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Northern Italy represents the most important rice-growing district in Europe. In this area, rice is the main annual crop and the main revenues source for farmers. However, Italian climatic condition led to a traditional cultivation characterized by continuous flooding, causing emissions of methane into the atmosphere due to the organic matter fermentation in anaerobic conditions, and, consequently, a high environmental impact. The water conditions of paddy fields also affect heavy metals uptake by rice plants. In this context, this study focuses on the evaluation of environmental impact and of heavy metal content in paddy rice, and it may represent an important step in mitigating the environmental impact of rice production. In detail, this study quantifies the environmental benefits related to the adoption of an alternative water management characterized by an additional aeration period during stem elongation. To this purpose, field trials were carried out and the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach was applied with a cradle-to-farm gate perspective. The potential environmental impact of the production of two rice varieties (Carnaroli and Caravaggio) was analysed in terms of 12 different impact categories and dehulled rice grain were analysed for arsenic and cadmium content. Alternative flooding decreases CH4 emissions in all cases evaluated (from 15% to 52%), resulting in a reduction in the climate change impact of rice cultivation (from 12% to 32%). Furthermore, the alternative water management does not influence grain yield and it reduces all the other environmental impact categories in 2 out of 4 cases. Regarding the heavy metals contents, the arsenic content in the grain decreases in all alternative scenarios, whereas the cadmium content increases, while remaining well below the legal limits.
Michele Zoli; Livia Paleari; Roberto Confalonieri; Jacopo Bacenetti. Setting-up of different water managements as mitigation strategy of the environmental impact of paddy rice. Science of The Total Environment 2021, 799, 149365 .
AMA StyleMichele Zoli, Livia Paleari, Roberto Confalonieri, Jacopo Bacenetti. Setting-up of different water managements as mitigation strategy of the environmental impact of paddy rice. Science of The Total Environment. 2021; 799 ():149365.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMichele Zoli; Livia Paleari; Roberto Confalonieri; Jacopo Bacenetti. 2021. "Setting-up of different water managements as mitigation strategy of the environmental impact of paddy rice." Science of The Total Environment 799, no. : 149365.
Aquaculture is increasingly considered a major contributor to the growing demand for worldwide seafood production. Sustainability is becoming a key issue for aquaculture systems, with the objective to produce seafood with lower environmental impacts and that is economically viable and socially fair. In the context of the SIMTAP project, a multi-attribute model called DEXiAqua was developed. DEXiAqua uses the DEX method to assess the sustainability of aquaculture systems via indicators from technical domains and reference methods (i.e., life cycle assessment, life cycle costing, social life cycle assessment, and emergy accounting) selected and organized by the partners in the SIMTAP project. The DEX method consists of building an attribute tree that is organized to characterize a complex problem. Qualitative or quantitative indicators are measured at the end of each branch of the tree. The value of each indicator is translated into a qualitative scale for the associated attribute via threshold values. Weighted utility functions are used to build attributes from sub-attributes until the attribute of overall sustainability is reached. DEXiAqua was applied to a case study of salmon farming in France, which illustrated its ability to assess overall sustainability and help identify ways to improve the production system by identifying environmental, social, and economic hotspots. More case studies are required to apply DEXiAqua to a variety of systems with technical and contextual differences, which could result in changing attribute weights to adapt it better to different contexts.
Samuel Le Féon; Théo Dubois; Christophe Jaeger; Aurélie Wilfart; Nouraya Akkal-Corfini; Jacopo Bacenetti; Michele Costantini; Joël Aubin. DEXiAqua, a Model to Assess the Sustainability of Aquaculture Systems: Methodological Development and Application to a French Salmon Farm. Sustainability 2021, 13, 7779 .
AMA StyleSamuel Le Féon, Théo Dubois, Christophe Jaeger, Aurélie Wilfart, Nouraya Akkal-Corfini, Jacopo Bacenetti, Michele Costantini, Joël Aubin. DEXiAqua, a Model to Assess the Sustainability of Aquaculture Systems: Methodological Development and Application to a French Salmon Farm. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (14):7779.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSamuel Le Féon; Théo Dubois; Christophe Jaeger; Aurélie Wilfart; Nouraya Akkal-Corfini; Jacopo Bacenetti; Michele Costantini; Joël Aubin. 2021. "DEXiAqua, a Model to Assess the Sustainability of Aquaculture Systems: Methodological Development and Application to a French Salmon Farm." Sustainability 13, no. 14: 7779.
