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M Thomsen
Research Group on Eco-Industrial System Analysis, Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, Postboks 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark

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Journal article
Published: 12 June 2021 in Algal Research
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Cascade valorisation of Ecklonia maxima, an underexplored endemic brown macroalga in South Africa, for the production of high-value outputs, alginate, laminarin, and fucoidan using a biorefinery approach represents an opportunity to develop a flourishing blue bioeconomy for the coastal communities. To evaluate and improve the environmental sustainability of such valorisation strategies, this study performed an ex-ante life cycle assessment and blue water footprint accounting of two novel biorefinery systems (at technology readiness levels of 4) featuring organic solvent-free extraction technologies, sub-critical water extraction (SWE) and hot water extraction (HWE), which had been subjected to process design optimisations for economic viability, and a reference industrial-scale alginate production system (REF). The results showed doubled carbon footprints in SWE and HWE systems than the reference REF system, being 25,665, 13,530, and 5,188 kg CO2eq./t dry matter feedstock, due to the sub-optimal energy systems within the biorefinery and coal energy-dominating national grid in South Africa. Oppositely, SWE and HWE systems outperformed the REF system with halved water footprints. The significantly lower onsite freshwater consumption makes the novel biorefinery preferable valorisation options given the local water-scarce context. Additionally, a scenario analysis was performed to examine the effects of alternative resource and process stream management practices, including side-stream valorisation, drying process optimisation, adoption of a greener electricity mix, and use of more resilient stainless steel, on system-level environmental impact reduction. Despite significant reductions in carbon and blue water footprints of 14–18% and 30–35% obtained by the technical improvements to the drying process, trade-offs shown between environmental impact categories suggested potential burden-shifting caused by such single process optimisation. Comparatively, the side-stream valorisation scenario applying zero waste and closed-loop resource management principles showed overall improvements, representing a promising system optimisation strategy and an opportunity for business co-benefits.

ACS Style

XueQian Zhang; Allistair Border; Neill Goosen; Marianne Thomsen. Environmental life cycle assessment of cascade valorisation strategies of South African macroalga Ecklonia maxima using green extraction technologies. Algal Research 2021, 58, 102348 .

AMA Style

XueQian Zhang, Allistair Border, Neill Goosen, Marianne Thomsen. Environmental life cycle assessment of cascade valorisation strategies of South African macroalga Ecklonia maxima using green extraction technologies. Algal Research. 2021; 58 ():102348.

Chicago/Turabian Style

XueQian Zhang; Allistair Border; Neill Goosen; Marianne Thomsen. 2021. "Environmental life cycle assessment of cascade valorisation strategies of South African macroalga Ecklonia maxima using green extraction technologies." Algal Research 58, no. : 102348.

Journal article
Published: 03 June 2021 in Journal of Cleaner Production
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Food production is a major driver of global warming, water scarcity and biodiversity loss. Denmark has set ambitious targets to lower its territorial carbon emissions in the next decades. In 2019, the Danish Agriculture and Food Council announced a strategy to make Denmark's food production systems climate-neutral by 2050. Therefore, detailed information concerning Denmark's food consumption's environmental impacts is required to implement effective climate mitigation and resource conservation policies that lead to positive local to global results. Using an environmentally extended multi-regional input-output (EE MRIO) analysis and the EXIOBASE v3.4 database, we evaluate Denmark's global food-related consumption-based (CB) greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and resource (land and water use) accounts from 1995 to 2014. Although Denmark's CB food-related blue water use remained relatively stable during the studied period, its food-related CB GHG emissions (excluding land-use change emissions) decreased continuously by 30%. Also, Denmark's cropland and grassland footprints for food declined by 16% (3555 km2) and 27% (621 km2), respectively. Almost two-fifths of Denmark's food consumption was produced abroad in 2014, corresponding to 51% of Denmark's food-related CB GHG emissions and land use apiece and 84% of its food-related blue water use. Whereas animal-based foods accounted for the largest share of Denmark's food-related CB GHG emissions, plant-based diets were responsible for the bulk of Denmark's CB land and blue water use. Dietary changes towards plant-based foods are essential to mitigating Denmark's food-related climate impacts. We recommend that Denmark transfers its sustainable food production technologies to its pollution-and-resource intensive food-exporting trade partners to enhance global climate change mitigation and resource use efficiency.

ACS Style

Albert Kwame Osei-Owusu; Richard Wood; Eivind Lekve Bjelle; Dario Caro; Marianne Thomsen. Understanding the trends in Denmark's global food trade-related greenhouse gas and resource footprint. Journal of Cleaner Production 2021, 313, 127785 .

AMA Style

Albert Kwame Osei-Owusu, Richard Wood, Eivind Lekve Bjelle, Dario Caro, Marianne Thomsen. Understanding the trends in Denmark's global food trade-related greenhouse gas and resource footprint. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2021; 313 ():127785.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Albert Kwame Osei-Owusu; Richard Wood; Eivind Lekve Bjelle; Dario Caro; Marianne Thomsen. 2021. "Understanding the trends in Denmark's global food trade-related greenhouse gas and resource footprint." Journal of Cleaner Production 313, no. : 127785.

