Low Carbon Technologies

Title

Cytotoxicity of water-soluble fraction from biodiesel and its diesel blends to human cell lines 

Reference

Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety
Volume 74, Issue 8, November 2011, Pages 2148-2155

Author(s)

Daniela Morais Leme, Tamara Grummt, Rita Heinze, Andrea Sehr, Matthias Skerswetat, Mary Rosa Rodrigues de Marchi, Marcos Canto Machado, Danielle Palma de Oliveira, Maria Aparecida Marin-Morales

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

The designation of biodiesel as a green fuel has increased its commercialization and use, making its fate in the environment a matter of concern. Fuel spills constitute a major source of aquatic pollution and, like diesel spills, biodiesel can produce adverse effects on aquatic environments, animals and humans. The present study assessed cytotoxic effects of water systems contaminated with neat biodiesel and its diesel blends by means of different procedures on human T cell leukemia (Jurkat) and human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cells [detection of changes in mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) using tetramethylrhodamine ethyl ester (TMRE), apoptosis recognition by Annexin V and impedance real-time cell analyzer (xCELLigence™ system)]. The data obtained showed concordance across the different bioassays, with cytotoxic effects observed as a dose-dependent response only for waters contaminated with pure diesel (D100) and B5 blend, which is characterized by a mixture of 95% diesel and 5% biodiesel. The data can also lead us to hypothesize that diesel accounts for the harmful effects observed, and that biodiesel does not worsen the impacts caused by diesel pollution.

Policy theme(s)

Chemicals >> Impacts >> Ecosystem impacts
Climate change and energy >> Climate change mitigation >> Low carbon and renewable energy
Water >> Water quality >> Water pollution and safety

Keywords

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; Cell proliferation and viability; Cell death process; Apoptosis; Necrosis

Entry Source:

Shortlisted for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

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N/A

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http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651311002557
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mamm@rc.unesp.br

Title

Quantitative Measurement of Direct Nitrous Oxide Emissions from Microalgae Cultivation

Reference

Environ. Sci. Technol., Article ASAP
DOI:10.1021/es202573f

Author(s)

Kelly D. Fagerstone, Jason C. Quinn, Thomas H. Bradley, Susan K. De Long, and Anthony J. Marchese

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

Although numerous lifecycle assessments (LCA) of microalgae-based biofuels have suggested net reductions of greenhouse gas emissions, limited experimental data exist on direct emissions from microalgae cultivation systems. For example, nitrous oxide (N2O) is a potent greenhouse gas that has been detected from microalgae cultivation. However, little quantitative experimental data exist on direct N2O emissions from microalgae cultivation, which has inhibited LCA performed to date. In this study, microalgae species Nannochloropsis salina was cultivated with diurnal light–dark cycling using a nitrate nitrogen source. Gaseous N2O emissions were quantitatively measured using Fourier transform infrared spectrometry. Under a nitrogen headspace (photobioreactor simulation), the reactors exhibited elevated N2O emissions during dark periods, and reduced N2O emissions during light periods. Under air headspace conditions (open pond simulation), N2O emissions were negligible during both light and dark periods. Results show that N2O production was induced by anoxic conditions when nitrate was present, suggesting that N2O was produced by denitrifying bacteria within the culture. The presence of denitrifying bacteria was verified through PCR-based detection of norB genes and antibiotic treatments, the latter of which substantially reduced N2O emissions. Application of these results to LCA and strategies for growth management to reduce N2O emissions are discussed.

Policy theme(s)

Air pollution >> Source of emissions >> Industrial emissions
Climate change and energy >> Climate change mitigation >> Low carbon and renewable energy

Keywords

Entry Source:

Shortlisted for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

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N/A

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http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es202573f
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marchese@colostate.edu

Title

Ecofriendly hydrogen production from abundant hydrogen sulfide using solar light-driven hierarchical nanostructured ZnIn₂S₄ photocatalyst

Reference

Green Chem., 2011, 13, 2500-2506
DOI: 10.1039/C1GC15515F

Author(s)

Nilima S. Chaudhari, Ashwini P. Bhirud, Ravindra S. Sonawane, Latesh K. Nikam, Sambhaji S. Warule, Vilas H. Rane and Bharat B. Kale

