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- Local waste agroforestry managment - biomass to energy analysis with LCAPublication . Brás, Isabel; Ferreira Silva, Maria Elisabete; Ferreira, José; Raimondo, Roberta; Saetta, Rafaella; Fabricino, MassimilainoTo enable the protection of forests against rural fires are foreseen a set of measures for plan-ning and intervention, reduction their risk and impacts. Forest residues collecting centers are being created in Portugal, to reduce undesired thermal charge in nature and for biomass further valorization. Keeping this in mind, one of the strategies is the energy recovery from these residues in bi-omass power plants that were built in strategic locations. The biomass is mostly natural residu-al forest, agricultural and garden wood and green materials The present work aims to study its environmental impact. The Life Cycle Assessment methodology, using SimaPro 9.3.0.3 PhD software, was applied to identify the burden of this process and the environmental categories most relevantly affect-ed. Data achieved showed the importance of the valorization of residual biomass for energy production, reduction the impact categories of abiotic depletion due to fossil fuels, global warming, human toxicity and eutrophication.
- Forest waste composting—operational management, environmental impacts, and applicationPublication . Ferreira Silva, Maria Elisabete; Saetta, Raffaella; Raimondo, Roberta; Costa, José Manuel; Ferreira, José; Brás, IsabelIn Portugal, the number of fres and the size of burnt areas are rising dramatically every year, increasing with improper management of agroforestry wastes (AFRs). This work aims to study the composting of these wastes with minimal operational costs and understand the environmental impact and the compost application on burnt soil. Thus, a study of life cycle assessment (LCA) was carried out based on windrow composting processes, considering the avoided environmental impacts associated with the end-product quality and its application as an organic amendment. Three composting piles were made with AFRs from the Residual Biomass Collection Centre (RBCC) in Bodiosa (Portugal). Sewage sludges (SS) from an urban wastewater treatment plant were used as conditioning agent. One pile with AFRs (MC) and another with AFRs and SS (MCS) were managed according to good composting practices. Another pile with the AFRs was developed without management (NMC), thus with a minimal operational cost. Periodically, it was measured several physical and chemical parameters according to standard methodologies. Eleven environmental impacts of compost production, MC and MCS, were analyzed by a LCA tool, and their efect on the growth of Pinus pinea was evaluated, using peat as reference. Composting evolution was expected for both piles. Final composts, MC and MCS, were similar, complying with organic amendment quality parameters. Compost NMC, with no operational management, showed the highest germination index. Piles MC and MCS showed similar environmental impacts, contributing to a negative impact on global warming, acidifcation, and eutrophication. Greater growth was obtained with application of MCS, followed by MC, and fnally, peat. Composting is a sustainable way to valorize AFRs wastes, producing compost that could restore burnt soils and promote plant growth and circular economy.
- Valorisation of Forest and Agriculture Residual Biomass—The Application of Life Cycle Assessment to Analyse Composting, Mulching, and Energetic Valorisation StrategiesPublication . Brás, Isabel; Ferreira Silva, Maria Elisabete; Raimondo, Roberta; Saetta, Raffaella; Mignano, Vincenzo; Fabbricino, Massimiliano; Ferreira, JoséThe treatment of agricultural and forest residues (AFRs) has become an important issue nowadays, both to avoid improper management and for their enhancement. In the study area of Viseu (Portugal), the AFRs are taken to a Residual Biomass Collection Centre. These are valorised in a Biomass Power Plant to produce electricity. Two further processes could be implemented to valorise this biomass: mulching and composting. This study aims to understand the best strategy to enhance this type of biomass residual considering their environmental performance. The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was applied considering a cradle-to-grave approach. Different processes of all the technologies were analysed, and the data collected enabled a comparison of 11 environmental impact categories. The results show that composting is the best alternative, except for global warming and ozone layer depletion, and energy valorisation has the greatest impact on five of the considered categories. In the three processes, impacts are mainly associated with the production and shredding phases of the residual biomass, rather than the transportation stages, due to the short distances covered. In all cases, the value of the final product generates market consequences in terms of electricity and fertiliser production. In line with the aim of the study, its outcomes may provide scientific support to local decision makers in defining best practices in the management of the AFRs.