Review
Published: 28 May 2021 in Ecosystem Services
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This paper reviews the literature relating to a type of local bio-based circular economy (BCE) where food waste (FW) is effectively recycled to advanced bio-refineries to produce multiple ecosystem services (ES) including energy, biofertilizer and other value-added products and services. The biofertilizer is applied within urban and peri-urban farms to close the bioresource loop. Such BCE concept has been proposed in several EU countries with varying degree of success in long-term operations. We systematically review the ES of BCE and identify the ES, which are not properly compensated by the market. On this basis, we further review the potential regulatory and supporting mechanisms, which could incentivize the successful implementation of BCE and overcome the market/policy failures. We find that single regulatory instrument at the government and authority level could be compromised by poor governance and practices at other levels, and therefore may not reach its full potential. Instead, we propose a multi-level regulatory and supporting system, which combines the strengths of top-down and bottom-up governances and motivates the self-governance of industry and citizens. We conclude by highlighting a need for multi-level governance research supporting urban sustainable transitions, with a focus on constructing ‘policy portfolios’ from a systems perspective to better engage government, firms, citizens and other stakeholders.

ACS Style

Rong-Gang Cong; Marianne Thomsen. Review of ecosystem services in a bio-based circular economy and governance mechanisms. Ecosystem Services 2021, 50, 101298 .

AMA Style

Rong-Gang Cong, Marianne Thomsen. Review of ecosystem services in a bio-based circular economy and governance mechanisms. Ecosystem Services. 2021; 50 ():101298.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Rong-Gang Cong; Marianne Thomsen. 2021. "Review of ecosystem services in a bio-based circular economy and governance mechanisms." Ecosystem Services 50, no. : 101298.

Review article
Published: 13 April 2021 in Journal of Cleaner Production
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In circular bioeconomy, biowaste has a great potential for utilization as organic fertilizer. This study aims to evaluate the probability of anaerobically digested biowaste to qualify as organic fertilizer, within the framework of the EU fertilizer Regulation. The parameters investigated are the heavy metal and nutrient content of the solid and liquid fertilizers, and soil improvers. Two collection systems for the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) are assessed, i.e., source-separation (SS) and mechanical separation (MS) from unsorted waste. A modelling tool is developed for calculating the quality of the digestate, purposed as organic fertilizer, based on feedstock data. Four scenarios of biogas production efficiencies are modelled (60%, 70%, 80%, and 90% of volatile solids removal) to cover the different anaerobic digestion configurations. A Monte Carlo simulation is applied to estimate the probability of exceeding the regulatory limits for heavy metal concentration in organic fertilizers. The statistical analysis of the biowaste illustrates that the quality of the SS-OFMSW is higher than the MS-OFMSW. The Monte Carlo simulation shows that the SS-OFMSW digestate has 18% probability of exceeding the regulatory limit value for Cadmium and less than 10% for the rest of the heavy metals. The MS-OFMSW digestate illustrates a higher risk that ranges from 11% to 51%. The study justifies the explicit exclusion of the MS-OFMSW from the positive list of inputs for the production of organic fertilizers in the circular economy market. High quality organic fertilizers can contribute to closing the nutrient loop by returning them on agricultural soil while safeguarding soil health and food safety.

ACS Style

Elisavet Angouria-Tsorochidou; Marianne Thomsen. Modelling the quality of organic fertilizers from anaerobic digestion – Comparison of two collection systems. Journal of Cleaner Production 2021, 304, 127081 .

AMA Style

Elisavet Angouria-Tsorochidou, Marianne Thomsen. Modelling the quality of organic fertilizers from anaerobic digestion – Comparison of two collection systems. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2021; 304 ():127081.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Elisavet Angouria-Tsorochidou; Marianne Thomsen. 2021. "Modelling the quality of organic fertilizers from anaerobic digestion – Comparison of two collection systems." Journal of Cleaner Production 304, no. : 127081.

Review article
Published: 09 February 2021 in Sustainable Production and Consumption
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The circular economy is one of the leading sustainable development strategies that can help utilize waste to produce new products. Cereal food waste and residues represent a significant resource of million tonnes globally and a feasible feedstock for enzyme production via environmentally-friendly solid-state fermentation (SSF). This study presents a targeted review of 487 examples of quantified enzyme production from 209 studies reported on Science Direct. The collection of data enabled the identification of the key substrates and enzymes for potential production pathways. The main substrates were wheat (53 experiments), rice (22 experiments), and corn (22 experiments), while the most common enzymes reported were xylanase, CMCase, FPase with 92, 83, and 61 examples, respectively. Their activities showed a wide range with xylanase activities 7-10 000 U/gds, CMCase activities 1.4-950 U/gds, and FPase activities 1.7-438 U/gds. Other enzymes reported were β-glucosidase, Laccase, β-xylosidase. Both single substrates and mixed substrates were included, and several mixtures showed a synergistic effect for higher enzyme activities. Xylanase from wheat bran, rice straw, and their combination showed great potential for reaching high activity and promising revenues. Scale-up experiments were reported and demonstrated increased production of enzymes as a crucial step towards industrial application. Identified improvements in transparency and knowledge sharing for cross-disciplinary research are: i) harmonized enzyme names ii) expression of enzyme activity per mass unit specifying moisture content as found in 52% of studies. Only the results using the same unit (or enabling unit conversion) can be compared and used to identify the most promising production.

