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Yang K, Jing D, Wang X, Zhou S, Zhang B, Qin L, Wang Q, Jing G, Li W, Li S. Life cycle assessment perspective on waste resource utilization and sustainable development: A case of glyphosate production. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 350:119584. [PMID: 38035501 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.119584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
The growing demand for pesticide manufacturing and increasing public awareness of sustainable development, have let to urgent requirements for a refined environmental management framework. It is imperative to conduct process-based life cycle assessments (LCAs) to promote clean and environment-friendly technologies. Herein, the cradle-to-gate LCA of glyphosate production was executed as an example to investigate crucial production factors (materials or energy) and multiple environmental impacts during the production processes. Results showed that methanol caused the highest environmental damage in terms of toxicity, with a normalized value of 85.7 × 10-8, followed by coal-fired electricity in 6.00 × 10-8. Furthermore, optimized schemes were proposed, including energy improvement (electricity generated by switching from coal-fired power to solar power) and wastewater targeted conversion. Regarding the normalization results before and after optimization, the latter showed more significant results with the normalized value decreasing by 21.10 × 10-8, while that of the former only decreased by 6.50 × 10-8. This study provides an integrated LCA framework for organophosphorus pesticides (OPs) from upstream control and offers an important supplement to managing the key pollution factors and control links of the OP industry. Moreover, it reveals the positive influence of optimized schemes in facilitating cleaner production technologies, thus ultimately promoting new methodologies for resource recycling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kexuan Yang
- College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China.
| | - Deji Jing
- College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China.
| | - Xiaoxiang Wang
- College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China.
| | - Shuguang Zhou
- Zhejiang Xin'an Chemical Industrial Group Company Limited, Jiande, 311600, China.
| | - Baiqing Zhang
- Zhejiang Xin'an Chemical Industrial Group Company Limited, Jiande, 311600, China.
| | - Long Qin
- Zhejiang Xin'an Chemical Industrial Group Company Limited, Jiande, 311600, China.
| | - Qiaoli Wang
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology for Industrial Pollution Control of Zhejiang Province, College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China.
| | - Guohua Jing
- Department of Environmental Science & Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Huaqiao University, Xiamen, 361021, China.
| | - Wei Li
- College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China.
| | - Sujing Li
- College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China.
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Lucas KRG, Caldarelli CE, Ventura MU. Agriculture and biodiversity damage: A prospective evaluation of the impact of Brazilian agriculture on its ecoregions through life cycle assessment methodology. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 899:165762. [PMID: 37495148 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
The natural ecosystems' replacement by farmland and the consequent biodiversity damage (BD) for agriculture are one of the principal concerns worldwide. The development of the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology involves enormous efforts to include BD parameters and develop a prospective LCA approach for future evaluations of production and technologies use. Thus, this work aims to determine the current impacts and estimate the future impacts in terms of damage to biodiversity caused by land occupation by agricultural commodities produced in Brazil, such as coffee, corn, oranges, and sugar cane, for the six ecoregions present in the country-Amazon, Atlantic Forest, Caatinga, Cerrado, Pampas, and Pantanal-in the 20-year period from 2015 to 2035. For this and to search for hotpots, we applied the indicators proposed by Chaudhary and Books (2018), for inventories whose functional unit is production per m2 of 1 kg of crop. Although the Cerrado is one of the ecoregions in which deforestation has advanced the most, it has the area/production ratio that has evolved the most. In contrast, Pampas and Caatinga, which are not seen as agricultural frontiers, increased their impacts. The most optimistic scenarios for the future have been those in regions considered agricultural frontiers; however, these are the regions where agriculture is more technologically developed, for example, coffee production in the Atlantic Forest and in the Cerrado. The results indicate that the technological development of agriculture can contribute to mitigating the impacts of damage to biodiversity in the future, and that the implementation of legislative and inspection measures is fundamental to supporting the correct use of the soil and preventing illegal soil change. Otherwise, in the future, we will see the increasing disappearance of species. Thus, we need researchers, farmers, and policy makers to move from development to conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kássio R G Lucas
- Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
| | - Carlos Eduardo Caldarelli
- Department of Economy, Center of Applied Social Studies, State University of Londrina, Rodovia Celso Garcia Cid, PR 445 Km 380, Campus Universitário, Cx. Postal 10.011, CEP 86.057-970 Londrina, PR, Brazil
| | - Maurício Ursi Ventura
- Department of Agronomy, Center of Agrarian Sciences, State University of Londrina, Rodovia Celso Garcia Cid, PR 445 Km 380, Campus Universitário, Cx. Postal 10.011, CEP 86.057-970, Londrina, PR, Brazil
