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Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy
Journal Prestige (SJR): 0.648  Citation Impact (citeScore): 2 Number of Followers: 5  Hybrid journal (It can contain Open Access articles)ISSN (Print) 1618-9558 - ISSN (Online) 1618-954X Published by Springer-Verlag  [2467 journals]
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- Digital water: artificial intelligence and soft computing applications for
drinking water quality assessment-
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Abstract: Water quality deterioration in drinking water systems (i.e., system failure) causing serious outbreaks have frequently been happening around the world. These failures can be predicted through a real-time drinking water quality monitoring system for timely actions. Although Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) has been commonly used for this purpose, this system suffers considerable limitations, such as the scalability of sensors, lack of predictive ability, and increased burden on operators overwhelmed by superfluous notifications. Proficient artificial intelligence & soft computing (AI & SC) techniques and cloud Internet of Things (IoT) may significantly reduce the reliance on operators and eventually improve system operations. This study critically reviewed the literature published from 2000 to 2020 to evaluate AI & SC applications’ trends in drinking water quality management while developing a roadmap for autonomous digital water quality management. The investigation reveals that AI & SC were primarily used for assessing drinking and surface water quality. These techniques were largely applied to effectively predict, evaluate, and control water quality. AI & SC were also used to model physicochemical (basic and complex) and microbiological parameters. The most commonly applied AI & SC techniques are the multilayer perceptron-based artificial neural network, general regression neural network, support vector machine, Bayesian networks, and the adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system. Additional articles published after 2020 were also reviewed to compare with the measures proposed in the roadmap. This roadmap guides water utilities, policy-makers, and regulators to achieve reliable water quality in a smart and efficient manner. Graphical abstract
PubDate: 2023-02-02
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- Coupling reverse logistics and dynamic modeling for waste management: a
food service provider case study-
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Abstract: Industrial waste generation is proportional to the demand and the consumption of goods and services because industries need to increase the raw material to satisfy this demand, increasing their waste. The production process generates waste as undesirable output; sometimes, this waste is very significant, as in the case of the food service providers industry. In this context, this work aims to propose a methodological framework to transform this waste into co-products and generate business opportunities considering the sustainable development goals proposed in the UN 2030 agenda. The methodology merges reverse logistics and system dynamics principles to propose a seven-stage procedure: (i) distribution process analysis, (ii) description of variables and parameters, (iii) causal loop diagram construction, (iv) Forrester diagram creation, (v) simulation, (vi) scenario construction through sensitivity analysis and (vii) GUI. Graphical User Interface development. The case study addressed is a food service provider company located in Sonora, Mexico. The results show that the waste can be used as raw material and generate business opportunities with a considerable profit margin, e.g., if waste reuse rate is 35%, it means that these wastes can be used in manufacture of biofuel (11 k/month–$35 k), compost (7.5 ton/month–$13.1 k) and soap (1.96 k/month–$69.6 k). Systems dynamics can provide technological solutions for the application of reverse logistics within an organization, considering environmental policies (waste management). Graphical abstract Reverse logistics + dynamic modeling
PubDate: 2023-02-01
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- Research on the influence mechanism of heterogeneous environmental
regulation on the manufacturing equipment industry in Asia-Pacific
countries-
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Abstract: High-end manufacturing equipment industry is an important symbol to measure the core competitiveness of a country's industry. With the strengthening of environmental regulation, the manufacturing equipment industry is facing multi-means environmental regulation. To study the impact of environmental regulation on the manufacturing equipment industry, we establish a joint equation model of multiple mediating variables, collect cross-country panel data of 19 APEC countries from 2009 to 2019, and empirically study the impact mechanism of environmental regulation on the international competitiveness of the manufacturing equipment industry. The empirical results show that environmental regulation can accelerate the transfer of the manufacturing equipment industry and promote green technology innovation to a certain extent. This affects the international competitiveness of the manufacturing equipment industry, and the impact is “U-shaped.” Finally, we put forward countermeasures and suggestions to improve the international competitiveness of the manufacturing equipment industry. Graphic abstract