ACS Style

Dominika Alexa Teigiserova; Joseph Bourgine; Marianne Thomsen. Closing the loop of cereal waste and residues with sustainable technologies: An overview of enzyme production via fungal solid-state fermentation. Sustainable Production and Consumption 2021, 27, 845 -857.

AMA Style

Dominika Alexa Teigiserova, Joseph Bourgine, Marianne Thomsen. Closing the loop of cereal waste and residues with sustainable technologies: An overview of enzyme production via fungal solid-state fermentation. Sustainable Production and Consumption. 2021; 27 ():845-857.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Dominika Alexa Teigiserova; Joseph Bourgine; Marianne Thomsen. 2021. "Closing the loop of cereal waste and residues with sustainable technologies: An overview of enzyme production via fungal solid-state fermentation." Sustainable Production and Consumption 27, no. : 845-857.

Review
Published: 23 December 2020 in Journal of Environmental Management
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This study presents a critical overview of reported essential oil (EO) extractions from citrus peel wastes (CPW), including harmonized data on the various citrus species and cultivars. Harmonization is vital to enable sustainable management practices. The review only includes eco-efficient extraction techniques. In total, the review contains 66 quantified examples using i) mechanical cold press ii) thermal extraction with water or steam media iii) thermal microwave-assisted extraction iv) other innovative methods (such as ultrasound). The technologies were assessed for their potential use in cascading production to achieve economies of scope, particularly considering the use of extraction residues for subsequent fermentation to produce various products from energy carriers to enzymes. Two techniques were found insufficient for direct use in fermentation. Cold press extracts an inadequate amount of EO (average yield 2.85% DW) to ensure suitable fermentation, while solvent extraction contaminates the residues for its subsequent use. Extractions using water media, such as hydrodistillation and microwave-assisted hydrodistillation (average EO yield 2.87% DW), are feasible for the liquid-based fermentation processes, such as submerged fermentation. Steam extraction is feasible for any type of fermentation. Our review highlighted solvent-free microwave extraction (average EO yield 5.29% DW) as the most effective method, which provides a high yield in a short extraction time. We also uncovered and discussed several inconsistencies in existing yields and energy consumption published data.

ACS Style

Dominika Alexa Teigiserova; Ligia Tiruta-Barna; Aras Ahmadi; Lorie Hamelin; Marianne Thomsen. A step closer to circular bioeconomy for citrus peel waste: A review of yields and technologies for sustainable management of essential oils. Journal of Environmental Management 2020, 280, 111832 .

AMA Style

Dominika Alexa Teigiserova, Ligia Tiruta-Barna, Aras Ahmadi, Lorie Hamelin, Marianne Thomsen. A step closer to circular bioeconomy for citrus peel waste: A review of yields and technologies for sustainable management of essential oils. Journal of Environmental Management. 2020; 280 ():111832.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Dominika Alexa Teigiserova; Ligia Tiruta-Barna; Aras Ahmadi; Lorie Hamelin; Marianne Thomsen. 2020. "A step closer to circular bioeconomy for citrus peel waste: A review of yields and technologies for sustainable management of essential oils." Journal of Environmental Management 280, no. : 111832.

Journal article
Published: 16 October 2020 in Resources, Conservation and Recycling
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The European Union bioeconomy strategy seeks to unlock the potential of circular economy and to strengthen and deploy local bioeconomies rapidly. The decentralization of waste management can be a coherent supporting mechanism for achieving long-term climate goals for the future communities while overcoming some of the constraints introduced due to the centralized treatment plants. Through stakeholder analysis we identified the major supporting and hindering factors when implementing circular decentralized biowaste management models, focusing mainly on the regulatory and institutional environment. To enable local communities to operate in a circular environment, several factors need to be taken into account and sought to be changed usually through legislation. The economic viability of all actors should be safeguarded under a holistic framework and new alternative regulatory incentives are required for circular economy to support positive externalities and other benefits over linear economy.

ACS Style

Elisavet Angouria-Tsorochidou; Dominika Alexa Teigiserova; Marianne Thomsen. Limits to circular bioeconomy in the transition towards decentralized biowaste management systems. Resources, Conservation and Recycling 2020, 164, 105207 .

AMA Style

Elisavet Angouria-Tsorochidou, Dominika Alexa Teigiserova, Marianne Thomsen. Limits to circular bioeconomy in the transition towards decentralized biowaste management systems. Resources, Conservation and Recycling. 2020; 164 ():105207.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Elisavet Angouria-Tsorochidou; Dominika Alexa Teigiserova; Marianne Thomsen. 2020. "Limits to circular bioeconomy in the transition towards decentralized biowaste management systems." Resources, Conservation and Recycling 164, no. : 105207.

