MFA Diagrams

Transport volume and direct material input

Source: Marina Fischer-Kowalski, Veronika Gaube, and Gerhard Rainer, 2006. MEFASPACE A Model Predicting Freight Transport from Materials Flows, and Transport Activity in Europe

Despite being from Vienna, the “birthplace” of MFA, it is safe to say that the authors did not “get” the MFA methodology. What appear to be flow quantities sit next to the processes, and a mysterious thick line cuts through the system boundary. I appreciate the attempt to include transport in a MFA diagram, but this sample is more a demonstration of what can go wrong.

Process diagrams versus MFA diagrams

Source: Andreas Bode, Roman Kühner, Thomas Wisniewski, 2011. Identification of economic potentials in production processes: An industrial case study.

This diagram is technically a process diagram, as it uses icons to represent various processes in an industrial process, however, it is interesting to compare to a Material Flow Analysis diagram, as the graphic languages are rather similar.

Global phosphorus flows

Source: Villalba, G., Liu, Y., Schroder, H., Ayres, R., 2008. Global Phosphorus Flows in the Industrial Economy From a Production Perspective.

Emergy versus MFA

Source: Shu-Li Huang, 2009. Urbanization and Socioeconomic Metabolism in Taipei.

In this analysis of “socioeconomic metabolism” of Taipei, the author uses the Emergy methodology to describe the flow of materials and energy. The concept and methodology of Emergy was pioneered by Howard Odum, an ecologist. Certain aspects are similar to Material Flow Analysis, such as the system boundary, flows, and processes. Emergy has different symbols for different types of processors, for example consumer and producer, whereas MFA neutrally represents all processes in the same way. While both MFA and Emergy are concerned with metabolism, as you can see their way of representation is quite different.

Source: Odum, H. T. 1996. Environmental accounting: Emergy and environmental decision making.

Nitrogen related to food in Linköping, Sweden

Source: Schmid Neset, Tina-Simone et al., 2006. Food Consumption and Nutrient Flows.

The Material Flow Analysis looks at the average citizen of Linköping, Sweden and her impact on the nitrogen cycle through food.

The flow of nitrogen in 2000 engendered by the consumption and production of food for an average inhabitant of Linköping. The data give the flow of nitrogen in kg per capita and year. The rate of addition to stock for the given year (dt) is shown in the lower left corner of each process. Stocks in plant production are not applicable for the region, because crop sequence and fallow are not included in this per capita system. Surplus includes not only manure, but also by-products (remaining products), losses, and animal carcasses. Thus, emissions from animal production are possibly somewhat exaggerated having been calculated for emissions from manure. The shading of the lines indicates whether they are input (dark gray), output (black), or internal flows (light gray). The thickness of the lines is proportional to the size of the flows.

Generic forestry management MFA

Source: Hendriks, Carolyn, Obernosterer, Richard, Muller, Daniel, Kytzia, Susanne, Baccini, Peter, Brunner, Paul H., 2000. Material Flow Analysis: a tool to support environmental policy decision making.

Published in 2000, this was one of the early Material Flow Analysis articles. In the conclusion, a important point is made about MFA:

MFA is not an evaluation or assessment tool but rather an accounting instrument which can describe the metabolism of a system.With this systems understanding, additional assessment methodologies and approaches can be employed to interpret the results, for example against environmental standards or reference points.

Water in Kumasi, Ghana

Source: Marco Erni et al., 2009. Bad for the environment, good for the farmer? Urban sanitation and nutrient flows.

Material Flow Analysis diagram of waster in Kumasi, a city in Ghana 150 km north of the capital. Each flow is labeled with one of three different types of information: the type of the water, the name of the source/destination, or a process (consumption, infiltration, runoff).

Global aluminum flow

Source: Bertram, M., Martchek, K., Rombach, G., 2009. Material Flow Analysis in the Aluminum Industry.

This is an interesting variation on the Material Flow Analysis diagram. Both processes and flows are accented by scaled circles representing the mass of each. The only system boundary is between material and metal, I assume because the system is aluminum on the entire planet. The article’s conclusion contains a nice passage about how Material Flow Analysis has been useful:

The MFA models created by the aluminum industry have proven to be very useful tools for communicating, lobbying, closing data gaps, and developing business strategies.

Educational diagram with carpet recycling as a case

Source: Bailey, R., Bras, B., Allen, J., 2004. Applying Ecological Input-Output Flow Analysis to Material Flows in Industrial Systems: Part II: Flow Metrics.

The article in which this Material Flow Analysis diagram was published is part II of an explanation of how to apply flow analysis. The case they chose to illustrate is that of carpet recycling. The manner in which the Nylon Reclamation (H₄) process box is split is disconcerting.