Ammonia (NH3) is the most common air pollutant in pig farms, affecting animals and workers’ health, and causing damages to ecosystems. Hence, there is a need to reduce NH3 emissions. Many mitigation strategies can be applied to limit gaseous emissions, such as the application of air treatment technologies. In this study, the environmental impact of a typical Italian pig farm, adopting a wet acid scrubber to abate NH3 emissions, was evaluated using the Life Cycle Assessment approach. 1 kg of live weight (LW) was selected as Functional Unit. Two scenarios were considered. The baseline scenario (BS) represents the situation as it is, while the alternative scenario (AS) a wet scrubber prototype (with 70% NH3 removal efficiency) was adopted. For 8 of the 12 evaluated impact categories, AS shows the highest environmental impact, due to the scrubber construction and maintenance. However, it was the best for those impact categories most affected by NH3. Observed reduction ranged from 10% (for acidification, TA, and terrestrial eutrophication, TE) to 0.4% (for marine eutrophication, ME). The climate change impact was 3.55 kg CO2 eq kg-1 LW and 3.65 kg CO2 eq kg-1 LW for BS and AS, respectively. For almost all impact categories, the consumable materials for wet scrubber operation represented around 85% of the total impact of the scrubber. The results of the sensitivity analysis showed that variation in NH3 removal efficiency had the greatest effect on particulate matter formation, TA, and TE. The achieved results provide a first quantitative indication of the environmental benefits that can be achieved using wet acid scrubber in naturally ventilated pig facilities.
Cecilia Conti; Michele Costantini; Alessandra Fusi; Alessandro Manzardo; Marcella Guarino; Jacopo Bacenetti. Environmental impact of pig production affected by wet acid scrubber as mitigation technology. Sustainable Production and Consumption 2021, 28, 580 -590.
AMA StyleCecilia Conti, Michele Costantini, Alessandra Fusi, Alessandro Manzardo, Marcella Guarino, Jacopo Bacenetti. Environmental impact of pig production affected by wet acid scrubber as mitigation technology. Sustainable Production and Consumption. 2021; 28 ():580-590.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCecilia Conti; Michele Costantini; Alessandra Fusi; Alessandro Manzardo; Marcella Guarino; Jacopo Bacenetti. 2021. "Environmental impact of pig production affected by wet acid scrubber as mitigation technology." Sustainable Production and Consumption 28, no. : 580-590.
The classic linear economy model based on extraction, processing, production and waste no longer seems to be functional in a world where natural resources are starting to run out. For these reasons, the aim of this study is to analyse the transition from a linear system to the circular economy, providing an example of reuse of sea urchin waste for the creation of new eco-sustainable products. From a comprehensive literature review, it is provided a framework of all the properties deriving from marine collagen and other inedible parts of the sea urchin. Thanks to its characteristics, marine collagen is a valid support for production of biomedical devices, dermal implants, cosmetic and pharmaceutical products. To make their core business effective, companies should not consider only the financial perspectives but also the social and environmental aspects. Therefore, this work aims at analysing these three frameworks using the Triple-Layered Business Model Canvas, which is a useful tool to support the creative exploration of sustainable and innovative business models. The reuse of sea urchin waste is a clear example of how a circular economy model can be adopted for companies to be successful. Through this virtuous model, they can be projected towards a green economy based on a more eco-sustainable vision.
Federico Zilia; Jacopo Bacenetti; Michela Sugni; Agata Matarazzo; Luigi Orsi. From Waste to Product: Circular Economy Applications from Sea Urchin. Sustainability 2021, 13, 5427 .
AMA StyleFederico Zilia, Jacopo Bacenetti, Michela Sugni, Agata Matarazzo, Luigi Orsi. From Waste to Product: Circular Economy Applications from Sea Urchin. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (10):5427.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFederico Zilia; Jacopo Bacenetti; Michela Sugni; Agata Matarazzo; Luigi Orsi. 2021. "From Waste to Product: Circular Economy Applications from Sea Urchin." Sustainability 13, no. 10: 5427.
Livestock activities, in particular swine farms, are sources of odorant compounds that cause conflicts with the neighboring population. Beside the effects on the neighborhood, excessive odor emission can cause discomfort to farm workers. In this context the APPROAch project, aims to test the application of two different air cleaning technologies (a wet acid scrubber and a dry filter) to reduce dust, ammonia and odors, in naturally ventilated pig facilities. The aim of the present study is to evaluate, in a pig farm, the odor removal efficiency of the two tested abatement technologies, based on air samples analyzed by dynamic olfactometry. Odor sampling was carried out at a pig facility involved in the project and brought to the lab within 30 h from sampling, as established by the European Standard EN 13725:2004. Odor concentration was evaluated by dynamic olfactometry using an Olfaktomat-n 6 (PRA-Odournet B.V.—Amsterdam, The Netherlands). The results show that the wet acid scrubber prototype presents an average odor removal efficiency of 16%, whereas dry filter has from limited to no effect. This efficiency could be considered as a good result for a prototype even if further analysis, with longer sampling periods are needed.
Cecilia Conti; Emanuela Tullo; Jacopo Bacenetti; Marcella Guarino. Evaluation of a Wet Acid Scrubber and Dry Filter Abatement Technologies in Pig Barns by Dynamic Olfactometry. Applied Sciences 2021, 11, 3219 .
AMA StyleCecilia Conti, Emanuela Tullo, Jacopo Bacenetti, Marcella Guarino. Evaluation of a Wet Acid Scrubber and Dry Filter Abatement Technologies in Pig Barns by Dynamic Olfactometry. Applied Sciences. 2021; 11 (7):3219.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCecilia Conti; Emanuela Tullo; Jacopo Bacenetti; Marcella Guarino. 2021. "Evaluation of a Wet Acid Scrubber and Dry Filter Abatement Technologies in Pig Barns by Dynamic Olfactometry." Applied Sciences 11, no. 7: 3219.