Journal article
Published: 18 September 2020 in Journal of Cleaner Production
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Bioaccumulation of heavy metals (HMs) in the food supply chain is a crucial environmental and health issue in need of urgent risk reduction action plans. This study assesses the daily intake of four HMs, i.e. cadmium, mercury, lead and arsenic, and four minerals; chromium, nickel, selenium and zinc. 456 Danish food items were grouped in six food categories (grains, fruits and vegetables, oils and condiments, food rich in fats, sugar and alcohol, milk and dairy and protein-rich food items). A model of four different Danish diets (standard, carnivore, vegetarian and vegan) is presented. The probability of exceeding the provisional tolerable daily intake (PTDI) of HMs and minerals for the four different Danish diets were calculated applying a Monte Carlo approach. While the sources to the total intake differ, there is no significant differences in the risk of exceeding the PTDI across the four dietary profiles. The risk of exceeding the PTDI across the four dietary profiles was on average 60%, 17% and 16% for cadmium, mercury and lead respectively. For total arsenic the risk of exceeding the provisional daily intake was 33%. Concerning minerals, the average probability of exceeding the recommended daily intake was 29% for chromium, 80% for selenium, 73% for nickel and 0% for zinc. Regarding the toxic limit value the probability was 12% for chromium, 17% for selenium, 52% for nickel and 0% for zinc. The results of our study emphasize the importance of implementing measures to reduce the risk cycle of HMs threatening environmental health and food safety.

ACS Style

Michele Marini; Elisavet Angouria-Tsorochidou; Dario Caro; Marianne Thomsen. Daily intake of heavy metals and minerals in food – A case study of four Danish dietary profiles. Journal of Cleaner Production 2020, 280, 124279 .

AMA Style

Michele Marini, Elisavet Angouria-Tsorochidou, Dario Caro, Marianne Thomsen. Daily intake of heavy metals and minerals in food – A case study of four Danish dietary profiles. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2020; 280 ():124279.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Michele Marini; Elisavet Angouria-Tsorochidou; Dario Caro; Marianne Thomsen. 2020. "Daily intake of heavy metals and minerals in food – A case study of four Danish dietary profiles." Journal of Cleaner Production 280, no. : 124279.

Journal article
Published: 09 September 2020 in Sustainability
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What are the effects, measured as flows of biogenic carbon, plant nutrients, and pollutants, of moving organic waste up the waste hierarchy? We present a case study of Denmark, where most of the organic fraction of household waste (OFHW) is incinerated, with ongoing efforts to increase bio-waste recycling. In this study, one-third of the OFHW produced in North Zealand, Denmark, is diverted away from incineration, according to the Danish Waste Resource Plan 2013–2018. Co-digestion of OFHW, and digestate application on agricultural soil, utilizes biogenic carbon, first for energy conversion, and the remainder for long-term soil sequestration, with additional benefits for plant nutrient composition by increasing the N:P ratio in the digestate. We show a dynamic model of the biogenic carbon flows in a mix of OFHW co-digested with livestock manure and sewage sludge, addressing the contribution of OFHW to long-term carbon sequestration compared to other agricultural residues and bio-wastes over a time span of 100 years. In addition, we trace the associated annual nutrient and cadmium loads to the topsoil. At constant annual input rates and management practices, a diversion of 33% of OFHW would result in an increased organic carbon build-up of approximately 4% over the current amounts applied. The addition of OFHW, moreover, beneficially adjusts the N:P ratio of the digestate mix upwards, albeit without reaching an ideally high ratio by that measure alone. Cd loads from OFHW remain well below regulatory limits.

ACS Style

Manfred Klinglmair; Marianne Thomsen. Using Food Waste in Organic Fertilizer: Modelling Biogenic Carbon Sequestration with Associated Nutrient and Micropollutant Loads. Sustainability 2020, 12, 7399 .

AMA Style

Manfred Klinglmair, Marianne Thomsen. Using Food Waste in Organic Fertilizer: Modelling Biogenic Carbon Sequestration with Associated Nutrient and Micropollutant Loads. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (18):7399.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Manfred Klinglmair; Marianne Thomsen. 2020. "Using Food Waste in Organic Fertilizer: Modelling Biogenic Carbon Sequestration with Associated Nutrient and Micropollutant Loads." Sustainability 12, no. 18: 7399.

Discussion
Published: 15 July 2020 in Science of The Total Environment
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Bioaccumulation of cadmium (Cd) in the agricultural soil constitutes a dangerous risk for the health of both the environment and humans. Especially in the European Union, a large amount of Cd in agricultural topsoil originates from mineral fertilizer application. In this context, the EU has recently adopted the Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 with the aim to establish stricter limits for Cd presence in fertilizer products and to promote a higher use of fertilizers from organic sources. This paper discusses the future implications of the new regulation to limit the presence of cadmium (Cd) in agricultural soils and food products. The Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 represents an important step of the EU circular economy action plan with its aim to encourage the production of low cadmium content fertilizers. This paper focuses on the limits of the Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 and on the need for complementary policy instruments to protect and conserve agricultural soil health. We highlight the recently proposed, and subsequently withdrawn, EU Soil Framework Directive (SFD) as a meaningful complementary policy tool in the context of a renewed effort to pursue protection and conservation of soil health.