Wastewater in Klong Luang, Thailand

Source: Narong Surinkul and Thammarat Koottatep, 2009. Advanced Sanitation Planning Tool with Health Risk Assessment: Case Study of a Peri-Urban Community in Thailand.

This Material Flow Analysis diagram is a very cleanly-executed sample concerning the flows of wastewater in the Klong Luang municipality, Thailand. The diagram above shows the “improved” situation that would take place after the recommendations in the paper are implemented.

Pollutants in the Baltic Sea

Source: Jukka Mehtonen, Päivi Munne, Matti Verta, 2011. Identification of sources and estimation of inputs/impacts on the Baltic Sea, Summary Report Finland.

This Substance Flow Analysis diagram shows the polybrominated diphenyl (decaBDE) ethers in Finland. The overall report includes no fewer than a dozen SFA diagrams for various different pollutants. The report adopts the style of color-coding the flows by their destinations, which was also seen in the previous post Mercury in Europe.

Goods and solid waste on Oahu island, Hawaii

Source: Matthew J. Eckelman and Marian R. Chertow, 2009. Using Material Flow Analysis to Illuminate Long-Term Waste Management Solutions in Oahu, Hawaii.

This simple Material Flow Diagram is a schematic of the research team’s approach to understanding the material flows on the study island. The typical system boundary is inverted and placed around the source of imports and exports.

Mercury in Europe

Source: Source Control on Priority Substances in Europe (SOCOPSE), 2009. Material Flow Analysis on Priority Substances.

This Material Flow Analysis Diagram shows Mercury flows in Europe. The diagram does not represent a system boundary, nor imports, though there is an interesting twist. The diagram colors the Mercury flows leaving processes into the environment by the destination of the flow. The technique enhances readability, as most processes emit to more than one destination.

Multi-substance MFA for waste management in Austria

Source: Hubert Reisinger et al., 2009. Material Flow Analysis (MFA) for resource policy decision support. Position Paper of the Interest Group on the Sustainable Use of Natural Resources on the needs for further development of MFA-based indicators.

Material Flow Analysis diagram of the Austrian waste management sector, showing the substances cadmium, lead and mercury (not shown are the emission flows into air and water and the actual quantities).

Cadmium in Austria

Source: Reisinger, H., Schoeller G., and Mueller, B., 2009. RUSCH -Resource Potential and Environmental Impact of the Heavy Metals Lead, Cadmium and Mercury in Austria.

This Material Flow Analysis graphic represents the passage of Cadmium in the Austrian economy.

Platinum in Europe

Source: Saurat, M., Bringezu, S., 2008. Platinum Group Metal Flows of Europe, Part 1.

This extravagant MFA displays flows of platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), and rhodium (Rh) in Europe. It is peculiar for its double-system boundary, the first being the countries of primary production followed by Europe, which produces no primary platinum.

Phosphorus in Japan

Source: Kazuyo Matsubae-Yokoyama, Hironari Kubo, Kenichi Nakajima, and Tetsuya Nagasaka, 2009. A Material Flow Analysis of Phosphorus in Japan The Iron and Steel Industry as a Major Phosphorus Source.

One of many Material Flow Analysis Diagrams in this in-depth article.

Overall phosphorus substance flow for various industrial sectors, in kilotons of phosphorus (kt-P). BOF = basic oxygen furnace; EAF = electric arc furnace.

Domestic material flow of phosphorus in South Korea

Source: Jeong,Y.-S., Matsubae-Yokoyama, K., Kubo,H., Pak, J.-J. and Nagasaka,T., 2009: Substance flow analysis of phosphorus and manganese correlated with South Korean steel industry. (link)

This Material Flow Analysis diagram shows the domestic material flow of phosphorus in South Korea (2005). The border is assumed to be the geographic area of South Korea. It is odd that there are so many loose ends in the MFA.

…the authors examine domestic phosphorus and manganese flows in South Korea, focusing on the iron and steel industries and using statistical data for 2005. The total phosphorus and manganese usage in South Korea are evaluated to be 380 kt-P/year and 303 kt-Mn/year (manganese ore + manganese alloy).

Computer waste generation in Chile

MFA methodology used in the research.

Source: Bernhard Steubing, Heinz Böni, Mathias Schluep, Uca Silva, Christian Ludwig, 2009. Assessing computer waste generation in Chile using material flow analysis.

In a very well-documented manner, these researchers created an MFA of the computer waste in Chile. The top image is an outline of the methodology used in determining the final MFA diagrams. The subsequent MFA diagrams are notable for their strong use of sankey flow lines.

Paul H. Brunner

Source: Paul H. Brunner, 2007. MFA of regional lead flows and stocks [t/y].

