Kayaking is a watersport activity that involves paddling performed within leisure purposes. Although kayaking provides pleasure to the practitioners, there are some adverse environmental issues concerning the site used to perform kayaking due to the equipment. This paper identifies and analyzes the lifecycle stages in which negative environmental impacts are generated. Melker of Sweden is an outdoor company specialized in delivering high-quality kayaks. This study aims to present an overview of the current environmental performance of Melker of Sweden’s kayaks. For this purpose, two environmental assessment tools are applied: material flow analysis and life cycle assessment. The Material Flow Analysis (MFA) results show that the transport of material to the manufacturing unit generates a considerable amount of emissions. Additionally, hull manufacturing and assembling accessories were found to be the least resource-efficient operation among all. The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) results identify the transport of material and the manufacturing phase as the primary sources responsible for environmental impacts. On the one hand, the use of epoxy resin and gel coat is the root cause of high contribution of the manufacturing phase. On the other hand, the use of flax fiber found to be the least contributing material to adverse environmental impacts. This report also presents a list of recommendations regarding the import of material, the efficacy of the manufacturing operations, the type of raw material, and waste treatment alternatives. / Fysisk aktivitet kan innefatta olika fritidsaktiviteter, däribland friluftsliv. Kajakpaddling är en sådan friluftslivaktivitet, alltefter utövares syfte. I denna rapport är kajakpaddling en fritidsaktivitet där där utövarens naturupplevelse främjas. Oaktat fördelarna vid utövandet av denna aktivitet kan ej förbises faktum att det också kan medföras vissa negativa konsekvenser. Denna masteruppsats har som mål att identifiera och analysera den miljöpåverkan och dennes efterspel som orsakats av en kajaks tillverkning. Melker of Sweden är ett utomhusföretag specialiserat på att leverera kajaker av hög kvalitet. I linje med företagets vision syftar denna studie till att undersöka den nuvarande miljöprestandan samt kvantifiera den potentiella miljöpåverkan från en kajaks livscykel. För detta ändamål tillämpas det två miljöbedömningsverktyg, nämligen en materialflödesanalys och livscykelanalys. Materialflödesanalysen visar att mängden av utsläpp som genereras från transporten av material till tillverkningsenheten är enorm. Utöver detta var den hulltillverkning samt den montering av tillbehörsverksamheter bland de minst resurseffektiva tillverkningssteg. Livscykelanalysen identifierar import av material och tillverkningsfas som de viktigaste källorna till miljöpåverkan. Å ena sidan är användningen av epoxiharts och gelbeläggning i tillverkningen grundorsaken till huvudbidraget. Å andra sidan är användningen av linfiber det minst bidragande material då det gäller negativa miljöeffekter. I denna studie ges rekommendationer rörande import av vissa material och materialval, sätt att öka tillverkningseffektiviteten, typ av råmaterial samt avfallsbehandlingsalternativ.