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

It is quite well-known that refineries are producing huge amount of H₂S which has been used to produce sulphur and water using the well-known Claus process. This process is not an economically viable process, due to the high-cost chemical process and creates further acute environmental problems. Therefore, we have demonstrated the conversion of poisonous H₂S into H₂ using an ecofriendly phocatalysis process which is a green unconventional energy source. We have investigated ecofriendly nanostructured ZnIn₂S₄ photocatalyst to produce hydrogen from H₂S using solar light. We also demonstrate the controlled synthesis of hierarchical nanostructured ZnIn₂S₄ using a facile hydrothermal method. The morphologies obtained have been greatly influenced by the presence of triethylamine (TEA) with various concentrations during the reaction. Surprisingly, a highly crystalline hexagonal layer structured ZnIn₂S₄ was obtained instead of cubic spinel. The hierarchical nanostructure, i.e. marigold flower-like morphology, was obtained without any surfactant. The thin and transparent petals self-assembled to form the unique nanostructured marigold flower. The highly crystalline puffy marigold flowers and nanoplates/nanostrips were obtained using TEA-assisted hydrothermal synthesis. Optical study shows the band gap in the range of 2.34–2.48 eV. Considering the band gap in the visible region, ZnIn₂S₄ is used as photocatalyst for hydrogen production from hydrogen sulphide under solar light which is hitherto unattempted. The constant photocatalytic activity of hydrogen evolution, i.e. 5287 µmol h-1, was obtained using such hierarchical nanostructured ZnIn₂S₄ under visible light irradiation. It is noteworthy that the H₂ evolution rate obtained is much higher compared to earlier reported photocatalysts. Considering the significance of morphologies for photocatalytic application, the formation mechanism has also been furnished. The unique hierarchical nanostructured ZnIn₂S₄ ternary semiconductor having hexagonal layer will have potential applications in solar cells, LEDs, charge storage, electrochemical recording, thermoelectricity and other prospective electronic and optical devices.

Policy theme(s)

Climate change and energy >> Climate change mitigation >> Low carbon and renewable energy
Environmental technologies >> Climate change mitigation >> Low carbon technologies
Sustainable consumption and production >> Sustainable production >> Sustainable manufacturing processes

Keywords

Entry Source:

Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

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N/A

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http://pubs.rsc.org/en/Content/ArticleLanding/2011/GC/c1gc15515f
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bbkale@cmet.gov.in

Title

Beyond biofuels: Assessing global land use for domestic consumption of biomass: A conceptual and empirical contribution to sustainable management of global resources

Reference

Land Use Policy
Volume 29, Issue 1, January 2012, Pages 224-232

Author(s)

Stefan Bringezu, Meghan O’Brien, Helmut Schütz

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

Consumption of natural resources should not exceed sustainable levels. The increasing use of biofuels and to some extent biomaterials, on top of rising food and feed demands, is causing countries to use a growing amount of global land, which may lead to land use conflicts and the expansion of cropland and intensive cultivation at the expense of natural ecosystems. Selective product certification cannot control the land use change triggered by growing overall biomass consumption. We propose a comprehensive approach to account for the global land use of countries for their domestic consumption, and assess this level with regard to globally acceptable levels of resource use, based on the concept of safe operating space. It is shown that the European Union currently uses one-third more cropland than globally available on a per capita basis and that with constant consumption levels it would exceed its fair share of acceptable resource use in 2030. As the use of global forests to meet renewable energy targets is becoming a concern, an approach to account for sustainable levels of timber flows is also proposed, based on the use of net annual increment, exemplified with preliminary data for Switzerland. Altogether, our approach would integrate the concept of sustainable consumption into national resource management plans; offering a conceptual basis and concrete reference values for informed policy making and urging countries to monitor and adjust their levels of resource consumption in a comprehensive way, respectful of the limits of sustainable supply.

Policy theme(s)

Climate change and energy >> Climate change mitigation >> Low carbon and renewable energy
Forests >> Forest services >> Forest industries/products
Land use >> Land use change

Keywords

Bioenergy; Biomaterials; Environmental space; Consumption; Agriculture; Forestry

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Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

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N/A

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http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264837711000640
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stefan.bringezu@wupperinst.org

Title

Environmental Impacts of Algae-Derived Biodiesel and Bioelectricity for Transportation

Reference

Environ. Sci. Technol., 2011, 45 (17), pp 7554–7560

Author(s)

Andres F. Clarens, Hagai Nassau, Eleazer P. Resurreccion, Mark A. White, and Lisa M. Colosi

