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Adequacy to sustainable development standards requires the use of methods and tools that enable the quantification and monitoring of environmental impacts related to production processes. As a subsidy to the potential reduction of impacts by solar collectors, this paper proposes an environmental evaluation, considering an alternative solar collector scenario to be compared with a commercial one, from the life cycle perspective. Using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) tool, the scenarios were evaluated using the SimaPro 8.5 software. The functional unit definition was defined with real system verification through the system preparation and operation in the laboratory, which is characterized as heating 26 L of water utilizing a thermosyphon system at a temperature greater than or equal to 38 ºC. Analyzing the LCA results, it was observed that the alternative system use offers environmental impacts reduction in all impact categories selected when compared to the commercial system. In addition, a sensitivity analysis was proposed considering a variation in polyester resin mass used in the alternative system. The simulation of changes in the resin resulted in even more decreases in the environmental impacts. Regarding thermal efficiency, the industrial system excelled in terms of absorption capacity and thermal reserve. Thus, the present paper using the analyzes proposed within the defined scope, allowed the comparison between the systems in such a way that it was possible to know whether the use of the alternative solar collector results in environmental advantages without losing thermal efficiency.

RESUMO Neste estudo foi avaliada a capacidade de produção de carvão por meio de resíduos classe II A aterrados em uma fundação de proteção ambiental na região central do estado do Rio Grande do Sul. As amostras foram compostas (em proporção massa/massa) de 40% plástico, 25% papel/papelão, 25% espumas e borrachas sintéticas e 10% tecido de algodão e tripas de celulose. Empregou-se técnica de pirólise de baixa temperatura (350°C) com uma rampa de aquecimento de 2,70°C min-1 e tempo de residência de 30 minutos. Os experimentos foram feitos com e sem catalisador, sendo 25% de catalisador constituído de argila vermelha. Nas amostras brutas e pirolisadas foram avaliados o poder calorífico inferior (PCI), o poder calorífico superior (PCS) e o poder calorífico útil (PCU). Nas mesmas amostras também se caracterizaram carbono orgânico, teor de cinzas, cloretos, bem como alumínio, antimônio, bário, cádmio, cálcio, chumbo, cobalto, cobre, cromo total, ferro, magnésio, manganês, níquel, potássio, prata, sódio e zinco. As amostras pirolisadas com catalisador apresentaram valores de PCU de 5.473 kcal kg-1, tendo característica interessante para geração de energia, porém a presença de metais pesados, especialmente Ni e Cr, merece atenção quanto ao uso como combustível. A potencialidade para formulação de adubos também é crítica, sendo discutida na presente pesquisa. ABSTRACT In this study, the capacity to produce coal from Class IIA residues landed in an Environmental Protection Foundation in the central region of the state of Rio Grande do Sul was evaluated. The samples were composed (in mass/mass ratio) of 40% plastic, 25% paper/cardboard, 25% foam and synthetic rubbers, and 10% cotton fabric and cellulose casings. Low temperature (350°C) pyrolysis technique was used with a heating ramp of 2.70°C min-1 and a residence time of 30 minutes. The experiments were done with and without catalyst, with 25% catalyst, consisting of red clay. In the pre-crude and pyrolysates, the Lower Calorific Power (LCP), the Higher Calorific Power (HCP), and the Useful Calorific Power (UCP) were obtained. The samples also characterized organic carbon, ash content, chlorides, as well as aluminum, antimony, barium, cadmium, calcium, lead, cobalt, copper, total chromium, iron, magnesium, manganese, nickel, potassium, silver, sodium, and zinc. Pyrolyzed samples with catalyst showed PCU values of 5,473 kcal kg-1, having an interesting characteristic for energy generation. However, the presence of heavy metals, especially Ni and Cr, deserves attention regarding their use as fuel. The potential for fertilizer information is also critical, being discussed in this research.