These Material Flow Analysis diagrams are from Paul H. Brunner’s presentation on the MFA methodology. He is the co-author of the landmark books on MFA, Metabolism of the Antroposphere (1991) and Practical Handbook of Material Flow Analysis (2004).

Recycling rates of metals

Source: UNEP, 2011. Recycling rates of metals.

This Material Flow Analysis diagrams are from the recycling rates of metal status report of UNEP and the International Resource Panel. Interestingly, the MFA of one metal may feed into the MFA of another metal (read below):

Flows related to a simplified life cycle of metals and the recycling of production scrap and end-of-life products. Boxes indicate the main processes. Yield losses at all life stages are indicated through dashed lines. When material is discarded to landfills (WM), it may be recycled, lost into the cycle of another metal (as with copper wire mixed into steel scrap), or landfilled. The boundary indicates the global industrial system, not a geographic entity.

Metal stocks in society

Source: UNEP, 2010. Metal stocks in society.

These attractive and simple Material Flow Analysis diagrams are from the scientific sythesis report of UNEP and the International Resource Panel.

Material flow analysis characterizes and quantifies flows of materials into, out of, and through a system of interest, equating flows at each reservoir within the system by conservation of mass. In this analysis, the choice of scale and level is critical (scale is “a spatial, temporal, quantitative, or analytic dimension used to measure or study a phenomenon” [Gibson et al., 2000], as with a ruler, level is a position along the scale.) The quantity of mass of a chosen material that exists within the system boundary of choice at a specific time is considered stock within the system. In terms of units of measurement, stock is a level variable (i. e., kg), while flow is a rate variable (i. e., kg per unit of time). In general, the metal stock in society is highest by far when material is in use (rather than in processing, fabrication, manufacturing, or waste management).

Management of Swiss electronic waste

Source: Deepali Sinha-Khetriwal, Philipp Kraeuchi, Markus Schwaninger, 2005. A comparison of electronic waste recycling in Switzerland and in India.

This diagram does not strictly follow the Material Flow Analysis methodology, but it is interesting because it attempts to also include financial flows, direction of influence, and regulatory control.

The sustainability of WEEE/E-waste management is dependent on financial viability of
WEEE/E-waste collection, transportation, treatment and disposal. The financial viability
is in turn dependent on regulatory system in place as it will define the standards and
institutional mechanism for WEEE/E-waste management.

Mercury used in products in the U.S.

Source: Alexis Cain, Sarah Disch, Cliff Twaroski, John Reindl, and C. Randy Case, 2007. Substance Flow Analysis of Mercury Intentionally Used in Products in the United States.

This is a quite precise Material Flow Analysis diagram of mercury intentionally used in fluorescent lamps in 2005.

The substance flow models for each product estimate mercury releases… by combining data on the amount of mercury in products produced or sold with distribution factors that indicate what happens to mercury though the product life cycle. This technique yields estimates of the distribution of mercury-containing products, which are then combined with release factors to estimate the amount of mercury released to air, water, and land…

...[shown here] a flow model for one of the products, fluorescent lamps, in 2005. Air releases are shown across the top of the figure, water releases at the bottom, and releases to land at the right. The mercury flow begins with lamp production and then proceeds to retailers and then consumers, with small losses to air and to wastewater treatment plants at each step as lamps are broken. Additional losses of mercury are shown as waste lamps are transported from consumers to municipal solid waste treatment and lamp recycling, and further losses occur from burn barrels, 4 incinerators, landfills, recycling, and other disposal options. Mercury inputs to wastewater treatment plants partition to water discharges or to sludge and grit, which are subsequently land applied or disposed of. Perhaps surprisingly, the model shows higher mercury releases from transport of waste lamps in the solid waste recycling system than from disposal processes themselves. In addition, in this model, 2005 environmental releases plus mercury recovery exceed inputs, because these outputs are based on prior year purchases of lamps, when mercury content of lamps was higher.

EU iron and steel flows

Source: OECD, 2008. Measuring material flows and resource productivity.

There are a Material Flow Analysis diagrams of iron and steel flows in the EU:

A study of iron and steel flows in 2000 in the European Union showed that an input of about 120 Mt of iron ore (of which 98 Mt was imported) yielded 98 Mt of primary crude steel (i.e. produced directly from iron ore and coke). A further 65 Mt, representing 40% of total crude steel production, were produced as secondary crude steel, produced from scrap steel. The output of about 135 Mt of steel in finished steel products in EU15 countries is based on a gross total of direct and indirect solid material flows of about 739 Mt, including about 422 Mt overburden and 121 Mt of other mining waste from the extraction and refinement of iron ore, ferroalloys (chromium, manganese and nickel), and hard coal. Only about 18% of the solid materials moved for the manufacture of the iron and steel cycle end up in the finished product.