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

Algae are a widely touted source of bioenergy with high yields, appreciable lipid contents, and an ability to be cultivated on marginal land without directly competing with food crops. Nevertheless, recent work has suggested that large-scale deployment of algae bioenergy systems could have unexpectedly high environmental burdens. In this study, a “well-to-wheel” life cycle assessment was undertaken to evaluate algae’s potential use as a transportation energy source for passenger vehicles. Four algae conversion pathways resulting in combinations of bioelectricity and biodiesel were assessed for several relevant nutrient procurement scenarios. Results suggest that algae-to-energy systems can be either net energy positive or negative depending on the specific combination of cultivation and conversion processes used. Conversion pathways involving direct combustion for bioelectricity production generally outperformed systems involving anaerobic digestion and biodiesel production, and they were found to generate four and fifteen times as many vehicle kilometers traveled (VKT) per hectare as switchgrass or canola, respectively. Despite this, algae systems exhibited mixed performance for environmental impacts (energy use, water use, and greenhouse gas emissions) on a “per km” basis relative to the benchmark crops. This suggests that both cultivation and conversion processes must be carefully considered to ensure the environmental viability of algae-to-energy processes.

Policy theme(s)

Climate change and energy >> Climate change mitigation >> Low carbon and renewable energy

Keywords

Entry Source:

Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

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N/A

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http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es200760n
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lmc6b@virginia.edu

Title

Stress-adapted extremophiles provide energy without interference with food production

Reference

Food Security
Volume 3, Number 1, 93-105, DOI: 10.1007/s12571-011-0112-9

Author(s)

Ray A. Bressan, Muppala P. Reddy, Suk Ho Chung, Dae Jin Yun, Lowell S. Hardin and Hans J. Bohnert

Study type

Peer Review Journal 

Abstract

How to wean humanity off the use of fossil fuels continues to receive much attention but how to replace these fuels with renewable sources of energy has become a contentious field of debate as well as research, which often reflects economic and political factors rather than scientific good sense. It is clear that not every advertized energy source can lead to a sustainable, humane and environment-friendly path out of a future energy crisis. Our proposal is based on two assertions: that the use of food crops for biofuels is immoral, and that for this purpose using land suitable for growing crops productively is to be avoided. We advocate a focus on new “extremophile” crops. These would either be wild species adapted to extreme environments which express genes, developmental processes and metabolic pathways that distinguish them from traditional crops or existing crops genetically modified to withstand extreme environments. Such extremophile energy crops (EECs), will be less susceptible to stresses in a changing global environment and provide higher yields than existing crops. Moreover, they will grow on land that has never been valuable for agriculture or is no longer so, owing to centuries or millennia of imprudent exploitation. Such a policy will contribute to striking a balance between ecosystem protection and human resource management. Beyond that, rather than bulk liquid fuel generation, combustion of various biomass sources including extremophiles for generating electrical energy, and photovoltaics-based capture of solar energy, are superbly suitable candidates for powering the world in the future. Generating electricity and efficient storage capacity is quite possibly the only way for a sustainable post-fossil and, indeed, post-biofuel fuel economy.

Policy theme(s)

Agriculture >> Agricultural management >> Food security
Biotechnology >> GMOs
Climate change and energy >> Climate change mitigation >> Low carbon and renewable energy

Keywords

Alternative crops - Bioenergy generation - Extremophiles - Abiotic stress tolerance - Food or fuel

Entry Source:

Shortlisted for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

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http://www.springerlink.com/content/a001q13503038414/
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bressan@purdue.edu

Title

Shale gas: a provisional assessment of climate change and environmental impacts

Reference

A report by researchers at The Tyndall Centre, University of Manchester

Author(s)

Study type

Report

Abstract

This report, commissioned by The Co-operative, provides a provisional review and assessment of the risks and benefits of shale gas development, with the aim of informing The Co-operative's position on this ‘unconventional’ fuel source.
The analysis within the report addresses two specific issues associated with the extraction and combustion of shale gas. Firstly, it outlines potential UK and global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions arising from a range of scenarios building on
current predictions of shale gas resources. Secondly, it explores the health and environmental risks associated with shale gas extraction. It should be stressed that a key issue in assessing these issues has been a paucity of reliable data. To date shale gas has only been exploited in the US and, while initial estimates have been made, it is difficult to quantify the possible resources in other parts of the globe, including the UK. Equally, information on health and environmental aspects is of variable quality and only now is there any systematic effort being undertaken to better understand these issues. Therefore, while every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in the report, it can only be as accurate as the information on which it draws. It is clear however, that while shale gas extraction, at a global level, does not involve the high energy and water inputs at the scale of other unconventional fuels, such as oil derived from tar sands, it does pose significant potential risks to human health and the environment. Principally, the potential for hazardous chemicals to enter groundwater via the extraction process must be subject to more thorough research prior to any expansion of the industry being considered. Additionally, while being promoted as a transition route to a low carbon future, none of the available evidence indicates that this is likely to be the case. It is difficult to envisage any situation other than shale gas largely being used in addition to other fossil fuel reserves and adding a further carbon burden. This could lead to an additional 11ppmv of CO2 over and above expected levels without shale gas - a figure that could rise if more of the total shale gas resource were to be exploited than envisaged in the scenarios. This would be compounded if investment in shale gas were to delay the necessary investment in zero and very low carbon technologies.

