Xavier Gabarrell | Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (original) (raw)
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Papers by Xavier Gabarrell
WIT Transactions on the Built Environment, Jul 13, 2016
Resources Conservation and Recycling, May 1, 2015
Environmental Technology, Jul 1, 1993
ABSTRACT This report focuses on the optimal conditions for Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Tramet... more ABSTRACT This report focuses on the optimal conditions for Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Trametes versicolor to reduce colour, COD, aromatic compounds and toxicity of a pulp mill waste water. The results demonstrate that treatment with white‐rot fungi is adequate to detoxify these types of effluents and could be a pre‐treatment step prior to use of other biological processes.
Agricultural Water Management, 2019
Journal of Cleaner Production, 2017
Journal of Cleaner Production, 2016
Horticulturae, Aug 26, 2022
Greening of industry networks studies, 2024
Journal of Cleaner Production, May 1, 2021
Abstract Considering that urban agriculture (UA) is currently on the rise due to its multiple ben... more Abstract Considering that urban agriculture (UA) is currently on the rise due to its multiple benefits in addition to environmental ones, it would also be necessary to foresee the flow of solid waste it generates, which if not properly managed or used, could become a new waste problem within the cities. The main objective of this study is to take advantage of agro-urban solid waste (AUSW) from the perspective of Circular economy (CE) in order to, in addition to reducing the volume of AUSW within cities, to close the life cycle of UA allowing to continue with its multiple benefits. Starting from a previous study on the classification and quantification of the AUSW generated in rooftop greenhouse (RTG) tomato crop, where it was determined that the waste with the greatest potential for use was tomato stems, in this study a methodology is proposed that part of the eco-design to take advantage of the tomato stems adding value (upcycling) through the approach of “do-it-yourself” (DIY) for local use. First, the physical, chemical and mechanical characterization of the tomato stems was carried out and the materials with similar properties were identified using Ashby graphs. Afterwards, a creative session was held where specialists in order to identify possible applications of the stems through group techniques for the generation of ideas and the evaluation of concepts. Finally, tests were carried out with the material and a semi-quantitative evaluation of the resulting concepts was carried out using an eco-design metric. The resulting concepts were "Fences and trellises", "Packaging" and "Boards, panels and blocks". In addition to the results obtained on the possible applications of the stems in situ, this study provides data on the characterization of the stems of tomato plants that could also be used for the use of biomass in other contexts and scales such as conventional agriculture.
International Journal of Exergy, 2014
Sustainable Cities and Society, Aug 1, 2023
Journal of Cleaner Production, Jul 1, 2016
The market for insulation material is playing a crucial role in Europe's energy transformation, d... more The market for insulation material is playing a crucial role in Europe's energy transformation, due to its influence on energy consumption in buildings. The introduction of renewable materials for thermal insulation is recent, and little is known so far about its environmental implications. This study analyses the environmental performance of a cork insulation board, made of agglomerated cork from forestry cork wastes, by means of cradle-to-gate Life Cycle Assessment methodology. The results indicate that the use of natural insulation materials does not necessarily imply a reduction of environmental impacts due to manufacturing processes with a low technological development. In this case, the most influential stage is the manufacturing stage, in which the board agglomeration and the cork trituration have the highest impacts. The most influential inputs are both the transport used during the life cycle and the large quantities of electricity and diesel in the manufacturing stage. Some strategies have been identified to reduce the environmental impact, such as promote the acquisition of local raw cork to reduce transportation from the manufacturer, improve the efficiency and productivity of manufacturing processes and improve the product design to help increase its market share. Moreover, the inclusion of biogenic carbon contained in forest-based building materials affects the Global Warming Potential results considerably. However, it is very important to consider how this biogenic carbon is calculated and how the product is managed after its lifetime.
Cork oak forest grows endemically in the coastal regions of the western Mediterranean basin, espe... more Cork oak forest grows endemically in the coastal regions of the western Mediterranean basin, especially in the Iberian Peninsula. The cork agro-forestry systems play a key role in ecological processes, and the extraction of the outer bark, the cork, can be extracted sustainability without damaging the tree or affecting biodiversity. Due to the significant properties of the cork, an important forestry and industrial structure has been developed around the most valuable goods. This paper describes the current global trade patterns in the Iberian Peninsula, where Portugal and Spain are world leaders, concentrating most of the cork trade flows with the rest of the world; but there are clear differences between the sectors within the Iberian Peninsula. The aim of the study was to identify these differences and to characterize each sector analysed from an economic approach. The main difference between sectors lies in the characteristics of the production chain and indeed, in the capacity to generate wealth from the raw cork. Portugal is mainly producer and processor of raw cork into products with high added value. Spain bases its cork sector on the raw material and cork half-manufactured, not being able to use fully the potential that cork provides; except for Catalonia, who is the world leader in champagne stoppers market. In order to encourage the development of the entire cork sector, it has to be produced the strengthening of every link of supply chain though the installation of companies, the employment generation and therefore, the development of rural areas. Moreover, this industry has to establish its own development strategies for the future, increasing the investment in R&D and innovation due to the opportunities identified: the potential for diversification beyond the wine market, the improvement potential for forest management and the enhancing of sustainability and the eco-efficiency in every link of the cork chain industry.