Foi realizado uma Análise de Ciclo de Vida da produção de tabaco orgânico e convencional no sul do Brasil, com o objetivo de avaliar os impactos ambientais associados às etapas de produção de mudas, lavoura, cura e transporte. Os dados utilizados para a caracterização foram obtidos através da aplicação de questionários aos produtores e transportadores e também empregados dados de produção de 12 mil produtores de tabaco, disponibilizados por uma empresa beneficiadora da região. A avaliação dos impactos foi realizada por meio da Análise de Ciclo de Vida. A unidade de referência foi a produção de uma tonelada de tabaco seco. Foram analisadas seis categorias de impacto, sendo Potencial de Aquecimento Global, Acidificação Terrestre, Ecotoxicidade Terrestre Eutrofização da água doce, Uso da terra e Escassez de recursos fósseis. Os resultados conseguiram transparecer as etapas de maior impacto nas duas formas de produção. Na comparação de resultados entre os sistemas de plantio em cada categoria de impacto foi possível verificar que o plantio orgânico apresenta impactos maiores para as categorias de acidificação terrestre, potencial de aquecimento global e uso da terra. Por sua vez, o plantio convencional teve maiores valores totais de impactos para as categorias de potencial de eutrofização da água doce e escassez de recursos fósseis.

The increasing demand for animal protein, mainly for porcine protein, has led companies and producers to investigate techniques capable of optimizing current production systems, as well as the use of drugs such as veterinary antibiotics. The incomplete absorption of these drugs by the digestive system of the animals generates effluents whose composition presents veterinary drug residues. Swine waste treatment systems (ponds) have reduced capacity to degrade these residues; thus, it is necessary to find treatment alternatives such as composting. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the composting technique in degrading 17 veterinary antibiotics often used in pig production systems. The herein adopted composting process comprised eucalyptus shavings and swine waste at the ratio 1:8 (1 kg of shavings to 8 L of swine waste). First, 25 L of swine waste were contaminated with 17 antibiotics and mixed in a bench-scale composting system for 150 days. The sample preparation consisted of the solid-liquid extraction followed by a clean-up by dispersive solid phase extraction, and then the extracts were analyzed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Antibiotic groups such as quinolones, tetracyclines, and sulfonamides recorded fractions cumulative removal of 99.4%, 99.4% and 97.2%, respectively, at the end of the composting process. On the other hand, antibiotics such as sulfathiazole, chlortetracycline, and tetracycline recorded 100% degradation during the composting process.

The pulp and paper industry has been researching different treatments for the degradation of adsorbable organohalogens (AOX). In this work, two agitation processes (mechanical and ultrasound) were analyzed in the AOX degradation of the bleaching wastewater using nano zero valent iron (nZVI). The work used different variables for the AOX removal process, such as pH, time, nZVI, and hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O2) concentration. Results show an increase in AOX degradation when a higher nZVI concentration is used. The optimal combination of variables for the treatment with mechanical agitation was found in the ratio 2:5 (nZVI : H 2 O2), degrading 85% of AOX in 60 min, with acid pH. Ultrasound treatment consisted of half process time and less degradation than mechanical agitation treatment. The 2:5 ratio in ultrasound agitation degraded 55% of AOX within 30 min at the end of the process. Both methods of the homogenization process of zero valent iron nanoparticles in the bleaching wastewater of the paper and cellulose industry are efficient. However, the mechanical stirring process has a more significant potential for AOX degradation. The variables (pH, concentration of nZVI and H 2 O2 and duration of the process) used in the bleaching wastewater treatment process must be considered for future implementation in the pulp and paper industry.

Tobacco is the most widespread non-food crop in the world. In Brazil, tobacco cultivation is one of the main commodities of the southern region. However, its production is associated with environmental impacts and risks to human health, which have yet to be quantified. This paper uses midpoint and endpoint life cycle assessment (LCA) to analyze the potential environmental damage and human health risk associated with agricultural production of conventional Virginia (CV), organic Virginia (OV), and Burley (BU) tobacco varieties. Organic tobacco production substitutes synthetic fertilizers and pesticides with organic compounds in the cropping stage. The results show that for one ton of dried tobacco, BU, CV, and OV emit 1,610, 1,426, and 1,091 kg CO2 eq, respectively. For organic production, greater impacts are linked to the land use (LU) impact category. The endpoint results showed that OV production resulted in a higher potential for human and environmental damage than BU and CV. The drying of green OV and CV tobacco requires the burning of firewood, which emits high levels of particulate matter and is associated with human health (HH) damage. Overall, the HH damage category accounts for 68%, 82%, and 78% of the total score points associated with the production of BU, CV, and OV.

