Journal of Ecology and Rural Environment ›› 2019, Vol. 35 ›› Issue (1): 46-54.doi: 10.19741/j.issn.1673-4831.2018.0256

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Environmental Impact Analysis Derived From Nitrogen and Phosphorus Flows of the Residents' Agri-Products Consumption System

HUANG Li, WU Hui-jun, WEI Kai-ping, WANG Xiao-xu, CHEN Xiao-fang   

  1. School of Earth and Environment, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan 232001, China
  • Received:2018-05-07 Online:2019-01-25 Published:2019-01-22
  • Contact: 35 E-mail:wuhuijun414@gmail.com

Abstract:

The environmental impacts caused by nitrogen and phosphorus flows of the residents' agri-products consumption system has become serious. Based on life cycle assessment (LCA), a model of the environmental impacts derived by nitrogen and phosphorus flows of the residents' agri-products consumption system was conducted, which includes crop primary processing, livestock slaughtering, rural agri-products consumption, and urban agri-products consumption. With the model, four environmental impacts including phosphorus depletion, climate change, acidification and eutrophication caused by the nutrient flows of residents' agri-products consumption system in Anhui Province in 2015 were characterized. The environmental impacts contributed by different subsystems were also compared by using the model. The results show in agri-products processing, wheat and pig contributed the most phosphorus depletion and eutrophication, which were 43.05% and 41.48%, respectively. Meanwhile, grains consumed by both urban consumption and rural consumption had the largest phosphorus depletion, which were 51.09% and 65.22%, respectively. Moreover, rural residents' manure resulted in the most eutrophication and acidification, which were 91.05% and 99.49%, respectively. While the rural solid waste generated the greatest portion for global warming (77.76%). Thus, improving processing technology, changing diet structure, and strengthening the disposing of rural wastes (including manure, domestic sewage, and solid waste) are the efficient measures of mitigating the environmental impacts caused by the nutrient flows of residents' agri-products consumption.

Key words: residents' agri-products consumption, nitrogen, phosphorus, life cycle assessment (LCA), environmental impact

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