Author(s): Ian Vázquez Rowe, Ramzy Kahhat Abedrabbo y (Español) otros
Open linkAuthor(s): Ian Vázquez Rowe y (Español) otros
(Español) Purpose: The number of life cycle assessment studies related to seafood has risen considerably in the past decade. Despite this proliferation, major life cycle inventory databases tend to lack information describing this sector. Hence, the main objectives of this study are to present the first effort to aggregate and standardize seafood-related datasets in the ecoinvent database and to explain the main data sources and methodological choices used in the building of the datasets. Methods: A list of the main datasets included in this first series is presented with a brief description of the underlying modelling approaches. Seafood capture, production and processing activities were modelled as the use phase of the required infrastructure. The full life cycle of infrastructure was considered, from construction, through use and maintenance to end-of-life. Results and discussion: Some of the most representative seafood industries in South America were modelled, namely Peruvian anchovy and hake fisheries, Andean trout, Brazilian tilapia and Peruvian fishmeal production, as well as the production of canned, frozen, cured and of a multi-ingredient fish-based product (fish sticks). Inventory data were found to be in line with those of seafood LCA literature and driven by the parameters widely known to be critical: fuel use intensity for fisheries, feed conversion ratio for aquaculture and energy intensity for seafood processing and reduction into fishmeal. The modelling approach was modular and intuitive, thus useful and reproducible by database users and data providers. Conclusions: The datasets created constitute a robust basis for the use of seafood-related data in international databases. It is expected that this work will stimulate further efforts by practitioners and data providers to model their inventory data into ecoinvent and other life cycle inventory databases.
Open linkAuthor(s): Kurt Ziegler Rodríguez, Ian Vázquez Rowe, Ramzy Kahhat Abedrabbo y (Español) otros
(Español) Waste remains a serious environmental and human health hazard in developing nations, including those in Latin America and the Caribbean (LA&C). Despite important breakthroughs in waste management in LA&C, the region still faces many challenges that require special attention, such as the existence of uncontrolled open dumpsters (33%) or the low recovery rates of waste fractions (below 4%). Moreover, the adoption of sophisticated waste management technologies, such as incineration or anaerobic digestion, is still lagging. This review paper provides environmentally-sound and relevant policy support for municipal solid waste management stakeholders through a critical review of the current situation of the waste management sector in LA&C from an environmental perspective. Thereafter, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) bibliography linked to waste management, namely collection, sorting, recycling and landfilling applications and technologies worldwide, is used in order to understand potential alternative waste management strategies in LA&C, as well as the potential environmental benefits that could be attained. Finally, based on the holistic review and analysis, the adoption of more sophisticated technologies in landfill sites (e.g. landfill gas flaring), waste-to-energy, as well as higher recycling rates, would enhance waste management in the region and mitigate environmental impacts. A holistic view to support policy formulations, including climate action, for the adoption of integrated waste management strategies in LA&C is imperative.
Open linkAuthor(s): Ian Vázquez Rowe y (Español) otros
(Español) Purpose: The main purpose of this article is to assess the nutritional and economic efficiency of food loss and waste (FLW) along the supply of 13 food categories included in the Spanish food basket by means of the definition of a new method which combines two indexes. Methods: The nutrient-rich foods index and the economic food loss and waste (EFLW) index were combined by means of linear programming to obtain the nutritional cost footprint (NCF) indicator under a life cycle perspective. The functional unit used was the daily supply of food for a Spanish citizen in year 2015. Results and discussion: Results showed that vegetables and cereals were the food categories most affected by the inefficiencies in the food supply chain under a nutritional perspective, being agricultural production and household consumption the main stages in which the nutritional content of food is lost or wasted. Moreover, according to the NCF index, vegetables represented 27% of total nutritional-economic wastage throughout the entire Spanish agri-food chain. They are followed by fruits, which add up to 19%. Hence, specific food waste management strategies should be established for these specific products and supply stages. Finally, the sensitivity analysis performed highlighted that results were mostly independent from the importance attributed to either nutritional or economic variables. Conclusions: The methodology described in this study proposes an indicator quantifying the nutritional-economic cost of different food categories in the Spanish food basket. This NCF indicator makes it possible to define reduction strategies to promote the use of food waste fractions for waste-to-energy valorization approaches or the extraction of different types of pharmacological, chemical, or cosmetic compounds.
Open linkAuthor(s): Ian Vázquez Rowe y (Español) otros
(Español) Food losses and waste (FLW) tend to be referred to in terms of mass, occasionally in economic terms, disregarding the nutritional-cost nexus of such losses. This work aims to estimate the nutritional food losses and waste (NFLW) of the Spanish agri-food system in terms of energy, macronutrients, fibre, and vitamins and minerals along the entire supply chain. Nutritional food losses (NFL) occurring prior to the distribution level, and nutritional food waste (NFW) at the retail and consumption stages, were distinguished, and 48 representative food commodities and 32 nutrients were characterised. To provide insight into the extent of these values, the results are compared to the equivalent recommended daily intake. In addition, the NFLW for an average Spanish citizen is compared to that for other representative diets: Mediterranean, lacto-ovo-vegetarian, and vegan along with the Spanish recommended guidelines. Finally, a nutritional cost footprint (NCF) indicator combining nutritional and economic variables is proposed to define recovery strategies. The results suggest that 4251 kj (1016 kcal), 70.7 g proteins, 22 g dietary fibre, 975 μg vitamin A, 117 mg vitamin C and 332 mg calcium daily per capita are embedded within Spanish FLW. Agricultural production accounts for 40% of NFLW, and fruits and vegetables are the categories with the largest potential for nutritional and economic food wastage mitigation. Results from this paper provide NFLW data and analysis to strengthen and simplify the decision-making process of FLW management strategies.