Exergy analysis is receiving considerable attention as an approach to be applied for making decisions toward moving to a sustainable and energy-efficient food supply chain. This study focuses on how the selection of variety affects the exergy flow of a paddy rice production system. In this regard, nine varieties of rice in Italy, the largest rice producer in Europe, were evaluated using the cumulative exergy analysis approach. Sensitivity analysis of inputs consumption and the exergy management scenarios of the most sensitive inputs are also provided in this study. The results indicated that the cumulative exergy consumption value of the investigated rice varieties ranges from 16.09 GJha-1 to 25.80 GJ ha-1. Fossil fuels and chemical fertilizer consumption were the most significant contributors to the total energy consumption in all investigated varieties. Luna variety, with the cumulative degree of perfection value of 7.96 and renewability indicator of 0.88, was identified as the most exergy-efficient variety of rice in Italy.
Amin Nikkhah; Armaghan Kosari-Moghaddam; Mahdi Esmaeilpour Troujeni; Jacopo Bacenetti; Sam Van Haute. Exergy flow of rice production system in Italy: Comparison among nine different varieties. Science of The Total Environment 2021, 781, 146718 .
AMA StyleAmin Nikkhah, Armaghan Kosari-Moghaddam, Mahdi Esmaeilpour Troujeni, Jacopo Bacenetti, Sam Van Haute. Exergy flow of rice production system in Italy: Comparison among nine different varieties. Science of The Total Environment. 2021; 781 ():146718.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAmin Nikkhah; Armaghan Kosari-Moghaddam; Mahdi Esmaeilpour Troujeni; Jacopo Bacenetti; Sam Van Haute. 2021. "Exergy flow of rice production system in Italy: Comparison among nine different varieties." Science of The Total Environment 781, no. : 146718.
Maize and soybean are two widely spread crops for food, feed and biofuel production, and in South America there are some of the most important producing countries in the world. This study investigates the environmental impact linked to their agricultural production in a sub-tropical South American context, starting from primary data relating to a cultivated area in eastern Paraguay. To this end, the Life Cycle Assessment approach was adopted in a cradle-to-farm gate perspective, evaluating eight different impact categories. In particular, two widespread intra-annual rotations were compared, both of which consider soybean as a first-season crop, alternating in the second-season with maize or soybean itself. Environmental results were expressed both in a crop-to-crop approach (per t of individual product) and with four different units expressing the land management function (1 ha year−1); the productive function (1 GJ ha−1 year−1 and 1 t of crude protein ha−1 year−1) and finally the financial function (1 USD of gross margin ha−1 year−1) of the two different cropping systems. In the cropping system approach, results expressed per hectare of cultivated area and per t of crude protein produced do not see one cropping system performing better than the other consistently over the evaluated impact categories. The soybean-maize rotation, on the other hand, appeared clearly more efficient from an environmental point of view in terms of gross energy and gross margin produced per hectare per year. The lack of a shared consensus on the most appropriate and comprehensive way to express the results of LCA studies on cropping systems makes difficult the selection of the best system. In particular, there are still on-going limitations and controversies in selecting the most appropriate functional unit for cropping systems LCA.
Michele Costantini; Jacopo Bacenetti. Soybean and maize cultivation in South America: Environmental comparison of different cropping systems. Cleaner Environmental Systems 2021, 2, 100017 .
AMA StyleMichele Costantini, Jacopo Bacenetti. Soybean and maize cultivation in South America: Environmental comparison of different cropping systems. Cleaner Environmental Systems. 2021; 2 ():100017.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMichele Costantini; Jacopo Bacenetti. 2021. "Soybean and maize cultivation in South America: Environmental comparison of different cropping systems." Cleaner Environmental Systems 2, no. : 100017.
Poultry production is an important human food pillar and is experiencing continuous growth worldwide. The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach has been increasingly used for providing information on poultry production chains, in particular from the environmental point of view, which has also been coupled with economic or social considerations in some cases. This study aimed to undertake a critical review to the state of the art of LCA application to the poultry sector. Attention has been drawn to the different methodological approaches adopted in the literature regarding functional units, system boundaries, inventory data collection and multifunctionality management. In addition to reviewing how this sector was methodologically approached by means of the LCA, this study aimed to summarize the main findings and highlight current shortcomings of the literature. Chicken chains were by far the most analyzed. A multiplicity of approaches was implemented to date for the evaluation of these products in a life cycle perspective but the most adopted ones were the mass based functional unit, the cradle-to-farm gate perspective and the economic allocation. As for other animal products, the agricultural phase weighs heavily on the impact of the finished food product, in particular due to feed consumption and manure management. The discussion focuses on the parameters most influencing environmental performance, as well as on possible mitigations, some already widely known while others still partially unexpressed. Finally, some research topics are identified that could increase the understanding and consequently the sustainability of this important supply chain in the future.
Michele Costantini; Valentina Ferrante; Marcella Guarino; Jacopo Bacenetti. Environmental sustainability assessment of poultry productions through life cycle approaches: A critical review. Trends in Food Science & Technology 2021, 110, 201 -212.