WIT Transactions on the Built Environment, Jul 13, 2016
Resources Conservation and Recycling, May 1, 2015
Environmental Technology, Jul 1, 1993
ABSTRACT This report focuses on the optimal conditions for Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Tramet... more ABSTRACT This report focuses on the optimal conditions for Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Trametes versicolor to reduce colour, COD, aromatic compounds and toxicity of a pulp mill waste water. The results demonstrate that treatment with white‐rot fungi is adequate to detoxify these types of effluents and could be a pre‐treatment step prior to use of other biological processes.
Agricultural Water Management, 2019
Journal of Cleaner Production, 2017
Journal of Cleaner Production, 2016
Horticulturae, Aug 26, 2022
Greening of industry networks studies, 2024
Journal of Cleaner Production, May 1, 2021
Abstract Considering that urban agriculture (UA) is currently on the rise due to its multiple ben... more Abstract Considering that urban agriculture (UA) is currently on the rise due to its multiple benefits in addition to environmental ones, it would also be necessary to foresee the flow of solid waste it generates, which if not properly managed or used, could become a new waste problem within the cities. The main objective of this study is to take advantage of agro-urban solid waste (AUSW) from the perspective of Circular economy (CE) in order to, in addition to reducing the volume of AUSW within cities, to close the life cycle of UA allowing to continue with its multiple benefits. Starting from a previous study on the classification and quantification of the AUSW generated in rooftop greenhouse (RTG) tomato crop, where it was determined that the waste with the greatest potential for use was tomato stems, in this study a methodology is proposed that part of the eco-design to take advantage of the tomato stems adding value (upcycling) through the approach of “do-it-yourself” (DIY) for local use. First, the physical, chemical and mechanical characterization of the tomato stems was carried out and the materials with similar properties were identified using Ashby graphs. Afterwards, a creative session was held where specialists in order to identify possible applications of the stems through group techniques for the generation of ideas and the evaluation of concepts. Finally, tests were carried out with the material and a semi-quantitative evaluation of the resulting concepts was carried out using an eco-design metric. The resulting concepts were "Fences and trellises", "Packaging" and "Boards, panels and blocks". In addition to the results obtained on the possible applications of the stems in situ, this study provides data on the characterization of the stems of tomato plants that could also be used for the use of biomass in other contexts and scales such as conventional agriculture.
International Journal of Exergy, 2014
Sustainable Cities and Society, Aug 1, 2023
Journal of Cleaner Production, Jul 1, 2016
The market for insulation material is playing a crucial role in Europe's energy transformation, d... more The market for insulation material is playing a crucial role in Europe's energy transformation, due to its influence on energy consumption in buildings. The introduction of renewable materials for thermal insulation is recent, and little is known so far about its environmental implications. This study analyses the environmental performance of a cork insulation board, made of agglomerated cork from forestry cork wastes, by means of cradle-to-gate Life Cycle Assessment methodology. The results indicate that the use of natural insulation materials does not necessarily imply a reduction of environmental impacts due to manufacturing processes with a low technological development. In this case, the most influential stage is the manufacturing stage, in which the board agglomeration and the cork trituration have the highest impacts. The most influential inputs are both the transport used during the life cycle and the large quantities of electricity and diesel in the manufacturing stage. Some strategies have been identified to reduce the environmental impact, such as promote the acquisition of local raw cork to reduce transportation from the manufacturer, improve the efficiency and productivity of manufacturing processes and improve the product design to help increase its market share. Moreover, the inclusion of biogenic carbon contained in forest-based building materials affects the Global Warming Potential results considerably. However, it is very important to consider how this biogenic carbon is calculated and how the product is managed after its lifetime.
Cork oak forest grows endemically in the coastal regions of the western Mediterranean basin, espe... more Cork oak forest grows endemically in the coastal regions of the western Mediterranean basin, especially in the Iberian Peninsula. The cork agro-forestry systems play a key role in ecological processes, and the extraction of the outer bark, the cork, can be extracted sustainability without damaging the tree or affecting biodiversity. Due to the significant properties of the cork, an important forestry and industrial structure has been developed around the most valuable goods. This paper describes the current global trade patterns in the Iberian Peninsula, where Portugal and Spain are world leaders, concentrating most of the cork trade flows with the rest of the world; but there are clear differences between the sectors within the Iberian Peninsula. The aim of the study was to identify these differences and to characterize each sector analysed from an economic approach. The main difference between sectors lies in the characteristics of the production chain and indeed, in the capacity to generate wealth from the raw cork. Portugal is mainly producer and processor of raw cork into products with high added value. Spain bases its cork sector on the raw material and cork half-manufactured, not being able to use fully the potential that cork provides; except for Catalonia, who is the world leader in champagne stoppers market. In order to encourage the development of the entire cork sector, it has to be produced the strengthening of every link of supply chain though the installation of companies, the employment generation and therefore, the development of rural areas. Moreover, this industry has to establish its own development strategies for the future, increasing the investment in R&D and innovation due to the opportunities identified: the potential for diversification beyond the wine market, the improvement potential for forest management and the enhancing of sustainability and the eco-efficiency in every link of the cork chain industry.