Michael Steinfeldt

Nanotechnologies, hazards, and resource efficiency

Nanotechnologies, hazards, and resource efficiency , Nanotechnologies, hazards, and resource efficiency , کتابخانه دیجیتال جندی شاپور اهواز

Life cycle assessment of facade coating systems containing manufactured nanomaterials

Nanotechnologies are expected to hold considerable potential for the development of new materials in the construction sector. Up to now the environmental benefits and risks of products containing manufactured nanomaterials (MNM) have been quantified only to a limited extent. This study aims to assess the potential environmental, health and safety impacts of coatings containing MNM using Life-cycle assessment: Do paints containing MNM result in a better environmental performance than paints not containing MNM? The study shows that the results depend on a number of factors: (i) The MNM have to substitute an (active) ingredient of the initial paint composition and not simply be an additional ingredient. (ii) The new composition has to extend the lifetime of the paint for such a time period that the consumption of paint along the life cycle of a building is reduced. (iii) Releases of MNM have to be reduced to the lowest level possible (in particular by dumping unused paint together with the packaging). Only when all these boundary conditions are fulfilled, which is the case only for one of the three paint systems examined, is an improved environmental performance of the MNM-containing paint possible for the paint compositions examined in this study.

Risks, Release and Concentrations of Engineered Nanomaterial in the Environment

For frequently used engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) CeO2-, SiO2-, and Ag, past, current, and future use and environmental release are investigated. Considering an extended period (1950 to 2050), we assess ENMs released through commercial activity as well as found in natural and technical settings. Temporal dynamics, including shifts in release due to ENM product application, stock (delayed use), and subsequent end-of-life product treatment were taken into account. We distinguish predicted concentrations originating in ENM use phase and those originating from end-of-life release. Furthermore, we compare Ag- and CeO2-ENM predictions with existing measurements. The correlations and limitations of the model, and the analytic validity of our approach are discussed in the context of massive use of assumptive model data and high uncertainty on the colloidal material captured by the measurements. Predictions for freshwater CeO2-ENMs range from 1 pg/l (2017) to a few hundred ng/l (2050). Relative to CeO2, the SiO2-ENMs estimates are approximately 1,000 times higher, and those for Ag-ENMs 10 times lower. For most environmental compartments, ENM pose relatively low risk; however, organisms residing near ENM ‘point sources’ (e.g., production plant outfalls and waste treatment plants), which are not considered in the present work, may be at increased risk.

Assessment of sustainability effects in the context of specific applications

In an initial investigation possible nanotechnology application contexts were considered and qualitatively evaluated. Also studies to life cycle aspects of nanotechnology were analyzed. So far, only a handful of life cycle assessments (LCAs) on nanotechnologies have been completed. A summary of studies of life cycle aspects identified are provided.

Nachhaltigkeitspotenziale und Risiken von Nanotechnologien — Erkenntnisse aus der Prospektiven Technikbewertung und Ansätze zur Gestaltung

Risiken und Chancen einer Technologie sind erst im Kontext mit einer spezifischen Anwendung erkennbar. Einerseits sind Innovationen ohne die Antizipation von Chancen nicht moglich und andererseits fordert das Vorsorgeprinzip Masnahmen zur Vermeidung bzw. Verringerung von Risiken bevor sie manifest werden.

A Method of Prospective Technological Assessment of Nanotechnological Techniques

Nanotechnology is frequently described as an enabling technology and a fundamental innovation, i.e. it is expected to lead to numerous innovative developments in the most diverse fields of technology and areas of application in society and the marketplace. Nanotechnologies are regarded as a substantial element for environmental reliefs. As a result the following questions arise: How large are the possible relief effects on the environment by nanotechnological techniques? This contribution describe a new method of prospective technological assessment of nanotechnological processes and gives a current overview of existing studies of published LCAs of the manufacture of nanoparticles and nanocomponents.

Assessing the Environmental Impact of Decentralized Value-Chain Patterns Involving 3D Printing Technologies—A Comparative Case Study

Due to the fact that the context of 3D printing is generally constituted by different technologies and various applications, a coherent evaluation of their impact on sustainability has rarely been conducted. This chapter enters this void by carrying out a literature review on the state of related research. Furthermore, we conduct two comparative case studies that model value chains for the production of mobile phone cases and a specific spare part for aircrafts. Under certain circumstances, it is shown that the use of 3D printing technologies can reduce the need for transportation and may also result in a reduced ecological impact for product life cycles. What becomes obvious, too, is that the structural context for production and the practical application of goods are as important as the underlying manufacturing technologies.