AMA StyleMichele Costantini, Valentina Ferrante, Marcella Guarino, Jacopo Bacenetti. Environmental sustainability assessment of poultry productions through life cycle approaches: A critical review. Trends in Food Science & Technology. 2021; 110 ():201-212.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMichele Costantini; Valentina Ferrante; Marcella Guarino; Jacopo Bacenetti. 2021. "Environmental sustainability assessment of poultry productions through life cycle approaches: A critical review." Trends in Food Science & Technology 110, no. : 201-212.
The production of wood pellets has grown considerably in the last decades. Besides woody biomass, other feedstocks can be used for pellet production. Among these, miscanthus presents some advantages because, even if specifically cultivated, it requires low inputs such as fertilisers and pesticides and shows high biomass yield (up to 28 tons of dry matter ha−1 in Europe). Even if in the last years some studies evaluated the environmental impact of woody pellet production, there is no information about the environmental performances of miscanthus pellet production. In this study, the environmental impact of miscanthus pellet was evaluated using the Life Cycle Assessment approach with a cradle-to plant gate perspective. Primary data were collected in a small-medium size pelletizing plant located in Northern Italy where miscanthus is cultivated to be directly processed. The results highlight how the miscanthus pellet shows lower environmental impact compared to woody pellet, mainly due to the lower energy consumption during pelletizing. The possibility to pelletize the miscanthus biomass without any drying offsets the environmental impact related to the miscanthus cultivation for all the evaluated impact categories (except for Marine eutrophication). In detail, for global warming potential, 1 ton of miscanthus pellet shows an impact of 121.6 kg CO2 eq. (about 8% lower respect to woody pellet) while for the other evaluated impact categories the impact reduction ranges from 4 to 59%. Harvesting, which unlike the other field operations is carried out every year, is by far the main contributor to the impacts of the cultivation phase while electricity is the main contributor to the pelletizing phase.
Alessandra Fusi; Jacopo Bacenetti; Andrea R. Proto; Doriana E. A. Tedesco; Domenico Pessina; Davide Facchinetti. Pellet Production from Miscanthus: Energy and Environmental Assessment. Energies 2020, 14, 73 .
AMA StyleAlessandra Fusi, Jacopo Bacenetti, Andrea R. Proto, Doriana E. A. Tedesco, Domenico Pessina, Davide Facchinetti. Pellet Production from Miscanthus: Energy and Environmental Assessment. Energies. 2020; 14 (1):73.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAlessandra Fusi; Jacopo Bacenetti; Andrea R. Proto; Doriana E. A. Tedesco; Domenico Pessina; Davide Facchinetti. 2020. "Pellet Production from Miscanthus: Energy and Environmental Assessment." Energies 14, no. 1: 73.
Beef production has notable environmental implications on a global scale. Paraguayan beef cattle farming is characterized by being developed mostly in pastures or grasslands, but recently the practice of finishing confined to feedlots has thrived. In this context, the aim of this study was to understand the environmental performance of a semi-intensive beef farm which involved in its production system both a pasture and a feedlot stage. A Life Cycle Assessment was carried out with a “cradle-to-farm gate” perspective and 1 kg of Live Weight as the functional unit. Primary data referring to cropping and livestock systems’ inputs and outputs were collected on site and a wide range of impact categories were evaluated. Beef cattle farming proved to be responsible for intensive greenhouse gas emissions (22.0 ± 3.9 kg CO2 eq ⋅ kg LW−1), especially when it occurs predominantly on pasture. The breeding phase is the one that weighs most on global warming potential within the rearing cycle. Since most animals are present in the pasture stage, this contributed highly to the impact categories influenced by animal-related emissions. The feedlot stage, despite its limited duration with respect to the overall rearing cycle, weighs significantly in the categories related to non-methane volatile organic compounds emissions, toxicity, land occupation and fuel consumption, especially because of feed production (both on- and off-farm). Moreover, this stage takes on a greater environmental load when considering the impacts of land use changes related to the consumption of purchased feed, even though its short duration reduces the relative variation given by land use changes inclusion. Some possible mitigation solutions were identified in the discussion, but further study is required into the implications of this topic and the exploration of different scenarios.
Michele Costantini; Ian Vázquez-Rowe; Alessandro Manzardo; Jacopo Bacenetti. Environmental impact assessment of beef cattle production in semi-intensive systems in Paraguay. Sustainable Production and Consumption 2020, 27, 269 -281.
AMA StyleMichele Costantini, Ian Vázquez-Rowe, Alessandro Manzardo, Jacopo Bacenetti. Environmental impact assessment of beef cattle production in semi-intensive systems in Paraguay. Sustainable Production and Consumption. 2020; 27 ():269-281.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMichele Costantini; Ian Vázquez-Rowe; Alessandro Manzardo; Jacopo Bacenetti. 2020. "Environmental impact assessment of beef cattle production in semi-intensive systems in Paraguay." Sustainable Production and Consumption 27, no. : 269-281.
