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This repository contains the data and scripts associated with the article “Transformers enable accurate prediction of acute and chronic chemical toxicity in aquatic organisms" The code necessary to implement the transformer based model presented in the publication, as well as all the trained models can be accessed at https://github.com/StyrbjornKall/TRIDENT.

Environmental safety assessments, as mandated by many regulations, require that toxicity data is generated for up to three trophic levels, algae, aquatic invertebrates, and fish. Conducting these testsin vivois resource-intensive, time-consuming, and causes undue suffering. Computational methods are fast and cost-efficient alternatives, however, their adaptation in regulatory settings has been slow, both due to low accuracy and narrow applicability domains. Here we present a new method for predicting chemical toxicity based on molecular structure. The method is based on a transformer, capturing structural features associated with toxicity, followed by a deep neural network that predicts the corresponding effect concentrations. After training on data from tens of thousands of exposure experiments, the model shows high predictive performance for each of the three trophic levels. Compared to commonly used QSAR methods, the model has both a larger applicability domain and a considerably lower error. In addition, training the model on data that combines multiple types of effect concentrations further improves the performance. We conclude that transformer-based models have the potential to significantly advance computational predictions of chemical toxicity and makein silicoapproaches a more attractive alternative when compared to animal-based exposure experiments.

Off-grid systems, and mini-grids in particular, are expected to play a significant role in improving electricity access to one billion people until 2040. One of the major challenges for mini-grids is associated with their high costs, low financial viability and local development impact. Productive use of electricity can be an important driver of local development and impacts the total load in a mini-grid. By using a mixture of high-resolution (minutes) measurements and long-term data (years) on electricity expenditures and purchased electricity from a mini-grid in the Tanzanian highlands, we analyse the technical and economic impact from household and productive use of electricity, respectively. The high-resolution data is analysed using performance indicators and the long-term data using regression tools. We find that a mixture of household use and productive use of electricity provides both technical and economic benefits for the operator. In addition, we find that while productive use customers only represent 25% of the customers, they generate 44% of the operator's income. Furthermore, productive use of electricity customers are also likely responsible for the peak demand in the mini-grid, which occurs during day time. Lastly, we find empirical evidence suggesting that expenditures and demand are unit elastic, which has implications on economic policies for supporting rural electrification.

Mini-grids are considered important in order to improve access to electricity in developing countries. Their technical and organizational independence from the large national grids and their interactions with local social, economic, and environmental factors suggests that system dynamics is a useful method of analysis. However, the successful implementation of mini-grids in rural electrification has partly been prevented due to complexity issues, making problem formulation difficult. Most problem-solving methods, such as system dynamics, require well-defined problems. Previous work on the problem formulation process in system dynamics is limited. This work presents a conceptual framework for tackling complexity and uncertainties in rural electrification. The conceptual framework is general and draws on research in conceptual modelling and system dynamics. The focus is on the learning that can be achieved from a system description and how it can be used to tackle complexity by reducing uncertainties and improving knowledge.

Cemented carbides are of great importance for the manufacturing industry. The outstanding properties of high hardness and wear resistance of this material, consisting mainly of tungsten carbide cemented with cobalt (WC-Co), have caused its use in a wide range of applications. The aim of this study is to provide comprehensive and detailed cradle-to-gate life cycle inventory (LCI) data for the typical non-Chinese production of WC-Co, which is assumed to take place in Canada and the United States. Different scenarios are presented regarding recycling rate and a life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) is conducted to illustrate the applicability of the LCI data. The LCI results in this study are of similar magnitude or lower compared to previous studies and indicate that the typical non-Chinese production requires less energy compared to Chinese production. The LCIA results show that the mining, hydrometallurgy and powder metallurgy phases in general dominate the cradle-to-gate life cycle impacts. Most of the impacts are caused by a limited number of inputs and outputs (e.g. kerosene, sulfidic tailings, water use during mining and electricity use), and recycling greatly reduces the impacts. A comparison with Chinese tungsten carbide (WC) powder production showed that the LCIA results in non-Chinese WC production were lower for climate change, photochemical oxidant formation and water depletion, but higher for terrestrial acidification, ozone depletion and freshwater eutrophication. The LCI data and the LCIA results for non-Chinese production can subsequently be used in product-specific cradle-to-grave life cycle assessments involving WC-Co or any of its precursors.

Chemical emissions from households originate from a wide range of sources and results in highly diverse mixtures. This makes traditional monitoring based on analytical chemistry challenging, especially for compounds that appear in low concentrations. We therefore developed a method for predicting emissions of chemicals from households into wastewater, relying on consumption patterns from multiple data sources. The method was then used to predict the emissions of chemical preparations, chemicals leaching from textiles and prescription pharmaceuticals in Sweden. In total we predicted emissions of 2007 chemicals with a combined emission of 62,659 tonnes per year – or 18 g/person and day. Of the emitted chemicals, 2.0% (w/w) were either classified as hazardous to the environment or were both persistent and mobile. We also show that chemical emissions come from a wide range of uses and that the total emission of any individual chemical is determined primarily by its use pattern, not by the total amount used. This emphasizes the need for continuous updates and additional knowledge generation both on emission factors and excretion rates as well as a need for improved reporting on the intended use of individual chemicals. Finally, we scrutinize the model and its uncertainty and suggest areas that need improvement to increase the accuracy of future emission modelling. We conclude that emission modelling can help guide environmental monitoring and provide input into management strategies aimed at reducing the environmental effect caused by hazardous chemicals.

Tire studs, with pins made of cemented tungsten carbide with cobalt (WC-Co), are used in many countries during winter. Tungsten, the main content of the pins, is geochemically scarce and a critical raw material. In addition, analytical studies have identified WC-Co nanoparticles in the environment, which are worn off during the use of studded tires. The aims of this study are to assess (i) the dissipation rate and functional recycling related to the use of tungsten in tire studs as well as (ii) the magnitude of the WC-Co nanoparticle release in Sweden. Tungsten mass flows related to WC-Co in tire studs were estimated throughout the product chain, from mining to waste management, using material flow analysis. This study shows that 100% of the tungsten in Swedish tire studs is presently dissipated (67% as release during use) and there is no functional recycling. This can be compared with the estimated average global dissipation rate of >60% and functional recycling rate of 10–25% after use for tungsten. Recovery of tungsten during waste management and alternative solutions to WC-Co in tire studs are discussed as possible remedies. Furthermore, the estimated release of nano-sized WC-Co particles is in the same order of magnitude as the modeled release of some engineered nanomaterials in Sweden and higher than for e.g. nano-silver.

