Eco-industrial system analysis

Modern society experiences increasing pressures on natural resources, due to increases in population and demand for goods and services, to increasing levels of production and consumption, and to production systems that are sustained by inefficient resource flows leading to waste problems and environmental deterioration.

The research unit for eco-industrial system analysis focusses on sustainability analyses of community activities across sectors, with special emphasis on mitigating environmental degradation by closing unsustainable leakages in resource flows in the human-natural system, as well as effects of climate change. Analyses and methods for improving resource efficiency and flow circularity (using Network Analysis and LCA with extended system boundaries) as well as risk and impact assessments are developed.

EISA is based on the hypotheses that:

Sustainable use of resources within future human systems can be achieved by creating incentives to decrease resource depletion, (i.e. restore and maintain ecosystem services) by increasing the recirculation of renewable and non-renewable resources and by optimizing and reducing transportation of goods and people.
The application of a system perspective allows analyzing and identifying critical resource flows and risks for ecosystems and human health, providing scientific support for improved spatial planning, management of natural resources and waste, regulation of production systems, waste disposal and transportation at appropriate scales.

EISA will support the development of design-oriented, inter-industry strategies for resource conservation at the local community level that emphasize avoidance of waste products and improvement of recycling. The aim is to support a development towards more mature industrial systems that exhibit increasingly cyclical resource-use patterns analogous to those observed in the natural system.

Scientific challenges are related to the definition and delimitation of sustainable eco-industrial resource flow systems at appropriate scales, to the analysis of changes in societal pressures as response to change in resource flows, and to the development of reliable and theoretically consistent indicators of environmental performance of eco-industrial systems. Moreover, it is important to explore how industries can provide environmental restoration as a service to society, by means of new and improved resource flows including their spatial and temporal patterns (energy, materials, and pollutants).

The research activities address the societal concerns over increasing resource scarcity and environmental degradation; such issues are closely linked but often dealt with in separate academic literature and disciplinary fields. The research unit supports the strategic European and national policy agenda to increase the efficiency with which natural resources are used and recycled, and provides analysis of the environmental impact of green technologies at all levels (from household to global). Hereby it also develops new knowledge and methods to support the emission inventories.

On-going project activities

Publications:

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Osei-Owusu, A. K., Towa, E. & Thomsen, M. (2022). Exploring the pathways towards the mitigation of the environmental impacts of food consumption. Science of the Total Environment, 806(2), Article 150528. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150528

Osei-Owusu, A. K. (2021). Assessing Denmark’s global food trade-related environmental impacts. [PhD dissertation, Aarhus University]. Aarhus Universitet.

Teigiserova, D. A., Bourgine, J. & Thomsen, M. (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, 845-857. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spc.2021.02.010

Marini, M., Angouria-Tsorochidou, E., Caro, D. & Thomsen, M. (2021). Daily intake of heavy metals and minerals in food – a case study of four Danish dietary profiles. Journal of Cleaner Production, 280(1), Article 124279. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.124279

Zucchinelli, M., Sporchia, F., Piva, M., Thomsen, M., Lamastra, L. & Caro, D. (2021). Effects of different Danish food consumption patterns on Water Scarcity Footprint. Journal of Environmental Management, 300, Article 113713. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.113713

Zhang, X., Border, A., Goosen, N. & Thomsen, M. (2021). Environmental life cycle assessment of cascade valorisation strategies of South African macroalga Ecklonia maxima using green extraction technologies. Algal Research, 58, Article 102348. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.algal.2021.102348

Angouria-Tsorochidou, E., Teigiserova, D. A. & Thomsen, M. (2021). Limits to circular bioeconomy in the transition towards decentralized biowaste management systems. Resources, Conservation & Recycling, 164, Article 105207. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2020.105207

Angouria-Tsorochidou, E. & Thomsen, M. (2021). Modelling the quality of organic fertilizers from anaerobic digestion – Comparison of two collection systems. Journal of Cleaner Production, 304, Article 127081. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.127081

