lithium-ion batteries. All the highlights insight this review will hopefully lead to the increasing efforts towards the development of the advanced SOH and RUL methods for future EV uses. Highlights • A comprehensive review of the methods to estimate SOH and RUL. • A detailed investigation of the key issues and challenges of SOH and RUL. • The highlight of effective solutions to address the challenges. • Selective suggestions for the further development of SOH and RUL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract One of the major global environmental challenges is the overuse of nutrients and related eutrophication problems. Specifically in Finland, the roach fish population is rapidly increasing in eutrophic water systems. Currently roach fish does not have economic value, and it is mainly composted despite the fact that it could provide a direct protein source for human needs. This paper assumes that new business could be established by removing roach fish from eutrophic water systems and using them as a protein source for human consumption. Removing roach fish directly removes nutrients and indirectly impacts the vicious cycle of eutrophication. This paper assesses different environmental sustainability perspectives of roach fish removal and utilization. It also aims to present different environmental impacts on the planetary boundary framework. The research is carried out using life cycle assessment methodology. Based on the results, the use of roach fish as a protein source would help in returning to a safe operational zone in biochemical flows. Phosphorous removal with roach fish is 5.8 (1.9–10.3) g kg−1 while nitrogen removal is 28.4 (26.4–30.4) g kg−1. However, the production has also climate change impacts which are 2.9–5.2 kgCO 2eq kg−1 roach protein. Nevertheless, the climate change impacts are 12–57 times lower than positive impacts on eutrophication. Different environmental impacts are assessed regarding whether or not they help to avoid crossing planetary boundaries. Roach fish should be marketed especially for green consumers, and creating new markets for roach fish could also help in eutrophic lake restoration projects. Additionally, new business could be created from nutrient offsetting by roach fish removal. Roach removal from eutrophic water systems and use as food helps in returning to a safe operational zone in biochemical flows and the positive impacts are far greater than the negative impacts on climate change from fishing and fish processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In view of the climate crisis, the development and the path of growth and expansion of renewable energy systems is an urgent task, but must carried out with great care on environmental compatibility and protection. Renewable energy supply systems that are suitable for grid-bound heat supply, particularly in urban areas in Europe, are geothermal binary plants that provide power as well as power and heat. This paper will present studies whose objective was the assessment of hydrogeothermal power and heat generation in low-enthalpy regions from the environmental standpoint. The German Environment Agency published results of a network of studies conducted between 2008 and 2016 on the analysis of detailed and comprehensive environmental impacts of the geothermal energy generation in Germany and has continuously evaluated these findings. In this article, the results of the Life Cycle Assessment are discussed, taking into account all effects and material flows within the entire life cycle. Based on these balances, differing geothermal systems are compared to each other and to other renewable and fossil energy generation systems in order to assess the ecological advantages and disadvantages of these systems. Taking into account local environmental impacts as well a comprehensive ecologic evaluation of potential environmental and human health impacts becomes possible. The paper presents the results of a) the mass and energy fluxes of the process chain along the life cycle, and b) the local environmental impacts along the life cycle with regard to the environmental indicators of these cases. The focus is on the impact of site and plant parameters. Concluding, it can be summarised that geothermal power and heat generation is a very low-carbon technology and can contribute to a sustainable energy supply. Hydrogeothermal plants show a significantly low surface consumption, and environmental impacts are only locally relevant and technically controllable. Through the development of optimised overall concepts, geothermal based power and heat generation can achieve minimal environmental impacts in all areas. The combined heat and power generation from geothermal resources is by far the most environmentally and climate-friendly energy supply compared to all other regenerative and fossil systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]