Claims for ocean space are growing while marine ecosystems suffer from centuries of insufficient care. Human pressures from runoff, atmospheric emissions, marine pollution, fishing, shipping, military operations and other activities wear on habitats and populations. Ecosystem-based marine spatial planning (MSP) has emerged worldwide as a strategic instrument for handling conflicting spatial claims among competing sectors and the environment. The twofold objective of both boosting the blue economy and protecting the environment is challenging in practice and marine planners need decision support. Cumulative Impact Assessment (CIA) was originally developed to provide an overview of the human imprint on the world's ocean ecosystems. We have now added a scenario component to the CIA model and used it within Swedish ecosystem-based MSP. This has allowed us to project environmental impacts for different planning alternatives throughout the planning process, strengthening the integration of environmental considerations into strategic decision-making. Every MSP decision may entail a local shift of environmental impact, causing positive or negative consequences for ecosystem components. The results from Swedish MSP in the North Sea and Baltic Sea illustrate that MSP certainly has the potential to lower net cumulative environmental impact, both locally and across sea basins, as long as environmental values are rated high and prevailing pressures derive from activities that are part of MSP. By synthesizing innumerous data into comprehensible decision support that informs marine planners of the likely environmental consequences of different options, CIA enables ecosystem-based MSP in practice.

The challenge of assessing emerging technologies with life cycle assessment (LCA) has been increasingly discussed in the LCA field. In this article, we propose a definition of prospective LCA: An LCA is prospective when the (emerging) technology studied is in an early phase of development (e.g., small-scale production), but the technology is modeled at a future, more-developed phase (e.g., large-scale production). Methodological choices in prospective LCA must be adapted to reflect this goal of assessing environmental impacts of emerging technologies, which deviates from the typical goals of conventional LCA studies. The aim of the article is to provide a number of recommendations for how to conduct such prospective assessments in a relevant manner. The recommendations are based on a detailed review of selected prospective LCA case studies, mainly from the areas of nanomaterials, biomaterials, and energy technologies. We find that it is important to include technology alternatives that are relevant for the future in prospective LCA studies. Predictive scenarios and scenario ranges are two general approaches to prospective inventory modeling of both foreground and background systems. Many different data sources are available for prospective modeling of the foreground system: scientific articles; patents; expert interviews; unpublished experimental data; and process modeling. However, we caution against temporal mismatches between foreground and background systems, and recommend that foreground and background system impacts be reported separately in order to increase the usefulness of the results in other prospective studies.

The immense energy potential of the oceans is being increasingly recognized the world over, at the same time the integrity of marine ecosystems is challenged by pressure from multiple human activities. For good reasons environmental licensing procedures are precautionary and new industries must declare their detrimental impacts and provide mitigation measures. New ocean energy industries target renewable energy sources thus, on a grand scale, partly mitigating climate change. However, on-site environmental impacts are yet to be established. In this review we compare ocean energy industries with a wide range of conventional, better understood, human activities and outline environmental risks and research priorities. Results show that ocean energy systems are thought to incur many pressures, some familiar and others with yet unknown effects. Particular uncertainties regard ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) and large fast-moving turbines. Ocean energy industries should not be considered in isolation because the significance of environmental impacts depend on the full spectra of human activities in each area. Marine spatial planning provides a platform for holistic assessments and may facilitate the establishment of ocean energy industries, as long as risk-related uncertainties are reduced.

In a recent paper, Sorme et al. (Environ. Impact Assess. Rev., 56, 2016), took a first step towards an indicator of a national chemical footprint, and applied it to Sweden. Using USEtox 1.01, they calculated national impact potentials for human toxicity and ecotoxicity. The results showed that zinc dominated impacts, both for human toxicity and ecotoxicity. We calculated updated indicators of the Swedish national human toxicity and ecotoxicity footprint using USEtox 2.01. We also compared impact potentials based on USEtox with the mass of chemical emissions. The two model versions produced relatively consistent results. Zinc is still a major contributor to the human toxicity and ecotoxicity impact potentials when characterized with USEtox 2.01. The mass-based indicator pinpoints somewhat different substances than the impact-based indicators.

Purpose: Many municipalities are facing increasing pressure to adapt solid waste and wastewater management infrastructures in order to better close nutrient cycles. The focus of this study is on the estimation of the human toxicity potential associated with chemical contaminants released upon the application of sewage sludge to agricultural land. More specifically, this study investigated the effect of modelling choices regarding fate and exposure assessment. Methods: Monitoring data were collected for contaminants present in the sewage sludge from the wastewater treatment plant in Gothenburg and from other municipal wastewater treatment plants in Sweden. Based on these monitoring data, an overall burden of disease was estimated using characterisation factors taken from the USEtox models (versions 1.01 and 2.0). For the exposure through vegetables, an alternative life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) model was developed. The intake fractions thus obtained were used in combination with human health effect factors taken from the USEtox 2.0 database. The model results were compared with the USEtox models, and whether these two versions of the USEtox model provide significantly different results was also examined. The potential relevance of accidental ingestion of sludge was also considered. Results and discussion: The different LCIA models provided burden of disease estimates that differed from one another for individual contaminants (up to five orders of magnitude). The aggregated burdens of disease (i.e. sum for all contaminants considered in this study) estimated through different model variants, however, were of the same order of magnitude. For both metals and organic contaminants, only a small set of contaminants was found to make significant contributions to the aggregate burden of disease. However, it is uncertain whether the 15 metals and 106 organic contaminants covered by this study are those of greatest health significance of all contaminants potentially present in sewage sludge. Conclusions and recommendations: The results of this study indicate that the technical information provided by the various approaches to modelling human toxicity in life cycle assessment (LCA) in the context of land application of sewage sludge management is consistent on the whole. However, given the uncertainties associated with the assessment of human toxicity in LCA, it is important to also contemplate the extent to which LCA in general is capable of informing the sewage sludge debate when it comes to human toxicity and possibly also other indicators. Future research could focus on identifying which types of questions of interest in the context of sewage management can be answered by LCA and which cannot.