ACS Style

Michele Marini; Dario Caro; Marianne Thomsen. The new fertilizer regulation: A starting point for cadmium control in European arable soils? Science of The Total Environment 2020, 745, 140876 .

AMA Style

Michele Marini, Dario Caro, Marianne Thomsen. The new fertilizer regulation: A starting point for cadmium control in European arable soils? Science of The Total Environment. 2020; 745 ():140876.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Michele Marini; Dario Caro; Marianne Thomsen. 2020. "The new fertilizer regulation: A starting point for cadmium control in European arable soils?" Science of The Total Environment 745, no. : 140876.

Journal article
Published: 15 July 2020 in Ecological Economics
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This paper presents a calculation of Denmark's production and consumption-based accounting CO2e emissions for five regions in 2011. We apply an environmentally extended economic model for Danish municipalities known as the Local “INterregional” Economic (LINE) model, together with a multi-regional input-output model for the world economy (EXIOBASE v3.4). We find that Denmark's Capital region accounts for 41% (28 MtCO2e) and 31% (27 MtCO2e) of Denmark's production and consumption-based emissions respectively. By disaggregating regional emissions into industry and product categories, we provide relevant information to producers and consumers in each region concerning areas where the most significant differences towards reducing their carbon footprint can be realised. Mobility, services, food and shelter were the main drivers of emissions in all Danish regions. The Central, North and South Denmark accounted for more than half (9.56 MtCO2e) of Denmark's food production emissions. The Capital region was the largest source of emissions (3.79 MtCO2e) related to food consumption. We suggest that dietary changes towards less red meat and dairy products can potentially reduce regional food-related emissions of Danish households. Our results indicate that modest changes in consumer lifestyles are pivotal for local climate mitigation policies, especially in Denmark's biggest cities, Copenhagen, Århus, Aalborg and Odense.

ACS Style

Osei-Owusu Kwame Albert; Thomsen Marianne; Lindahl Jonathan; Javakhishvili Larsen Nino; Caro Dario. Tracking the carbon emissions of Denmark's five regions from a producer and consumer perspective. Ecological Economics 2020, 177, 106778 .

AMA Style

Osei-Owusu Kwame Albert, Thomsen Marianne, Lindahl Jonathan, Javakhishvili Larsen Nino, Caro Dario. Tracking the carbon emissions of Denmark's five regions from a producer and consumer perspective. Ecological Economics. 2020; 177 ():106778.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Osei-Owusu Kwame Albert; Thomsen Marianne; Lindahl Jonathan; Javakhishvili Larsen Nino; Caro Dario. 2020. "Tracking the carbon emissions of Denmark's five regions from a producer and consumer perspective." Ecological Economics 177, no. : 106778.

Book chapter
Published: 27 May 2020 in Sustainable Seaweed Technologies
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Ecoindustrial systems delivering engineered ecosystem services designed for emission capture and use represent an economic growth model adapted a future safe operating space for humanity. To derive at policy decision support measures, that appreciate such decarbonization of the economy, life cycle assessment needs to be able to quantify the climate change mitigation and environmental restoration services provided by such ecoindustrial systems. Quantifying ecosystem health preserving resource flows as key performance progress indicators for a circular bioeconomy is the only pathway toward resilient, restorative, and regenerative circular bioeconomy systems enhancing and preserving ecosystem services for future generations.

ACS Style

Marianne Thomsen; XueQian Zhang. Life cycle assessment of macroalgal ecoindustrial systems. Sustainable Seaweed Technologies 2020, 663 -707.

AMA Style

Marianne Thomsen, XueQian Zhang. Life cycle assessment of macroalgal ecoindustrial systems. Sustainable Seaweed Technologies. 2020; ():663-707.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Marianne Thomsen; XueQian Zhang. 2020. "Life cycle assessment of macroalgal ecoindustrial systems." Sustainable Seaweed Technologies , no. : 663-707.

Journal article
Published: 09 December 2019 in Science of The Total Environment
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In this study, the key gaps of food waste prevention been addressed in the context of the emerging circular economy. First, current terminology related to food waste was reviewed and clarified, in particular, the terms food surplus, waste and losses. This work highlights why the clarity of these definitions is crucial for the sustainability of future food waste management systems, especially in the context of circular economy. Through a simple matrix, definitions are linked to the concepts of edibility and possibility of avoidance, leading to six distinct categories of food waste: i) edible, ii) naturally inedible (pits), iii) industrial residue, iv) inedible due to natural causes (pests), v) inedible due to ineffective management and vi) not accounted for. Category I encompasses surplus food only; category II-V food waste and category VI food losses. Based on this, an updated pyramid for food waste hierarchy is proposed, distinguishing surplus food and a new category for material recycling, in order to reflect the future food waste biorefineries in the circular bioeconomy. Nutrient and energy recovery are two separate categories and the terms recovery and recycling are clarified. Finally, a circular economy framework is presented for food surplus and waste, considering closing the loop throughout the whole food supply chain, in connection with the concept of strong and weak sustainability. This is presented along with a review of key EU policies related to food waste and examples of initiatives from the Member States.