Polyklorerade bifeneyler (PCB) är en problematisk organisk förorening och består av 209 olikakongener, som sorteras beroende på antal kloratomer och dess position i bifenylmolekylen. Syftet idetta arbete har varit att utveckla studier kring de förhöjda halterna av PCB i två områden med hjälpav kongenmönster för sju av kongenerna - indikatorkongenerna (∑PCB7) - som används som enindikation av totalhalten PCB. Med hjälp av kongenmönster med de olika halterna från dataunderlaggjordes statistiska analyser med PCA och MFA i Rstudio för Oxundaområdet och Stockholmsområdet,och den statistiska analysen PMF i EPA PMF 5.0 samt en undersökning av gradienter för PCB iOxundaområdet. Ett av områdena som studeras är kring Oxundasjön, en sjö norr om Upplands Väsby som sedan år2013, efter miljöövervakning, kunnat konstateras vara ett av de mest förorenade områdena när detkommer till PCB i Sverige. Oxundaområdet har sedan dess haft ett aktivt arbete av provtagningar,undersökningar och analyser kring den troliga geografiska källan men även vad det kan tänkas varaför ursprungliga produkter och är därför ett av områdena som undersöks i detta arbete. Närmareundersökningar har visat att källan med största sannolikhet är ett före detta industriområde iUpplands Väsby, så kallade Messingen, men frågetecken finns fortfarande kring när, hur och vilkaprodukter av PCB som använts i detta område. Det andra området som undersökts ärStockholmsområdet (inklusive dess skärgård, Mälaren och närliggande insjöar), där förhöjda halter avPCB framför allt påvisats i områdena närmast Stockholms stad. Resultat visar en tydlig gradient i Oxundaområdet, med höga PCB-halter i olika undersökta matriser(sediment, biota, ytvatten) i Oxundasjön, Marängsån och Rosersbergviken, som gradvis klingar avnedströms i Mälaren. PCB-halterna uppströms Oxundasjön är betydligt lägre och en tydlig ökning avhalterna syns i Väsbyån i höjd med Upplands Väsby tätort. Därtill visades att EU:s gränsvärden försaluförd fisk överstegs i Oxundasjön, Rosersbergviken och i ett fall även Borgudden. Med hjälp av PCA kunde konstateras de ytliga sedimentproverna främst hade korrelation med delägre kongenerna (PCB28 och PCB52) men även att högklorerade PCB:er (PCB138, PCB153 ochPCB180) hade högre relativ andel i vissa djupare sediment, dessa har dock med stor sannolikhetmycket låga halter. För vattenprover visade platser också nära Messingen (Väsbyån, Ladbrodammen)mer korrelation till högklorerade PCB:er. Platser längre nedströms (Marängsån, Oxundasjön och Rosersbergviken) hade mer korrelation med lägre kongenerna för vatten, likt matrisen biota, somhade en stor majoritetkorrelation med lägre kongenerna. En trolig anledning till detta är läckage frånsediment i Oxundasjöomtrådet. I Stockholmsområdet visade biota (abborre, gädda och strömming) istället en stor blandning av kongenerna, men alla platser visade korrelation högklorerade PCB:ermedan främst platser i centrala Stockholm, innerskärgård och enstaka insjöar visade flerakorrelationer till lägre kongener. För sediment visades främst korrelation med lägre kongener i Stockholmsområdet. PMF (positiv matrisfaktorisering) användes för att närmare se korrelationer med matriserna vattenoch sediment i Oxundaområdet till sju kongensammansättningar av Aroclor. För vatten visades starkkorrelation till Aroclor 1242 (och 1016) medan flertalet sediment (uppströms och i Oxundasjön)visade störst korrelation till Aroclor1260. Aroclor1242 och 1016 är de vanligaste Aroclor (64% av allproduktion av Aroclor) medan Aroclor1260 i tidigare har setts vara en av den mest persistentaAroclor i naturen, vilket kan vara förklaring till dessa resultat i Oxundaområdet. Vidare efterforskningar behöver göras för att säkerhetsställa vilka produkter som utgör källor till PCB-kontamineringen av Oxundaområdet, med fler produkter att jämföra med samt med fler kongenerän indikatorkongenerna, framför allt i vidare studier med PMF. För Stockholmsområdet behövs flerstudier där områdena delas upp, och jämföra potentiella geografiska källor till olika kongenmönster.För bättre förståelse av PCB och dess kongenmönster hade PMF för båda områdena varit lämpligmed ett större kongenuppsättning, speciellt för biota som är en av de mesta komplexa matriserna förföroreningar på grund olika faktorer av den här typen av analyser.