Surface properties of nanoparticles imposed by particle size, shape, and surface chemistry are key features that largely determine their environmental fate and effects on biological systems. Consequently, development of analytical tools to characterize surface properties of nanomaterials and their relation to toxicological properties must occur in parallel with applications. As a contribution to this quest, we present a nanoplasmonic sensing strategy that enables systematic in situ characterization of molecule–nanoparticle interactions under well-controlled conditions, in terms of both nanoparticle size and surface chemistry, with particular focus on the importance of surface faceting in crystalline nanoparticles. We assess the performance of our sensing strategy by presenting two case studies. (i) The first is protein corona formation on faceted Au core–SiO2 shell nanoparticles of different sizes, and thus different surface facet-to-edge ratios. Based on 2D and 3D models of the investigated structures, w...

Fisheries management and sustainability assessment of fisheries more generally have recently expanded their scope from single-species stock assessment to ecosystem-based approaches, aiming to incorporate economic, social and local environmental impacts, while still excluding global-scale environmental impacts. In parallel, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) has emerged as a widely used and recommended framework to assess environmental impacts of products, including global scale impacts. For over a decade, LCA has been applied to seafood supply chains, leading to new insights into the environmental impact of seafood products. We present insights from seafood LCA research with particular focus on evaluating fisheries management, which strongly influences the environmental impact of seafood products. Further, we suggest tangible ways in which LCA could be taken up in management. By identifying trade-offs, LCA can be a useful decision support tool and avoids problem shifting from one concern (or activity) to another. The integrated, product-based and quantitative perspective brought by LCA could complement existing tools. One example is to follow up fuel use of fishing, as the production and combustion of fuel used dominates overall results for various types of environmental impacts of seafood products, and is also often linked to biological impacts of fishing. Reducing the fuel use of fisheries is therefore effective to reduce overall impacts. Allocating fishing rights based on environmental performance could likewise facilitate the transition to low-impact fisheries. Taking these steps in an open dialogue between fishers, managers, industry, NGOs and consumers would enable more targeted progress towards sustainable fisheries.

Recognition of human excreta as a resource, rather than as waste, has led to the emergence of a range of new and innovative nutrient recovery solutions. Nevertheless, the management of human excreta remains largely rooted in current sanitation and wastewater management approaches, which often makes nutrient recovery an add-on to existing infrastructures. In this paper, we argue that framing human excreta management as a resource recovery challenge within waste management obscures important trade-offs. We explore the factors that would be brought to the fore by reframing human excreta management as part of food and farming systems. We find that such a reframing would accentuate (at least) six aspects of critical importance that are currently largely overlooked. Recognizing that the proposed framing may also have its limitations, we argue that it has the potential to better guide human excreta management towards long-term global food, soil, and nutrient security while reducing the risk of compromising other priorities related to human and environmental health.

Studded tires are used in a number of countries during winter in order to prevent accidents. The use of tire studs is controversial and debated because of human health impacts from increased road particle emissions. The aims of this study are to assess whether the use of tire studs in a Scandinavian studded passenger car actually avoids or causes health impacts from a broader life cycle perspective, and to assess the distribution of these impacts over the life cycle. Life cycle assessment is applied and the disability-adjusted life years indicator is used to quantify the following five types of health impacts: (1) impacts saved in the use phase, (2) particle emissions in the use phase, (3) production system emissions, (4) occupational accidents in the production system, and (5) conflict casualties from revenues of cobalt mining. The results show that the health benefits in the use phase in general are outweighed by the negative impacts during the life cycle. The largest contribution to these negative human health impacts are from use phase particle emissions (67&ndash, 77%) and occupational accidents during artisanal cobalt mining (8&ndash, 18%). About 23&ndash, 33% of the negative impacts occur outside Scandinavia, where the benefits occur. The results inform the current debate and highlight the need for research on alternatives to tire studs with a positive net health balance.

Worldwide raising energy consumption demand gives a fast development of marine renewable energy (MRE). Here, we give a short overview on the risks and uncertainties that may affect the marine environment by these installations. Knowledge transfer from traditional offshore industries and the gain of new knowledge through environmental monitoring, applying old and new methods and standardised data collection will give further insights to understand changes induced by MRE on marine biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Forecasting models for array effects will contribute to the indicating of MRE development respecting the environment.

Purpose: Recent attempts to include adverse effects of pathogens on human health in life cycle assessment (LCA) have focused on integrating results obtained through quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) as an impact category in LCA. This study aimed to investigate whether the use of QMRA can be an adequate way of integrating pathogen impact potential in LCA and to quantify how pathogen impact potential is affected by choices regarding model structure and mathematical relationships used. Methods: This study was performed for the context of sewage sludge management and is based on pathogen concentrations in treated sludge reported in the literature. Eight reference pathogens were included in order to address important microbial groups. The pathogen impact potential associated with land application of sewage sludge was quantified based on a QMRA model for eight distinct exposure pathways. The modelling choices investigated were linearisation of dose-response and severity assessment and different modelling approaches and parameter choices in fate and exposure assessment. Results and discussion: The linearisation of effect and severity assessment had a minor impact on the results for exposure pathways where pathogen doses were low but had a major impact where pathogen doses were high. The assumptions regarding fate and exposure conditions, such as pathogen decay time, number of individuals exposed and frequency of exposure, had a significant effect on overall pathogen impact potential. If pathogen impact potential is to be integrated in LCA, a range of different parameterisations for each exposure event may be warranted rather than only the one with the highest risk per individual exposed as commonly reported for QMRAs. This is also in line with the ordinary LCA practice of focusing on average rather than extreme conditions. Conclusions: This study suggests that the use of QMRA can be an adequate way of integrating adverse effects of pathogens on human health in LCA. However, analysts should be careful when choosing model parameters such as the number of people exposed or the frequency of exposure, as LCA may require a different parameterisation than an ordinary risk assessment (RA). Therefore, a direct integration of the results of a QMRA study into LCA may be problematic. Also, in order to avoid potential bias, analysts should carefully consider whether or not pathogen impact potential and human toxicity potential need to be estimated based on a similar set of exposure pathways.