In the olive production sector, which is increasingly expanding beyond the borders of the Mediterranean basin, harvesting is the most demanding phase, from both an economic and organisational point of view. Traditional olive orchards are still predominant, with centuries-old and large plants, and are characterised by the gradual ripening of drupes and irregular planting patterns. Even though the structural conversion of these olive orchards into more modern cultivations may be difficult owing to their historical, monumental, and landscaping importance, as well as the existing legal restrictions, supporting a “modernisation” process aimed at mechanising the main farming operations remains a priority. Technological innovation is, therefore, a primary objective for Mediterranean olive growing, as well as for the enhancement of its strengths. The present study aimed at assessing different olive harvesting sites, considering the technical, economic, and environmental aspects, to develop a better version of the “olive harvesting database”. The applied methodology, also called the “modular approach”, represents a useful tool to apply in unitary process assessment to obtain a comprehensive database of diverse agricultural operations. Eight olive harvesting systems were compared: six highly mechanised scenarios, one based on mechanical-aided harvesting, and the final one based on fully manual harvesting. The mechanised systems obtained a better performance in terms of working capacity, as only 3.5 h ha−1 were needed to harvest 12 t using a self-propelled trunk shaker. In addition, the economic results revealed that mechanical harvesting, diversely from manual or aided harvesting, is the only way to decrease production costs. From an environmental point of view, manual and mechanical-aided harvesting showed the best performance in terms of impact per hour. However, using the mass-based unit (1 kg of harvested olives), the results were the opposite and this could be very relevant for the ecoprofile of olive oil.
Bruno Bernardi; Giacomo Falcone; Teodora Stillitano; Souraya Benalia; Jacopo Bacenetti; Anna Irene De Luca. Harvesting system sustainability in Mediterranean olive cultivation: Other principal cultivar. Science of The Total Environment 2020, 766, 142508 .
AMA StyleBruno Bernardi, Giacomo Falcone, Teodora Stillitano, Souraya Benalia, Jacopo Bacenetti, Anna Irene De Luca. Harvesting system sustainability in Mediterranean olive cultivation: Other principal cultivar. Science of The Total Environment. 2020; 766 ():142508.
Chicago/Turabian StyleBruno Bernardi; Giacomo Falcone; Teodora Stillitano; Souraya Benalia; Jacopo Bacenetti; Anna Irene De Luca. 2020. "Harvesting system sustainability in Mediterranean olive cultivation: Other principal cultivar." Science of The Total Environment 766, no. : 142508.
In this study, the economic profitability of hazelnut production in central Italy using conventional and organic farming systems was evaluated using the cost–benefit analysis methodology. Viterbo’s province is the leading province in Italy in terms of quantity produced. Three indicators were calculated for both farming systems: net present value, payback time, internal rate of return. The analysis was conducted utilizing primary data collected by means of interviews and surveys with local farmers and organizations of producers. The collected production data refer to the decade 2008–2018; a global area of 100.34 ha and 76.14 ha were considered for conventional and organic cultivation, respectively. Sensitivity analysis was carried out considering different discount rates, price variability, and inflation rates. The net present value is equal to 92,800 €/ha and to 3778 €/ha, the payback time is 10.47 years and 42.94 years, while the internal rate of return is 12.2% and 1.1% for the conventional and organic production systems, respectively. The conventional production system performs significantly more remuneratively, considering that the price premium paid by the market for the organic product and the subsidies granted to organic farmers are not sufficient to balance the lower yield.
Giuseppe Coppola; Michele Costantini; Luigi Orsi; Davide Facchinetti; Francesco Santoro; Domenico Pessina; Jacopo Bacenetti. A Comparative Cost-Benefit Analysis of Conventional and Organic Hazelnuts Production Systems in Center Italy. Agriculture 2020, 10, 409 .
AMA StyleGiuseppe Coppola, Michele Costantini, Luigi Orsi, Davide Facchinetti, Francesco Santoro, Domenico Pessina, Jacopo Bacenetti. A Comparative Cost-Benefit Analysis of Conventional and Organic Hazelnuts Production Systems in Center Italy. Agriculture. 2020; 10 (9):409.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGiuseppe Coppola; Michele Costantini; Luigi Orsi; Davide Facchinetti; Francesco Santoro; Domenico Pessina; Jacopo Bacenetti. 2020. "A Comparative Cost-Benefit Analysis of Conventional and Organic Hazelnuts Production Systems in Center Italy." Agriculture 10, no. 9: 409.
Intensive pig farming is responsible for significant air pollutant emissions. This study explores the effect that the large-scale implementation of air cleaning technologies (wet acid scrubbers) for pig housing facilities could have in the European Union. Emissions related to the housing stage of NH3, PM10, NMVOC and indirect N2O from large pig farms (>1000 heads of sows or fattening pigs) are first estimated in the actual situation (current scenario - CS), considering implementation rates and removal efficiencies of the different emission abatement techniques available. Subsequently, alternative scenarios (AS1 and AS2) are simulated with a growing implementation rate of the wet acid scrubber (35% and 65% of the concerned pig farms in all Member States). A comparison between the scenarios was carried out, taking into account emissions reduction, consumables for scrubber operation and environmental credit given by the avoidance of synthetic mineral nitrogen fertilizer production. The annual impact on human health of 21212 disability-adjusted life years (DALY) was significantly reduced in AS1 (15%) and in AS2 (40%), showing that the environmental trade-off given by the consumables is largely overwhelmed by emission abatement. At the same time, the current environmental cost to society of the concerned emissions was estimated at 4154 million € per year (of which 89% due to NH3), which also was reduced in alternative scenarios (-668 and -1765 million € for AS1 and AS2). The abatement of NH3, on which the wet acid scrubber expresses the greatest removal efficiency, was fundamental both for reducing the reduction of human health impact and environmental costs, demonstrating the key environmental role of this pollutant and the growing need to find solutions for its containment in the EU.
