Wind and solar photovoltaic (PV) power form vital parts of the energy transition toward renewable energy systems. The rapid development of these two renewables represents an enormous infrastructure... Show moreWind and solar photovoltaic (PV) power form vital parts of the energy transition toward renewable energy systems. The rapid development of these two renewables represents an enormous infrastructure construction task including both power generation and its associated electrical grid systems, which will generate demand for metal resources. However, most research on material demands has focused on their power generation systems (wind turbines and PV panels), and few have studied the associated electrical grid systems. Here, we estimate the global metal demands for electrical grid systems associated with wind and utility-scale PV power by 2050, using dynamic material flow analysis based on International Energy Agency's energy scenarios and the typical engineering parameters of transmission grids. Results show that the associated electrical grids require large quantities of metals: 27-81 Mt of copper cumulatively, followed by 20-67 Mt of steel and 11-31 Mt of aluminum. Electrical grids built for solar PV have the largest metal demand, followed by offshore and onshore wind. Power cables are the most metal-consuming electrical components compared to substations and transformers. We also discuss the decommissioning issue of electrical grids and their recovery potential. This study would deepen the understanding of the nexus between renewable energy, grid infrastructure, and metal resources. Show less
Kortleve, A.J.; Mogollón, J.M.; Heimovaara, T.J.; Gebert, J. 2022
The European Union (EU) has set a 37.5% GHG reduction target in 2030 for the mobility sector, relative to 1990 levels. This requires increasing the share of zero-emission passenger vehicles, mainly... Show moreThe European Union (EU) has set a 37.5% GHG reduction target in 2030 for the mobility sector, relative to 1990 levels. This requires increasing the share of zero-emission passenger vehicles, mainly in the form of electric vehicles (EVs). This study calculates future GHG emissions related to passenger vehicle manufacturing and use based on stated policy goals of EU Member States for EV promotion. Under these policies, by 2040 the stock of EVs would be about 73 times larger than those of 2020, contributing to a cumulative in-use emission reduction of 2.0 gigatons CO2- eq. Nevertheless, this stated EV adoption will not be sufficiently fast to reach the EU's GHG reduction targets, and some of the GHG environmental burdens may be shifted to the EV battery manufacturing countries. To achieve the 2030 reduction targets, the EU as a whole needs to accelerate the phase-out of internal combustion engine vehicles and transit to e-mobility at the pace of the most ambitious Member States, such that EVs can comprise at least 55% of the EU passenger vehicle fleet in 2030. An accelerated decarbonization of the electricity system will become the most critical prerequisite for minimizing GHG emissions from both EV manufacturing and in-use stages. Show less
Battery energy storage systems (BESS) are expected to fulfill a crucial role in the renewable energy systems of the future. Within current regulatory frameworks, assessing the sustainability as... Show moreBattery energy storage systems (BESS) are expected to fulfill a crucial role in the renewable energy systems of the future. Within current regulatory frameworks, assessing the sustainability as well as the social risks for BESS should be considered. In this research we conducted a social life cycle assessment (S-LCA) of two BESS: the vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) and the lithium-ion battery (LIB). The S-LCA was conducted based on the guidelines set by UNEP/SETAC and using the PSILCA v.3 database. It was found that most social risks related to the life cycle of the batteries are associated with the raw material extraction stage, while sectors related to chemicals also entail considerable risks. Workers are the stakeholder group affected most. These results apply to supply chains located in both China and Germany, but risks were lower for similar supply chains in Germany. An LIB with a nickel manganese cobalt oxide cathode is associated with considerably larger risks compared to a LIB with lithium manganese oxide cathode. For a VRFB life cycle with an increased vanadium price, the social risks were higher than those of the VRFB supply chain with a regular vanadium price. Our paper shows that S-LCA through the PSILCA database can provide interesting insights into the potential social risks associated with a certain product's life cycle. Generalizations of the results are not recommended, and one should be careful with assessments for technologies that have not yet matured due to the cost sensitivity of the methodology. Show less
The transition to electric vehicles (EVs) reduces vehicle emissions to combat climate change. EVs raise concerns regarding the production of lithium-ion batteries and related emissions; while... Show moreThe transition to electric vehicles (EVs) reduces vehicle emissions to combat climate change. EVs raise concerns regarding the production of lithium-ion batteries and related emissions; while batteries can also provide energy storage services for the electricity system. Here we use the material flow analysis method to quantify the future material demand for lithium-ion batteries and the prospective life cycle assessment method to quantify future emissions of battery production. Further combined with battery technology modelling, future energy storage potential of EV batteries is evaluated. Results show the demand for battery raw materials will increase by a factor of over 15 in the next three decades, which requires a drastic expansion of battery supply chains. The increasing utilization of renewable energy and improved mining technology of raw materials for battery production will result in a 50% decrease in emissions per lithium-ion battery production between 2020-2050. Renewable energy transition contributes largely to this emission reduction, but EV battery storage can provide short-term grid services for complementing variable renewable generation. EV batteries alone could satisfy short-term grid storage demand by as early as 2030. This research reveals environmental challenges and opportunities for EV batteries as well as options to improve EV battery sustainability. Show less
