Comparative environmental and economic life cycle assessment of phytoremediation of dredged sediment using Arundo Donax, integrated with biomass to bioenergy valorization chain.

The economic and environmental life cycle assessment (LCA) was integrated into a laboratory-based experiment to evaluate the feasibility and sustainability of phytoremediation of chloride-rich marine dredged sediment, using perennial reed Arundo Donax along with biomass valorization. As a prerequisite for life cycle assessments, a baseline mathematical model was developed to estimate the yields of biomass to bioenergy valorization chain including the estimation of biomass yield per m sediment, bioenergy yields from valorization schemes, expected green electricity yield, and the phytoremediation time frame. This mathematical model was applied to develop a parametric life cycle inventory for two scenarios of sediment phytoremediation separately or integrated with biomass valorization, for LCA and further sensitivity and uncertainty analysis.

Environmental, economic and experimental assessment of the valorization of dredged sediment through sand substitution in concrete.

The integrated life cycle assessment (LCA), life cycle cost assessment (LCC) and laboratory-based experimental assessment were applied to provide insight for early stage decision-making on the valorization of the dredged sediments. The objective was to find a viable and sustainable solution for the valorization of the dredged sediment in concrete, holding up a certain level of standard concrete performance without compromising in terms of economy and environment. For the sensitivity analysis, parametric life cycle inventories were developed to assess the sensitivity of environmental and economic costs to the rate of sand substitution by sediment, as well as the variations in the concrete components.

The Marine Bacterium Shewanella woodyi Produces C-HSL to Regulate Bioluminescence.

Quorum sensing (QS), a cell-to-cell communication system involved in the synchronization of bacterial behavior in a cell-density-dependent manner has been shown to control phenotypes such as luminescence, virulence, and biofilm formation. The marine strain, Shewanella woodyi MS32 has been identified as a luminous bacterium. Very little information is known on this bacterium, in particular if its luminescence and biofilm formation are controlled by QS.