Risk assessment (RA) and life cycle assessment (LCA) are two analytical tools used to support decision making in environmental management. This study reviewed 30 environmental assessment case studies that claimed an integration, combination, hybridization, or complementary use of RA and LCA. The focus of the analysis was on how the respective case studies evaluated emissions of chemical pollutants and pathogens. The analysis revealed three clusters of similar case studies. Yet, there seemed to be little consensus as to what should be referred to as RA and LCA, and when to speak of combination, integration, hybridization, or complementary use of RA and LCA. This paper provides clear recommendations toward a more stringent and consistent use of terminology. Blending elements of RA and LCA offers multifaceted opportunities to adapt a given environmental assessment case study to a specific decision making context, but also requires awareness of several implications and potential pitfalls, of which six are discussed in this paper. To facilitate a better understanding and more transparent communication of the nature of a given case study, this paper proposes a "design space" (i.e., identification framework) for environmental assessment case studies blending elements of RA and LCA. Thinking in terms of a common design space, we postulate, can increase clarity and transparency when communicating the design and results of a given assessment together with its potential strengths and weaknesses.

Proxy measures have been proposed as a low-data option for simplified assessment of environmental threat given the high complexity of the natural environment. We here review studies of environmental release, fate, toxicity, and risk to identify relevant proxy measures for manufactured nanomaterials (MNMs). In total, 18 potential proxy measures were identified and evaluated regarding their link to environmental risk, an aspect of relevance, and data availability, an aspect of practice. They include socio-technical measures (e.g., MNM release), particle-specific measures (e.g., particle size), partitioning coefficients (e.g., the octanol-water coefficient), and other fate-related measures (e.g., half-life) as well as various ecotoxicological measures (e.g., 50% effect concentration). For most identified proxy measures, the link to environmental risk was weak and data availability low. Two exceptions were global production volume and ecotoxicity, for which the links to environmental risk are strong and data availability relatively decent. As proof of concept, these were employed to assess seven MNMs: titanium dioxide, cerium dioxide, zinc oxide, silver, silicon dioxide, carbon nanotubes, and graphene. The results show that none of the MNMs have both high production volumes and high ecotoxicity. Several refinements of the assessment are possible, such as higher resolution regarding the MNMs assessed (e.g., different allotropes) and different metrics (e.g., particle number and surface area). The proof of concept shows the feasibility of using proxy measures for environmental assessment of MNMs, in particular for novel MNMs in early technological development, when data is particularly scarce.

Foreword Kate Fletcher Introduction Miguel Angel Gardetti and Ana Laura Torres Part I: The systemic vision and the value chain in the textile and fashion industry 1. Slow fashion: Tailoring a strategic approach for sustainability Carlotta Cataldi, Crystal Grover and Maureen Dickson, Co-founders, Slow Fashion Forward 2. Wisdoms from the fashion trenches Lynda Grose, Fashion Design for Sustainability, California College of the Arts, USA 3. From principle to practice: Embedding sustainability in clothing supply chain strategies Alison Ashby, Melanie Hudson Smith and Rory Shand, Plymouth Business School, UK 4. Managing chemical risk information: The case of Swedish retailers and Chinese suppliers in textile supply chains Kristin Fransson, Birgit Brunklaus and Sverker Molander, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden Yuntao Zhang, The Fourth Research and Design Engineering Corporation of CNNC, China 5. Innovation power of fashion focal companies and participation in sustainability activities in their supply network Harrie W.M. van Bommel, Saxion University of Applied Sciences, the Netherlands 6. Sustainable colour forecasting: The benefits of creating a better colour trend forecasting system for consumers, the fashion industry and the environment Tracy Diane Cassidy, University of Leeds, UK 7. Fashioning use: A polemic to provoke pro-environmental garment maintenance Tullia Jack, The University of Melbourne, Australia 8. Fashion design education for sustainability practice: Reflections on undergraduate level teaching Lynda Grose, California College of the Arts, USA 9. Upcycling fashion for mass production Tracy Diane Cassidy, University of Leeds, UK Sara Li-Chou Han, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK 10. Creating new from that which is discarded: The collaborative San Francisco Tablecloth Repurposing Project Connie Ulasewicz and Gail Baugh, San Francisco State University, USA Part II: Marketing, brands and regulatory aspects in the textile and fashion industry 11. Sustainable consumption and production patterns in the clothing sector: Is green the new black? Ines Weller, University of Bremen, Germany 12. Redefining "Made in Australia": A "fair go" for people and planet Cameron Neil and Kirsten Simpson, Net Balance, Australia Eloise Bishop, Ethical Clothing, Australia 13. "Sustainability isn't sexy": An exploratory study into luxury fashion Iain A. Davies and Carla-Maria Streit, University of Bath, School of Management, UK 14. Ethical fashion in Western Europe: A survey of the status quo through the digital communications lens Ilaria Pasquinelli and Pamela Ravasio, texSture, UK 15. Effectiveness of standard initiatives: Rules and effectiveimplementation of transnational standard initiatives (TSI) in the apparel industry: An empirical examination Claude Meier, University of Zurich and University of Applied Sciences Zurich (HWZ), Switzerland Part III: The practice in textiles and fashion 16. Corporate responsibility in the garment industry: Towards shared value Anna Larsson, U&We, Sweden Katarina Buhr, IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute and Linkoping University, Sweden Cecilia Mark-Herbert, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden 17. Zigzag or interlock? The case of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition Kim Poldner, University of St Gallen, Switzerland 18. Garments without guilt? A case study of sustainable garment sourcing in Sri Lanka Patsy Perry, George Davies Centre for Retail Excellence, Heriot-Watt University, UK 19. Next one, please: Integrating sustainability criteria in the procurement of operating-room textiles: The case of Germany Edeltraud Gunther, Technische Universitat Dresden, Germany Holger Hoppe, SCHOTT Solar, Germany Gabriel Weber, ENT Environment & Management, Spain Julia Hillmann, Technische Universitat Dresden, Germany 20. Development and the garment industry: Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Sarah E. Heidebrecht, Alumna, Kansas State University, USA Joy M. Kozar, Kansas State University, USA Part IV: Consumer: purchase, identity, use and care of clothing and textiles 21. Young academic women's clothing practice: Interactions between fast fashion and social expectations in Denmark Charlotte Louise Jensen and Michael Sogaard Jorgensen, Department of Development and Planning, Aalborg University, Denmark 22. Connecting meanings and materials: Identity dynamics in sustainable fashion Fernando F. Fachin, HEC Montreal, Canada 23. Consumers' attitudes towards sustainable fashion: Clothing usage and disposal Helen Goworek and Alex Hiller, Nottingham Business School, Nottingham Trent University, UK Tom Fisher, School of Art and Design, Nottingham Trent University, UK Tim Cooper, School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment, Nottingham Trent University, UK Sophie Woodward, School of Social Sciences, University of Manchester, UK Index

