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- The contribution of a portion of meat, fish and eggs for climate changePublication . Ferreira, Vicente; Domingos, Idalina; Esteves, Bruno; Cruz-Lopes, LuísaIntrodução: A mudança nos padrões alimentares dos cidadãos implicará uma pegada ambiental maior em termos de emissões de gases de efeito estufa e uso de recursos naturais. Por exemplo, dietas ricas em leite e carne, especialmente de ruminantes, estão associadas ao aumento das emissões de metano da fermentação entérica, do dióxido de carbono da deflorestação para dar origem ao pasto e do óxido nitroso da produção de ração. Objetivos: Para um consumo mais sustentável, o objetivo deste estudo foi quantificar e comparar a contribuição para as alterações climáticas de uma porção do que se come em geral, proveniente da Roda dos Alimentos, relacionados com carnes, aves, peixes e ovos, para alcançar uma dieta equilibrada e saudável. Métodos: A Avaliação do Ciclo de Vida, baseada nas normas ISO 14040/44 (2006), foi a metodologia utilizada. A análise de inventário e, posteriormente a análise de impacte foram realizadas utilizando o software SimaPro 8.5. O método escolhido para a avaliação de impacte ambiental foi o IPCC 2013 GWP 100a. Resultados: Os resultados mostram que uma porção de cavala (peixe) apresenta a pegada ecológica inferior seguida da porção de bacalhau, frango, lombo de porco, ovos, lagosta e bife de vaca, respetivamente. Conclusões: A principal conclusão deste estudo é que a avaliação do impacte de ciclo de vida usando o método IPCC 2013 GWP 100a, pode ajudar as pessoas a escolherem os melhores alimentos para uma refeição mais amiga do ambiente, ajudando a mitigar as alterações climáticas.
- Environmental profile of the electricity supplied in Portugal by the main suppliersPublication . Ferreira, José; Esteves, Bruno; Cruz-Lopes, Luísa; Domingos, IdalinaThe main aim of this study was to assess and compare the environmental profile of 1 KWh of electricity supplied during 2014 by the four main electricity selling companies in Continental Portugal. The study was elaborated based on Life Cycle Assessment methodology and the method chosen for environmental impact assessment was EPD2013. The results show that the ENDESA´s electricity was the worst in terms of acidification, eutrophication, global warming, photochemical oxidation and ozone layer depletion while IBERDROLA´s electricity was the best for those impact categories and the worst in terms of abiotic depletion. Including in the study, the net electricity fed into the Portuguese and UCTE grid at the high voltage level, the conclusion is that the electricity at Portuguese grid presents the worst performance in terms of acidification, global warming and photochemical oxidation while the electricity at UCTE grid presents the worst performance in terms of eutrophication and ozone layer depletion.
- Environmental Assessment of Pig Manure Treatment Systems through Life Cycle Assessment: A Mini-ReviewPublication . Ferreira, José; Santos, Lenise; Ferreira, Miguel; Ferreira, António; Domingos, IdalinaThe primary aim of this research was to evaluate and compare the environmental impacts, throughout the life cycle, of the main treatment systems employed by the industry, as well as to identify the processes that contribute most to these environmental impacts. To achieve this, a bibliographical search was conducted using theWeb of Science Core Collection database platform, utilizing the keywords “life cycle assessment”, “pig”, “treatment”, and “manure” or “slurry”. The search was restricted to publications from the last five years (2019–2023), resulting in a total of 66 publications that were then analyzed according to the functional unit (FU) adopted. For the 10 publications whose FUs were expressed in tons or cubic meters of treated manure, a descriptive and quantitative analysis was carried out. It was found that anaerobic digestion has been the most widely used treatment technology for pig manure over the past five years, according to the LCA methodology. These systems, configured as biogas and biofertilizer production facilities, have proven to be environmentally friendly and could play a crucial role in the energy transition and decarbonization of the energy matrix.
- Life Cycle Assessment of Green Space Irrigation Using Treated Wastewater: A Case StudyPublication . Santos, Lenise; Brás, Isabel; Ferreira, Miguel; Domingos, Idalina; Ferreira, JoséWater scarcity is a pressing issue that makes it essential to manage this resource efficiently and sustainably. One solution to combat this issue is the use of treated wastewater (TWW) to irrigate green spaces in cities. However, it is crucial to evaluate the environmental impacts associated with this practice. To this end, life cycle assessment (LCA) is the most advanced tool available. The objective of this study was to assess the environmental implications of usingTWWfor lawn irrigation in the city of Viseu. The ReCiPe 2016 method, supported by SimaPro software, was employed for life cycle impact assessment (LCIA). An attributional approach was used, and the system boundaries were expanded to include the non-discharge of TWW into the receiving environment, the avoided consumption of domestic water, and the avoided consumption of chemical fertilizers. The results revealed that using TWW for lawn irrigation is preferable in terms of human health and ecosystem damage but unfavorable in terms of resource damage. When considering the impact of water consumption on human health and terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, it is recommended to use treated wastewater for lawn irrigation.
- Environmental advantages through producing energy from grape stalk pellets instead of wood pellets and other sourcesPublication . Ferreira, José; Esteves, Bruno; Cruz-Lopes, Luísa; Evtuguin, Dmitry; Domingos, IdalinaThe aim of this study was to quantify and compare the environmental impact of the heat of grape stalk pellets with that of wood pellets and other sources, using the Life Cycle Assessment methodology. The study was carried out using the ISO 14040/44 series standard. The inventory analysis and, subsequently, the impact analysis were performed using the software SimaPro8.4.0. The method chosen for this environmental impact assessment was CML-IA baseline. The results show that heat from grape stalk pellets is more environmentally friendly than heat from wood pellets for 7 out of 11 impact categories, including marine aquatic ecotoxicity, which is considered the most important impact category. A global reduction of 1.6 × 104 or 1.14 × 106 or 1.9 × 106 tonne of CO2 eq emissions could be achieved if the global potential production of grape stalk pellets replaced wood pellets or light fuel oil or hard coal briquettes, respectively, contributing to the achievement of the EU’s objectives.