ACS Style

Dominika Teigiserova; Lorie Hamelin; Marianne Thomsen. Towards transparent valorization of food surplus, waste and loss: Clarifying definitions, food waste hierarchy, and role in the circular economy. Science of The Total Environment 2019, 706, 136033 .

AMA Style

Dominika Teigiserova, Lorie Hamelin, Marianne Thomsen. Towards transparent valorization of food surplus, waste and loss: Clarifying definitions, food waste hierarchy, and role in the circular economy. Science of The Total Environment. 2019; 706 ():136033.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Dominika Teigiserova; Lorie Hamelin; Marianne Thomsen. 2019. "Towards transparent valorization of food surplus, waste and loss: Clarifying definitions, food waste hierarchy, and role in the circular economy." Science of The Total Environment 706, no. : 136033.

Journal article
Published: 02 September 2019 in Global Environmental Change
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The global use of and pressure on land resources will continue to rise in tandem with the predicted rise in global population and food demand. Addressing unavoidable trade-offs between satisfying human needs and biodiversity conservation for future generations is of paramount importance when tackling the global environmental challenges of land use. Food consumption patterns are inextricably linked to land-use and land-use changes. The domestic supply and final use of food by humans and feed by animals within the borders of a country have environmental impacts overseas. Countries like Denmark, with considerably high livestock production, import “virtual” land needed to produce cereals and other fodder crops. Denmark's high meat and dairy consumption and trade levels make it a compelling case for this study. The overarching question is: how much land is required to support food and feed consumption in Denmark? This paper assesses the global cropland footprint of Danish food and feed supply from 2000 to 2013 using a consumption-based physical accounting approach. In addition to domestic croplands for local food and supply, we estimate the hectares of cropland displaced in other countries to satisfy Danish demand for food and feed in this period. Secondly, we calculate Denmark's global cropland requirements for the supply of specific livestock products, namely; pork, eggs, beef, milk, and mutton. Globally, animals provide a third of the protein in human diets and agricultural GDP. The total global cropland footprint of Danish food and feed supply decreased by 18% from 1568 kha in 2000 to 1282 kha in 2013 because of a reduction in the consumption of ruminant livestock products. A high share of this reduction can be attributed to increased local self-sufficiency in feed supply as opposed to rising food imports. The share of cropland used for feed in total cropland declined by 5% whereas the share of cropland used for food increased from 28% in 2000 to 32% by 2013. Our findings suggest that reducing domestic meat consumption coupled with local self-sufficiency policies for both food and feed supply could be a means of lowering ecological degradation in exporting countries.

ACS Style

Albert Kwame Osei-Owusu; Thomas Kastner; Henri de Ruiter; Marianne Thomsen; Dario Caro. The global cropland footprint of Denmark's food supply 2000–2013. Global Environmental Change 2019, 58, 101978 .

AMA Style

Albert Kwame Osei-Owusu, Thomas Kastner, Henri de Ruiter, Marianne Thomsen, Dario Caro. The global cropland footprint of Denmark's food supply 2000–2013. Global Environmental Change. 2019; 58 ():101978.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Albert Kwame Osei-Owusu; Thomas Kastner; Henri de Ruiter; Marianne Thomsen; Dario Caro. 2019. "The global cropland footprint of Denmark's food supply 2000–2013." Global Environmental Change 58, no. : 101978.

Journal article
Published: 14 August 2019 in Science of The Total Environment
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Phthalate exposure from Vegetables grown in Plastic Greenhouses (VPGs) represents an important source of total daily phthalate exposure in China. However, quantified health risks of phthalates attributable to VPG intake have not been documented. To fill this gap, this study estimates phthalate exposure from VPG intake in western China and calculates the first assessment of the disease burden associated with phthalate exposure from VPG intake in China based on a simple steady-state exposure model and a linear dose-response function between human bio-monitoring phthalates and Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) prevalence. What we present in this paper is a problem identification and screening level risk assessment. We chose Shaanxi province as the research field site due to its large contribution to the total vegetable yield and consumption in western China. Phthalate concentration in VPG samples, phthalate exposure levels from VPG intake, and the T2D burden caused by phthalate attributable to VPG intake for adults were measured or calculated. Di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) was found to represent over 55% of the total phthalate concentration in VPGs, followed by di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP) and di-isobutyl phthalate (DiBP). Phthalate exposure from VPG intake for urban adults was higher than the level for rural adults. The share of DEHP exposure from VPG intake to urinary total DEHP metabolites were nearly 8% and 15%, and the share of DnBP exposure caused by VPG intake to total daily DnBP metabolites were nearly 4% and 7%, for rural and urban adult populations in Shaanxi, respectively. The adult population with T2D attributable to phthalate exposure from VPG intake was 2561, nearly 6.4% to the T2D burden attributable to total phthalate exposure, and 0.4% to the total adult population with T2D in Shaanxi. The authors recommend policy interventions to protect populations from future risk of phthalate exposure.