- Avaliação de impacte ambiental da gestão de resíduos da produção de uma bancada com base na abordagem de ACVPublication . Silva, Luiza; Ferreira Silva, Maria Elisabete; Brás, Isabel; Domingos, Idalina; Ferreira Wessel, Dulcineia; Ferreira, JoséIntroduction: Consumerism has led to an increase in environmental problems, and for this reason, sustainable solutions must be the priority when designing new products or services. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is one of the most important analytical tools available for choosing the best decision when it comes to sustainability. Objective: The focus of this study was to apply an LCA to the management of wastes from a kitchen/bathroom countertop production. The waste management scenarios studied were landfill (current practice) and waste recycling. The panel consists of a ceramic layer on a lamellar panel substrate, formed by glassliner and PVC, which is intended to be resistant to water, scratches and impacts. The residues generated from the panel production are glassliner and PVC plastics and ceramics. Methods: The LCA methodology was followed and the EPD 2018 method available in the SimaPro software was chosen to quantify the environmental impacts of waste management. The environmental impact categories studied were eutrophication, global warming, photochemical oxidation, ozone layer depletion, abiotic depletion and acidification. Results: The results showed that the two plastic wastes are the main contributors to acidification, eutrophication and global warming. However, for photochemical oxidation and water scarcity, the ceramic component residue is the main contributor. Comparing the two scenarios, waste recycling reduces the impacts in all environmental impact categories, in comparison with landfill. Conclusion: Recycling the residues from the production of panels brings improvements in environmental impacts in all categories analyzed.
- Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Conventional Concrete to Ash ConcretePublication . Ferreira, José; Ferreira Silva, Maria Elisabete; Domingos, Idalina; Silva, Luiza; Brás, IsabelIn the present work, the environmental impacts of the concrete made with woody fly ash that presented compressive strength like the conventional concrete were evaluated and compared using the Life Cycle Assessment methodology. The impact assessment method used was the “CML-IA baseline” implemented in SimaPro software. The results showed that concrete with fly ash had a lower impact than conventional concrete in all the impact categories under study and may be classified as an eco-material (eco-concrete) considering that the environmental issues that are minimized are waste reduction, reduce of landfill problems and resource saving by the utilization of recycled materials.
- Sustainable Heat Production for Fossil Fuel Replacement—Life Cycle Assessment for Plant Biomass Renewable Energy SourcesPublication . Lopes Brás, Isabel Paula; Fabriccino, Massimiliano; Ferreira, José; Ferreira Silva, Maria Elisabete; Mignano, VincenzoThis study aims to assess the environmental impact of using wood-based biomass as a high-efficiency fuel alternative to fossil fuels for heat production. To achieve this, the life cycle of biomass transformation, utilization, and disposal was analyzed using the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology with SimaPro 9.5.0.2 PhD software. The system boundaries included extraction, processing, transportation, combustion, and waste management, following a cradle-to-gate approach. A comparative analysis was conducted between natural gas, the most widely used conventional heating fuel, and two biomass-based fuels: wood pellets and wood chips. The results indicate that biomass utilization reduces greenhouse gas emissions (−19%) and fossil resource depletion (−16%) while providing environmental benefits across all assessed impact categories analyzed, except for land use (+96%). Biomass is also to be preferred for forest waste management, ease of supply, and energy independence. However, critical life cycle phases, such as raw material processing and transportation, were found to contribute significantly to human health and ecosystem well-being. To mitigate these effects, optimizing combustion efficiency, improving supply chain logistics, and promoting sustainable forestry practices are recommended. These findings highlight the potential of biomass as a viable renewable energy source and provide insights into strategies for minimizing its environmental footprint.
- Carbon footprint calculator for the Portuguese textile and clothing industry: development, application and validationPublication . C. Duarte; Ferreira, José; Lopes Brás, Isabel Paula; Ferreira Silva, Maria Elisabete