• Resources Recycling
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.56-64
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• 2022

Construction waste is generated at a rate of approximately 221,102 tons/day in Korea. In particular, mixed construction waste generates approximately 24,582 tons/day. The other components were recycled by 98.9%. The amount of greenhouse gas emissions from the waste was 17.1 million tons of CO2 equaling 2.3% of the total greenhouse gas emissions. To reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reducing the environmental impact is becoming increasingly important. However, appropriate treatment must first be established, as mixed construction waste is also increasing. Thus, an effective plan is urgently needed because it is frequently segregated and sorted by the landfill and incinerated. In addition, there is an urgent need to prepare various effective recycling methods rather than a simple treatment. Therefore, this study analyzed the environmental impact of the treatment of mixed construction waste by calculating greenhouse gas emissions. As a result, the highest greenhouse gas generation occurred during the incineration stage. Moreover, the optimal method to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is recycling and energy recovery from waste. In addition, the amount of greenhouse gas generated during energy recovery from the waste stage was the second highest. However, greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced by using waste as energy to reduce fossil fuel consumption. In addition, for the transportation stage, the optimal reduction plan is to minimize the amount of greenhouse gas emissions by setting the optimal distance and applying biofuel and electric vehicle operations.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.334-340
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• 2005

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the nutrient loss and to assess the eutrophication into small stream by intensive rains in the steeped cornfield during cultivation. The crop cultivated was a soiling com (DW5969), and the experimental plots were divided into two parts that were 10 and 18% of slope degrees. The amount of T-N and T-P loss was calculated by analysis of surface run-off water quality, and was investigated the effect of eutrophication to small stream as a part of life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology application. For the surface run-off water quality, EC and T-N values were highest in first runoff event as compared to the other events and maintained the stage state with litter variations at every hour during the runoff period except for EC in the slope 18%. However, T-P concentration has been a transient stage after runoff event of July 27. Total surface run-off ratio was not significantly different with slope degrees, but amount of T-N and T-P losses at 18% of slope were high as $5.96kg\;ha^{-1}\;and\;0.65kg\;ha^{-1}$ as relative to 10% of slope degree, respectively. Furthermore, T-N losses from run-off water in the sloped cornfield 10 and 18% were approximately 9.8 and 12.5% of the N applied as fertilizer when the fertilizer applied at recommended rates after soil test, respectively. For the eutrophication impact to the small stream, it was shown that $PO_4$ equivalence and Eco-indicator value at 18% of slope degree were greater as much $6.11kg\;ha^{-1}$ and 0.81 as compared to the slope angle 10%, respectively. Therefore, it was appeared that each effect of nutrient losses, eutrophication and Eco-indicator value was enhanced according with higher slope degree.

• International Journal of Automotive Technology
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.77-86
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• 2003

How to compare the environmental damage caused by vehicles with different foe]s and drive trains\ulcorner This paper describes a methodology to assess the environmental impact of vehicles, using different approaches, and evaluating their benefits and limitations. Rating systems are analysed as tools to compare the environmental impact of vehicles, allowing decision makers to dedicate their financial and non-financial policies and support measures in function of the ecological damage. The paper is based on the "Clean Vehicles" research project, commissioned by the Brussels Capital Region via the BIM-IBGE (Brussels Institute for the Conservation of the Environment) (Van Mierlo et at., 2001). The VriJe Universiteit Brussel (ETEC) and the universite Libre do Bruxelles (CEESE) have jointly carried out the workprogramme. The most important results of this project are illustrated in this paper. First an overview of environmental, economical and technical characteristics of the different alternative fuels and drive trains is given. Afterward the basic principles to identify the environmental impact of cars are described. An outline of the considered emissions and their environmental impact leads to the definition of the calculation method, named Ecoscore. A rather simple and pragmatic approach would be stating that all alternative fuelled vehicles (LPG, CNG, EV, HEV, etc.) can be considered as ′clean′. Another basic approach is considering as ′clean′ all vehicles satisfying a stringent omission regulation like EURO IV or EEV. Such approaches however don′t tell anything about the real environmental damage of the vehicles. In the paper we describe "how should the environmental impact of vehicles be defined\ulcorner", including parameters affecting the emissions of vehicles and their influence on human beings and on the environment and "how could it be defined \ulcorner", taking into account the availability of accurate and reliable data. We take into account different damages (acid rain, photochemical air pollution, global warming. noise, etc.) and their impacts on several receptors like human beings (e.g., cancer, respiratory diseases, etc), ecosystems, or buildings. The presented methodology is based on a kind of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in which the contribution of all emissions to a certain damage are considered (e.g. using Exposure-Response damage function). The emissions will include oil extraction, transportation refinery, electricity production, distribution, (Well-to-Wheel approach), as well as the emission due to the production, use and dismantling of the vehicle (Cradle-to-Grave approach). The different damages will be normalized to be able to make a comparison. Hence a reference value (determined by the reference vehicle chosen) will be defined as a target value (the normalized value will thus measure a kind of Distance to Target). The contribution of the different normalized damages to a single value "Ecoscore" will be based on a panel weighting method. Some examples of the calculation of the Ecoscore for different alternative fuels and drive trains will be calculated as an illustration of the methodology.