Offshore wind power is expanding with particular development plans in the Baltic and the North Sea. To reassure an environmentally acceptable development, regulatory authorities need to make informed decisions even when evidence and experience are scarce. In this study Ecological Risk Assessment (ERA) has been applied on a wind farm project in Kattegat, proposed within a spawning ground for the Kattegat cod, a threatened population of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua L). Six stressors with potential impacts on cod and related to wind farms were investigated. Three of them - extreme noise from pile driving, noise from vessels, and disturbances due to cable-trenching - are related to the construction phase, while lubricant spills and noise from turbines together with electric fields from cables are related to the operation phase. The ecological risk was derived from the combined likelihood and magnitude of potential adverse effects from stressors to the cod population using a weight-of-evidence (WOE) ranking procedure. Available evidence was evaluated based on its reliability, and contradictory arguments were balanced against each other using evidence maps. The option of performing hazardous construction events (e.g. pile-driving) outside biologically sensitive periods was incorporated in the assessment. It was shown that the construction of the wind farm poses a high risk to cod, as defined by the ranked and combined likelihoods and magnitudes of adverse effects. However by avoiding particular construction events during the cod recruitment period ecological risks can be significantly reduced. Specifically for this case, ecological risks are reduced from high to low by avoiding pile-driving from December through June, which confirms previous indications that pile-driving is the most ecologically hazardous activity of offshore wind power development. Additional risk reduction is achieved by avoiding cable trenching from January through May. The study thus illustrates the effectiveness of time-planning for risk reduction. Importantly, the study illustrates how combined ERA and WOE methods can be valuable for handling uncertainties of environmental impacts within offshore industrial development. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

What constitutes a potentially hazardous object is often debated. This article analyses the polemic construction and negotiation of risk in the Swedish controversy over the use of antibacterial silver in health care and consumer products. This debate engages the media, government agencies, parliament and government, non-governmental organizations and companies. Texts and websites from these actors were studied using content analysis. Antibacterial silver is construed by some actors as a risk object with harmful effects on a series of objects at risk: the environment, public health, organisms and sewage treatment. In contrast, other actors deny that antibacterial silver is a risk object, instead construing it as mitigating risk. In such a schema, antibacterial silver is conceived of as managing the risk objects of bacteria and micro-organisms, in turn managing the risk objects of infection, bad smell and washing, and in turn helping the environment and public health (objects at risk). The structure of the debate suggests two basic modes of risk communication. First, antibacterial silver is construed as a risk object, endangering a variety of objects at risk, such as organisms, public health, the environment and sewage treatment. Second, this association between antibacterial silver and objects at risk is obstructed, by denying that antibacterial silver is a risk object or by associating silver with the benefit of mitigating risk.

The purpose of this synthesis paper is to present the motivations and conceptual basis for research on socio-technical-ecological systems (STES), addressing the need for interdisciplinary studies targeting the technological mediation of human–environment relationships. The background is the very limited number of collaborations between scholars of social-ecological systems and sociotechnical systems (SES), despite repeated calls for bridging work. The synthesis builds on an in-depth review of previous literature, interdisciplinary exchanges, and empirical examples. The result is arguments for why a sociotechnical understanding of ‘technology’ is of central importance for SES studies, related to how technology: (1) mediates human–environment relationships; (2) brings ambivalence to these relationships; (3) enhances and transforms human agency and provides a source of constitutive power; (4) changes scalar relationships, enabling our interaction with and impact on the natural world across time and space. Furthermore, we present an STES analytical approach which starts from symmetrical attention to technology, society, and environment, specifically targeting interfaces and relationships of critical relevance for SES scholars, and address counterarguments that we have encountered. We conclude that a shift to STES research will enhance our knowledge of system interfaces that are often overlooked, opening further avenues for research and real-world interventions.

Even though technological advances have occurred during recent decades today’s nutrient loading from Swedish on-site sewage systems (OSSs) is much higher than in the 1940s, despite a decreased rural population and the existence of potentially far better technologies than the existing inadequate installations. The objective of this paper is first, to explain this situation as the result of co-evolution of technology and institutions, which has resulted in a very stable conservation. Second, to properly understand how such stable configurations may change, the paper investigates how a power-distributional theory of incremental institutional change might complement the previous analysis and open up the thinking about how seemingly stable configurations may change endogenously. The analysis reveals how shifts in the distribution of power, i.e., public and private actors’ resources and tools to use in interaction with other actors, have influenced the direction of technological and institutional development. We conclude that the sequencing of events has been important, the series of choices made foremost between the 1950s and 1990s caused both institutional and technical lock-in effects that have been increasingly difficult to break out from. Despite parallel and later incremental developments, improvement in the environmental outcome is not yet seen on the large scale.

