Education

Research Description

Dr. Levis is interested in development and use of novel life-cycle, simulation, and optimization models for decision support with primary applications related to integrated waste management, energy systems, and sustainable infrastructure.

Honors and Awards

• Fulbright Scholar - Danish Technical University, 2019
• RTI University Scholar, 2018
• Air & Waste Management Association 1st Place Dissertation Award, 2014
• International Solid Waste Association Runner-up Publication Award, 2011
• Environmental Science and Technology 2nd Runner-up Best Policy Analysis Paper, 2011
• Environmental Science and Technology Top Ten Most Read Paper, 2011
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Publications

Approaches to fill data gaps and evaluate process completeness in LCA-perspectives from solid waste management systems

Henriksen, T., Levis, J. W., Barlaz, M. A., & Damgaard, A. (2019), INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT, 24(9), 1587–1601. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-019-01592-z

Economics of Enhancing Nutrient Circularity in an Organic Waste Valorization System

Cobo, S., Levis, J. W., Dominguez-Ramos, A., & Irabien, A. (2019), ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, 53(11), 6123–6132. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.8b06035

Solid Waste Management Policy Implications on Waste Process Choices and Systemwide Cost and Greenhouse Gas Performance

Jaunich, M. K., Levis, J. W., DeCarolis, J. F., Barlaz, M. A., & Ranjithan, S. R. (2019), ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, 53(4), 1766–1775. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.8b04589

Application of a life cycle model for european union policy-driven waste management decision making in emerging economies

Stanisavljevic, N., Levis, J. W., & Barlaz, M. A. (2018), Journal of Industrial Ecology, 22(2), 341–355. https://doi.org/10.1111/jiec.12564

A A review of the airborne and waterborne emissions from uncontrolled solid waste disposal sites

Levis, J. W., Weisbrod, A., Van Hoof, G., & Barlaz, M. A. (2017), Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology. https://doi.org/10.1080/10643389.2017.1342513

Construction and setup of a bench-scale algal photosynthetic bioreactor with temperature, light, and ph monitoring for kinetic growth tests

Karam, A. L., McMillan, C. C., Lai, Y. C., Reyes, F. L., Sederoff, H. W., Grunden, A. M., … Ducoste, J. J. (2017), Jove-Journal of Visualized Experiments, (124).

Evaluation of externality costs in life-cycle optimization of municipal solid waste management systems

Martinez-Sanchez, V., Levis, J. W., Darrigaard, A., DeCarolis, J. F., Barlaz, M. A., & Astrup, T. F. (2017), Environmental Science & Technology, 51(6), 3119–3127. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.6b06125

Life-cycle modeling of municipal solid waste landfills

Levis, J. W., & Barlaz, M. A. (2017), In Geotechnical frontiers 2017: waste containment, barriers, remediation, and sustainable geoengineering (pp. 355–368). https://doi.org/10.1061/9780784480434.038

National estimate of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) release to US municipal landfill leachate

Lang, J. R., Allred, B. M., Field, J. A., Levis, J. W., & Barlaz, M. A. (2017), Environmental Science & Technology, 51(4), 2197–2205. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.6b05005

Characterization of municipal solid waste collection operations

Jaunich, M. K., Levis, J. W., DeCarolis, J. F., Gaston, E. V., Barlaz, M. A., Bartelt-Hunt, S. L., … Jaikumar, R. (2016), Resources Conservation and Recycling, 114, 92–102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2016.07.012

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Grants

Ensuring Smart and Sustainable Material and Energy Use through Real-Time Environmental Life-Cycle Assessment

RTI International (aka Research Triangle Institute)(1/02/18 - 12/31/18)

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Ensuring Smart and Sustainable Material and Energy Use through Real-Time Environmental Life-Cycle Assessment

Sponsor: RTI International (aka Research Triangle Institute)

