Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment of Fugitive Dust Control Methods
Publication: Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 147, Issue 3
Abstract
Fugitive dust at construction sites reduces air quality and can affect respiratory health. Contractors must often use dust control strategies to meet environmental regulations for dust mitigation. Water application is the most common mitigation strategy, although alternatives such as magnesium chloride () are also used. Although these strategies reduce fugitive dust emissions at the site, they cause other environmental impacts onsite and off-site throughout their life cycle. A new approach to dust mitigation, enzyme-induced carbonate precipitation (EICP), has been developed to improve dust mitigation while reducing life cycle impacts. A life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA) was performed to compare common dust mitigation strategies with EICP across a variety of environmental impacts and cost. LCSA has not previously been applied to dust mitigation strategies, so this work contributes new knowledge on the sustainability of existing and novel approaches to dust mitigation. The results show that EICP is potentially more sustainable than water application, particularly as watering frequency or persistence of the EICP treatment increases. Compared with , EICP may be more environmentally intensive and more expensive. However, indicators for salinization of water and soil, impacts of concern for , do not exist, making the comparison incomplete. It is anticipated that with further research and development focused on preventing EICP process emissions, enhancing the durability of EICP treatment, and reducing production costs, the technology will become more favorable for fugitive dust control.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
This material is based upon work supported by the Engineering Research Center Program of the National Science Foundation (NSF) under NSF Cooperative Agreement EEC-1449501. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the NSF.
References
ADOT (Arizona DOT). 2010. Quick reference dust control guide. Phoenix: ADOT.
Bare, J. C., G. A. Norris, D. W. Pennington, and T. McKone. 2003. “TRACI—The tool for the reduction and assessment of chemical and other environmental impacts.” J. Ind. Ecol. 6 (3–4): 49–78.
Bilec, M. M., R. J. Ries, and H. S. Matthews. 2010. “Life-cycle assessment modeling of construction processes for buildings.” J. Infrastruct. Syst. 16 (3): 199–205. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)IS.1943-555X.0000022.
Bolander, P., and A. Yamada. 1999. Dust palliative selection and application guide. Washington, DC: USDA.
Bouwman, A. F., L. J. M. Boumans, and N. H. Batjes. 2002. “Modeling global annual and NO emissions from fertilized fields.” Global Biogeochem. Cycles 16 (4): 28.
Brenntag. 2020a. “Anhydrous calcium chloride 94–97% mini-pellets.” Accessed May 20, 2020. https://us.brenntagconnect.com/ccrz__ProductDetails?viewState=DetailView&cartID=&portalUser=&store=&cclcl=en_US&sku=641019.
Brenntag. 2020b. “Urea industrial.” Accessed May 20, 2020. https://us.brenntagconnect.com/ccrz__ProductDetails?viewState=DetailView&cartID=&portalUser=&store=&cclcl==en_US&sku=283213.
Burke, R. D., K. Parrish, and M. El Asmar. 2018. “Environmental product declarations: Use in the architectural and engineering design process to support sustainable construction.” J. Constr. Eng. 144 (5): 04018026. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0001481.
CARB (California Air Resources Board). 2017. “Inhalable particulate matter and health ( and ).” Accessed December 4, 2018. https://www.arb.ca.gov/research/aaqs/common-pollutants/pm/pm.htm.
Degner, E., S. Horn, Z. Galligan, R. Bernard, J. Jameson, J. Mueller, N. Tucker, and J. Griffin. 2017. “Tailings dust emissions.” Accessed September 3, 2019. http://scholarworks.uark.edu/cheguht/100.
De Klein, C., R. S. A. Novoa, S. Ogle, K. A. Smith, P. Rochette, T. C. Wirth, B. G. McConkey, A. Mosier, and K. Rypdal. 2006. “ emissions from managed soils and emissions from lime and urea application.” In Vol. 4 of Proc., 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories, edited by H. S. Eggelston, L. Buenida, K. Miwa, T. Ngara, and K. Tanabe, 11.1–11.54. Hayama, Japan: Institute for Global Environmental Strategies.
