Introducing measurement science into sustainability systems

Abstract

In this paper, we discuss perspectives of adopting procedures of metrology, the science of measurements, into sustainability assessments. We present an overview of general concepts of system theory, sustainability, and sustainability metrics. We use these concepts together with the Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement (GUM) metrological approach to include estimation of uncertainties and sensitivity analysis in the model framework to construct aggregated sustainability indicators proposed by Santos and Brandi. To illustrate the method, we apply Canberra distance to study the sustainability of the integration and logistic infrastructure dimension of the biodiesel supply chain in Brazil and Germany. Sustainability has been embodied into government, industries and corporations' policies through standards, conformity assessment, and metrology. This increases the need for sound measurements to address sustainability. To perform sensitivity analysis, we propose an expression to evaluate changes in the sustainability index due to variations in a given indicator, generalizing the linear approximation of the GUM framework. We concluded that metrological procedures can be applied to estimate uncertainties of sustainability systems and their components. Adopting metrological procedures may be an important step to harmonize approaches involving measurements in sustainability systems. Sensitivity analysis provides information about the influence on the sustainability index due to variations of indicators from sustainability systems.

Selection of Sustainable Process and Essential Indicators for Decision Making Using Machine Learning Algorithms

“…The data comprise four different process options for treatment of auto shredder residue: landfilling (Schwarz et al 2002), recycling of some metals and some plastics with landfilling the rest (recycle + landfill) (Brandi and dos Santos 2016), energy recovery (Cinar et al 2007), and recycling of some metals and some plastics' recovering energy from the rest (recycle + energy recovery) (El-Halwagi 2017). These options were evaluated using nine indicators for energy intensity (EI), water consumption (WC), material intensity (MI), land use (LU), global warming short term (GWST), global warming long term (GWLT), human toxicity short term (HTST), human toxicity long term (HTLT), and treatment costs (TC).…”

“…The use of integrated sustainability assessment of chemical processes is shown by Jia et al (2016). Brandi and dos Santos (2016) has shown the importance of measurement science in sustainability system. Olinto (2017) has shown the robustness of aggregate sustainability index.…”

Framework for the implementation of an Internet of Things (IoT)-based water distribution and management system

“…Wastewater management is also a domain in which the employment of IoT technologies can be viable (Peng et al 2015 ). Thus, it can be said that the use of IoT technologies throughout water supply chain management will ensure better water collection, storage, distribution as well as treatment (Zeng et al 2020 ; Brandi and Dos Santos 2016 ). In this study, we have studied various case studies of IoT applications for efficient water management.…”