Cong, R. G. & Thomsen, M. (2021). Review of ecosystem services in a bio-based circular economy and governance mechanisms. Ecosystem Services, 50, Article 101298. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoser.2021.101298

Zhang, X. & Thomsen, M. (2021). Techno-economic and environmental assessment of novel biorefinery designs for sequential extraction of high-value biomolecules from brown macroalgae Laminaria digitata, Fucus vesiculosus, and Saccharina latissima. Algal Research, 60, Article 102499. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.algal.2021.102499

Teigiserova, D. A., Hamelin, L. & Thomsen, M. (2020). 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, Article 136033. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.136033

Zhang, X. & Thomsen, M. (2019). A review of top value-added products from seaweed biomass and prospects of cascading biorefinery: Preliminary results. Poster session presented at 23rd International Seaweed Symposium, Jeju, Korea, Republic of.

Zhang, X. & Thomsen, M. (2019). Biomolecular composition and revenue explained by interactions between extrinsic factors and endogenous rhythms of saccharina latissima. Marine Drugs, 17(2), Article 107. https://doi.org/10.3390/md17020107

Zhuang, M., Lu, X., Caro, D., Gao, J., Zhang, J., Cullen, B. & Li, Q. (2019). Emissions of non-CO2 greenhouse gases from livestock in China during 2000–2015: Magnitude, trends and spatiotemporal patterns. Journal of Environmental Management, 242, 40-45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.04.079

Chávez, C. S., Caro, D. & Thomsen, M. (2019). Environmental assessment of alternatives for biowaste treatment in Mexico City. Frontiers in Energy Research, 7(MAR), Article 30. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenrg.2019.00030

Teigiserova, D. A., Hamelin, L. & Thomsen, M. (2019). Review of high-value food waste and food residues biorefineries with focus on unavoidable wastes from processing. Resources, Conservation & Recycling, 149, 413-426. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2019.05.003

Bruno, M., Thomsen, M., Pulselli, F. M., Patrizi, N., Marini, M. & Caro, D. (2019). The carbon footprint of Danish diets. Climatic Change, 156(4), 489-507. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-019-02508-4

Caro, D., Osei-Owusu, A. K. & Thomsen, M. (2019). The global cropland footprint associated with Danish food supply 2000-2013. Poster session presented at EGU General Assembly 2019, Vienna, Austria.

Osei-Owusu, A. K., Thomsen, M. & Caro, D. (2019). The global cropland footprint of Denmark's food supply 2000–2013. Poster session presented at iClimate Annual Workshop 2019, Aarhus, Denmark.

Osei-Owusu, A. K., Kastner, T., Ruiter, H. D., Thomsen, M. & Caro, D. (2019). The global cropland footprint of Denmark's food supply 2000–2013. Global Environmental Change, 58(September), Article 101978. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2019.101978

Bastianoni, S., Coscieme, L., Caro, D., Marchettini, N. & Pulselli, F. M. (2019). The needs of sustainability: The overarching contribution of systems approach. Ecological Indicators, 100, 69-73. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2018.08.024

Osei-Owusu, A. K., Thomsen, M. & Caro, D. (2019). The regional emissions of Denmark’s livestock industry from a production and consumption perspective.. Paper presented at 27th International Input-Output Association Conference 2019, Glasgow, United Kingdom.

Zhang, X. & Thomsen, M. (2019). Variations in the biomolecular composition and revenue explained by interactions between extrinsic factors and endogenous rhythms of Saccharina latissima. Abstract from 23rd International Seaweed Symposium, Jeju, Korea, Republic of.

