Abiotic Depletion Potential Research Articles

Environmental impacts of the biodiesel production chain of cotton seed in Bahia, Brazil

Current research identified potential environmental impacts in the biodiesel production from cotton seed in Bahia, Brazil, when the phases agriculture, processing (ginning), crude cotton seed oil extraction, oil refinement and transesterification of refined oil are taken into account. The use of biodiesel, featuring 7% in diesel blending, is mandatory in Brazil. The life cycle assessment was employed with SimaPro 8.1.1, Professional, Ecoinvent 3.1 database and CML baseline method developed by Center of Environmental Science of Leiden University, for four impact categories. The functional unit was 1000 kg de biodiesel. Allocation method was the mass value in which the heaviest product had the biggest load. Monte Carlo method was used to estimate uncertainty analysis. Results demonstrated 5.0 × 10−3 kg Sb-eq. for the abiotic depletion potential; 1475 kg CO2-eq. for global warming potential; 17.5 kg SO2-eq. for acidification potential; and 10 kg PO43−-eq. for eutrophication potential. Agriculture was the phase with a significant participation on the environmental impact capacities in all the categories analyzed, especially due to the application of fertilizers and pesticides.

Life cycle assessment of constructed wetland systems for wastewater treatment coupled with microbial fuel cells.

The aim of this study was to assess the environmental impact of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) implemented in constructed wetlands (CWs). To this aim a life cycle assessment (LCA) was carried out comparing three scenarios: 1) a conventional CW system (without MFC implementation); 2) a CW system coupled with a gravel-based anode MFC, and 3) a CW system coupled with a graphite-based anode MFC. All systems served a population equivalent of 1500 p.e. They were designed to meet the same effluent quality. Since MFCs implemented in CWs improve treatment efficiency, the CWs coupled with MFCs had lower specific area requirement compared to the conventional CW system. The functional unit was 1m3 of wastewater. The LCA was performed with the software SimaPro® 8, using the CML-IA baseline method. The three scenarios considered showed similar environmental performance in all the categories considered, with the exception of Abiotic Depletion Potential. In this impact category, the potential environmental impact of the CW system coupled with a gravel-based anode MFC was around 2 times higher than that generated by the conventional CW system and the CW system coupled with a graphite-based anode MFC. It was attributed to the large amount of less environmentally friendly materials (e.g. metals, graphite) for MFCs implementation, especially in the case of gravel-based anode MFCs. Therefore, the CW system coupled with graphite-based anode MFC appeared as the most environmentally friendly solution which can replace conventional CWs reducing system footprint by up to 20%. An economic assessment showed that this system was around 1.5 times more expensive than the conventional CW system.

Life cycle assessment (LCA) of solar thermal tower power plants

Due to the growing world population and its increasing energy demand, the construction of new power plants is inevitable. At the same time, it is necessary to keep the rise of the global average temperature well below 2 °C compared to pre-industrial level in order to significantly reduce the impacts and risks of climate change. Therefore, an environmental friendly energy infrastructure is required to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Solar thermal power plants are a promising technology, as they provide the possibility to buffer solar energy in a thermal storage. Thus, it can produce electricity according to the demand and is independent of meteorological fluctuations. A life cycle assessment is necessary to assess the environmental impact of a solar thermal power plant and its individual components. This work analyses the extent of the environmental effects of solar thermal tower power plants in the following selected impact categories according to the CML-method: Global Warming Potential (GWP 100 years), Abiotic Depletion potential (ADP elements), Eutrophication potential (EP) and Acidification Potential (AP). The most ecologically relevant components are identified and modelled with different specifications in order to compare the influence of different building types. Furthermore, the life cycle assessment model is applied to different geographical locations in order to enable site-specific considerations. The selected locations are Upington in South Africa, Evora in Portugal and Calama in Chile. The life cycle inventory is generated based on an extensive literature research and forms the foundation for the modelling of solar thermal tower power plants in the LCA software GaBi ts. As a result, the most ecologically relevant components are determined. A comparison of the different locations allows statements on the ecological potential of solar thermal tower power plants at a specific site. The heliostats and the molten salt (MS) as heat transfer fluid and storage medium dominate the impact on the GWP 100 years. The heliostats consist mainly of steel and glass and are needed in large numbers. The molten salt is used in a high amount and consists of a mixture from sodium nitrate and potassium nitrate which both have a high impact on GWP. Moreover, the transport and the construction on site have relevant contributions to GWP. The impact of the transport results from the large mass of all shipped components. The impact of the construction on site has copper cables as the main contributor. The end-of-life scenarios have a significant effect on the total impact. Depending on the recovery of the metals and especially the further use of the molten salt, the environmental impact is decisively influenced.

콘크리트의 전과정 평가를 위한 기준콘크리트 선정방법 제안 연구

The purpose of this study is to suggest baseline concrete selection method for environmental impact assessment of concrete as part of study on the development of concrete life cycle assessment system. For this purpose, environmental impact was assessed for 6 environmental impact categories including Global Warming Potential(GWP), Abiotic Depletion Potential(ADP), Ozone Depletion Potential(ODP), Acidification Potential(AP), Eutrophication Potential(EP) and Photochemical Oxidant Creation Potential(POCP) using mix design DB used in concrete field. Furthermore, Correlation of baseline concrete has been analyzed by the results with Average, High rank 20% and Mode of environmental impact assessment of concrete. As a result, Baseline concrete Selection method using Mode is judged to be the most proper method at present. Through the analysis of environmental impact of baseline concrete, it is possible to use the indicator as baseline data when environmental friendly concrete assessment system is developed.