Michele Costantini; Jacopo Bacenetti; Giuseppe Coppola; Luigi Orsi; Andrea Ganzaroli; Marcella Guarino. Improvement of human health and environmental costs in the European Union by air scrubbers in intensive pig farming. Journal of Cleaner Production 2020, 275, 124007 .
AMA StyleMichele Costantini, Jacopo Bacenetti, Giuseppe Coppola, Luigi Orsi, Andrea Ganzaroli, Marcella Guarino. Improvement of human health and environmental costs in the European Union by air scrubbers in intensive pig farming. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2020; 275 ():124007.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMichele Costantini; Jacopo Bacenetti; Giuseppe Coppola; Luigi Orsi; Andrea Ganzaroli; Marcella Guarino. 2020. "Improvement of human health and environmental costs in the European Union by air scrubbers in intensive pig farming." Journal of Cleaner Production 275, no. : 124007.
Nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulphur oxides (SOx) and ammonia (NH3) are among the main contributors to the formation of secondary particulate matter (PM2.5), which represent a severe risk to human health. Even if important improvements have been achieved worldwide, traffic, industrial activities, and the energy sector are mostly responsible for NOx and SOx release; instead, the agricultural sector is mainly responsible for NH3 emissions. Due to the emergency of coronavirus disease, in Italy schools and universities have been locked down from late February 2020, followed in March by almost all production and industrial activities as well as road transport, except for the agricultural ones. This study aims to analyze NH3, PM2.5 and NOx emissions in principal livestock provinces in the Lombardy region (Brescia, Cremona, Lodi, and Mantua) to evaluate if and how air emissions have changed during this quarantine period respect to 2016–2019. For each province, meteorological and air quality data were collected from the database of the Regional Agency for the Protection of the Environment, considering both data stations located in the city and the countryside. In the 2020 selected period, PM2.5 reduction was higher compared to the previous years, especially in February and March. Respect to February, PM2.5 released in March in the city stations reduced by 19%–32% in 2016–2019 and by 21%–41% in 2020. Similarly, NOx data of 2020 were lower than in the 2016–2019 period (reduction in March respect to February of 22–42% for 2016–2019 and of 43–62% for 2020); in particular, this can be observed in city stations, because of the current reduction in anthropogenic emissions related to traffic and industrial activities. A different trend with no reductions was observed for NH3 emissions, as agricultural activities have not stopped during the lockdown. Air quality is affected by many variables, for which making conclusions requires a holistic perspective. Therefore, all sectors must play a role to contribute to the reduction of harmful pollutants.
Daniela Lovarelli; Cecilia Conti; Alberto Finzi; Jacopo Bacenetti; Marcella Guarino. Describing the trend of ammonia, particulate matter and nitrogen oxides: The role of livestock activities in northern Italy during Covid-19 quarantine. Environmental Research 2020, 191, 110048 -110048.
AMA StyleDaniela Lovarelli, Cecilia Conti, Alberto Finzi, Jacopo Bacenetti, Marcella Guarino. Describing the trend of ammonia, particulate matter and nitrogen oxides: The role of livestock activities in northern Italy during Covid-19 quarantine. Environmental Research. 2020; 191 ():110048-110048.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDaniela Lovarelli; Cecilia Conti; Alberto Finzi; Jacopo Bacenetti; Marcella Guarino. 2020. "Describing the trend of ammonia, particulate matter and nitrogen oxides: The role of livestock activities in northern Italy during Covid-19 quarantine." Environmental Research 191, no. : 110048-110048.
The organic farming of laying hens is experiencing a growing trend in Italy, following an increase in consumer demand for organic eggs. The present study aimed to investigate the environmental performance of organic egg production for the first time in the Italian context. To this end, the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of organic egg production in a farm rearing laying hens located in Northern Italy was performed. The analysis was carried out in a cradle to farm gate perspective, with 1 kg of eggs selected as functional unit. Primary data relating to animal performances and resources consumed was collected on site, and subsequently integrated with secondary data, including estimates of manure-related emissions. In order to model in a representative way the organic feed consumed, data relating to typical cropping systems of the country has been used for the various ingredients, keeping the organic production method specifications into account. Inventory data was then converted on an annual basis and characterized using the ILCD method, and twelve impact categories were assessed. Moreover, the influence on impact results of different allocation choices and efficiency in terms of hen-day egg production were explored with a sensitivity analysis. The main environmental burden for organic egg production showed to be feed production and supply, with a share ranging from 49% to 87% over all the evaluated impact categories. Other hotspots are pullets rearing, responsible for a share between 10 and 14% over all categories, and manure-related emissions, which weighed significantly for PM (35%), TA (39%) and TE (39%). A value for CC of 1.56 kg CO2 eq/kg shelled eggs was obtained, thanks to good production performances together with some benefits given by organic feed use, particularly the avoidance of mineral fertilizer consumption and of land use change related emission. At the same time, the results show clearly that environmental improvements should be sought primarily in the same feed area. This must be done both on-farm, which was highlighted also by the sensitivity analysis on hen-day egg production, and at the supply chain level, acting on the impact related to crop production and pullets rearing phases. Starting from the results, some environmental weaknesses and strengths of organic farming have been discussed. Future studies must further investigate the impact of this rearing system in a wider perspective and explore possible scenarios of mitigation practices.