Open linkAuthor(s): (Español) Johanna Barbarán Barbarán
(Español) Asesor: Ramzy Kahhat
Tesis para optar el título de Licenciado en Ingeniería Civil
Resumen:
En las últimas décadas la construcción de edificios de viviendas, oficinas, centros comerciales y demás se incrementó notablemente alrededor del mundo, y con ello, su impacto sobre el medio ambiente. Todos los edificios requieren energía y agua para satisfacer las necesidades de sus usuarios, este consumo se presenta en todas las etapas del ciclo de vida del edificio: extracción de recursos, manufactura de materiales, construcción, operación y demolición. Siendo las etapas de manufactura y operación las más importantes respecto al consumo de energía (Ochoa et al., 2005). El objetivo de este proyecto es desarrollar una propuesta de conversión de un edificio ya operativo para mitigar los impactos ambientales de su configuración inicial, mediante mejoras en la gestión de la energía y el agua. El objeto de estudio será el Mac Gregor, edificio ubicado dentro de las instalaciones de la Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú. Para ello la metodología utilizada fue la siguiente: Se realizaron visitas al edificio para reconocer las oportunidades de mejora de los sistemas de agua y energía. En base a ello se analizó la situación actual de la gestión de agua y la energía en el edificio a través de simulaciones realizadas con el método de Hunter y el software de modelamiento EnergyPlus, respectivamente. Luego, se presentaron las propuestas de cambio, para nuevamente ser simuladas en una versión mejorada del edificio y obtener información cuantificable de las mejoras en términos de ahorro. Finalmente, se realizó un análisis de las mejoras ambientales representadas por una cantidad de emisión de GEI evitadas y un análisis de factibilidad económica del proyecto completo. Con este proyecto, se logró reducir la cantidad de gasto energético en 14%, como de gasto hídrico en 20%; de este modo, se evita la emisión potencial de 34.5 tCO2eq anuales y se aminoraron los costos de mantenimiento anuales en los mismos porcentajes de ahorro. Asimismo, se concluye que convertir un edificio de oficinas administrativas ya operativo en uno de menores impactos ambientales resulta económicamente factible, con un periodo de retorno de la inversión de 9 años y una ganancia que asciende a 512,543 USD para un periodo de análisis de 30 años, en este caso.
Author(s): Ian Vázquez Rowe y (Español) otros
(Español) The management of vineyards depends on the use of plant protection agents. Regardless of the numerous environmental impacts that these pesticides generate during their production, their dosage as pest control agents in vineyards causes an important toxic effect that must be monitored. Copper-based inorganic pesticides are the most widely used agents to control fungal diseases in humid wine-growing regions. It is, however, significant that the environmental analysis of their use through the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology does not provide detailed information on the potential toxicity of this type of pesticides. Hence, most studies report average values for copper characterization factors (CFs), excluding local soil characteristics. The objective of the study was the spatial characterization of the ecotoxicity factors of copper soil emissions as a function of the chemical characteristics of vineyard soils located in Portugal and Galicia (NW Spain). A multiple linear regression model was applied to calculate the comparative toxic potential. Subsequently, CFs for copper were calculated based on spatial differentiation considering the variable properties of the soil within each wine appellation. The CFs obtained for the area evaluated ranged from 141 to 5937 PAF·m3·day/kgCu emitted, for fibric histosols (HSf) and dystic cambisols (CMd), respectively. Moreover, the average values obtained for Galician and Portuguese soils were 1145 and 2274 PAF·m3·day/kgCu emitted, respectively. The results obtained illustrate the high variability of CF values as a function of the chemical characteristics of each type of soil. For example, Cu soil mobility was linked to organic carbon content and pH. Finally, to validate the representativeness of the calculated CFs, these were applied to the results of 12 literature life cycle inventories of grape production in the area evaluated, revealing that impact scores associated with Cu emissions can considerably vary when spatially-differentiated CFs are implemented.
Open linkAuthor(s): Kurt Ziegler Rodríguez, Ian Vázquez Rowe, Ramzy Kahhat Abedrabbo y otros
(Español) The Peruvian waste management sector is steadily transitioning from a mostly informal and underdeveloped system based on the use of open dumpsters to a landfill-based system. The environmental consequences of these policies must be evaluated with environmental management tools such as Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). Therefore, the main goal of the study is to analyze the life-cycle environmental performance of waste disposition in three different landfills located in three distinct geographical areas of Peru: i) the hyper-arid coast; ii) the Andean highlands; and, iii) the Amazon Rainforest. With this aim in mind, a comparative analysis is provided regarding the waste treatment process as compared to other landfill technologies (i.e., biogas combustion or energy recovery) and open dumpsters. The modelling of these systems was performed with the EASETECH waste LCA tool, including a sensitivity analysis in terms of waste composition and waste decay rates. Results show that landfill gas (LFG) treatment reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions considerably. However, these remain higher in the Amazon as compared to the Andean Highlands (+105%) and the hyper-arid coast (+17%). Most of the decomposition in the Amazon basin occurs within 5 years after disposition (80%) due to heat and humidity, whereas in the other regions values were below 55%. LFG treatment or recovery is necessary for these emissions to be lower than in open dumpsters. The implementation of these technologies would strengthen the country's action plan regarding the Paris Agreement in the waste sector. In other impact categories, the transitioning from dumpsters to landfills is most visible in the soil and water compartments.
Open link