PubDate: 2023-01-31
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- Review of the materials composition and performance evolution of green
alkali-activated cementitious materials-
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Abstract: Alkali-activated cementitious materials (AAMs) are a kind of green building materials compared to Portland cement components. This review considers the related research on the AAMs to systematically summarize the results on its materials composition and performance influencing factors. The precursor material is mainly industrial solid waste containing Al2O3 and SiO2. The alkali activator is compound containing caustic alkali and basic elements, which can provide an alkaline environment. Meanwhile, some new green precursors and alkali activators are summarized in this review. The main mechanism of alkali-activated reaction is that the hydroxide ion from the alkali activator nucleophilically attacks the covalent bonds of Al–O and Si–O in the precursor material, which generates Si(OH)4 and Al(OH)4−. They generate three-dimensional network gel of tetrahedral structure of [SiO4] and [AlO4]− through polycondensation reaction, which forms cement stone-like block material after setting and hardening. Too high or too low concentration of alkali activator is detrimental to the workability and mechanical properties of AAMs. When the ratio of Na/K to Al is small, the mechanical properties of AAMs are reduced. When the Ca content in the AAM is high, calcium ions enter the polycondensation chain and reduce the degree of polymerization and mechanical properties of the aluminosilicate gel phase and increase the shrinkage deformation. The hydration products in the AAM are free of calcium hydroxide, calcium aluminate hydrate, ettringite, etc., and can resist the erosion of acid and sulfate media. The main aim is to provide an informed outlook on the advantages and drawbacks of AAMs and present a comprehensive review of the studies performed in this area. Graphical abstract Alkali-activated cementitious materials
PubDate: 2023-01-31
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- Geotechnical properties of problematic expansive subgrade stabilized with
guar gum biopolymer-
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Abstract: This article presents a comprehensive study on the geotechnical behavior of problematic expansive subgrade stabilized by guar gum (GG) biopolymer. In this regard, many geotechnical tests were conducted (such as consistency limits, Proctor compaction, unconfined compressive strength (UCS), California bearing ratio (CBR), and resilient modulus tests) on expansive soil treated with varying GG contents (i.e., from 0 to 5%) and aging periods (0–60 days). The results show that GG treatment increases soil consistency and optimum moisture content, whereas the maximum dry density decreases. The stress–strain behavior, UCS values, and CBR tend to increase with the increase in GG content and aging period, highlighting that GG induced better load-carrying capacity against the imposed loading while retaining the ductile behavior. At 60 days of aging the UCS value at 1.5% GG was found to be increased by 342%, elastic modulus by 309%, energy absorption capacity by 250%, and soaked CBR by 176%, transforming the soil into a better-quality subgrade for pavement construction. The stabilization mechanism showed that the inclusion of GG results in the formation of hydrogels which induce a covering effect, that not only clogs the pore spaces but also binds the soil particles in the soil matrix upon hardening, thus reducing the swelling potential and greatly enhance the soil’s strength parameters. Besides, the GG biopolymer exhibits resistance to degradation and exhibits slight improvement considering the long-term aging effects of up to 365 days. Overall, the GG treatment provides a green sustainable approach to mitigate the adverse expansive subgrade problems. Graphic Graphical abstract of expansive clay strengthening using guar gum biopolymer treatment
PubDate: 2023-01-31
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- Preproduction of wooden buildings makes them a promising tool for carbon
sequestration-
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Abstract: Population growth sharply increases demand for readily available and affordable housing. As people spend a greater proportion of their lives indoors (chances of another pandemic increase with global warming), the energy necessary for construction materials, construction, maintenance, reconstruction, waste management and other services associated with housing becomes responsible for nearly half of the carbon released worldwide. There is a broad consensus that wood constructions could be an environmentally favorable instrument, as wood is the most reliable mechanism for carbon sequestration. Therefore, increasing the efficiency of wood constructions is a highly important matter. On-site and off-site construction was robustly assessed in terms of cost effectiveness. It is firstly demonstrated that off-site preproduction of components results in a range of benefits due to reduced labor (the main factor determining prices and time) and reduced use of materials and services. It is also demonstrated that component preproduction allows reducing the construction costs of wood houses by 6% and construction time by 20%. In other words, off-site preproduction of components for the construction of wood buildings improves their competitiveness and brings them closer to the very few profitable methods of carbon sequestration. Graphic abstract
