Environmental solutions for the sustainable production of bioactive natural products from the marine sponge Crambe crambe.

Crambe crambe is a Mediterranean marine sponge known to produce original natural substances belonging to two families of guanidine alkaloids, namely crambescins and crambescidins, which exhibit cytotoxic and antiviral activities. These compounds are therefore considered as potential anticancer drugs. The present study focuses on the environmental assessment of a novel in vivo process for the production of pure crambescin and crambescidin using sponge specimens cultured in aquarium.

Environmental assessment of different biofilters for the treatment of gaseous streams.

Biological techniques have been considered as an interesting alternative to treat gaseous streams from industrial processes. In this work, the performance of biofilters was evaluated from an environmental point of view by using Life Cycle Assessment methodology. More specifically, the potential impacts of four biofilters packed with different organic materials: spherical clay pellets covered with compost, a mixture of coconut fibre and sludge based carbon, peat and heather and pine bark have been quantified.

Environmental evaluation of eicosapentaenoic acid production by Phaeodactylum tricornutum.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) play an important role in human health. Due to the increased market demand, the production of PUFAs from potential alternative sources such as microalgae is receiving increased interest. The aim of this study was to perform a life cycle assessment (LCA) of the biotechnological production of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) from the marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum, followed by the identification of avenues to improve its environmental profile.

Environmental aspects of eucalyptus based ethanol production and use.

A renewable biofuel economy is projected as a pathway to decrease dependence on fossil fuels as well as to reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions. Ethanol produced on large-scale from lignocellulosic materials is considered the automotive fuel with the highest potential. In this paper, a life cycle assessment (LCA) study was developed to evaluate the environmental implications of the production of ethanol from a fast-growing short rotation crop (SRC): eucalyptus as well as its use in a flexi-fuel vehicle (FFV).

Environmental analysis of Ribeiro wine from a timeline perspective: harvest year matters when reporting environmental impacts.

A series of Galician (NW Spain) wines, such as Rías Baixas and Ribeiro have acquired international renown in the past few years. In this particular study, viticulture, vinification and bottling and packaging in a winery of the Ribeiro appellation were studied from a life cycle assessment perspective, with the main objective of identifying the largest environmental impacts for four different years of production (2007-2010). The selected functional unit was a 750 mL bottle of Ribeiro white wine, packaged for distribution.

Comparative environmental assessment of wood transport models: a case study of a Swedish pulp mill.

Wood transportation from forest landing to forest-based industries uses large amounts of energy. In the case of Sweden, where forest operations are highly and efficiently mechanized, this stage consumes more fossil fuels than other elements of the wood supply chain (such as silviculture and logging operations). This paper intends to compare the environmental burdens associated to different wood transport models considering a Swedish pulp mill as a case study by using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) as an analytical tool.

The link between operational efficiency and environmental impacts. A joint application of Life Cycle Assessment and Data Envelopment Analysis.

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) allows the estimation of the environmental impacts of a process or product. Those environmental impacts depend on the efficiency with which operations are carried out. In the case that LCA data are available for multiple similar installations, their respective operational performances can be benchmarked and links between operational efficiency and environmental impacts can be established.