Sustainable and decentralized sanitation is essential for a continental country like Brazil to mitigate its untreated sewage liabilities. This may be directly related to the constructed wetlands (CWs), since these systems are considered clean technology alternatives for the treatment of wastewaters. So, the present research investigated the treatment of university campus wastewaters by a hybrid system composed of: anaerobic reactors (AR) + vertical flow constructed wetlands (VFCW) + floating treatment wetlands (FTW) + horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands (HSSFCW). Effluents were treated in batch mode, with a loading time of 1 h, a flow after preliminary treatment of 1.6 m3 h−1 to load the system and hydraulic detention time of 3 days for the AR, and 7 days for each CW unit. CW were planted with 4 different macrophytes: Hymenachne grumosa, Vetiveria zizanoides, Papyrus and Lemna minor sp. The obtained results showed removal rates of 67 % for COD, 53 % for BOD5, 94 % for Total N, 90 % for DOC, 98 % for turbidity and of 5log for E. coli. Almost all the investigated parameters of the treated wastewaters were in accordance the emission limits established by current Brazilian legislation. Moreover, the good performance of the hybrid system brings new reuse possibilities for the treated wastewaters, so that they would be adequate to be reused in orchards, cereals, forages, pastures for livestock and other crops through runoff or by punctual irrigation system.

Studies identifying treatment technologies that combine low costs, high efficiencies, and lower environmental impacts are of great value. Thus, the present study investigated the performance of a wastewater treatment system located on a rural property by life cycle assessment. The system consisted of an anaerobic unit (upflow anaerobic sludge blanket combined with an anaerobic filter), four subsurface flow constructed wetlands, and two photoreactors. The reductions in chemical oxygen demand varied between 93% and 97%, whereas the biochemical oxygen demand decreased by 97–98%. Additionally, 97% of the total Kjedahl nitrogen, 100% of the ammoniacal nitrogen, and more than 90% of total phosphorus were removed from the wastewater. These data were used with reference to the life cycle inventory. The results obtained by the analysis of the endpoint H inventory network showed that 67.3% of the environmental impacts were related to the construction while 32.7% were associated to the operation of the system. The phototreament (45%) and anaerobic (36%) units were responsible for the highest environmental burdens of the constructions phase. By considering the operation of the system with a lifespan of 10 years, again the anaerobic unit accounted for most of the environmental impacts, mainly related to climate change. However, the system presents several potentialities, which might turn it, more environmental friendly and life cycle assessment showed that some of them such as energy recovery from the anaerobic unit will greatly reduce the environmental pressure indexes. Thus, the present study showed that the application of a life cycle assessment can give valuable insights for setting the best configurations for a wastewater treatment system in rural areas by identifying the most critical parameters and by the evaluation of actions which might reduce the environmental impacts.

RESUMO O presente trabalho avalia os efeitos da adição de glicerol sobre a porosidade e resistência mecânica de um material cerâmico. As amostras foram compactadas por prensagem uniaxial e submetidas a temperaturas de queima de 950 °C e 1100 °C, com taxa de aquecimento de 7 °C min-1. Foram realizados ensaios físicos e mecânicos para analisar porosidade aparente, absorção de água, retração linear e resistência mecânica a flexão. Os resultados mostram que a adição de 10% de glicerol à argila melhora principalmente suas propriedades mecânicas, podendo ser um aditivo promissor para gerar materiais cerâmicos estruturais com microestrutura mais resistente. ABSTRACT The present work evaluates the effects of the glycerol addition on the porosity and mechanical resistance of a ceramic material. Samples were compacted by uniaxial pressing and were submitted to different sintering temperatures, 950 °C and 1100° C, with a heating rate of 7 °C min-1. Physical and mechanical analysis were performed to evaluate porosity, water absorption and linear retraction. The results show that the addition of 10% of glycerol into the clay mainly improves its mechanical properties, being able to be a promising additive to generate structural materials with more resistant microstructure.