Michele Costantini; Daniela Lovarelli; Luigi Orsi; Andrea Ganzaroli; Valentina Ferrante; Pierluigi Febo; Marcella Guarino; Jacopo Bacenetti. Investigating on the environmental sustainability of animal products: The case of organic eggs. Journal of Cleaner Production 2020, 274, 123046 .
AMA StyleMichele Costantini, Daniela Lovarelli, Luigi Orsi, Andrea Ganzaroli, Valentina Ferrante, Pierluigi Febo, Marcella Guarino, Jacopo Bacenetti. Investigating on the environmental sustainability of animal products: The case of organic eggs. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2020; 274 ():123046.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMichele Costantini; Daniela Lovarelli; Luigi Orsi; Andrea Ganzaroli; Valentina Ferrante; Pierluigi Febo; Marcella Guarino; Jacopo Bacenetti. 2020. "Investigating on the environmental sustainability of animal products: The case of organic eggs." Journal of Cleaner Production 274, no. : 123046.
For a holistic evaluation of sustainability, the economic and environmental aspects should be considered jointly to avoid trade-offs between the two dimensions. In this manuscript, the themes addressed, and the approaches used in this Special Issue “Economic and Environmental Impact Assessment of Renewable Energy from Biomass” to investigate the sustainability are summarized. Different approaches such as Energy Analysis, Life Cycle Assessment, technical and economic evaluation of key processes are applied to different renewable energy pathways (biogas, wood biomass, by-product valorization, etc.). The different manuscripts accepted in this Special Issue increases our comprehension and understanding of the relation between economic and environmental performances of renewable energy from biomass.
Jacopo Bacenetti. Economic and Environmental Impact Assessment of Renewable Energy from Biomass. Sustainability 2020, 12, 5619 .
AMA StyleJacopo Bacenetti. Economic and Environmental Impact Assessment of Renewable Energy from Biomass. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (14):5619.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJacopo Bacenetti. 2020. "Economic and Environmental Impact Assessment of Renewable Energy from Biomass." Sustainability 12, no. 14: 5619.
Among the different agricultural activities, the livestock is one of the most impacting on the environment. The feeding of animals is often the main responsible of the adverse environmental impact related to animal productions. Above all for intensive production, the consumption of protein feed is a key aspect for the achievement of sustainable production processes. The actual consumption of soybean meal and fish meal is not sustainable due to the related environmental impact and to the increasing prices. Among the different alternative protein sources, in the last 20 years, the attention of research centres and private companies focused on insects, algae and other invertebrates but, up to now, little consideration was paid to the use of fresh earthworm or earthworm meal as a protein feed for monogastric animals. The use of earthworms as an alternative protein source for fish and poultry feeding is an opportunity for providing environmental services via cleaner technologies. Thanks to earthworms, organic wastes and by-products generated by livestock activities can be valorised and become a resource for animal feeding in a circular perspective. In this context, this manuscript was designed to summarize the productivity, suitability and effectiveness issues connected with the utilization of earthworms as alternative protein feed in poultry production as well as in aquaculture. The studies investigating the earthworm meal use are quite old above all those carried out in Europe; however, some general indications can be drawn: both for broiler and fish, the parameters usually evaluated are body weight gain, growth rate, feed intake and feed conversion rate, the acceptability level of earthworm meal in broiler diet is lower than 15% while in trout diet ranges between 25 and 30%. The inclusion of earthworm meal in diets with an inclusion level lower than the acceptability threshold allows good productive performances without affecting the quality of the final food products.
Marco Parolini; Andrea Ganzaroli; Jacopo Bacenetti. Earthworm as an alternative protein source in poultry and fish farming: Current applications and future perspectives. Science of The Total Environment 2020, 734, 139460 .
AMA StyleMarco Parolini, Andrea Ganzaroli, Jacopo Bacenetti. Earthworm as an alternative protein source in poultry and fish farming: Current applications and future perspectives. Science of The Total Environment. 2020; 734 ():139460.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMarco Parolini; Andrea Ganzaroli; Jacopo Bacenetti. 2020. "Earthworm as an alternative protein source in poultry and fish farming: Current applications and future perspectives." Science of The Total Environment 734, no. : 139460.
This study presents the results of the development and testing of an innovative double-wheel rake which includes a double rotating unit that, thanks to an innovative design, aims to reduce the collection of stones and dust during the raking process. Field tests were carried out, mainly on alfalfa, comparing the Ra-Rake with different rakes (belt rake, rotary rake and comb rake). The economic and environmental performances were performed considering an increasing working area.
