Environmental impact indicators

Environmental impact indicators are used to characterize and aggregate the contribution of a given set of inputs and/or outputs to environmental impact, with the being latter understood as a general concept, or a particular problem such as climate change, toxicity, and so on. These indicators are more elaborate than those on resource intensity, since not only the inputs and outputs have to be identified and quantified, but also an impact function describing the unfriendliness of those inputs and outputs, and which allows their aggregation to be defined. 

Two of the several environmental impact indicators are reported below  

The EQ and EATOS both focus on the impact of synthetic processes, by assigning impact scores to the raw materials used (EQ case) or to both reagents and waste produced (EATOS case). These impact scores can be defined according to upstream and downstream effects of the material in question, meaning that a life cycle 

There are also a series of specific indicators regarding the impact on environment. Each of these indicators, developed by IChemE [47], focuses on a particular environmental problem. The amount of the substance emitted is multiplied by its potency factor (PF), which expresses the specific contribution of substance to the environmental problem in question, per kg emitted. Potency factors are expressed in kg of a reference substance. All indicators are expressed in environmental burden per unit value added. Similar indicators have been developed by the Center for Waste Reduction Technologies [59] and the European Environment Agency [60]  

These indicators have been developed mainly to be applied at the industry level, for monitoring and benchmarking, using economic value to measure products or services. Another difference is that, while EATOS and the EQ summarize environmental impact as a general attribute, expressed by potential environmental impact/ environmental unfriendliness factors, IChemE indicators measure particular environmental problems, such as toxicity or acidification. This problem-oriented approach used by IChemE is based on the Life Cycle Impact Assessment framework that will be discussed later. 

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In this case study, we use the environmental impact indices below, which can be derived from Eq. (1), to characterize environmental performance of reaction processes [7,8] ... 

Table 7.3. Series of environmental impact indicators used for the evaluation of the materials...

Environmental impact indicator 1500 HDPE single-use bag 1000 Reusable LLDPE with 40% PCR bag used 52 times 1000 Reusable PP non-woven used 52 times 1000 Reusable rPET used 52 times 1000 Paper bag single-use... 

The environment is effectively a balance between the three media of atmosphere, soil and water. They co-exist and sustain our lives. Improvements designed to protect one can actually make matters worse for another. The underlying principle of the Design for the Environment with its environmental impact indices is to achieve a proper balance between sustainable development and economic growth. 

The EAGM study entitled Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Geosynthetics versus Conventional Construction Materials (Stucki et al., 2011) provided comprehensive qualitative and quantitative information about the environmental performance of commonly applied construction materials (ie, concrete) versus geosynthetics. It compared geosynthetic solutions with conventional (traditional) solutions using eight environmental impact indicators ... 

Results obtained appear in Fig. 6.2a, which shows the dominant SC that maximizes NPV. Production is based on benzene feedstock, which is bought from both available suppliers. Two facilities are built and MA is sold in all possible markets. Alternatively, when the objective is the minimization of the environmental impact indicator, the resulting SC (Fig. 6.2b) uses butane as feedstock and raw materials are acquired from a single supplier. This SC configuration implies a single production facility which sells MA to all four markets. Table 6.7 summarizes the numerical results corresponding to both solutions ... 

Solids. Proper handling and disposal techniques can obviate potential problems associated with the soHd waste-retorted shale. Retorted shale disposal and revegetation have posed no adverse environmental impacts at the Unocal Parachute Project (62). EarHer studies carried out using Paraho and Lurgi retorted shales indicated that these materials behave as low grade cements (63,64) and can be engineered and compacted into high density materials (Pig. 11) and water impervious stmctures (Table 15). 

It also specifies data requirements, assumptions, limitations, eventual type of critical review, and the report requirements. For example, a study could be done to select between one of two materials when developing a dust transport container for a baghouse filter. The intended audience may be the designers, the results being used to indicate which one of the two materials provides the lowest environmental impact. The system function may be to transport dust from the baghouse filter to a landfill site, and the functional unit may be one metric ton or m of dust. The system boundaries may be described by considering which processes are included and which are outside the system limits. 

Environmental impact assessment (ElA) is normally used to evaluate the possible environmental constraints for an industrial plant or project. In some cases it is u.sed as part of a permit process for an industrial plant, road, or other project. The owner has to show that no major environmental impacts are caused by the plant or road, or if there are such impacts, to take remedial measures necessary to decrease and monitor the impacts or relevant indicators. 

Selective toxicity is also important in relation to the development of resistance or tolerance to pollutants from two distinct points of view. On the one hand, there is interest among scientists concerned with crop protection and disease control in mechanisms by which crop pests, vectors of disease, plant pathogens, and weeds develop resistance to pesticides. Understanding the mechanism should point to ways of overcoming resistance, for example, other compounds not affected by resistance mechanisms or synergists to inhibit enzymes that provide a resistance mechanism. On the other hand, the development of resistance can be a useful indication of the environmental impact of pollutants. 

Apart from the importance of OP resistance in pest control, ecotoxicologists have become interested in the development of resistance as an indication of the environmental impact of insecticides. Thus, the development of esteratic resistance mechanisms by aquatic invertebrates may provide a measure of the enviromnental impact of OPs in freshwater (Parker and Callaghan 1997). 

Sheldon has introduced several indicators to measure the efficiency and environmental impact of a reaction. The atom efficiency is the molecular weight of the desired product divided by the total molecular weight of all products. For example the conventional oxidation of a secondary alcohol... 

To express that it is not just the amount of waste but rather its environmental impact, Sheldon introduced the environmental quotient EQ as the E factor multiplied by an unfriendliness quotient, Q, which can be assigned a value to indicate how undesirable a byproduct is. For example, Q = 0 for clean water, 1 for a benign salt, NaCl, and 100-1000 for toxic compounds. Evidently, catalytic routes that avoid waste formation are highly desirable, and the more economic value that is placed on, for example, the unfriendliness quotient, the higher the motivation to work on catalytic alternatives. Waste prevention is much to be preferred over waste remediation. 

Thomassen MA, de Boer IJM. Evaluation of Indicators to Assess the Environmental Impact of Dairy Production Systems. Agriculture. Ecosystems and Environment. 2005 111 185-199. DOI 10.1016/j.agee.2005.06.013... 

Roos, E. Sundberg, C. Tidaker, P. Strid, I. Hansson, P.-A. Can carbon footprint serve as an indicator of the environmental impact of meat production Ecol. Ind. 

The complexity of today s pharmaceutical compounds and an increasing awareness of the environmental impact of traditional chemical syntheses have opened the door to biocatalysis. Directed evolution is an integral tool in the development of synthetic enzymes, ensuring they are suitable for use in an industrial setting. The past success of this approach indicates that it will continue to provide many examples of safe and efficient production of chemical intermediates and medical compounds. 

An effective assessment of the environmental impact of PCBs should consider the individual isomers that make up the PCB mixtures. This opinion is supported by several authors [358,363,368,377-380], indicating that ... 

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