Vea, E. B., Martinez-Sanchez, V. & Thomsen, M. (2018). A Review of Waste Management Decision Support Tools and Their Ability to Assess Circular Biowaste Management Systems. Sustainability, 10(10), Article 3720. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10103720

Vea, E. B., Romeo, D. & Thomsen, M. (2018). Biowaste valorisation in a future circular bioeconomy. Procedia CIRP, 69, 591-596. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procir.2017.11.062

Thomsen, M., Romeo, D., Caro, D., Seghetta, M. & Cong, R. G. (2018). Environmental-economic analysis of integrated organicwaste and wastewater management systems: A case study from Aarhus City (Denmark). Sustainability, 10(10), Article 3742. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10103742

Romeo, D., Vea, E. B. & Thomsen, M. (2018). Environmental impacts of urban hydroponics in Europe: a case study in Lyon. Procedia CIRP, 69, 540-545. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procir.2017.11.048

Caro, D. (2018). Greenhouse gas, livestock and trade. In G. Smithers (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Food Security and Sustainability (Vol. 1, pp. 88-92). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-100596-5.21971-9

Caro, D., Davis, S., Kebreab, E. & Mitloehner, F. (2018). Land-use change emissions from soybean feed embodied in Brazilian pork and poultry meat. Journal of Cleaner Production, 172, 2646-2654. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.11.146

Zhang, X. & Thomsen, M. (2018). Seaweed biorefinery: where are we standing now, and then? – with a focus on the seasonal and spatial trends in biomolecular composition. Poster session presented at Sustain 2018, Lyngby, Denmark. https://prezi.com/view/fWWAjB8BFDeTMilc1xG7/

Zhang, X. & Thomsen, M. (2018). Spatial and temporal variations in the biomolecular composition of Saccharina latissima and associated revenues. Poster session presented at Nordic Seaweed Conference 2018, Aarhus, Denmark.

Thomsen, M., Seghetta, M., Mikkelsen, M. H., Gyldenkærne, S., Becker, T., Caro, D. & Frederiksen, P. (2017). Comparative life cycle assessment of biowaste to resource management systems - A Danish case study. Journal of Cleaner Production, 142(4), 4050-4058. Article 142. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.10.034

Thomsen, M., Helmo, K., Vea, E. B., L. M. F., O., Stelte, W., Svendsen, T. & Bjerre, A.-B. (2017). GreenSpeed spildevandsrensning - emissionsreduktion og ressourcefangst. In K. Meyn (Ed.), Dansk Kemi (pp. 26-28). TechMedia A/S. http://www.kemifokus.dk/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/DAK10-2017-s26-28.pdf

Cong, R., Caro, D. & Thomsen, M. (2017). Is it beneficial to use biogas in the Danish transport sector? - an environmental-economic analysis. Journal of Cleaner Production, 165, 1025-1035. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.07.183

Seghetta, M., Romeo, D., D'este, M., Bastianoni, S., Alvarado-Morales, M., Angelidaki, I. & Thomsen, M. (2017). Seaweed as innovative feedstock for energy and feed - evaluating the impacts through a Life Cycle Assessment. Journal of Cleaner Production, 150, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.02.022

Caro, D., Frederiksen, P., Thomsen, M. & Pedersen, A. B. (2017). Toward a more consistent combined approach of reduction targets and climate policy regulations: The illustrative case of a meat tax in Denmark. Environmental Science & Policy, 76, 78-81. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2017.06.013

Thomsen, M., Romeo, D., Sønderskov, M. & Grøndahl Hansen, O. (2017). Urban Agriculture: Hard PVC waste for integrated water and bioresources management in urban agriculture. Poster session presented at Climate-KIC Nordic Partner Day, aarhus, Denmark.

Seghetta, M., Tørring, D., Bruhn, A. & Thomsen, M. (2016). Bioextraction potential of seaweed in Denmark – an instrument for circular nutrient management. Science of the Total Environment, 563-564, 513-529. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.04.010

Loiseau, E., Saikku, L., Antikainen, R., Droste, N., Hansjürgen, B., Pitkänen, K., Leskinen, P., Kuikman, P. & Thomsen, M. (2016). Green Economy and related concepts: an overview. Journal of Cleaner Production, 139, 361-371. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.08.024