PubDate: 2023-01-31
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- Biofabrication of novel ZnO nanoparticles for efficient photodegradation
of industrial dyes-
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Abstract: The removal of persistent dye pollutants from wastewater streams has drawn a lot of interest by the scientific community and photocatalysis is the most widely accepted practical strategy for addressing environmental contamination. Transition metal oxides are proved to be the most prospective catalysts for efficient and environment-friendly wastewater treatment because of their significant photocatalytic activity, excellent solubility and durability. Here, we describe a simple, eco-sustainable and cost-effective strategy for the synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles using Morinda umbellata leaf extract. The phytochemicals such as polyphenols, flavonoids and tannins present in the leaf extract act as reducing and stabilising agents. We investigated the photocatalytic activity of synthesised ZnO nanoparticles to break down organic dyes like Congo red (CR) and Malachite green (MG) in aqueous media. In aqueous solution, at ambient temperature, ZnO nanoparticles showed outstanding photocatalytic degradation efficiency of 98.9% (20 ppm) for the MG dye and 92.8% (10 ppm) for the CR dye at pH values of 10 and 6 respectively, in a short period of time. The optimum catalyst dosage was observed to be 0.1 and 0.125 g for MG and CR respectively. From the scavenger studies using different scavengers, it is confirmed that the superoxide radical is the main reactive species involved in the photocatalytic degradation of MG and CR. The kinetics of photodegradation was also investigated and followed a pseudo-first-order mechanism, with rate constants of 0.0204 min−1 for MG and 0.0123 min−1 for CR in accordance with the Langmuir–Hinshelwood model. The ZnO nanoparticles displayed excellent recycling capability for both dyes and the combined effects of their high adsorption capacity and photodegradation ability of organic dyes make them versatile choice for future applications. Graphical
PubDate: 2023-01-30
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- Thermodynamic and economic evaluation and optimization of the
applicability of integrating an innovative multi-heat recovery with a
dual-flash binary geothermal power plant-
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Abstract: Generally, a stand-alone flash-binary geothermal power plant loses most of its input energy, so its efficiency declines accordingly. Its overall ability can be augmentable by utilizing structural modification and waste heat recovery leading to the most suitable exergetic performance with lower costs. On this account, the current paper suggests and investigates an innovative waste heat recovery for a dual-flash binary geothermal power plant. The integrated process consists of a Rankine cycle, a reverse osmosis desalination, and a proton exchange membrane electrolyzer. Here, two main processes, i.e., waste heat-to-power and power-to-hydrogen/freshwater, are regarded. Accordingly, the applicability of the system is examined from the energy, exergy, and economic points of view. Thus, a relevant sensitivity analysis is applied to the response variables where the effect of separator 2 pressure is more significant than other parameters. In addition, a non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm-II (NSGA-II) method is implemented to optimize the system thermodynamically and economically. The optimum state reveals an exergy efficiency of 43.83% and a levelized cost of products of 4.54 $/MWh. In this situation, the net output power and production rate of freshwater and hydrogen are estimated at 6474 kW, 22.51 kg/s, and 1.84 kg/h, respectively. Graphical abstract Graphical representation of the novel devised renewable energy-fueled trigeneration setup
PubDate: 2023-01-18
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- Economic feasibility assessment of microgrids with renewable energy
sources in Peruvian rural areas-
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Abstract: Electrification of Peru's rural areas is an issue of vital importance for economic growth. However, these areas still have poor quality electricity service or operate in a stand-alone mode with high cost of energy. To address this problem, one of the most promising strategies proposes the use of renewable energy technologies through the implementation of electrical microgrids (MGs). In this context, this research develops the analysis of 37 cases of rural villages throughout Peru in order to obtain the optimal MG design and the most feasible areas for its implementation, considering the associated costs, geographic location and load characteristics. For this purpose, an optimization process is carried out using HOMER Pro software with the aim of sizing the MG with the minimum net present cost and cost of energy. Then, an iterative process is developed in MATLAB software to map cost values, renewable contribution, emissions, the energy charge and the annual savings in the utility bill. This analysis considers five scenarios base on a grid-connected MG (with sensitivity values of grid sellback price) and an off-grid MG system. The results show the geographic distribution of all the annual utility saving bill. For the grid-connected MG condition, it presents a profit in the range of $107.08 to $368.2 compared to loads connected to the grid; while for the off-grid MG condition, it presents a profit in the range of $1269 to $4976 in comparison with loads connected to a diesel generator. Graphical abstract
