Search results for " impact assessment"
showing 10 items of 193 documents
Good environmental practices for hospitality and tourism
2010
PurposeThere is a consensus about the negative effects of transportation and some activities related to hospitality on the environment. In this sense, several proposals have been pointed out to pursue environmental sustainability of tourism activities and minimize their impact on climate change. In particular, some applications of information and communication technologies (ICT) have a direct contribution to the reduction of the demand of supplies and energy by the hospitality industry. The present paper has a double aim: first, to focus on evaluating the potential of several ICT applications to reduce the environmental impact of hospitality and tourism activities. Second, considering the S…
Evaluation of the environmental impact of volcanic emissions from the chemistry of rainwater: Mount Etna area (Sicily)
2001
Abstract The S, halogen and NO 3 contents of rainwater samples from the Etnean area were studied in order to define the environmental impact of plume emissions on the local environment. Samples, collected on a network of 11 bulk rain gauges, show significant variability in anion content, which can be ascribed to different meteorological and environmental conditions at each sampling site and to a variable distance from the different source areas. Data analysis suggests that S, F, Cl and Br are mainly magma-derived, whereas NO 3 mainly originates from anthropogenic sources. Samples collected from sites close to craters display considerable temporal variability, with increased anion concentrat…
Valuing the effects of urban road-network projects: a methodological proposal
2006
This paper proposes a methodology for the valuation of the urban environment. It tries to answer questions and problems that derive from new road installations, or functional requalifications in existing road infrastructures, in accordance with specific practices already well-known as Urban Impact Assessment (UIA). More generally, the objective of the urban impact assessment consists of valuing the possibilities to localize urban installations, also considering both their economic and social effects, as well as identifying potential dangers to the environment, intended in a general sense. This kind of valuation distinguishes from the traditional environmental impact valuation (e.g., applied…
Environmental impact of antifouling technologies: state of art and perspectives
2001
1. Marine fouling affects most man-made surfaces temporarily or permanently immersed in the sea, resulting in significant (or substantial) economic costs. Intense research is aimed at preventing or reducing fouling. 2. The most widespread solution to avoid fouling formation is to make surfaces unsuitable for settlers, coating them with antifouling (AF) paints containing toxic compounds. Most AF agents (e.g. tributyltin, (TBT)) have undesirable effects on non-target species, including commercially important organisms. 3. To date, the use of TBT in AF paints has been restricted (but not prohibited) in a number of countries and new biocides are in use. 4. The environmental problems posed to ma…
The energy and environmental impacts of Italian households consumptions: An input–output approach
2011
Abstract Promoting sustainable consumption and production patterns is a key challenge for the future, in order to use the Earth resources efficiently, to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions, and to decouple the economic growth from the environmental degradation. New or customized methods have to be applied to support decisions makers in the choice of environmental-friendly products, and to select policy priorities and sustainable strategies. A modified input–output model can aid to analyse the relationships among economic growth, energy consumptions and pollutants, in order to assess the energy and environmental impacts due to the actual production and consumption patterns. The following pa…
Coffee biowaste valorization within circular economy: an evaluation method of spent coffee grounds potentials for mortar production
2021
Abstract Purpose Spent coffee grounds (SCG) are biowastes extensively generated within the coffee supply chain. Nowadays, their disposal represents an increasing environmental concern due to its toxicity and organic nature. With the estimated increase of coffee production and consumption in the upcoming years, there is an imperative need to find a proper reverse option, along with a novel industrial application, which allows for the valorization of this coffee by-product within a circular economy perspective. This study aims at investigating a potential reuse of spent coffee grounds to produce novel construction materials to be used for sustainable buildings. Methods After having illustrate…
Cogeneration: a regulatory framework toward growth
2005
Abstract After having defined the general rules for the European liberalised energy market, new actions are needed to improve the energy system. In the rising common framework, the environmental policies and particularly the cost-internalising actions are being empowered, in order to favour improvements in conversion efficiencies and to promote low environmental impact technologies. The emerging EU policy for the promotion of cogeneration and trigeneration plants that fixes the eligibility criteria for high conversion efficiency plants is here discussed. On the basis of thermodynamic remarks and of a comparative analysis of the evaluation criteria applied to most industrialised countries, t…
Environmental assessment of a waste-to-energy practice: The pyrolysis of agro-industrial biomass residues
2021
Abstract The bio-wastes pyrolysis is a waste to energy strategy that converts bio-wastes into valuable products (bio-char, bio-oil) with wide use in the agri-food sector. However, limited efforts are paid to the investigation of its environmental sustainability: in this context, the study contributes the need towards the assessment of a wide range of environmental impacts for the pyrolysis process of different types of bio-wastes under different operating conditions. The study estimates the potential environmental impacts related to bio-char production from the pyrolysis of several different agro-industrial residues and different temperatures and identifies the process “hot spots”. The anal…
Energy and environmental assessment of a traction lithium-ion battery pack for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles
2019
Abstract Traction batteries are a key factor in the environmental sustainability of electric mobility and, therefore, it is necessary to evaluate their environmental performance to allow a comprehensive sustainability assessment of electric mobility. This article presents an environmental assessment of a lithium-ion traction battery for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, characterized by a composite cathode material of lithium manganese oxide (LiMn2O4) and lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide Li(NixCoyMn1-x-y)O2. Composite cathode material is an emerging technology that promises to combine the merits of several active materials into a hybrid electrode to optimize performance and reduce cost…
Determining the Environmental Benefits of Ultra High Performance Concrete as a Bridge Construction Material
2017
Ultra High Performance Concrete (UHPC) is a material that is attracting attention in the construction industry due to the high mechanical strength and durability, leading to structures having low maintenance requirements. The production of UHPC, however, has generally higher environmental impact than normal strength concrete due to the increased demand of cement required in the concrete mix. What is still not sufficiently investigated, is if the longer lifetime, slimmer construction and lower maintenance requirements lead to a net environmental benefit compared to standard concrete bridge design. This study utilizes life cycle assessment (LCA) to determine the lifetime impacts of two compar…