In this work, discarded soda-lime-silica glass bottles and tobacco residue (after oil extraction to produce biodiesel) were prepared in different formulations to obtain glass foams. The formulated compositions were homogenized and uniaxially compacted at 40 MPa then fired at 850 oC and 900 oC for 60 min to investigate the effects of tobacco residue and temperature in thermal and mechanical properties of the glass foams. The results show that glass foams obtained are promising materials for applications where thermal insulation and mechanical strength are desired, with values of 0.087 W.m-1K-1 and 2.1 MPa, respectively for 45% of the tobacco residue that was added to the glass foam and fired at 850 oC. These characteristics occur through a suitable combination of thermal conductivity and compressive strength, showing advantageous properties for applications in sustainable constructions and industrial energy efficiency.

The present study aimed to develop a life cycle assessment (LCA) study of municipal solid waste management in Vera Cruz, RS, Brazil, to evaluate conventional waste management system, sorting of rec...

The universalization and decentralization of wastewater treatment is one of the greatest challenges faced in Brazil. In this context, Constructed Wetlands (CWs) may be considered environment friendly and economically viable alternative for geographically remote locations, having fewer financial resources and infrastructure. During the last years, studies have investigated different configurations aiming to increase the capacity of CW to remove nutrients, mainly phosphorus (P) and reinforced its importance in ecological and landscape contexts. Thus, the present study evaluated the performance of a hybrid system combining Floating, Vertical and Horizontal Flow CWs to treat urban wastewaters. A removable adsorbent barrier was developed to improve the removal of P and a polyculture with ornamental plants was used to add landscape potential. The obtained results showed a promising nutrients removal capacity of the hybrid system, with mean removal rates of 94.0% for total P, 93.8% for ammonium nitrogen (N−NH3), 93.8% for total nitrogen (N), 80.0% for dissolved organic carbon (DOC), 84.0% for biochemical oxygen demand (BDO5), 77.0% for chemical oxygen demand (COD) and 99.7% for turbidity. The integrated system kept its ability to remove pollutants during the 11 months of operation (January to December 2019), without substrate saturation, and also maintaining P values within the limits allowed by current Brazilian (CONSEMA Resolution 355/17 (3 mg L−1)) and international legislation (UWTD 91/271/EEC (2 mg L−1)). The landscape benefits were extremely positive mainly due to the flowering of Canna generalis and its greater biomass production. By crossing the biomass data and the accumulation of nutrients in the tissues of the aerial part it was possible to verify that the contribution of the plants in the N removal from the system reached 8.08% while the P decrease attained 17.92% in the horizontal sub-surface flow constructed wetland (HSSFCWs). Therefore, the developed system enabled an efficient removal of nutrients throughout the monitoring period, enhancing the wastewater quality and potentializing its reuse for different purposes.

O trabalho consta de uma revisão bibliográfica onde ocorreu a análise dos Planos de Gerenciamento de Resíduos Sólidos de cinco municípios situados na região centro-oeste do estado do Rio Grande do Sul, atendendo a Lei 12. 305/10 que incentiva a coleta seletiva, a integração dos catadores de materiais recicláveis em cooperativas e a inserção desses munícipes na economia local. Conclui-se que um dos maiores empecilhos para a inclusão de metas favoráveis será a aceitação, organização destes munícipes que trabalham em condições insalubres, necessitando urgentemente de políticas públicas que priorizem e minimizem a exclusão.