Laan, L.J.W. van der; Bosker, T.; Peijnenburg, W.J.G.M. 2022
Artificial light at night (ALAN) affects species' physiology and behaviour, and the interactions between species. Despite the importance of plants as primary producers, it remains poorly understood... Show moreArtificial light at night (ALAN) affects species' physiology and behaviour, and the interactions between species. Despite the importance of plants as primary producers, it remains poorly understood whether and how effects of ALAN on plants cascade through the food web. 2. We assess the extent to which ALAN of different spectra result in plant-mediated insect herbivory damage. In a 6-month field experiment, we exposed plants of differing palatability to three colours of ALAN and a dark control, and assessed plant traits (growth rate, leaf size, foliar density and thickness) and insect herbivory (represented by insect damage as loss of foliage to leaf-chewing insects, and gall abundance by phloem-feeding herbivory). 3. We found evidence for plant trait-mediated ALAN effects on herbivory for oak, but not for blueberry. In oak, ALAN of different colours changed the direction of relationships of insect damage with relative growth rate and with leaf thickness. Moreover, we found that the effects of ALAN on herbivory damage differed markedly between forest types within the same locale, particularly in the red light treatment. 4. Synthesis and applications. Our results provide evidence that continuous nighttime light, as provided by street lighting around the world, affects food web interactions. The nature of these effects differed by species and appeared to depend on forest type and the light spectrum employed, thus underlining the context dependency of ALAN in different ecosystems and environmental settings. These findings highlight the complexity of using spectral manipulation as a mitigation measure, and the need for further consideration of ALAN in environmental management and planning, to limit the exposure and impact of cascading effects of artificial light at night on food webs and communities. Show less
The external tissues of plants and animals are colonized by microbial communities termed microbiota. When organisms are exposed to environmental pollutants, these substances will therefore... Show moreThe external tissues of plants and animals are colonized by microbial communities termed microbiota. When organisms are exposed to environmental pollutants, these substances will therefore encounter microbiota at the exposure interface. Many antimicrobial substances have been found to disturb beneficial interactions between microbiota and the host, thereby impairing host health. Nanomaterials exhibit nanoscale properties that could affect host health in two additional, understudied, microbiota-dependent ways. Firstly, owing to their large surface area, adsorption interactions between nanomaterials, microbial metabolites and microbes could alter the identity and colloidal stability of nanomaterials, and may influence the dispersal of microbes. Secondly, the immuno-modulatory effects of microbiota could affect the sensitivity of hosts to immunotoxic nanomaterials. In this dissertation, we use a combination of computational techniques and zebrafish larvae experiments to unravel and quantify these interactions. We predict the affinity of microbial metabolites to carbon and metal nanomaterials, and show that titanium dioxide nanoparticles can affect the dispersal of microbes through aquatic ecosystems, and across different life stages of oviparous animals. Additionally, we provide insight into microbiota-dependent signaling pathways that affect the sensitivity of zebrafish larvae to particle-specific, immunotoxic effects of silver nanoparticles. Altogether, these results contribute to mechanistic pathways for microbiota-inclusive nanomaterial safety assessment. Show less
Effective monitoring of national circular economy policies requires consistent, national databases of material flows and environmental impacts. Yet, databases and indicators developed so far are... Show moreEffective monitoring of national circular economy policies requires consistent, national databases of material flows and environmental impacts. Yet, databases and indicators developed so far are scattered and inconsistent. To tackle this problem, Statistics Netherlands (CBS) developed a material flow monitor (MFM) that integrates existing statistics using principles of the System of Environmental Economic Accounting (SEEA). The MFM is the physical counterpart of the Dutch supply and use tables (SUT) of the National Accounts and is also referred to as physical SUT (P-SUT). The P-SUT captures national resource extraction, product imports and exports, product flows between economic sectors, as well as emissions and waste streams resulting from economic activities. Our work illustrates how a statistical office can use and enrich its formal statistical data to compose an MFM consistent with the National Accounts and how indicators can be extracted with a case study on the bio-based economy. We contribute a clear step-by-step description of the method and the used datasets. This supports the development of MFMs by other statistical offices and researchers, thereby enabling consistent and comparable circular economy monitoring. Show less