<p>The aim of this thesis is to discuss and analyse the influenceof data uncertainties with regard to the reliability of materialflow analysis (MFA) studies. MFA, as a part of environmentalsystems analysis, is a method belonging to the research field ofindustrial ecology and more specifically industrial metabolism.As such, the method strives at giving a holistic view of thecomplex world we live in, in order to reduce negativeenvironmental impact. Among other things, MFA studies have beenproposed to be useful for priority setting and following up inmunicipalities.</p><p>Serving as a starting point is a local case study of flows ofnitrogen in a Swedish municipality, Västerås. The casestudy has been performed using the ComBoxmodel. The years studiedare 1995 and 1998. The main sectors in society emitting nitrogento water were identified as the agricultural and householdsectors. The dominating sectors emitting nitrogen to air wereidentified as the agricultural, transport and infrastructuresectors.</p><p>As a basis for discussing data uncertainties qualitatively andquantitatively a literature survey was performed. 50 articles andbooks were identified as in some way or another dealing with datauncertainties in MFA. The literature survey showed that theuncertainties for results from a MFA study might vary between±30 % and a factor 10 depending on what kind of parameter isinvestigated. Only one method was found that dealt with datauncertainties in MFA in a complete way; a model developed byHedbrant and Sörme (HS model).</p><p>When applying the HS model to the case study of nitrogen flowsin Västerås, it was found that when uncertaintyintervals were calculated the possible conclusions changed. Ofthe two pair of flows compared in relation to priority setting,none of the earlier conclusions remained. Of the three flowsanalysed in relation to following up, only the flow from onepoint source supported the same conclusion when uncertainty wasconsidered.</p><p>In all, it is concluded that data uncertainties in MFAanalysis are an important aspect and that further research isneeded in order to improve input data quality estimations andframeworks for determining, calculating and presenting data, datauncertainties and results from MFA studies. However, theunderlying reality remains, e.g. that management of materialflows are important for understanding and reducing the negativeenvironmental impact. Thus, MFA is one useful tool in thiswork.</p><p><b>Keywords:</b>data uncertainties, sensitivity analysis,Material flow analysis, MFA, method to determine datauncertainties, case study, ComBox model, nitrogenflows.</p>

Painting As Becoming: Reflections Between Content and FormThis thesis is the culmination of my two years at graduate school. It lays out some of my ideas about painting as a particular approach to art making. The development of my work has not always followed a linear path – some ideas take longer to emerge, some vices longer to recognize. The text is separated into four main sections: Form, Development, Color, and Landscape. The main issue that I explore is the relationship between abstraction and representation. Tending to be over-logical, I have avoided explicit ‘content' in my work, because I am afraid that it will pin it down. Painting abstractly initially allowed me to exercise the other side of my brain, to avoid ‘meaning'. But abstraction is also a language that can be assimilated and therefore does not really offer an enduring solution to the problem of content.My paintings are usually structured in a logical way: composition, color harmony and dissonance, perspective, light, and space - but my process also leaves room to explore the illogical and the absurd. I began to appropriate representational imagery into the work to weave in additional information – a textual layer to frame and foil the objectivity of oil paint. This juxtaposition puts paint in the role of becoming at the same time that it puts the image in the role of disintegrating. Importantly these roles are interchangeable. The imagery itself is derived from places that have been significant to me by effecting the formation of my scattered sense of identity: my birthplace in Virginia, my upbringing in Lake Tahoe, my studies in New Hampshire and Rhode Island, and my subsequent move out of the country to Mexico, where I lived until returning to Virginia to pursue an MFA. The transitions between abstraction and representation resonate with the intersection of the personal and the collective.Ultimately, the comings and goings of interpretation that characterize my work occur through the lens of beauty. I cannot define beauty, but I maintain the belief that it can be found in painting, and that its primary function is to remind us to see.