ACS Style

Yanxia Zhang; Biao Huang; Clive Sabel; Marianne Thomsen; Xiangyun Gao; Ming Zhong; Zhikun Chen; Puyang Feng. Oral intake exposure to phthalates in vegetables produced in plastic greenhouses and its health burden in Shaanxi province, China. Science of The Total Environment 2019, 696, 133921 .

AMA Style

Yanxia Zhang, Biao Huang, Clive Sabel, Marianne Thomsen, Xiangyun Gao, Ming Zhong, Zhikun Chen, Puyang Feng. Oral intake exposure to phthalates in vegetables produced in plastic greenhouses and its health burden in Shaanxi province, China. Science of The Total Environment. 2019; 696 ():133921.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Yanxia Zhang; Biao Huang; Clive Sabel; Marianne Thomsen; Xiangyun Gao; Ming Zhong; Zhikun Chen; Puyang Feng. 2019. "Oral intake exposure to phthalates in vegetables produced in plastic greenhouses and its health burden in Shaanxi province, China." Science of The Total Environment 696, no. : 133921.

Article
Published: 01 August 2019 in Climatic Change
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The Danish diet is characterized by a high content of sugar, fat dairy products and red meat, and a low content of fruits and vegetables. As it is considered unhealthy and environmentally unfriendly, various alternatives to the standard Danish diet have been investigated and promoted in Denmark, such as the New Nordic Diet. By using a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), this study estimates the carbon footprint (CF) of four different diet scenarios in Denmark: standard, carnivore, vegetarian and vegan. The LCA is applied to build a dataset of the 47 most widely eaten food and beverage products, which represent the average Danish eating habits and grouped into six food categories. Unlike most past LCA-based studies, where system boundaries are limited to the farm gate, this study covers all activities and relative use of materials and energy, from the food production phase to the final consumption (namely ‘from-cradle-to-fork’). We find that the highest CF value is associated with the carnivore diet, which has the highest impact (1.83 t CO2eq person−1 year−1). The vegan and vegetarian diets record the best profiles (0.89 and 1.37 t CO2eq person−1 year−1, respectively), whereas the standard Danish diet has a CF value of 1.59 t CO2eq person−1 year−1. We find that the food production phase is the most significant in terms of CF (65–85%). This study confirms that dietary preferences are a strong driver of CF. A comparison with CF associated with other diets suggests that a further research could provide a guidance to promote healthy eating patterns with adequate nutritional values and better environmental performances.

ACS Style

Morena Bruno; Marianne Thomsen; Federico Maria Pulselli; Nicoletta Patrizi; Michele Marini; Dario Caro. The carbon footprint of Danish diets. Climatic Change 2019, 156, 489 -507.

AMA Style

Morena Bruno, Marianne Thomsen, Federico Maria Pulselli, Nicoletta Patrizi, Michele Marini, Dario Caro. The carbon footprint of Danish diets. Climatic Change. 2019; 156 (4):489-507.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Morena Bruno; Marianne Thomsen; Federico Maria Pulselli; Nicoletta Patrizi; Michele Marini; Dario Caro. 2019. "The carbon footprint of Danish diets." Climatic Change 156, no. 4: 489-507.

Review
Published: 24 June 2019 in Resources, Conservation and Recycling
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Processing of food is linked to unavoidable and inedible food waste that, despite efforts to minimize waste, will persevere. It nevertheless represents a stable feedstock for the future bioeconomy value chains and products. This study presents a systematic review of 149 examples from the scientific literature using inedible, unavoidable food residues and wastes for the production of value-added bio-based compounds that could substitute synthetic chemicals production. The main high-value products investigated are organic acids, bioplastics, colorants, enzymes and other platform chemicals. We found 44 examples of acid production with high variability in output (from 43 to 640 g kg−1waste), 9 examples of bioplastics (from 0.28 to 49 g L−1), 26 examples related to colorants (from 0.04 to more than 400 mg per 100 g), 22 cases of enzyme production (from 6000 Ug−1), 4 examples of protein (23.6 to 38.5 %wt. DM) and 44 cases of other high-value molecules such as pectin and single cell oils. Our findings highlight fermentation as a key technology for the valorization of the studied feedstock, with 76 examples out of the 149 reviewed. The review process also uncovered important limitations related to the lack of standardized food waste definitions, a barrier that is discussed and for which solutions are proposed. At the light of our findings, we further proposed guiding criteria towards the sustainable development of future biorefineries based on food waste. This work touches upon several Sustainable Development Goals, in particular goals 8.2, 9.5, and 12.3.

ACS Style

Dominika Teigiserova; Lorie Hamelin; Marianne Thomsen. Review of high-value food waste and food residues biorefineries with focus on unavoidable wastes from processing. Resources, Conservation and Recycling 2019, 149, 413 -426.