Biofuels are advanced to replace fossil fuels in order to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and other environmental impacts. Yet freshwater scarcity is another growing concern and increased production of biofuels may increase this problem. In order to assess whether biofuels truly have a higher water use than do fossil fuels, a life cycle assessment study of a low input jatropha plantation in northern Mozambique was conducted. In addition to different water use indicators, the fossil energy use and global warming potential were assessed for 1 MJ of jatropha oil. The analysis compares results for jatropha oil with fossil diesel, generally showing lower global warming potential and fossil energy use for jatropha oil. However, aspects related to land use may alter the global warming potential of jatropha oil. Regarding water use, the choice of the water use indicator strongly influences the results. Specifically the indication of (1) so-called green water flows, (2) formation of so-called blue water and (3) water scarcity show crucial influences on the comparison. Depending on these specific features, jatropha oil may have higher or lower water use than fossil diesel. A number of uncertainties, such as the jatropha oil yield, are also shown to have a considerable impact on the results.

This article reports results from a questionnaire administered to Swedish homeowners (N = 1481) investigating factors that influence them, as users and owners of on-site sewage systems (OSS), to environmentally improve their OSS. Social and psychological factors were based on previous research into pro-environmental and compliance behaviors and a previous interview study. The results suggest that the most important motives are to benefit, to act when outcomes are fair, and to avoid inconvenience. Less important motives are to act when outcomes are fair and to act of concern for the environment. Perceived efficacy in decreasing the environmental impacts of current OSS, when the OSS is changed, and perceived ability to change their OSS are also among the strongest predictors of readiness to change OSS. However, among homeowners who changed their OSS to do ones duty and achieve long-term safety were ranked highest. The results support the expectations of goal-framing theory that motives related to “gain” would be focal in situations of unfavorable cost–benefit ratios. Similarly, the importance of fair outcomes and efficacious rules is consistent with general findings in research on social dilemmas.

In the textile industry, a large number of potentially harmful chemicals are used during production. This raises the importance of communication about chemical risks between different actors in the supply chain and therefore this study aims at describing the flows of chemical risk information up- and downstream in an international textile supply chain. The outcomes show that the main communication between retailers and suppliers is through a list of restricted substances. Information most often only reaches the next tier up- or downstream in the supply chain. However, different approaches exist, of which one is described in further detail.

Several future applications have been suggested for the nanomaterial graphene, and its production is increasing dramatically. This study is a review of risk-related information on graphene with the purpose of outlining potential environmental and health risks and guide future risk-related research. Available information is presented regarding emissions, environmental fate, and toxicity of graphene. The results from this study indicate that graphene could exert a considerable toxicity and that considerable emission of graphene from electronic devices and composites are possible in the future. It is also suggested that graphene is both persistent and hydrophobic. Although these results indicate that graphene may cause adverse environmental and health effects, the results foremost show that there are many risk-related knowledge gaps to be filled and that the emissions of graphene, the fate of graphene in the environment, and the toxicity of graphene should be further studied.

In this study the flows of chemical risk information for paint as a consumer product were investigated from a product chain perspective. The main method of research involved semi-structured interviews with Swedish manufacturers of paint and chemicals. In addition, retailers and consumers were interviewed. The flows of chemical risk information between actors within (e.g., manufacturers, retailers, and consumers) and outside (e.g., industry associations and regulators) the paint product chain are described. Because the European chemical legislation REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and restriction of CHemicals) plays a large role in the management of chemical risk information at companies, some consequences of REACH on actors in the paint product chain are described. Examples of such consequences are that importing of chemicals from nonEuropean Union (EU) countries may be discouraged and that some low-volume chemicals may no longer be produced. However, manufacturers do not yet see these consequences as impediments to innovation. The results of this work show that chemical risk information is most comprehensive during the manufacturing steps of the product chain. This is due not only to tradition and industry initiatives, but also to REACH and other legislation. The results also illustrate the need for evaluation of how chemical risk information is used in different contexts and the importance of directing the right information at the right target group. Following legislative development, more specialized information is required in the safety data sheet (SDS), and because of this many manufacturers find it necessary to create simplified safety sheets that make the most pertinent safety and hazard information easily accessible to individuals that handle the chemicals in their factories. The study found that in creating the simplified safety sheets, the content and use of chemical risk information is evaluated and adjusted for presentation to this particular target group. It is evident that the Swedish Paint and Printing Ink Makers Association plays an important role in the interpretation of legal requirements and even in agreements for providing information that exceeds legal requirements.

Several African countries in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) endure insufficiencies in the power sector, including both generation and distribution. One important step towards increasing energy security and availability is to intensify the use of renewable energy sources. The access to cost-efficient hydropower is low in coastal and island regions and combinations of different renewable energy sources will play an increasingly important role. In this study the physical preconditions for renewable ocean energy are investigated, considering the specific context of the WIO countries. Global-level resource assessments and oceanographic literature and data have been compiled in an analysis of the match between technology-specific requirements for ocean energy technologies (wave power, ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC), tidal barrages, tidal current turbines, and ocean current power) and the physical resources in 13 WIO regions Kenya, Seychelles, Northern Tanzania and Zanzibar, Southern Tanzania, Comoros and Mayotte, Northern-, Central-, and Southern Mozambique, Western-, Eastern-, and Southern Madagascar, Reunion, and Mauritius. The results show high potential for wave power over vast coastal stretches in southern parts of the WIO and high potential for OTEC at specific locations in Mozambique, Comoros, Reunion, and Mauritius. The potential for tidal power and ocean current power is more restricted but may be of interest at some locations. The findings are discussed in relation to currently used electricity sources and the potential for solar photovoltaic and wind power. Temporal variations in resource intensity as well as the differences between small-scale and large-scale applications are considered.

