Amalia Zucaro

Multi-method and Multi-scale Analysis of Energy and Resource Conversion and Use

Optimizing the performance of a given process requires that many different aspects are taken into account. Some of them, mostly of technical nature, relate to the local scale at which the process occurs. Other technological, economic and environmental aspects are likely to affect the dynamics of the larger space and time scales in which the process is embedded. These spatial and time scale effects require that a careful evaluation of the relation between the process and its ‘surroundings’ is performed, so that hidden consequences and possible sources of inefficiency and impact are clearly identified. In this work the authors summarise a number of studies in which they applied a multi-method and multi-scale approach in order to generate a comprehensive picture of the investigated systems/processes. The benefits of such an integrated investigation approach are discussed.

Comparative attributional life cycle assessment of annual and perennial lignocellulosic feedstocks production under Mediterranean climate for biorefinery framework

Annual fiber sorghum (FS) and perennial giant reed (GR) cultivated in the Mediterranean area are interesting due to their high productivity under drought conditions and their potential use as lignocellulosic feedstock for biorefinery purposes. This study compares environmental constraints related to FS and GR produced on experimental farms (in the Campania region) using an attributional life cycle assessment (LCA) approach through appropriate modeling of the perennial cultivation. For both crops, primary data were available for agricultural management. Direct field emissions (DFEs) were computed, including the potential soil carbon storage (SCS). Giant reed showed the lowest burdens for all impact categories analyzed (most were in the range of 40%-80% of FS values). More apparent were the differences for climate change and freshwater eutrophication (respectively 80% and 81% lower for GR compared to FS). These results are due to the short-term SCS, experimentally detected in the perennial GR crop (about 0.25 ton C ha(-1) yr(-1), with a global warming offsetting potential of about 0.03 ton CO2/ton(GR dry biomass)). The results are also due to the annual application of triple superphosphate at the sowing fertilization phase for FS, which occurs differently than it does for GR. Phosphorous fertilization was performed only when crops were being established and therefore properly spread along the overall crop lifetime. For both crops, after normalization, terrestrial acidification and particulate matter formation were relevant impact categories, as a consequence of the NH3 DFE by volatilization after urea were spread superficially. Therefore, the results suggest higher environmental benefits of the perennial crop than the annual crop.

LCA of 1,4-Butanediol Produced via Direct Fermentation of Sugars from Wheat Straw Feedstock within a Territorial Biorefinery

The bio-based industrial sector has been recognized by the European Union as a priority area toward sustainability, however, the environmental profile of bio-based products needs to be further addressed. This study investigated, through the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach, the environmental performance of bio-based 1,4-butanediol (BDO) produced via direct fermentation of sugars from wheat straw, within a hypothetical regional biorefinery (Campania Region, Southern Italy). The aim was: (i) to identify the hotspots along the production chain; and (ii) to assess the potential environmental benefits of this bio-based polymer versus the reference conventional product (fossil-based BDO). Results identified the prevailing contribution to the total environmental load of bio-based BDO in the feedstock production and in the heat requirement at the biorefinery plant. The modeled industrial bio-based BDO supply chain, showed a general reduction of the environmental impacts compared to the fossil-based BDO. The lowest benefits were gained in terms of acidification and eutrophication, due to the environmental load of the crop phase for feedstock cultivation.

Assessing the Environmental Performance and Sustainability of National Agricultural Systems

Agricultural systems are a crucial interface between human societies and nature, in that they “amplify” the human-controlled investments by concentrating natural energies of sun, rain, and nutrients and make them converge to food production. Even if gross economic value, labor and energy expenditures associated to agriculture are unlikely to ever represent a large fraction of the total performance of a national developed economy, yet the role of such a sector goes much beyond the actual food production and calls for higher attention by concerned policy makers. The evaluation of the dynamics and performance of agricultural systems must be carefully investigated from different sustainability points of view (energy, material, economic, environmental, social) to point out how the system and its main driving forces are evolving over time and how can they support a national economy. In this study we compare the agricultural systems of Scotland and Italy over time, by means of an integrated analysis model, SUMMA (SUstainability Multimethod Multiscale Assessment) capable to take into account different dimensions of the investigated systems. The final goal is to understand what are the steps of the investigated processes that are characterized by the lowest performances as well as how the system can be made more robust and resilient in spite of the existing problems (among which increasing energy and resource prices, decreasing land quality, and decreasing marginal productivity).

Multiscale Integrated Evaluation of Agricultural Systems. An Extended LCA Approach

The overall goal of the present study is to find integrated patterns and synergies among different approaches for the evaluation of complex production systems. In order to merge the different methodological, spatial and time-scale perspectives, an extended LCA framework (SUMMA, Sustainability Multi-method Multi-scale Assessment) is developed and tested focusing on the dynamics and performance of the agricultural sector in Italy. The SUMMA framework builds on LCA inventory and results complemented by the quality and time perspectives of the Emergy Synthesis method by which the free renewable flows, embodied time, direct and indirect labour, as well as economic and quality aspects are accounted for. The study, carried out within the EU funded SMILE project, is aimed at developing an integrated evaluation tool taking into account environmental, economic and social aspects, identification of drivers for change, and potential synergies. The development of an integrated model is crucial: the flows of energy and materials, land use, the rate of using resources, interrelations of socioeconomic and natural systems, and the time and spatial scales are all interlinked and cannot be evaluated separately without losing generality and wholeness. Most often, the economic performance, due to links with employment and social parameters (economic and social sustainability), is the aspect considered with more interest by policy makers and managers. Nevertheless, a comprehensive assessment cannot disregard environmental aspects and use of resource being important requisites of sustainability for the evaluation of different sectors or processes.