J. Bacenetti; L. Bava; D. Lovarelli; A. Fusi; G. Repossi. Economic and Environmental Performances of a New Double Wheel Rake. Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering 2020, 363 -371.
AMA StyleJ. Bacenetti, L. Bava, D. Lovarelli, A. Fusi, G. Repossi. Economic and Environmental Performances of a New Double Wheel Rake. Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering. 2020; ():363-371.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJ. Bacenetti; L. Bava; D. Lovarelli; A. Fusi; G. Repossi. 2020. "Economic and Environmental Performances of a New Double Wheel Rake." Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering , no. : 363-371.
In Italy, contractors provide agricultural farms with over 40% of the mechanization needs. Compared to farmers, they can more promptly amortize their investment and help reduce the environmental impact of mechanization due to the use of better performing machinery. The goal of this study is to evaluate whether the seedbed preparation and sowing operations carried out by contractors have a lower environmental impact than those performed by farmers. Data about 20 agro-mechanical contractor companies located in Northern Italy were collected investigating technical, operating and usage machines characteristics. Regarding farmers, a typical farm (50 ha, double cropping and fleet of 4 tractors) was considered as reference. Operation sequences carried out by contractors and farmers were identified and compared through Life Cycle Assessment to evaluate their potential environmental impact. The impact of seedbed preparation and sowing resulted generally lower when carried out by contractors. Compared to farmers, Climate Change was reduced by 24.5% for conventional tillage and 9.1% for minimum tillage. The greatest reductions in environmental impact are shown for Particulate Matter production and for acidification, mostly due to the emission reduction devices available on the modern tractors mostly used by contractors.
J. Bacenetti; D. Facchinetti; D. Lovarelli; D. Pessina. Environmental Impact Alternatives for Soil Tillage and Sowing: Farmer or Contractor? Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering 2020, 373 -379.
AMA StyleJ. Bacenetti, D. Facchinetti, D. Lovarelli, D. Pessina. Environmental Impact Alternatives for Soil Tillage and Sowing: Farmer or Contractor? Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering. 2020; ():373-379.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJ. Bacenetti; D. Facchinetti; D. Lovarelli; D. Pessina. 2020. "Environmental Impact Alternatives for Soil Tillage and Sowing: Farmer or Contractor?" Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering , no. : 373-379.
Precision agriculture is increasingly considered as a powerful solution to mitigate the environmental impact of farming systems. This is because of its ability to use multi-source information in decision support systems to increase the efficiency of farm management. Among the agronomic practices for which precision agriculture concepts were applied in research and operational contexts, variable rate (VR) nitrogen fertilization plays a key role. A promising approach to make quantitative, spatially distributed diagnoses to support VR N fertilization is based on the combined use of remote sensing information and few smart scouting-driven ground estimates to derive maps of nitrogen nutrition index (NNI). In this study, a new smart app for field NNI estimates (PocketNNI) was developed, which can be integrated with remote sensing data. The environmental impact of using PocketNNI and Sentinel 2 products to drive fertilization was evaluated using the Life Cycle Assessment approach and a case study on rice in northern Italy. In particular, the environmental performances of rice fertilized according to VR information derived from the integration of PocketNNI and satellite data was compared with a treatment based on uniform N application. Primary data regarding the cultivation practices and the achieved yields were collected during field tests. Results showed that VR fertilization allowed reducing the environmental impact by 11.0% to 13.6% as compared to uniform N application. For Climate Change, the impact is reduced from 937.3 to 832.7 kg CO2 eq/t of paddy rice. The highest environmental benefits – mainly due to an improved ratio between grain yield and N fertilizers – were achieved in terms of energy consumption for fertilizer production and of emission of N compounds. Although further validation is needed, these preliminary results are promising and provide a first quantitative indication of the environmental benefits that can be achieved when digital technologies are used to support N fertilization.
Jacopo Bacenetti; Livia Paleari; Sofia Tartarini; Fosco M. Vesely; Marco Foi; Ermes Movedi; Riccardo A. Ravasi; Valeria Bellopede; Stefano Durello; Carlo Ceravolo; Francesca Amicizia; Roberto Confalonieri. May smart technologies reduce the environmental impact of nitrogen fertilization? A case study for paddy rice. Science of The Total Environment 2020, 715, 136956 .
AMA StyleJacopo Bacenetti, Livia Paleari, Sofia Tartarini, Fosco M. Vesely, Marco Foi, Ermes Movedi, Riccardo A. Ravasi, Valeria Bellopede, Stefano Durello, Carlo Ceravolo, Francesca Amicizia, Roberto Confalonieri. May smart technologies reduce the environmental impact of nitrogen fertilization? A case study for paddy rice. Science of The Total Environment. 2020; 715 ():136956.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJacopo Bacenetti; Livia Paleari; Sofia Tartarini; Fosco M. Vesely; Marco Foi; Ermes Movedi; Riccardo A. Ravasi; Valeria Bellopede; Stefano Durello; Carlo Ceravolo; Francesca Amicizia; Roberto Confalonieri. 2020. "May smart technologies reduce the environmental impact of nitrogen fertilization? A case study for paddy rice." Science of The Total Environment 715, no. : 136956.