Buijs, S; Meiracker, R. van den; Tamis, W.L.M.; Zelfde, M. van 't; Visser, M.D. 2022
Awareness of toxicokinetics at the subcellular level is crucial to deciphering the underlying intoxication processes of metal(loid)s, although this information is often lacking. Here, the... Show moreAwareness of toxicokinetics at the subcellular level is crucial to deciphering the underlying intoxication processes of metal(loid)s, although this information is often lacking. Here, the toxicokinetics of two non-essential metal(loid)s (Cd and As) and one essential metal (Zn) in both the whole body and subcellular fractions of earthworm (Eisenia fetida) were assessed. Earthworms were exposed to natural soils originating from a gradient of metal(loid) pollution for 14 days followed by a 14-day elimination phase in clean soil. Clearly distinct toxicokinetic patterns were found in the earthworms according to the metal(loid) considered. An obvious concentration-dependent increase was observed in earthworms or subcellular compartments where no equilibrium was reached (with slow or no elimination) for Cd and As throughout the experiment. As for Zn, the earthworms were able to retain a steady-state concentration of Zn in its body or each fraction without a clear intake behavior via the dynamic trade-off between uptake and elimination at different pollution levels. These differences in toxicokinetics at the subcellular level supported the observed differences in bioaccumulation patterns and were indicative of the strategy by which non-essential and essential elements are handled by earthworms. Notably, the concentration of Cd and As in subcellular compartments showed the same pattern as for Zn in the order of cellular cytosol > cellular debris > metal-rich granules, which might be associated with the binding of non-essential/essential elements with metallothionein enriched in the cytosol. Our findings enhance the understanding of the underlying mechanisms for metal(loid) accumulation kinetics in earthworms from the perspective of subcellular partitioning, and will be beneficial for accurate risk assessment of Cd, As, and Zn. Show less
In this study, generalized predictive models were developed to estimate KOA of four kinds of aromatic pollutants based on the calculated solvation free energy and taking the dimer effect into... Show moreIn this study, generalized predictive models were developed to estimate KOA of four kinds of aromatic pollutants based on the calculated solvation free energy and taking the dimer effect into account. Uncorrected log KOA values, which were directly estimated from the calculated solvation free energy of individual molecules, underestimated experimental values, and the deviation increased with increasing log KOA. Dimers were found to greatly affect the apparent KOA values of these aromatic pollutants, which were driven by π-π interactions. London dispersion and exchange-repulsion terms were identified to be dominant components of the underlying π-π interactions. It is interesting to find that the π-π interactions of polybrominated diphenyl ethers correlate with not only the molecular polarizability but also the size of opposing aromatic surfaces, which leads to a different trend of π-π interactions from other aromatic pollutants. A universal quantitative structure-activity relationship model was developed to estimate the proportion of dimers based on five molecular structural descriptors relevant to the π-π interactions. After calibration with the dimer effect, estimations of log KOA were consistent with experimental values. Therefore, the dimer effect should be taken into consideration when investigating the partition behavior of aromatic pollutants, and the solvation free energy model could be an alternative method for the prediction of KOA. Show less
Frac, M.; Hannula, E.S.; Belka, M.; Salles, J.F.; Jedryczka, M. 2022
The soil microbiome contributes to several ecosystem processes. It plays a key role in sustainable agriculture, horticulture and forestry. In contrast to the vast number of studies focusing on soil... Show moreThe soil microbiome contributes to several ecosystem processes. It plays a key role in sustainable agriculture, horticulture and forestry. In contrast to the vast number of studies focusing on soil bacteria, the amount of research concerning soil fungal communities is limited. This is despite the fact that fungi play a crucial role in the cycling of matter and energy on Earth. Fungi constitute a significant part of the pathobiome of plants. Moreover, many of them are indispensable to plant health. This group includes mycorrhizal fungi, superparasites of pathogens, and generalists; they stabilize the soil mycobiome and play a key role in biogeochemical cycles. Several fungal species also contribute to soil bioremediation through their uptake of high amounts of contaminants from the environment. Moreover, fungal mycelia stretch below the ground like blood vessels in the human body, transferring water and nutrients to and from various plants. Recent advances in high-throughput sequencing combined with bioinformatic tools have facilitated detailed studies of the soil mycobiome. This review discusses the beneficial effects of soil mycobiomes and their interactions with other microbes and hosts in both healthy and unhealthy ecosystems. It may be argued that studying the soil mycobiome in such a fashion is an essential step in promoting sustainable and regenerative agriculture. Show less