AMA Style

Dominika Teigiserova, Lorie Hamelin, Marianne Thomsen. Review of high-value food waste and food residues biorefineries with focus on unavoidable wastes from processing. Resources, Conservation and Recycling. 2019; 149 ():413-426.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Dominika Teigiserova; Lorie Hamelin; Marianne Thomsen. 2019. "Review of high-value food waste and food residues biorefineries with focus on unavoidable wastes from processing." Resources, Conservation and Recycling 149, no. : 413-426.

Journal article
Published: 04 May 2019 in Carbon Management
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Dario Caro; Mette Hjorth Mikkelsen; Marianne Thomsen. Non-CO2 emissions embodied in trade of Danish pork. Carbon Management 2019, 10, 323 -331.

AMA Style

Dario Caro, Mette Hjorth Mikkelsen, Marianne Thomsen. Non-CO2 emissions embodied in trade of Danish pork. Carbon Management. 2019; 10 (3):323-331.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Dario Caro; Mette Hjorth Mikkelsen; Marianne Thomsen. 2019. "Non-CO2 emissions embodied in trade of Danish pork." Carbon Management 10, no. 3: 323-331.

Original research article
Published: 26 March 2019 in Frontiers in Energy Research
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This paper aims to determine the environmental performance of the current landfill gas management system (based on flaring) in Mexico City (Bordo Poniente) in comparison to the collection of biogas generated from solid waste through one of the most innovative technology implemented in Denmark (Aikan Technology), which produces biogas and digestate from waste. Two alternative scenarios are proposed in which the Aikan Technology is implemented in Bordo Poniente to replace the existing system (reference scenario) that involves landfilling inorganic waste and composting organic waste in Bordo Poniente with no biogas recovery. The biogas recovered through Aikan Technology is exploited to provide heat and electricity (Scenario 1) or biofuel for the transportation sector (Scenario 2). A comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) was performed to evaluate the environmental performances associated with all scenarios by evaluating the impact categories Climate Change, Fossil Depletion, and Cumulative Energy Demand. According to the waste capacity of Bordo Poniente, the implementation of the Aikan Technology would result in a total annual reduction of 0.14 and 0.08 Mt of CO2 eq for Scenario 1 and Scenario 2, respectively. Scenario 1 was also the best performing scenario with respect to fossil depletion (−52 kg oil eq ton−1 of organic waste) and cumulative energy demand (−3,557 MJ ton−1 of organic waste). The implementation of Aikan Technology in Mexico City represents an important challenge and requires further research into its economic and political feasibility. When it comes to tackling global environmental problems, international agreements ascribe high importance to environmental technology transfer. This study represents a preliminary step in terms of environmental assessment and thus provides important information for policymakers attempting to achieve more sustainable management of solid waste in Mexico.

ACS Style

Carolina Silva Chávez; Dario Caro; Marianne Thomsen. Environmental Assessment of Alternatives for Biowaste Treatment in Mexico City. Frontiers in Energy Research 2019, 7, 1 .

AMA Style

Carolina Silva Chávez, Dario Caro, Marianne Thomsen. Environmental Assessment of Alternatives for Biowaste Treatment in Mexico City. Frontiers in Energy Research. 2019; 7 ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Carolina Silva Chávez; Dario Caro; Marianne Thomsen. 2019. "Environmental Assessment of Alternatives for Biowaste Treatment in Mexico City." Frontiers in Energy Research 7, no. : 1.

Systematic review
Published: 10 February 2019 in Marine Drugs
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This review provides a systematic overview of the spatial and temporal variations in the content of biomolecular constituents of Saccharina latissima on the basis of 34 currently-available scientific studies containing primary measurements. We demonstrate the potential revenue of seaweed production and biorefinery systems by compiling a product portfolio of high-value extract products. An investigation into the endogenous rhythms and extrinsic factors that impact the biomolecular composition of S. latissima is presented, and key performance factors for optimizing seaweed production are identified. Besides the provisioning ecosystem service, we highlight the contribution of green-engineered seaweed production systems to the mitigation of the ongoing and historical anthropogenic disturbances of the climate balance and nutrient flows. We conclude that there are risks of mismanagement, and we stress the importance and necessity of creating an adaptive ecosystem-based management framework within a triple-helix partnership for balancing the utilization of ecosystem services and long-term resilience of aquatic environment.

ACS Style

XueQian Zhang; Marianne Thomsen. Biomolecular Composition and Revenue Explained by Interactions between Extrinsic Factors and Endogenous Rhythms of Saccharina latissima. Marine Drugs 2019, 17, 107 .

AMA Style

XueQian Zhang, Marianne Thomsen. Biomolecular Composition and Revenue Explained by Interactions between Extrinsic Factors and Endogenous Rhythms of Saccharina latissima. Marine Drugs. 2019; 17 (2):107.

Chicago/Turabian Style

XueQian Zhang; Marianne Thomsen. 2019. "Biomolecular Composition and Revenue Explained by Interactions between Extrinsic Factors and Endogenous Rhythms of Saccharina latissima." Marine Drugs 17, no. 2: 107.