[en] Phosphorus (P) is a non-renewable resource extracted from phosphate rock to produce agricultural fertilizers. Since P is essential for life, it is important to preserve this resource and explore alternative sources of P to reduce its criticality. This study aimed to assess whether fertilizing with sludge-based phosphate fertilizers (SBPF) can be a suitable alternative to doing so with fertilizers produced from phosphate rock. Environmental impacts of production and land application of SBPF from four recovery processes were compared to those of two reference scenarios: triple super phosphate (TSP) and sewage sludge. To avoid bias when comparing scenarios, part of the environmental burden of wastewater treatment is allocated to sludge production. The CML-IA method was used to perform life cycle impact assessment. Results highlighted that production and land application of SBPF had higher environmental impacts than those of TSP due to the large amounts of energy and reactants needed to recover P, especially when sludge had a low P concentration. Certain environmental impacts of production and land application of sewage sludge were similar to those of SBPF. Sensitivity analysis conducted for cropping systems highlighted variability in potential application rates of sewage sludge or SBPF. Finally, because they contain lower contents of heavy metals than sewage sludge or TSP, SBPF are of great interest, but they require more mineral fertilizers to supplement their fertilization than sewage sludge. Thus, SBPF have advantages and disadvantages that need to be considered, since they may influence their use within fertilization practices.
Journal
Environmental Science and Pollution Research International; ISSN 0944-1344; 
; CODEN ESPLEC; v. 27(2); p. 2054-2070
; CODEN ESPLEC; v. 27(2); p. 2054-2070
[en] Waste management is a key environmental and socio-economic issue. Environmental concerns are encouraging the use of alternative resources and lower emissions to air, water and soil. Innovative technologies to deal with waste recovery that produce marketable bioproducts are emerging. Bioelectrochemical synthesis systems (BESs) are based on the primary principle of transforming organic waste into added-value products using microorganisms to catalyse chemical reactions. This technology is at the core of a research project called BIORARE (BIoelectrosynthesis for ORganic wAste bioREfinery), an interdisciplinary project that aims to use anaerobic digestion as a supply chain to feed a BES and produce target biomolecules. This technology needs to be driven by environmental strategies. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was used to evaluate the BIORARE concept based on expert opinion and prior experiments for the production of biosuccinic acid and waste management. A multidisciplinary approach based on biochemistry and process engineering expertise was used to collect the inventory data. The BES design and the two-step anaerobic digestion process have many potential impacts on air pollution or ecotoxicity-related categories. The comparison of the BIORARE concept with conventional fermentation processes and a water-fed BES technology demonstrated the environmental benefit resulting from the use of both the BES technology and a waste-based substrate as input thus supporting the BIORARE concept. Some trade-offs among the impact categories were identified but led to options to improve the concept. BES design and synergy management may improve the environmental performance of the BIORARE concept.
Journal
Environmental Science and Pollution Research International; ISSN 0944-1344; ; v. 25(36); p. 36485-36502
; v. 25(36); p. 36485-36502
[en] In the last decades transportation sector is a priority for environmental research. Indeed, it is the most impacting sector because it involves greenhouse emissions and fossil resources exhaustion. The Group of 'Ecole des Mines' (GEM), in France, carries out studies concerning clean and renewable energies for this sector with the 'H2-PAC' project. The GEM with four teams performs studies concerning energy systems for transportation sector and more particularly the hydrogen system. The four teams of the GEM work each one on a process of this system. More precisely, the team of Albi studies biomass gasification in order to produce synthesis gas. The team of Nantes studies purification of this gas to obtain pure hydrogen and hydrogen storage on activated carbon. The team of Paris studies fuel cell use and especially Polymer Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell. Finally, the team of St Etienne evaluates this system along its life cycle from an environmental point of view. This paper presents this environmental evaluation witch is realized according to Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology. (authors)
Journal
Scientific Bulletin - PolitehnicaUniversity of Bucharest. Series C, Electrical Engineering; ISSN 1454-234X; ; v. 69(4); p. 55-60
; v. 69(4); p. 55-60