The growing demand of actions for soil remediation has resulted in the development of alternative technologies, especially for applications of techniques in situ, caused for the many forms of contamination of soil and underground water with petroleum hydrocarbons. The present work proposed an electro-bioremediation technique to evaluate the capacity degradation of the pollutants through microorganisms present in the polluted soil. The monitoring of the degradation of hydrocarbons was accompanied through chemical analyses of Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH), Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, and Xylene (BTEX), Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH). The microbiological activity was monitored through analyses of Colony-Forming Unit (CFU). The results showed that rates of degradation of the xylene, toluene and ethylbenzene had an order of 69%, 60% and 10%. The microbiologic activity presented an increase of 12.5 times for the Mould and Yeasts, and of 178.5 times for aerobic microorganisms. The isolation and biodegradation analysis pointed the existence of 26 different morphotypes, of these, 20 morphotypes (77%) possess capacity to degrade hydrocarbons that, 60% were found in the areas of influence of the cathode and 40% of the anode. The yeast-like material was isolated and identified, where the predominant genus was Penicillium (50%), Paecilomyces 16.6%, Trichoderma 16.6 % and Cladosporium 16.6%.

One of the main agricultural crops in Brazil is the tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) production, currently the second largest producer of this commodity of the world. Its production extends across the three southern states of the country and accounts for important interactions with the environment. Thus, the study of the relationship between tobacco cultivation and the environment should be evaluated in order to reduce its impacts. This study uses a life cycle assessment (LCA) to evaluate the Carbon Footprint (CF) of Virginia (VA) and Burley (BU) tobacco varieties produced in southern Brazil, using the dataset of 14,409 tobacco farmers. The LCA results showed that the use of nitrogen fertilizer in the crop stages of both the tobacco varieties is the main contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The CF was 1398.5 kg CO2-eq/ton of dry VA tobacco, compared to the 1829.7 kg CO2-eq/ton of dry BU tobacco. The seedling and industrial processing stages of both tobacco varieties account for less than 13% of the overall CF.

Road infrastructure works are complex and important undertakings for the social and economic development of a country. They are based on studies that ensure the technical, environmental and economic feasibility of the work. These studies are the basis of the road executive project, which includes the projects that characterize the work to be performed. Road constructions can be considered as horizontally arranged, integrated and complementary activities, so that each of them establishes boundary conditions that affect all the others. Thus, modification of any part of the project changes the proposed scenario for the execution of the following work stages. Most executive road construction projects must be readjusted during the construction because of deficiencies and incomplete surveys and field studies. Those modifications extend the construction period of the road, alter the contractual value and the environmental impacts of the work. This paper investigates the environmental impacts, associated with the input and output flows, as well as the cost overruns of the construction of a road, considering the activities foreseen in the awarded project (scenario S1) and those executed by the construction company (scenario S2) using a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The adjustments done in scenario S2 accounted for an average increase of 16% of the environmental impacts in relation to S1 impacts. The critical stages of those activities were clay mining, embankment construction, base construction, and paving. Although the clay and soil volume moved in the construction process was five-fold higher than the volume of aggregate material, the impacts of the exploration and processing of the rock aggregates were 27% higher. Comparing the costs of both S1 and S2 scenarios, the final contractual values of scenario S2 were average 30% higher than the scenario S1 projected costs. Specifically, the S2 costs of earthwork and paving stages were 45% and 11% higher than S1 respectively. The ground of cost overruns and delays during construction are forecasting errors for soil movement and usage of rock aggregates. The results also shown that LCA application after to completing the executive design of a road can help road designer and contractor during the decision-making processes, to anticipate the potential environmental impacts that road construction can produce, as well as predict the environmental effects of changes on the executive project.

Atraves da constante busca de novos materiais com caracteristicas fisico-quimicas eficientes que unam viabilidade economica e ambiental, o presente trabalho objetivou a confeccao de um material composito constituido por uma matriz cerâmica agregada de residuos das industrias de vidro e fumo, com a finalidade de producao de um isolante termico para um sistema de aquecimento solar de agua. O estudo foi realizado em tres etapas: caracterizacao dos materiais, confeccao dos corpos de prova, ensaios de resistencia mecânica e eficiencia termica. Foram desenvolvidos corpos de prova de matriz (100% em massa de argila) e os corpos de prova com substituicao de 25% de massa pelos residuos, sendo eles 20% de po de vidro e 5% de po de fumo, para a analise comparativa das novas propriedades adquiridas. Os resultados obtidos revelaram um aumento de 57% na eficiencia mecânica (resistencia) no material composito, obtendo tambem caracteristicas eficientes quanto ao isolamento termico.