PubDate: 2023-01-12
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- Integrating life cycle assessment (LCA) with boundary line analysis (BLA)
to reduce agro-environmental risk of crop production: a case study of
soybean production in Northern Iran-
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Abstract: Increasing the yield of oilseeds is considered an important plan and strategy in different countries such as Iran. With limited available arable land, boosting the cultivation of oilseeds should involve increasing per unit area. Therefore, narrowing the yield gap (YG) and optimizing agricultural practices/inputs can be the efficient strategies for improving food security and mitigating the environmental impacts of agriculture. For this purpose, the boundary line analysis (BLA) was integrated with the life cycle assessment (LCA) in this study to survey 301 soybean farms. BLA analysis calculated attainable yield and YG as 4437 and 1972 kg ha−1, respectively. According to the results, the BLA improved the efficient use of resources and attenuated environmental hazards by exploring the causes of YG and optimizing farm practices, something which was confirmed by the LCA and the ReCiPe2016 model. For instance, optimization of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and sulfur fertilizers resulted in reduction rates of 44%, 45%, 87%, and 56% the in global warming potential, respectively. As a result of the BLA-optimized tillage operations, the impacts of mineral resource scarcity and freshwater eutrophication were reduced by 15% and 16%, respectively. In addition, a reduction rate of 52% was also observed in the water use impact category due to the optimal irrigation frequencies, i.e., 1–3 times. Moreover, diesel fuel and fertilizers are the primary sources of environmental damage. Eventually, tillage optimization and fertilization should be first taken into account in order to produce larger amounts of healthier food by bridging the YG. Graphical
PubDate: 2023-01-10
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- Process design, simulation, and techno-economic analysis of integrated
production of furfural and glucose derived from palm oil empty fruit
bunches-
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Abstract: This study aims to propose a new process design, simulation, and techno-economic analysis of an integrated process plant that produces glucose and furfural from palm oil empty fruit bunches (EFB). In this work, an Aspen Plus-based simulation has been established to develop a process flow diagram of co-production of glucose and furfural along with the mass and energy balances. The plant’s economics are analyzed by calculating the fixed capital income (FCI), operating costs, and working capital. In contrast, profitability is determined using cumulative cash flow (CCF), net present value (NPV), and internal rate of return (IRR). The findings show that the production capacity of 10 kilotons per year (ktpy) of glucose and 4.96 ktpy of furfural with a purity of 98.21 and 99.54%—weight, respectively, was achieved in this study. The FCI is calculated as United States Dollar (USD) 20.80 million, while the working and operating expenses are calculated as USD 3.74 million and USD 16.93 million, respectively. This project achieves USD 7.65 million NPV with a positive IRR of 14.25% and a return on investment (ROI) of 22.06%. The present work successfully develops a profitable integrated process plant that is established with future upscaling parameters and key cost drivers. The findings provided in this work offer a platform and motivation for future research on integrated plants in the food, environment, and energy nexus with the co-location principle. Graphical
PubDate: 2023-01-07
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- Sustainability in energy production
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PubDate: 2023-01-01
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- A reflection based on personal experience and observation on the growth of
the idea of sustainability-
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PubDate: 2023-01-01
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- Impacts of wind turbines on vegetation and soil cover: a case study of
Urla, Cesme, and Karaburun Peninsulas, Turkey-
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Abstract: The study presents a GIS- and RS-based diagnostic model to determine the changes in the existing vegetation in the Urla, Çeşme, and Karaburun peninsulas, Turkey, between 2002 and 2017 after the installation of 239 wind power plants (WPP). The vegetation changes in 7 CORINE land cover classes within the 0–1 km (facility zone) and 1–2 km (control zone) buffer zones were detected in relation with the slope and aspect groups using NDVI analysis. The highest amount of negative change in broad-leaved forests, coniferous forests, and land principally occupied by agriculture, with significant areas of natural vegetation, was detected in the 3–5% slope group, while pasture lands, sclerophyllous vegetation and transitional woodland-shrubs showed the highest degradation in 1–2% slope areas. Negative changes in complex cultivation patterns were found to be on the flat surfaces. Except for the pasture lands and sclerophyllous vegetation classes, the highest degradations were observed on north-facing aspects. In all land cover classes, the most degraded areas were found to be within the facility zone. The results and the proposed model are expected to facilitate planning and decision-making processes for locations with similar landscape characteristics. Graphical abstract