FAO and ITPS (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils). 2015. Status of the world’s soil resources. Rome: FAO.
Feitz, A. J., and S. Lundie. 2002. “Soil salinisation: A local life cycle assessment impact category.” Int. J. Life Cycle Assess. 7 (4): 244–249. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02978880.
Fleisher, Z., A. Kenig, I. Ravina, and J. Hagin. 1987. “Model of ammonia volatilization from calcareous soils.” Plant Soil 103 (2): 205–212. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02370390.
Gomez, M. G., C. M. R. Graddy, J. T. DeJong, D. C. Nelson, and M. Tsesarsky. 2018. “Stimulation of native microorganisms for biocementation in samples recovered from field-scale treatment depths.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 144 (1): 04017098. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0001804.
Hamdan, N., and E. Kavazanjian. 2016. “Enzyme-induced carbonate mineral precipitation for fugitive dust control.” Géotechnique 66 (7): 546–555. https://doi.org/10.1680/jgeot.15.P.168.
Hendrickson, C., and A. Horvath. 2000. “Resource use and environmental emissions of US construction sectors.” J. Constr. Eng. 126 (1): 38–44. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9364(2000)126:1(38).
Herc Rentals. 2018. “Water trucks.” Accessed October 20, 2018. https://www.hercrentals.com/us/rentals/trucks-trailers/commercial-trucks/water-trucks.html.
Holcomb, J. C., D. M. Sullivan, D. A. Horneck, and G. H. Clough. 2011. “Effect of irrigation rate on ammonia volatilization.” Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 75 (6): 2341–2347. https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2010.0446.
Hong, J., T. Hong, H. Kang, and M. Lee. 2019. “A framework for reducing dust emissions and energy consumption on construction sites.” Energy Procedia 158 (Feb): 5092–5096. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egypro.2019.01.637.
ISI (Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure) and Zofnass Program for Sustainable Infrastructure. 2015. Envision rating system for sustainable infrastructure. Washington, DC: ISI.
ISO. 2006a. Environmental management—Life cycle assessment—Principles and framework. ISO 14040:2006. Geneva: ISO.
ISO. 2006b. Environmental management—Life cycle assessment—Requirements and guidelines. ISO 14044:2006. Geneva: ISO.
IWG (Interagency Working Group) on Social Cost of Greenhouse Gases. 2016. Technical update of the social cost of carbon for regulatory impact analysis under executive order 12866. Luxembourg: IWG.
Jones, D. 2017. Guidelines for the selection, specification, and application of chemical dust control and stabilization treatments on unpaved roads. Davis, CA: Univ. of California Pavement Research Center.
Ketchman, K., and M. Bilec. 2013. “Quantification of particulate matter from commercial building excavation activities using life-cycle approach.” J. Constr. Eng. 139 (12): A4013007. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0000776.
Khalil, K., B. Mary, and P. Renault. 2004. “Nitrous oxide production by nitrification and denitrification in soil aggregates as affected by concentration.” Soil Biol. Biochem. 36 (4): 687–699. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2004.01.004.
Khodadadi Tirkolaei, H., N. Javadi, V. Krishnan, N. Hamdan, and E. Kavazanjian. 2020. “Crude urease extract for biocementation.” J. Mater. Civ. Eng. 32 (12): 04020374. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)MT.1943-5533.0003466.
Li, X., Y. Zhu, and Z. Zhang. 2010. “An LCA-based environmental impact assessment model for construction processes.” Build. Environ. 45 (3): 766–775. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2009.08.010.
Maricopa County. 2010. Rule 310: Fugitive dust from dust-generating operations. Phoenix: Maricopa County.
Maricopa County. 2019. “Air quality compliance.” Accessed December 10, 2019. https://www.maricopa.gov/1680/Air-Quality-Compliance.