In this study we investigate how indicators for energy use are applied in a set of life cycle assessment (LCA) and energy analysis case studies of biofuels. We found five inherently different types of indicators to describe energy use: (1) fossil energy, (2) secondary energy, (3) cumulative energy demand, (4) net energy balance, and (5) total extracted energy. It was also found that the examined reports and articles, the choice of energy use indicator was seldom motivated or discussed in relation to other energy use indicators. In order to investigate the differences between these indicators, they were applied to a case. The life cycle energy use of palm oil methyl ester was calculated and reported using these five different indicators for energy use, giving considerably different output results. This is in itself not unexpected, but indicates the importance of clearly identifying, describing and motivating the choice of energy use indicator. The indicators can all be useful in specific situations, depending on the goal and scope of the individual study, but the choice of indicators need to be better reported and motivated than what is generally done today.

A variety of tidal current turbines (TCT) are emerging, the majority focussing on large-scale extraction of renewable energy at global tidal hot-spots. Concurrently, some turbines are small and may be suitable also for micro-scale applications (micro-TCT) in remote areas, such as decentralized electrification in countries where fuel-independent energy systems with high power predictability are particularly important. In shallow waters the force of tidal currents varies considerably over short distances and very site-specific measurements are important for assessment of localization, but are also expensive. For micro-TCT to be of interest site-screening and evaluation must be inexpensive, and low-cost methods are thus required. This study proposes a simplified tidal model that is calibrated to site-specific conditions by short-term observations using lightweight equipment. By measurements comprising down to 8% of the monthly tidal period the potential power output can be estimated, with uncertainty intervals up to ±20%, for currents applicable for micro-TCT. This site-screening method was tested at five sites in Mozambique where near-shore tidal currents were measured with lightweight current meters. At three of the sites, currents were estimated to exceed 1 m s−1 and power output was calculated based on technical assumptions for a micro-TCT device. Results are discussed from the perspective of micro-TCT development and decentralized remote area electrification.

Several authors have highlighted the potential risks of nanoparticles (NPs). Still, little is known about the magnitude of emissions of NPs from society. Here, the method of explorative particle flow analysis (PFA), a modification of the more well-known substance flow analysis (SFA), is suggested. In explorative PFA, particle number instead of mass is used as flow and stock metric and explorative scenarios are used to account for potential technology diffusion and, consequently, potentially higher emissions. The method has been applied in a case study of the use phase of titanium dioxide (TiO2) NPs in paint, sunscreen and self-cleaning cement. The results indicate that the current largest emissions of TiO2 NPs originate from the use of sunscreen. One scenario implies that, in the future, the largest flows and stocks of TiO2 NPs could be related to self-cleaning cement. Gaps in current knowledge are identified and suggestions for future research are given.

Silver is a compound that is well known for its adverse environmental effects. More recently, silver in the form of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) have begun to be produced in increasingly larger amounts for antibacterial purposes in for instance textiles, wound dressings and cosmetics. Several authors have highlighted the potential environmental impact of these NPs. In order to contribute to a risk assessment of Ag NPs, a suggested method named particle flow analysis is applied to estimate current emissions from society to the environment. In addition, explorative scenarios are set up to account for potential technology diffusion of selected Ag NP applications. The results are uncertain and need to be refined, but they indicate that emissions from all applications included may increase significantly in the future. Ag NPs in textiles and electronic circuitry may increase more than in wound dressings due to the limited consumption of wound dressings. Due to the dissipative nature of Ag NPs in textiles, the results indicate that they may cause the highest emissions in the future, thus partly confirming the woes of both scientists and environmental organizations. Gaps in current knowledge have been identified. Especially the fate of Ag NPs during different waste handling processes is outlined as an area that requires more research.

Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is an important legislative and scientific tool that may assist and improve the quality assistance for the decision-making process in sustainable development. Here, a comparison of EIAs from three cases of hydropower projects in Pakistan, Norway and Sweden is reported. A huge difference concerning the incorporation of environmental considerations into the decisionmaking process between developed and developing countries is observed. The EIA system of Pakistan appears to be less efficient in the application and review process. In addition, the appraisal of issues, the decision-making process and evaluation through post-monitoring is not as well performed in Pakistan as in cases of hydroelectric power plants in Sweden and Norway. The key reason for this shortcoming is misconceptions about the EIA process, which initially receives intense attention but becomes weakened by the time of implementation. This implies that there is a need to adopt simplified and flexible EIA techniques suitable for the infrastructure and resources of a specific country, taking into account institutional, technical and financial constraints. Improvements are required in public participation, awareness, as well as in environmental control and data system sectors in Pakistan, besides simply enacting legislation to achieve the goals of the EIA system.

Effects of land use changes are starting to be included in estimates of life-cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, so-called carbon footprints (CFs), from food production. Their omission can lead to serious underestimates, particularly for meat. Here we estimate emissions from the conversion of forest to pasture in the Legal Amazon Region (LAR) of Brazil and present a model to distribute the emissions from deforestation over products and time subsequent to the land use change. Expansion of cattle ranching for beef production is a major cause of deforestation in the LAR. The carbon footprint of beef produced on newly deforested land is estimated at more than 700 kg CO(2)-equivalents per kg carcass weight if direct land use emissions are annualized over 20 years. This is orders of magnitude larger than the figure for beef production on established pasture on non-deforested land. While Brazilian beef exports have originated mainly from areas outside the LAR, i.e. from regions not subject to recent deforestation, we argue that increased production for export has been the key driver of the pasture expansion and deforestation in the LAR during the past decade and this should be reflected in the carbon footprint attributed to beef exports. We conclude that carbon footprint standards must include the more extended effects of land use changes to avoid giving misleading information to policy makers, retailers, and consumers.

