Lucas Reijnders’s research while affiliated with University of Amsterdam and other places

It has been argued that the energy output from microalgal biofuel production should at least be 5–8 times the energy input, apart from solar irradiation driving algal photosynthesis. There is as yet no commercial production of microalgal biodiesel or large-scale demonstration project to check whether this criterion regarding the energy balance can be met in actual practice. There is, however, a set of relatively well-documented peer-reviewed scientific papers estimating energy inputs and outputs of future autotrophic microalgal biodiesel production. Energy balances for biodiesel from autotrophic microalgae grown in ponds tend to be better than for biodiesel from such microalgae grown in bioreactors. The studies regarding energy balances for biodiesel derived from microalgae grown in open ponds are considered here. None of these energy balances meets the criterion that the energy output should exceed the energy input by a factor 5–8. Estimated energy balances are variable due to divergent assumptions about microalgal varieties, applied algal and biodiesel production technologies, assumed parameters and yields and due to differences in system boundaries, allocation, and the use of credits. The studies considered here could have done better in handling uncertainties in estimated energy balances.

A probabilistic assessment with sensitivity analysis using Monte Carlo simulation for six vapour intrusion algorithms, used in various regulatory frameworks for contaminated land management, is presented here. In addition a deterministic approach with default parameter sets is evaluated against observed concentrations for benzene, ethylbenzene and trichloroethylene. The screening-level algorithms are ranked according to accuracy and conservatism in predicting observed soil air and indoor air concentrations at two contaminated sites to determine their suitability for regulatory purposes and the possible occurrence of false-negative errors. Dominant parameters that drive the predictions are grouped by either physico-chemical, soil or building parameters, and also by parameters that are either uncertain or variable, to determine the prioritisation for further research actions such as additional measurements. The findings from this study suggest that the screening-level algorithms that have a higher degree of conservatism for their default parameter set are the Johnson and Ettinger model, Dilution Factor algorithm from Sweden, Vlier-Humaan and VolaSoil. From these four algorithms the Johnson and Ettinger model and VolaSoil have a relative high accuracy (discriminative power). For the latter two algorithms different parameters, that are variable and uncertain, contribute to the variation in indoor air concentration, and differences were observed between the aromatic and chlorinated hydrocarbons. For the chlorinated hydrocarbon trichloroethylene, the default parameter set of Vlier-Humaan, CSoil and Dilution Factor algorithm of Sweden might be adapted to arrive at a higher deterministically predicted indoor air concentration if more conservatism is required. The deterministically predicted air concentrations for aromatic hydrocarbons seem to be sufficiently conservative. It is shown that the probabilistic approach allows for an improved insight into the relative importance of parameters in the risk estimates. - Published in the journal of "Environment and Pollution", ISSN Print: 1927-0909, ISSN Online: 1927-0917

Introduction Health Hazards of Inorganic Nanoparticles Nanocomposite Life Cycles and Life Cycle Assessment Life Cycle Assessment of Nanoparticles and Nanocomposites in Practice Nanocomposite Life Cycle Management, Including Recycling Reducing Nanoparticle-Based Health Hazards and Risks Associated with Nanocomposite Life Cycles Conclusion References

This paper provides a view on the suitability of screening-level vapour intrusion (VI) algorithms for contaminated land management. It focuses on the accuracy and level of conservatism for a number of screening-level algorithms used for VI into buildings. The paper discusses the published evidence of the accuracy of VI algorithms and puts the conservatism is a broader regulatory perspective, including advice on how to deal with variation. In closing further research needs are provided. Published in the journal of "Environment and Pollution", ISSN Print: 1927-0909, ISSN Online: 1927-0917

Commercial cultivation of autotrophic microalgae for food production dates back to the 1950s. Autotrophic microalgae have also been proposed as a source for lipid‐based liquid biofuels. As yet, there is no commercial production of such biofuels and estimated near‐term prices are far in excess of fossil fuel prices and prices of biofuels based on terrestrial food oil crops. Future costs of autotrophic microalgal lipid‐based biofuels are very uncertain. The energetic return of energy investment in liquid autotrophic microalgal biofuels is below a factor 5, even if optimistic assumptions are made about future technologies. Available studies do not allow for firm estimates of life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of autotrophic microalgal lipid‐based biofuels. Apart from greenhouse gases, life cycle pollutant emissions of autotrophic microalgal biodiesel may well be more of an environmental burden than the life cycle pollutant emissions linked to fossil diesel or biofuels based on canola or switchgrass. Whether the prospects for, and performance of, lipid‐based biofuels from autotrophic microalgae in the more distant future will much improve appears to be largely dependent on breakthroughs in production technology which may, or may not, occur. This article is categorized under: Bioenergy > Science and Materials

This article summarizes the outcome of the discussions at the international workshop on nano reference values (NRVs), which was organized by the Dutch trade unions and employers' organizations and hosted by the Social Economic Council in The Hague in September 2011. It reflects the discussions of 80 international participants representing small- and medium-size enterprises (SMEs), large companies, trade unions, governmental authorities, research institutions, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from many European countries, USA, India, and Brazil. Issues that were discussed concerned the usefulness and acceptability of precaution-based NRVs as a substitute for health-based occupational exposure limits (OELs) and derived no-effect levels (DNELs) for manufactured nanoparticles (NPs). Topics concerned the metrics for measuring NPs, the combined exposure to manufactured nanomaterials (MNMs) and process-generated NPs, the use of the precautionary principle, the lack of information about the presence of nanomaterials, and the appropriateness of soft regulation for exposure control. The workshop concluded that the NRV, as an 8-h time-weighted average, is a comprehensible and useful instrument for risk management of professional use of MNMs with a dispersible character. The question remains whether NRVs, as advised for risk management by the Dutch employers' organization and trade unions, should be under soft regulation or that a more binding regulation is preferable.