Marten, A. L., E. A. Kopits, C. W. Griffiths, S. C. Newbold, and A. Wolverton. 2015a. “Corrigendum to: Incremental and mitigation benefits consistent with the US Government’s estimates.” Clim. Policy 15 (5): 678–679. https://doi.org/10.1080/14693062.2015.1070550.
Marten, A. L., E. A. Kopits, C. W. Griffiths, S. C. Newbold, and A. Wolverton. 2015b. “Incremental and mitigation benefits consistent with the US Government’s estimates.” Clim. Policy 15 (2): 272–298. https://doi.org/10.1080/14693062.2014.912981.
Marti, M., and R. Kuehl. 2013. Aggregate roads dust control: A brief synthesis of current practices. St. Paul, MN: Minnesota Local Road Research Board.
MCAQD (Maricopa County Air Quality Department). 2017. 2014 Periodic emissions inventory for for the Maricopa County, Arizona PM10 nonattainment area. Phoenix: MCAQD.
Myhre, G., et al. 2013. “Anthropogenic and natural radiative forcing.” In Proc., Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, edited by T. F. Stocker, D. Qin, G.-K. Plattner, M. Tignor, S. K. Allen, J. Boschung, A. Nauels, Y. Xia, V. Bex, and P. M. Midgley. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Neugebauer, S., J. Martinez-Blanco, R. Scheumann, and M. Finkbeiner. 2015. “Enhancing the practical implementation of life cycle sustainability assessment—Proposal of a tiered approach.” J. Cleaner Prod. 102 (Sep): 165–176. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.04.053.
Parkhurst, D. L., and C. A. J. Appelo. 2013. “Description of input and examples for PHREEQC version 3—A computer program for speciation, batch-reaction, one-dimensional transport, and inverse geochemical calculations.” Accessed May 18, 2020. https://pubs.usgs.gov/tm/06/a43/.
Payen, S., C. Basset-Mens, M. Núñez, S. Follain, O. Grünberger, S. Marlet, S. Perret, and P. Roux. 2016. “Salinisation impacts in life cycle assessment: A review of challenges and options towards their consistent integration.” Int. J. Life Cycle Assess. 21 (4): 577–594. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-016-1040-x.
Thermo Fisher Scientific. 2020. “Research products international corp dry powder milk, 1 kilogram.” Accessed May 20, 2020. https://www.fishersci.com/shop/products/milk-dry-powder-1-kilogram/50488785#?keyword=powdered+nonfat+milk.
USEPA. 1995. “Fugitive dust sources.” In Compilation of air pollutant emissions factors, Volume I: Stationary point and area sources. 5th ed. Washington, DC: USEPA.
USEPA. 2001. Particulate emission measurements from controlled construction activities. Washington, DC: USEPA.
USEPA. 2004. Potential environmental impacts of dust suppressants: Avoiding another times beach. Washington, DC: USEPA.
USEPA. 2015. MOVES2014a user guide: EPA-420-B-15-095. Washington, DC: Assessment and Standards Division, Office of Transportation and Air Quality.
USEPA. 2018. “Nonattainment areas for criteria pollutants (green book).” Accessed December 10, 2018. https://www.epa.gov/green-book.
USGBC (US Green Building Council). 2016. LEED v4 for building design and construction. Washington, DC: USGBC.
WIFA and EFC (Water Infrastructure Finance Authority of Arizona and Environmental Finance Center) at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. 2017. 2017 Arizona water and wastewater rates report. Phoenix: WIFA.
WRAP (Western Regional Air Partnership). 2006. WRAP fugitive dust handbook. Denver: WRAP.
Zhou, J., V. W.-C. Chang, and A. G. Fane. 2013. “An improved life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) approach for assessing aquatic eco-toxic impact of brine disposal from seawater desalination plants.” Desalination 308 (Jan): 233–241. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2012.07.039.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Copyright
© 2020 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jun 13, 2020
Accepted: Sep 16, 2020
Published online: Dec 24, 2020
Published in print: Mar 1, 2021
Discussion open until: May 24, 2021
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.