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Sinisterra-Solís NK, Sanjuán N, Ribal J, Estruch V, Clemente G. From farm accountancy data to environmental indicators: Assessing the environmental performance of Spanish agriculture at a regional level. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 894:164937. [PMID: 37343851 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.164937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the environmental impacts of current agricultural practices is a starting point for transitioning towards sustainable agriculture, which is a goal to be achieved by the European Union. This study aims to provide a set of environmental impact indicators with which to assess and compare the environmental performance of a broad group of agricultural reference holdings at the Spanish NUTS 2 level. A life cycle assessment approach based on statistical data on farm accountancy is applied. The unit of analysis is a reference holding on which a specific crop is grown in a NUTS 2 and follows a specific management system (open-field irrigated, open-field rainfed, or greenhouse). The system boundaries are set at the farm gate, and the impact results are expressed per 1 € of net value added. For most reference holdings, the EF scores per net value added are similar regardless of their EF scores per kg commodity, suggesting a correspondence between the use of resources and the economic results. The environmental footprint is clustered into four groups. The first one accounts for 78 % of the sample and represents the holdings with the lowest impact (between 9.7·10-5 and 2.88·10-3 EF score·NVAfc-1); the second cluster groups seven reference holdings (3 herbaceous and 4 Mediterranean perennial crops) with an environmental footprint of between 3.04·10-3 and 9.01·10-3 EF score·NVAfc-1; the third group comprises four irrigated herbaceous crops holdings with the highest impact (between 1.37·10-2 and 2.13·10-2 EF score·NVAfc-1); and the last group corresponds to the holdings with economic losses (mostly herbaceous and two Mediterranean perennial crops). This research highlights the challenge of improving the competitiveness and profitability of Spanish farming. In this way, agricultural practices that generate environmental impacts without achieving their economic goals would be avoided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nelson Kevin Sinisterra-Solís
- Grup ASPA, Departament de Tecnologia d'Aliments, Edifici 3F, Universitat Politècnica de València, Camí de Vera s/n, 46022 València, Spain; Departament d'Economia i Ciències Socials, Edifici 3P, Universitat Politècnica de València, Camí de Vera s/n, 46022 València, Spain.
| | - Neus Sanjuán
- Grup ASPA, Departament de Tecnologia d'Aliments, Edifici 3F, Universitat Politècnica de València, Camí de Vera s/n, 46022 València, Spain
| | - Javier Ribal
- Departament d'Economia i Ciències Socials, Edifici 3P, Universitat Politècnica de València, Camí de Vera s/n, 46022 València, Spain
| | - Vicent Estruch
- Departament d'Economia i Ciències Socials, Edifici 3P, Universitat Politècnica de València, Camí de Vera s/n, 46022 València, Spain
| | - Gabriela Clemente
- Grup ASPA, Departament de Tecnologia d'Aliments, Edifici 3F, Universitat Politècnica de València, Camí de Vera s/n, 46022 València, Spain
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Day R, Haggblade S, Moephuli S, Mwang'ombe A, Nouala S. Institutional and policy bottlenecks to IPM. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2022; 52:100946. [PMID: 35772691 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2022.100946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2022] [Revised: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
This paper summarises institutional and policy bottlenecks to IPM in Africa. Agricultural policy in Africa generally prioritises production and productivity above environmental sustainability, so the use of synthetic pesticides for controlling pests is encouraged. Funding for research in IPM is limited, and extension systems struggle to provide the level of farmer support that adoption of IPM often needs. Improved research and extension policies could facilitate uptake of IPM. Public and private food-safety standards can incentivise adoption, but currently this is mainly in production for export. Pesticide and other input regulatory systems unintentionally constrain adoption of IPM, through expensive registration procedures, weak compliance monitoring and limited regional harmonisation. IPM must be seen as a key element of food-system transformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger Day
- CABI, P.O. Box 633-00621, Nairobi, Kenya.
| | - Steven Haggblade
- Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics, Morrill Hall of Agriculture, 446 West Circle Drive, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Shadrack Moephuli
- Department of Agriculture and Animal Health, and Department of Life and Consumer Sciences, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Agnes Mwang'ombe
- Department of Plant Science and Crop Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 30197-00100, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Simplice Nouala
- Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment, African Union Commission, P.O. Box 3243, Roosevelt Street W21K19, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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Global Warming and Toxicity Impacts: Peanuts in Georgia, USA Using Life Cycle Assessment. SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14063671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Fertilizers and pesticides have been widely used in agriculture production, causing polluted soil, water, and atmosphere. This study aims to quantify air emissions from pesticides and fertilizers applied for peanut production in Georgia during selected years (1991, 1999, 2004, 2013, and 2018). Specifically, the oral and dermal potential impacts from pesticide emissions and the global warming potential (GWP) impact from fertilizers to air were investigated. This study followed the ISO 14040 series standards for life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology to assess six active ingredients (AIs) (2,4-DB, Bentazon, Chlorothalonil, Ethalfluralin, Paraquat, and Pendimethalin) and one greenhouse gas (nitrous oxide N2O). Their physical and chemical characteristics and the temporal scales greatly influenced the oral and dermal toxicity impacts. According to the low values obtained for Henry’s law (KH) and vapor pressure (VP), 2,4-dichlorophenoxy butanoic (DB), Pendimethalin, and Chlorothalonil have a higher impact on the continental air scale. The effect factor (EF) from oral exposure was higher in 2,4-DB, Bentazon, and Pendimethalin than dermal exposure, according to the relatively low lethal dose (LD50) for oral exposure, while the EF of Ethalfluralin and Chlorothalonil was the same for oral and dermal exposure according to their similar LD50.
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