Managing the potential environmental risks of nanoparticles requires methods to link nanoparticle properties with macro-scale risks. This study outlines challenges in exposure modeling of nanoparticles in aquatic environments, such as the role of natural organic matter, natural colloids, fractal dimensions of agglomerates, coatings and doping of particles, and uncertainties regarding nanoparticle emissions to aquatic environments. The pros and cons of the exposure indicators mass concentration, particle number concentration, and surface area are discussed. By applying colloid chemistry kinetic equations describing particle agglomeration and sedimentation for the case of titanium dioxide nanoparticles, a limited exposure assessment including some of the factors mentioned is conducted with particle number concentration as the exposure indicator. The results of the modeling indicate that sedimentation, shear flows, and settling are of less importance with regard to particle number based predicted environmental concentrations. The inflow of nanoparticles to the water compartment had a significant impact in the model, and the collision efficiency (which is affected by natural organic matter) was shown to greatly affect model output. Implications for exposure modeling, regulation and science are discussed. A broad spectrum of scientific disciplines must be engaged in the development of exposure models where nano-level properties are linked to macro-scale risk.

Over 500 million people lack access to modern energy sources in sub-Saharan Africa as of today. Many of these people live in remote rural areas. Improving access to modern energy sources is considered an important goal towards reaching the Millennium goals. Minigrids are seen as an important technology to increase electricity access in non-electrified rural areas. There is currently a lack of measured load data from minigrids in developing countries. This paper investigates the differences between daily load profiles created from measurements and from appliance data collected through interviews. The paper reports differing results from the two methodologies. Specifically the interview data largely underestimate the base load from household. However, the study also concludes that measurements require special equipment and knowledge that can obstruct the access to data. Interview based load profiles can furthermore be used in previous non-electrified areas to indicate electricity usage before minigrids are constructed.

Prospective life cycle assessment (LCA) provides information on the environmental consequences of individual actions. Retrospective LCA provides information about the environmental properties of the life cycle investigated and of its subsystems. In this paper we analyse the links between the choice of methodology and different theories of normative moral philosophy. The choice of electricity data in an LCA of a conference site with local hydropower production is discussed as an illustration. The two types of LCA can be related to different theories on the characteristics of a good action. Each type of LCA, as well as each of the moral theories, can be criticised from the alternative point of departure. Decisions based on retrospective LCA can have environmentally undesirable consequences. On the other hand, prospective LCA can appear unfair and result in environmentally sub-optimised systems. Both types of LCA also have methodological limitations. We cannot conclude that one type is superior to the other, but the choice of methodology should be consistent with the information sought in the LCA.

This paper presents a study where sustainable development indicators (SDIs) for sludge handling and wastewater treatment systems were constructed in co-operation with a large Swedish water company. Results from a life cycle assessment, a risk assessment, an economic assessment and an uncertainty assessment were used as inputs for ranking technical options of sludge handling by use of multi-criteria analysis (MCA). The MCA included assessment of the different technical options, valuation of different, and often conflicting, aspects of sustainability and weighting of various criteria. On basis of the preferences expressed in the MCA, a number of SDIs and, when possible, targets for sustainable development, were formulated. The resulting SDIs reflected economic, environmental, technical and social aspects of sustainable development of sludge handling systems. Where possible, the coverage of the indicators was extended to the entire wastewater system.

This paper describes the spatial variability of fish communities and identifies patterns of association between fish communities and habitat variables, including anthropogenic factors. We sampled streams inside and in the surroundings of a rain forest reserve in the southeast of Brazil in the rainy season. We could distinguish three main groups of streams: upland streams (draining the upland, flat portions of the mountain ridge of Serra de Paranapiacaba), adventitious streams of clearwater mountain torrents (small streams draining confined valleys in the slopes of this sierra), and large streams of clearwater mountain torrents (relatively unconstrained large streams close to the foots of the mountains). Despite the high variability of fish communities associated with these streams we identified some patterns using exploratory statistical analyses. These patterns were corroborated by additional field observations and information from the scientific literature. The main differences in fish community composition and diversity among the three groups of streams are probably related to large-scale factors such as elevation and position of the stream in the watershed. However, differences within these three groups seem to be mostly due to site-specific factors. Differences of instream characteristics are likely to be caused by natural variability of the ecosystems but also, in some cases, by human disturbances like pollution from human settlements, agriculture and mining.

Institutions in developed countries have proposed several Ecological Risk Assessment (ERA) procedures, and the majority of study cases have been carried out there. The use of (often expensive) existing ERA procedures in developing countries is questionable given their limited resources and scarce background information of relevance for risk assessments. There is an obvious need to adapt existing ERA procedures to account for data gaps and constrains on the acquisition of new data without compromising the scientific value of the assessment. This thesis presents a "Procedure for Ecological Tiered Assessment of Risks" (PETAR), which consists of a three-tiered evaluation of risks, successive tiers requiring more detailed investigations. The tiered approach assures that resources available for site-specific investigations are directed toward answering well formulated questions raised during the early stages of the assessment. The first tier, the preliminary assessment, is a qualitative evaluation of existing information on stressors, sources of stressors and expected ecological effects. The second tier is the regional risk assessment, a semi-quantitative evaluation of ecological risks posed by environmental problems over large geographical areas, which results in a ranking of sources and stressors having the greatest potential for ecological impact and subareas inside the study area more likely to be impacted. The final tier is a local risk assessment, a quantitative assessment of ecological risks posed by environmental problems over small geographical areas that incorporates methodologies for establishing causality between exposure to multiple stressors and effects on endpoints of ecological relevance. The applicability of the PETAR procedure was verified by a case study conducted in a reserve of the Atlantic rain forest in Brazil. Results of the evaluation of risks at the regional scale can be used by the reserve administration to establishing conservation priorities. The evaluation of risks at the local scale effectively assessed the causes and consequences of environmental degradation in a small geographic area.

Pesticide residues in water, sediment, and fish samples from rivers of a Brazilian Rain Forest Reserve were measured in November 1998, March 1999, and January 2000. Concentrations of the individual pesticides were compared to ecotoxicological benchmarks based on acute toxicity tests, and to regulatory guidelines to determine the potential concern for effects on aquatic life and human health. Pesticides and metabolites were detected at all 7 sites surveyed. Residues of a total of 27 pesticides or metabolites were found in water and/or sediment samples and fish have accumulated some of the most persistent of these residues. Measured concentrations in water and sediment indicated concern for preservation of aquatic fauna. Several pesticides in water were above levels for drinking water recommended by Brazilian and/or European Union authorities, indicating also a concern for human health.