Estudos relacionados ao consumo de recursos e à emissão de resíduos na escala territorial local se originaram nas pioneiras pesquisas associadas ao conceito de metabolismo urbano. Nos últimos 15 anos, observa-se um crescimento do número de estudos aplicados a cidades, municípios ou regiões metropolitanas. A Análise dos Fluxos de Materiais - AFM (Material Flow Analysis) vem se consolidando como a abordagem metodológica predominante para esse tipo de investigação, a qual objetiva prover informações sobre fluxos de materiais e de energia, usualmente em unidades de massa, entrando e deixando uma sociedade. No entanto, todos os casos estudados na literatura prévia correspondem a capitais nacionais ou a municípios com centralidade econômica e de gestão do território na região as quais pertencem. Adicionalmente, não há estudos desenvolvidos no Brasil. Em face dessas lacunas, o objetivo principal deste trabalho é a caracterização dos fluxos de materiais associados ao metabolismo de um município brasileiro de pequeno porte (MBPP). Para tanto se adotou como estudo de caso o município de Feliz-RS. Como objetivos intermediários da pesquisa estabeleceram-se: a) Identificação dos métodos existentes para caracterização de fluxos de materiais na escala local e análise das possibilidades de aplicação no contexto dos MBPP; b) Desenvolvimento de um detalhamento metodológico da AFM, para a caracterização dos fluxos de materiais de MBPP; c) Análise das limitações e oportunidades para uso da AFM, na avaliação de sustentabilidade ambiental de municípios. Como resultados, avalia-se que o detalhamento metodológico desenvolvido é funcional e replicável para municípios brasileiros com o mesmo perfil, além de fornecer informações bastante detalhadas acerca dos fluxos ocorrentes no município adotado como caso. Assim, é possível realizar análises com diferentes níveis de desagregação. Quanto aos fluxos de materiais de Feliz, encontrou-se que o consumo doméstico de materiais per capita (DMC/ per capita) do município é alto, se comparado àqueles já caracterizados na literatura. Essa constatação corrobora com a proposição de que municípios com produção primária e secundária tendem a demandar, proporcionalmente, mais recursos do que aqueles que são consumidores finais. Quanto ao uso da AFM, na avaliação de sustentabilidade ambiental, verifica-se um alto potencial, com vantagens, em relação a outros métodos correntemente adotados. Entretanto, essas oportunidades ainda são pouco exploradas no contexto internacional e ignoradas no Brasil, ao se analisar a literatura existente. / Studies related to resources consumption and wastes emissions in a local territorial scale were originated from pioneering researches related to the urban metabolism concept. Over the past 15 years, there was a growth in the number of such studies applied to cities, municipalities and metropolitan areas. At the same time, Material Flow Analysis - MFA was consolidated as the predominant methodological approach for this type of research. However, it must be pointed out that all studied cases have been related to national capitals or counties, with economics centrality and land management in their own area. Besides, no studies of this nature were found as being developed in Brazil. Thus, the main goal of the research presented in this paper was to characterize material flows associated with the metabolism of a small Brazilian municipality and for this purpose the municipality of Feliz was adopted as a case study. Three intermediate objectives were established: a) To identify existing methods for material flows characterization on the local scale and to analyse the possibilities of applying them in the context of small Brazilian municipalities; b) to develop a MFA methodological detailing for the characterization of material flows of small Brazilian municipalities; c) to analyse constraints and opportunities for the use of MFA in the assessment of municipalities environmental sustainability. As results, it is considered that the methodological detailing developed raises the possibility of replicating the procedures applied in Feliz to other Brazilian municipalities, being this research a first and referential step in this direction. Besides, it provides very detailed information on flows occurring in the municipality adopted as the case study. Thus, it is possible ti further develop of analyses considering different levels of disaggregation. Concerning the material flows associated with the metabolism of Feliz, it was found that the studied municipality presents a DMC per capita comparable or superior to that of larger municipalities already analyzed by previous researches. This finding corroborates the hypothesis that municipalities with primary and secondary production tend to demand proportionately more resources than those who are the final consumers. Regarding the use of the MFA in the assessment of municipalities environmental sustainability, it was verified that it presents a high potential, with advantages over other methods currently adopted. However, when analyzing the existing literature it was noticed that these opportunities are still little explored in the international context and ignored in Brazil.