Start Date: 1/02/18

End Date: 12/31/18

Abstract

Real-time decision-support is a critical need to ensure the smart and sustainable development of new products, technologies, and advanced materials. These tools are necessary to ensure optimal use of material and energy resources. The need for more sustainable products and materials are evidenced by the growth of “green design” and “Smart City” technologies for enhancing the sustainable management of energy, water, waste, and transport systems. Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) tools coupled with real-time analyses can help researchers, scientists, managers, and decision-makers ensure product and technology sustainability through the transparent provision of critical information in design and development phases. LCA typically provides a systematic assessment of the potential environmental impacts of a product throughout its life-cycle stages (i.e., from “cradle-to-grave”), while real-time LCA tools focus on providing transparent, screening-level analyses that help guide the design of products, processes, and systems. The overall goal of the proposed project is to build upon RTI and North Carolina State University’s (NCSU) collaborative life-cycle modeling experience to develop and use a real-time LCA tool that will help guide decision support. The real-time LCA tool will be designed for diverse applications as well as be suitable for rapid, screening-level decision support in product design and development phases. Initial applications will focus on sustainable materials management (SMM) and the use of nanomaterials in wastewater systems (e.g., nano-sorbents and nano-catalysts). Once developed, this tool will help RTI-NCSU collaborative teams attract additional, external funding, such as the application of the real-time LCA tool on different case studies and/or for different stakeholder groups.

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Development of a Life-Cycle Model for Open Dumps and Informal Waste Collection

RTI International (aka Research Triangle Institute)(10/14/16 - 9/30/17)

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Development of a Life-Cycle Model for Open Dumps and Informal Waste Collection

Sponsor: RTI International (aka Research Triangle Institute)

Start Date: 10/14/16

End Date: 9/30/17

Abstract

RTI International, in partnership with North Carolina State University, developed and successfully deployed the Municipal Solid Waste Decision Support Tool (MSW DST) to assist cities and stakeholders in evaluating the cost and environmental trade-offs for alternative MSW management strategies and technologies. The MSW DST has been used on numerous projects for federal, state, and local government agencies as well as the solid waste industry over the last decade. The existing MSW DST was developed for U.S. domestic application and modifications are needed to more fully meet the needs of the international cities. The goal of this project is to develop and implement enhancements to the MSW DST to strengthen its applicability to waste management issues facing many international developing and transition economies including topics such as the open dumping and burning of waste and creating local economic development opportunities via recycling and composting. To achieve the goal, new modules (Excel-based models) to quantify the cost and environmental emissions for identified waste management activity gaps need to be built and integrated into the MSW DST.

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Development and Assessment of Cost-Effective Sustainable Integrated Organics Management Strategies

Environmental Research & Education Foundation(3/01/16 - 2/28/19)

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Development and Assessment of Cost-Effective Sustainable Integrated Organics Management Strategies

Sponsor: Environmental Research & Education Foundation

Start Date: 3/01/16

End Date: 2/28/19

Abstract

Jurisdictions representing over 20% of the U.S. have considered or implemented policies that require some food waste diversion from landfills, and there is increasing interest in opportunities to manage organics in municipal solid waste (MSW). Given the interrelated nature of solid waste management (SWM) systems, any new policies or strategies must be fully analyzed to ensure that overall solid waste system performance is not negatively affected. This is especially true considering how waste generation, composition, the energy system, and policies are changing. The Solid Waste Optimization Life-cycle Framework (SWOLF) is a life-cycle assessment (LCA) optimization tool developed for integrated analysis of SWM systems as part of a previous EREF grant (go.ncsu.edu/SWOLF). SWOLF consists of state-of-the-art life-cycle process models for solid waste collection, recycling, landfilling, composting, anaerobic digestion (AD), waste-to-energy (WTE), and gasification that can uniquely facilitate integrated analyses of organics diversion strategies. SWOLF’s optimization capability will be used to perform the first dynamic multi-stage optimized LCA to assess the most cost-effective ways to sustainably manage organics in consideration of changing waste generation, composition, and policies through the following research objectives: 1. Develop projections for MSW generation and composition for the next 30 years. 2. Develop projections of fuel and electricity costs and emissions under various GHG policy, renewable energy policy, and fuel price scenarios for next 30 years. 3. Finalize system-specific life-cycle process-models. 4. Use projections and process models in SWOLF to analyze the cost and environmental impacts associated with organics management strategies and policies.