Os seres humanos sempre exploraram os recursos naturais para sobreviver. Enquanto as populações eram pequenas e as formas de coleta eram mais simples, esse processo ocorria de forma sustentável. Atualmente, ocorre a exploração de forma rápida e intensa, gerando resíduos que impactam o meio ambiente. Esta pesquisa tem como objetivo realizar a avaliação do impacto ambiental e social do sistema de gerenciamento de resíduos sólidos urbanos (SGRSU) de três municípios do estado do Rio Grande do Sul, determinado o diagnóstico de tais impactos por meio da utilização da ferramenta ACV; além de verificar a integração dos catadores na gestão dos resíduos. A metodologia do trabalho busca diagnosticar a inserção dos catadores nos SGRSU, através de simulações de dados, por meio do programa computacional Umberto NXT LCA, bem como analisar o impacto ambiental de todas as atividades envolvidas no gerenciamento dos resíduos. Quanto ao impacto social, observou-se que todos os municípios apresentam dificuldade no estabelecimento de metas relacionadas à coleta seletiva e à inserção dos catadores informais em cooperativas, fator preponderante para estimular o preconceito, a falta de higiene e insalubridade. Quanto aos impactos ambientais, notou-se que estes ocorrem, principalmente, nas etapas de coleta e disposição final, nos três municípios analisados, sendo que os impactos mais relevantes foram mudanças climáticas, depleção de recursos abióticos e potencial de eutrofização. Estes dados demonstram que o consumo do veículo, sua manutenção, a quantidade de lixo produzido e coletado, a distância percorrida pelos veículos e a eficiência na coleta são fatores que contribuem para alterações dos impactos ambientais.

The present work evaluates the use of ceramic material, produced with the aid of industrial waste through the Gel-Casting method, as a support for catalysts in the photocatalytic degradation of Methylene Blue. The analysis was carried out in a reactor containing UVC lamps through batch processing. The results show that the reaction of photocatalytic degradation of the dye presents pseudo-first order kinetics, with values of degradation between 60 and 70 %. The study evaluated the deactivation of the catalysts synthesized and supported in the ceramic material. In this case, it was observed that the larger the mass of deposited catalyst on the ceramic support, the longer the lifespan of the sample, since a larger mass takes longer to deactivate.

RESUMO A presente pesquisa avaliou o potencial microbiano de uma biopilha na biorremediação de solos contaminados por hidrocarbonetos, montada em uma base de distribuição de combustíveis na região metropolitana de Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul. Desta biopilha, foram avaliadas as concentrações dos hidrocarbonetos totais de petróleo (HTP) e de compostos benzeno, tolueno, etilbenzeno e xilenos (BTEX), em nove pontos, durante quatro etapas de operação e em três profundidades por ponto. De cada coleta, também foram reservadas amostras de solo para realização das análises microbiológicas. A partir dessas amostras, buscou-se identificar fungos e leveduras pela análise de suas estruturas reprodutivas em lâminas de microcultivo, e bactérias pela técnica da Reação em Cadeira da Polimerase (PCR) e sequenciamento do gene que codifica o RNAr 16S. Ainda, avaliou-se a capacidade dos microrganismos isolados em degradar óleo diesel comercial, utilizando o indicador redox 2,6-diclorofenol indofenol (DCPIP). Como resultado deste estudo, observaram-se elevados percentuais de redução nas concentrações de HTP e BTEX na biopilha, como 92 e 100%, respectivamente. Das amostras de solo da biopilha, foram isoladas 101 cepas de microrganismos, das quais foram identificadas 19 cepas de fungos filamentosos, 34 de bactérias e 1 de levedura. Os resultados evidenciaram a capacidade de alguns gêneros de fungos, como Aspergillus, Trichoderma, Penicillium, Cladosporium e Verticillium, e bactérias, como Bacillus spp. e Streptomyces sp., em degradar hidrocarbonetos constituintes do óleo diesel comercial.