PubDate: 2023-01-01
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- Dynamic decision-making and coordination of low-carbon closed-loop supply
chain considering different power structures and government double subsidy
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Abstract: Low-carbon closed-loop supply chain (LC-CLSC) plays an important role in realizing a low-carbon circular economy. In order to facilitate governments to make emission reduction subsidy and recycling subsidy decisions and LC-CLSC members to formulate pricing, emission reduction investment and recycling investment decisions, this paper proposes multiple three-level differential game models of a LC-CLSC involving the manufacturer, retailer and government considering the dynamic characteristics of product goodwill and recycling rate. Under the four scenarios of three different power structures: manufacturer-led, retailer-led and non-led, and centralized decision-making, some critical equilibrium results are first solved and discussed, including government’s optimal emission reduction subsidy and recycling subsidy rates, the manufacturer’s wholesale price and emission reduction investment, the retailer’s retail price and recycling investment, product goodwill and waste product recycling rate, profits of the manufacturer, retailer and government, etc. To further achieve the LC-CLSC coordination, the contracts under three different power structures are designed, and the conditions that the coordination parameters satisfy are given. Through mathematical derivation of equilibrium results and sensitivity analysis with the help of numerical examples, this paper finds that the government subsidy rates are dependent on the power status between manufacturers and retailers, and the weaker party will get higher subsidy rate. The government subsidy mechanism can significantly reduce the gaps between the manufacturer-led and retailer-led cases, such as manufacturer’s emission reduction investment, the retailer’s recycling investment, steady-state retail price, and product goodwill and recycling rate. Under the effect of the government subsidy mechanism, the non-led case is more conducive to the recycling of waste products and the improvement of social welfare than the unilateral domination cases. The findings can help manufacturers and retailers in the LC-CLSC formulate optimal strategies like pricing, emission reduction and recycling, and develop coordination contracts to further improve the overall performance of the supply chain according to their different power structures. More importantly, they can also help governments make optimal emission reduction and recycling subsidy decisions according to member companies’ different power structures so as to improve subsidy efficiency. Graphical abstract
PubDate: 2023-01-01
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- Global declarations on electric vehicles, carbon life cycle and Nash
equilibrium-
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Abstract: Universal environmental policies adopt strategies that enhance and encourage the production and usage of electric vehicles (EVs). Universal cooperation is evident in the framework of agreements or protocols so as to successfully lead countries towards the predetermined goals. The question is whether this trend can reduce global warming or CO2 emissions worldwide. By adopting game theory, this study analyses electricity carbon life cycle in leading EV countries. Results show that although the spread of EVs in Europe and the USA can mitigate carbon emissions, the production and use of electric vehicles in some countries, such as China and India, become a new source of such emissions. This reverse effect is due to the emission of greenhouse gases from electricity sources in these countries. Game theory also suggests that countries with unclean electricity sources should reconsider their plans to produce and use EVs. This study confirms that although carbon emission and global warming are global problems, regional and local policies can be substituted with a single comprehensive approach for an effective means of CO2 emission reduction. Graphical abstract
PubDate: 2023-01-01
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- The technical and economical feasibility study of offshore wind farms in
Turkey-