Electronic waste has become a growing concern in the world among governments, businesses, and consumers. These concerns are well founded as electronics waste presents economic, social, and environmental challenges. Economically, discarding electronic waste into landfills represents inefficient use of valuable materials and energy resources. Socially, improperly recycled electronic waste that takes place in third world countries with poor labor standards represents a moral dilemma for developed countries. Environmentally, electronic waste is a threat to all living organisms as it contains proportionally high levels of poisonous and toxic materials. To deal with these growing challenges a strong response needs to be made by all the stakeholders in the life-cycle of electronic devices. However, despite the apparent need, compared to the rapid increases in electronic technology that make it faster, more available, and more affordable, the technology to process electronic waste has not kept pace. This fact alone points to the inadequate funding, attention, and research that has been invested in the problem. Though it also points to an opportunity; the opportunity to build an efficient system to deal with the problem using what is already known about the lifecycle of electronic devices. Therefore, the goal of this work is to create a modeling tool to help stakeholders in the lifecycle of electronic devices understand the consequences of their choices as they affect the use of material and energy resources. To focus the research, LCD computer monitors are chosen as a case study. LCD computer monitors provide a level of sophistication high enough to be interesting in terms of the stakeholders involved, yet simple enough to provide a reasonable scope for this research that is still accessible to the layman As a corollary to this modeling effort, the relatively new systems modeling language SysML and ParaMagic, a program that integrates analysis modeling capability into SysML, will be evaluated. SysML was designed with Model Based Systems Engineering principles in mind thus it seems that it is a natural fit to the problem domain. Furthermore, testing SysML will provide insight into the advantages and disadvantages of the new language. The findings with respect to LCD computer monitors show that increasing the number of end of life options and the amount of monitors flowing into those options could result in substantial network wide material and energy savings. The findings with respect to SysML and ParaMagic are mixed. Although SysML provides tremendous modeling freedom, this freedom can result in increased upfront costs for developing executable models. Similarly, ParaMagic was found to be an effective tool for creating small executable models, but as the size of models increase its effectiveness tends to zero.

Estudos relacionados ao consumo de recursos e à emissão de resíduos na escala territorial local se originaram nas pioneiras pesquisas associadas ao conceito de metabolismo urbano. Nos últimos 15 anos, observa-se um crescimento do número de estudos aplicados a cidades, municípios ou regiões metropolitanas. A Análise dos Fluxos de Materiais - AFM (Material Flow Analysis) vem se consolidando como a abordagem metodológica predominante para esse tipo de investigação, a qual objetiva prover informações sobre fluxos de materiais e de energia, usualmente em unidades de massa, entrando e deixando uma sociedade. No entanto, todos os casos estudados na literatura prévia correspondem a capitais nacionais ou a municípios com centralidade econômica e de gestão do território na região as quais pertencem. Adicionalmente, não há estudos desenvolvidos no Brasil. Em face dessas lacunas, o objetivo principal deste trabalho é a caracterização dos fluxos de materiais associados ao metabolismo de um município brasileiro de pequeno porte (MBPP). Para tanto se adotou como estudo de caso o município de Feliz-RS. Como objetivos intermediários da pesquisa estabeleceram-se: a) Identificação dos métodos existentes para caracterização de fluxos de materiais na escala local e análise das possibilidades de aplicação no contexto dos MBPP; b) Desenvolvimento de um detalhamento metodológico da AFM, para a caracterização dos fluxos de materiais de MBPP; c) Análise das limitações e oportunidades para uso da AFM, na avaliação de sustentabilidade ambiental de municípios. Como resultados, avalia-se que o detalhamento metodológico desenvolvido é funcional e replicável para municípios brasileiros com o mesmo perfil, além de fornecer informações bastante detalhadas acerca dos fluxos ocorrentes no município adotado como caso. Assim, é possível realizar análises com diferentes níveis de desagregação. Quanto aos fluxos de materiais de Feliz, encontrou-se que o consumo doméstico de materiais per capita (DMC/ per capita) do município é alto, se comparado àqueles já caracterizados na literatura. Essa constatação corrobora com a proposição de que municípios com produção primária e secundária tendem a demandar, proporcionalmente, mais recursos do que aqueles que são consumidores finais. Quanto ao uso da AFM, na avaliação de sustentabilidade ambiental, verifica-se um alto potencial, com vantagens, em relação a outros métodos correntemente adotados. Entretanto, essas oportunidades ainda são