Policy theme(s)

Climate change and energy >> Climate change mitigation >> Low carbon and renewable energy
Risk assessment >> Hazards >> Hazardous substances
Water >> Water quality >> Water pollution and safety

Keywords

N/A

Entry Source:

N/A

Referred to in EC doc:

Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

View this study at:

http://www.tyndall.ac.uk/publications/technical-report/2011/shale-gas-provisional-assessment-climate-change-and-environmental
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tyndall@uea.ac.uk

Title

Experimental analysis of an air gap membrane distillation solar desalination pilot system

Reference

Journal of Membrane Science Volume 379, Issues 1-2, 1 September 2011, Pages 386-396

Author(s)

Elena Guillén-Burrieza, Julián Blanco, Guillermo Zaragoza, Diego-César Alarcón, Patricia Palenzuela, Mercedes Ibarra and Wolfgang Gernjak

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

A solar desalination system based on membrane distillation (MD) is presented and evaluated. In the context of a European project, the MEDESOL project, a pilot plant was built to evaluate the system, which consists of three commercial MD modules coupled with a static solar collector's field. The MD modules employed have been developed and manufactured by the Swedish company Scarab AB. They have a flat sheet air gap membrane distillation (AGMD) configuration with a total membrane surface area per module of 2.8 m2. The MD system is intended to be technically simple to operate, robust and able to cover water demands of small settlements. It also contemplates the use of a multi-stage layout to minimize energy consumption.
Experiments were run during solar hours (the layout didn't include heat storage) and addressed to characterize the performance of the system (i.e. distillate production and quality, thermal efficiency and recovery ratio) as a function of operation variables and salt concentration, as well as to identify the operating capacities and the potential improvements of the MD technology. Aqueous NaCl solutions of 1 and 35 g/l concentration were used as feed. Temperatures up to 85 °C in the feed and up to 75°C in the refrigeration were employed. Maximum specific distillate flux values registered were in the range of 7 l/h m2. Multi-stage layouts were tested in order to evaluate the improvement of the system's thermal efficiency and recovery ratio. The MD technology assessed proved to be suitable for coupling with transient solar thermal energy but inefficiencies inherent to scaling-up compared to laboratory experiences reported in literature were also identified, namely affecting specific distillate production and thermal consumption. The results of the characterization, performance assessment and operational issues description of the pilot plant are shown.

Policy theme(s)

Climate change and energy >> Climate change mitigation >> Low carbon technologies
Environmental technologies >> Pollution control >> Water treatment

Keywords

Membrane distillation, Air gap membrane distillation, Solar desalination, Pilot MD plant

Entry Source:

Shortlisted for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

View this study at:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0376738811004479
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julian.blanco@psa.es

Title

Urban wind power and the private sector: community benefits, social acceptance and public engagement 

Reference

Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, Volume 54, Issue 2 March 2011 , pages 227 - 244

Author(s)

Bob Evans; Judith Parks; Kate Theobald

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

Given the ambitious government targets for renewable energy generation in the UK, there has been a push by government and industry towards various types and scales of Renewable Energy Technologies (RETs). This paper explores the implications of commercial urban wind projects for local communities, drawing on a case study of proposals by ASDA to construct wind turbines in two semi-urban locations in the UK. The paper argues that community responses to the proposals were complex and varied and could not adequately be encapsulated by 'nimby' (not in my back yard) assignations. It concludes that while ASDA followed a process of consulting local people, this process highlighted the problems of the 'business as usual' approach to public engagement employed by ASDA, and assumptions made about public acceptance of RETs.

Policy theme(s)

Climate change and energy>>Climate change mitigation>>Low carbon and renewable energy
Environmental information services>>Environmental communication>>Stakeholder/public engagement

Keywords

renewable energy, commercial urban wind, public engagement, public perceptions, social acceptance

Entry Source:

N/A

Referred to in EC doc:

Shortlisted for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

View this study at:

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09640568.2010.505829
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judith.parks@northumbria.ac.uk