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Development of a Predictive Model to Estimate Emissions from Open Dumps in Emerging Economies

Procter & Gamble(3/17/15 - 12/31/17)

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Development of a Predictive Model to Estimate Emissions from Open Dumps in Emerging Economies

Sponsor: Procter & Gamble

Start Date: 3/17/15

End Date: 12/31/17

Abstract

The overall objective of this study is to develop a model of the behavior of packaging and other consumer products when disposed in open dumps to estimate emissions to the environment (surface water, groundwater, air, soil). The model will utilize the principles of life-cycle assessment (LCA) and will be designed with a large degree of flexibility so that it can respond to a variety of scenarios that range, for example, from open dumps in wet versus arid conditions to landfills with either some or a high degree of engineered controls.

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Maximizing Energy for Waste While Minimizing Life-Cycle Environmental Burdens and Cost

US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)(12/09/14 - 3/31/19)

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Maximizing Energy for Waste While Minimizing Life-Cycle Environmental Burdens and Cost

Sponsor: US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Start Date: 12/09/14

End Date: 3/31/19

Abstract

The US EPA is interested in developing a next generation tool for sustainable materials management as an update to the current Municipal Solid Waste Decision Support Tool (MSW DST). As part of this task, RTI International (RTI) will conduct a review the current SWOLF software tool being developed at North Carolina State University (NCSU) and assess the work required to convert the tool into a stand-alone desktop application, similar to the MSW DST.

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Renewable Paving Binders from Top-lit Updraft Kilning of Biomass

National Science Foundation (NSF)(6/15/15 - 5/31/20)

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Renewable Paving Binders from Top-lit Updraft Kilning of Biomass

Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF)

Start Date: 6/15/15

End Date: 5/31/20

Abstract

The long-term goal of the proposed research is develop a sustainable alternative to asphalt binder in pavements. For an alternative binder to be viable as a replacement to asphalt cement, it must (a) be derived from renewable sources that can be produced economically in mass quantities, (b) require less energy and produce fewer emissions than the production and construction of concrete using current asphalt binder technology, and (c) demonstrate equal or superior performance over asphalt binder. To best meet these objectives, bio-binders will be produced using thermo-chemical conversion of biomass. Biomass feedstock and thermo-chemical conversion operating parameters will be varied in order to link inputs to produce a viable paving binder. Rigorous analyses of bio-binder chemical composition and properties will be conducted to assess the viability of bio-binders produced for use in pavements. In addition, preliminary trials of producing bio-binder – aggregate mixtures will be conducted using conventional laboratory methods for producing asphalt mixtures. Performance testing of bio-binder – aggregate mixtures will be conducted to assess their performance and to link critical bio-binder properties to the resultant performance of mixtures. In addition, life cycle analysis will be conducted to assess the sustainability of bio-binders compared to petroleum-based asphalts.

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Solid Waste Management Planning for Wake County in Consideration of Cost, Energy and Environmental Emissions

Wake County(7/01/14 - 12/31/17)

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Solid Waste Management Planning for Wake County in Consideration of Cost, Energy and Environmental Emissions

Sponsor: Wake County

Start Date: 7/01/14

End Date: 12/31/17

Abstract

The overall objective of the proposed project is to assist the Wake County Solid Waste Division with long-term planning for SWM. SWOLF, a solid waste life-cycle model developed at NCSU, will be utilized to model the county’s current solid waste system and to explore and evaluate future alternatives in consideration of appropriate and county-specific preferences and constraints.

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SAVI: International Institute for Solid Waste Management Life-Cycle Modeling

National Science Foundation (NSF)(8/15/14 - 7/31/20)

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SAVI: International Institute for Solid Waste Management Life-Cycle Modeling

Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF)

Start Date: 8/15/14

End Date: 7/31/20

Abstract

The primary goal of this proposed Science Across Virtual Institutes (SAVI) effort is to establish a self-sustaining virtual institute to enhance research, education, and outreach related to life-cycle assessment (LCA) of solid waste management (SWM) systems.

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