pouco exploradas no contexto internacional e ignoradas no Brasil, ao se analisar a literatura existente. / Studies related to resources consumption and wastes emissions in a local territorial scale were originated from pioneering researches related to the urban metabolism concept. Over the past 15 years, there was a growth in the number of such studies applied to cities, municipalities and metropolitan areas. At the same time, Material Flow Analysis - MFA was consolidated as the predominant methodological approach for this type of research. However, it must be pointed out that all studied cases have been related to national capitals or counties, with economics centrality and land management in their own area. Besides, no studies of this nature were found as being developed in Brazil. Thus, the main goal of the research presented in this paper was to characterize material flows associated with the metabolism of a small Brazilian municipality and for this purpose the municipality of Feliz was adopted as a case study. Three intermediate objectives were established: a) To identify existing methods for material flows characterization on the local scale and to analyse the possibilities of applying them in the context of small Brazilian municipalities; b) to develop a MFA methodological detailing for the characterization of material flows of small Brazilian municipalities; c) to analyse constraints and opportunities for the use of MFA in the assessment of municipalities environmental sustainability. As results, it is considered that the methodological detailing developed raises the possibility of replicating the procedures applied in Feliz to other Brazilian municipalities, being this research a first and referential step in this direction. Besides, it provides very detailed information on flows occurring in the municipality adopted as the case study. Thus, it is possible ti further develop of analyses considering different levels of disaggregation. Concerning the material flows associated with the metabolism of Feliz, it was found that the studied municipality presents a DMC per capita comparable or superior to that of larger municipalities already analyzed by previous researches. This finding corroborates the hypothesis that municipalities with primary and secondary production tend to demand proportionately more resources than those who are the final consumers. Regarding the use of the MFA in the assessment of municipalities environmental sustainability, it was verified that it presents a high potential, with advantages over other methods currently adopted. However, when analyzing the existing literature it was noticed that these opportunities are still little explored in the international context and ignored in Brazil.

Estudos relacionados ao consumo de recursos e à emissão de resíduos na escala territorial local se originaram nas pioneiras pesquisas associadas ao conceito de metabolismo urbano. Nos últimos 15 anos, observa-se um crescimento do número de estudos aplicados a cidades, municípios ou regiões metropolitanas. A Análise dos Fluxos de Materiais - AFM (Material Flow Analysis) vem se consolidando como a abordagem metodológica predominante para esse tipo de investigação, a qual objetiva prover informações sobre fluxos de materiais e de energia, usualmente em unidades de massa, entrando e deixando uma sociedade. No entanto, todos os casos estudados na literatura prévia correspondem a capitais nacionais ou a municípios com centralidade econômica e de gestão do território na região as quais pertencem. Adicionalmente, não há estudos desenvolvidos no Brasil. Em face dessas lacunas, o objetivo principal deste trabalho é a caracterização dos fluxos de materiais associados ao metabolismo de um município brasileiro de pequeno porte (MBPP). Para tanto se adotou como estudo de caso o município de Feliz-RS. Como objetivos intermediários da pesquisa estabeleceram-se: a) Identificação dos métodos existentes para caracterização de fluxos de materiais na escala local e análise das possibilidades de aplicação no contexto dos MBPP; b) Desenvolvimento de um detalhamento metodológico da AFM, para a caracterização dos fluxos de materiais de MBPP; c) Análise das limitações e oportunidades para uso da AFM, na avaliação de sustentabilidade ambiental de municípios. Como resultados, avalia-se que o detalhamento metodológico desenvolvido é funcional e replicável para municípios brasileiros com o mesmo perfil, além de fornecer informações bastante detalhadas acerca dos fluxos ocorrentes no município adotado como caso. Assim, é possível realizar análises com diferentes níveis de desagregação. Quanto aos fluxos de materiais de Feliz, encontrou-se que o consumo doméstico de materiais per capita (DMC/ per capita) do município é alto, se comparado àqueles já caracterizados na literatura. Essa constatação corrobora com a proposição de que municípios com produção primária e secundária tendem a demandar, proporcionalmente, mais recursos do que aqueles que são consumidores finais. Quanto ao uso da AFM, na avaliação de sustentabilidade ambiental, verifica-se um alto potencial, com vantagens, em relação a outros métodos correntemente adotados. Entretanto, essas oportunidades ainda são pouco exploradas no contexto internacional e ignoradas no Brasil, ao se analisar a literatura