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Abstract: A large part of the electricity generation is from imported fossil fuels, which makes Turkey heavily dependent on fossil fuels. For this reason, Turkey aims to increase the ratio of renewable energy resources in the total installed power. Among renewable resources, Turkey's wind energy potential is very high. Although the onshore wind power installed capacity has increased significantly in the last ten years in Turkey, offshore wind energy deployment has not gained satisfactory attention even though the country is surrounded by seas on three of its sides. Therefore, the installation of Turkey's first offshore wind farm, which will be established by the Turkish government was accelerated by opening a tender in 2018. Three potential candidate regions were identified, two located in the Aegean Sea and one in the Black Sea. This paper performs a comprehensive techno-economic analysis of offshore wind farm projects in identified three regions. It was calculated that the total offshore wind power capacity at the specified sites is 3,329.4 MW. In addition, offshore regions were compared in the scope of the methods used in the economic analysis. In this context, the best results an obtained in the Saros OWF region. This study aims to contribute scientifically to the region's offshore wind energy development. Graphical abstract
PubDate: 2023-01-01
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- Bio-electrochemical production of hydrogen and electricity from organic
waste: preliminary assessment-
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Abstract: This study investigated the performance of a novel integrated bio-electrochemical system for synergistic hydrogen production from a process combining a dark fermentation reactor and a galvanic cell. The operating principle of the system is based on the electrochemical conversion of protons released upon dissociation of the acid metabolites of the biological process and is mediated by the electron flow from the galvanic cell, coupling biochemical and electrochemical hydrogen production. Accordingly, the galvanic compartment also generates electricity. Four different experimental setups were designed to provide a preliminary assessment of the integrated bio-electrochemical process and identify the optimal configuration for further tests. Subsequently, dark fermentation of cheese whey was implemented both in a stand-alone biochemical reactor and in the integrated bio-electrochemical process. The integrated system achieved a hydrogen yield in the range 75.5–78.8 N LH2/kg TOC, showing a 3 times improvement over the biochemical process. Graphical abstract
PubDate: 2023-01-01
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- A review on the handling of discounting in eco-efficiency analysis
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Abstract: Decisions on measures reducing environmental damage or improving environmental impact are usually constrained by financial limitations. Eco-efficiency analysis has emerged as a practical decision support tool by integrating environmental and economic performance. Environmental impact, as well as economic revenues and expenses, are usually distributed over a certain time scale. The temporal distribution of economic data is frequently assessed by discounting while discounting of environmental impact is rather uncommon. The scope of this paper is to reveal if this assumed inconsistency is common in eco-efficiency assessment literature, what reasons and interrelations with indicators exist and what solutions are proposed. Therefore, a systematic literature review is conducted and 35 publications are assessed. Theoretical eco-efficiency definitions and applied eco-efficiency indicators, as well as applied environmental and economic assessment methods, are compared here, but it is revealed that none of the empirical literature findings applied or discussed environmental discounting. It was, however, found in methodical literature. It is concluded that the theoretical foundation for the application of discounting on environmental impact is still insufficient and that even the theoretical foundation of economic discounting in studies is often poor. Further research and, eventually, a practical framework for environmental discounting would be beneficial for better-founded, more “eco-efficient” decisions. Graphical
PubDate: 2023-01-01
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- Factors affecting renewable energy technology adoption policies of 50
states and district of Columbia in the USA-
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Abstract: Renewable energy policies and adoption of new renewable energy technologies in different states of the USA are not uniform. The factors affecting the trends in adopting electrical energy generation using sustainable resources: wind, solar, hydro, geothermal and biomass as well as registered all electric vehicles in 50 states and district of Columbia in the USA was analyzed using multivariate linear regression analysis. Eight contributing factors: percentages of high school graduates; college graduates; total population; land area; percentage of water covered area; average annual income and registered democrats in the state were selected as predictor variables. Among eight factors considered, percentage of registered democrats was found as the most influencing factor (p = 0.00543) determining the renewable electrical energy adoption. The transition to all electric cars strongly co-related to higher average annual income of the population (p = 0.00141). In conclusion, an aggressive education campaign by environmentalist and pro-sustainability groups may help in de-coupling the energy and environment policies in the USA from political ideologies in order to achieve a more sustainable future. Graphical abstract Factors Affecting Sustainable Energy Technology Adoption Policies of 50 States and District of Columbia in the USA
PubDate: 2023-01-01
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