existente. / Studies related to resources consumption and wastes emissions in a local territorial scale were originated from pioneering researches related to the urban metabolism concept. Over the past 15 years, there was a growth in the number of such studies applied to cities, municipalities and metropolitan areas. At the same time, Material Flow Analysis - MFA was consolidated as the predominant methodological approach for this type of research. However, it must be pointed out that all studied cases have been related to national capitals or counties, with economics centrality and land management in their own area. Besides, no studies of this nature were found as being developed in Brazil. Thus, the main goal of the research presented in this paper was to characterize material flows associated with the metabolism of a small Brazilian municipality and for this purpose the municipality of Feliz was adopted as a case study. Three intermediate objectives were established: a) To identify existing methods for material flows characterization on the local scale and to analyse the possibilities of applying them in the context of small Brazilian municipalities; b) to develop a MFA methodological detailing for the characterization of material flows of small Brazilian municipalities; c) to analyse constraints and opportunities for the use of MFA in the assessment of municipalities environmental sustainability. As results, it is considered that the methodological detailing developed raises the possibility of replicating the procedures applied in Feliz to other Brazilian municipalities, being this research a first and referential step in this direction. Besides, it provides very detailed information on flows occurring in the municipality adopted as the case study. Thus, it is possible ti further develop of analyses considering different levels of disaggregation. Concerning the material flows associated with the metabolism of Feliz, it was found that the studied municipality presents a DMC per capita comparable or superior to that of larger municipalities already analyzed by previous researches. This finding corroborates the hypothesis that municipalities with primary and secondary production tend to demand proportionately more resources than those who are the final consumers. Regarding the use of the MFA in the assessment of municipalities environmental sustainability, it was verified that it presents a high potential, with advantages over other methods currently adopted. However, when analyzing the existing literature it was noticed that these opportunities are still little explored in the international context and ignored in Brazil.

The aim of this thesis is to discuss and analyse the influenceof data uncertainties with regard to the reliability of materialflow analysis (MFA) studies. MFA, as a part of environmentalsystems analysis, is a method belonging to the research field ofindustrial ecology and more specifically industrial metabolism.As such, the method strives at giving a holistic view of thecomplex world we live in, in order to reduce negativeenvironmental impact. Among other things, MFA studies have beenproposed to be useful for priority setting and following up inmunicipalities. Serving as a starting point is a local case study of flows ofnitrogen in a Swedish municipality, Västerås. The casestudy has been performed using the ComBoxmodel. The years studiedare 1995 and 1998. The main sectors in society emitting nitrogento water were identified as the agricultural and householdsectors. The dominating sectors emitting nitrogen to air wereidentified as the agricultural, transport and infrastructuresectors. As a basis for discussing data uncertainties qualitatively andquantitatively a literature survey was performed. 50 articles andbooks were identified as in some way or another dealing with datauncertainties in MFA. The literature survey showed that theuncertainties for results from a MFA study might vary between±30 % and a factor 10 depending on what kind of parameter isinvestigated. Only one method was found that dealt with datauncertainties in MFA in a complete way; a model developed byHedbrant and Sörme (HS model). When applying the HS model to the case study of nitrogen flowsin Västerås, it was found that when uncertaintyintervals were calculated the possible conclusions changed. Ofthe two pair of flows compared in relation to priority setting,none of the earlier conclusions remained. Of the three flowsanalysed in relation to following up, only the flow from onepoint source supported the same conclusion when uncertainty wasconsidered. In all, it is concluded that data uncertainties in MFAanalysis are an important aspect and that further research isneeded in order to improve input data quality estimations andframeworks for determining, calculating and presenting data, datauncertainties and results from MFA studies. However, theunderlying reality remains, e.g. that management of materialflows are important for understanding and reducing the negativeenvironmental impact. Thus, MFA is one useful tool in thiswork. <b>Keywords:</b>data uncertainties, sensitivity analysis,Material flow analysis, MFA, method to determine datauncertainties, case study, ComBox model, nitrogenflows. / NR 20140805

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