Environmental impact assessment of chicken meat production using life cycle assessment

The present study was conducted in Varamin city of Tehran province, Iran. The environmental impact of broiler production at farm gate and chicken meat production at slaughterhouse gate per mass-based functional unit in summer and winter seasons were evaluated using life-cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. Environmental impact categories including abiotic depletion potential, acidification potential, eutrophication potential, global warming potential, ozone depletion potential, human toxicity potential, freshwater and marine aquatic ecotoxicity potential, terrestrial ecotoxicity potential, and photochemical oxidation potential were assessed via CML 2 baseline 2000 v2.04/world, 1990 method. According to the results, the global warming potential, acidification and eutrophication for production of 1ton packed meat were estimated to be 2931.91kgCO2-eq, 41.75kgSO2-eq and 14.69kgPO4-eq, in summer and 5357.61kgCO2-eq, 61.9kgSO2-eq and 19.34kgPO4-eq in winter, respectively. The evaluations revealed that the broiler production stage was the main source of environmental impacts principally due to production and transportation of feed and on-farm emissions in the life cycle of chicken meat production. Broiler production farms, slaughterhouse and transportation account for 56%, 31% and 13% of total energy consumption, respectively.

Environmental impact of Recover cotton in textile industry

A comparative evaluation of the life cycle assessment (LCA) of Recover cotton, obtained from recycled garments, and virgin one, cultivated from traditional and organic crops, has been made based on the quantification of environmental impact categories, such as abiotic depletion, global warming, water use, acidification and eutrophication potential. LCA data reported in the literature for the steps of cultivation, ginning/cutting, and dyeing were compared in order to clearly show the environmental advantages of moving from traditional practices, to organic cultivation and the use of Recover cotton, a novel procedure that involves the production of cotton yarns from coloured and well characterized recycled materials. Studies made evidenced that the use of organic cotton cultivation avoids the use of pesticides and chemicals, reducing environmental impacts, but maintaining those related to ginning and dyeing steps. However, the use of Recover cotton avoids the impact of both, cotton cultivation and dyeing steps, based on an appropriate selection of raw materials obtained from textile wastes, being only increased the energy costs of cutting/shredding processes as compared to ginning ones. In short, it can be concluded that the use of Recover cotton for the production of high quality textiles involves an added value of the products from an environmental point of view, being costs and electrical consumes also reduced and providing a second life for produced textiles.

Assessment of environment impacts of egg production chain using life cycle assessment

In this study we have to deal with the assessment of environment impacts of laying hen in the Alborz province, Iran. This assessment was carried out for one kg of egg during a period of 420 days for 1000 chickens. Then due to significant consumption of diet during period of question, three main products including corn, soybean and wheat which are consist of 80 percent of the combination of laying chicken diet, also collected the information about their production and it has been evaluated the indicators of their environment individually and eventually, the results has been considered as a title for inputs of poultry. Data for production of inputs were taken from EcoInvent 2.0 database, and SimaPro software was used for analysis. Ten classification impacts including Abiotic Depletion potential, Acidification potential, Eutrophication potential, Global Warming potential for time horizon 100 years, Ozone Depletion potential, Human Toxicity potential, Freshwater and Marine Aquatic Eco-toxicity potential, Terrestrial Eco-toxicity potential, and Photochemical Oxidation potential were selected based on the CML 2 baseline 2000 V2/world, 1990/characterization method. Due to the results, for each kilograms of egg, 30/09 MJ and also the value of greenhouse gas emissions is 4/07 Kg CO2 eq was calculated. According to the obtained results, the production of diet has made the most negative charge of environment among the inputs.

Rare Earths from Mines to Metals: Comparing Environmental Impacts from China's Main Production Pathways

SummaryOver the past decade, China has supplied over 90% of global rare earths, and in doing so bore significant environmental burdens from processing its complex ores. In this study, we used life cycle assessment to quantify environmental impacts for producing 1 kilogram (kg) of 15 rare earth elements from each major production pathway. The scope of assessment included the largest rare earth oxide (REO) production chain in Bayan Obo, as well as lesser known production chains for bastnäsite in Sichuan and in‐situ leaching of kaolin clays in the Seven Southern Provinces of China. This was followed by assessing impacts from the three major metal refining processes: molten salt electrolysis, calciothermic reduction, and lanthanothermic reduction. Among 11 impact categories assessed, results were highest for human toxicity that ranged between 13.1 and 50.4 kg 1,4‐dichlorobenzene‐eq (equivalent)/kg of rare earth metal−1, followed by eutrophication (0.04 to 1.26 kg phosphate‐eq/kg of rare earth metal−1), abiotic depletion potential of fossil fuels (592 to 1,857 megajoules per kg of rare earth metal−1), acidification (0.25 to 0.87 kg sulfur dioxide‐eq/kg of rare earth metal−1), and global warming (39.1 to 109.6 kg carbon dioxide‐eq/kg of rare earth metal−1) potentials. Regionally, impacts in Sichuan were lower across all key impact categories than in Bayan Obo: 32% lower for human toxicity, 67% lower for eutrophication, 58% lower for acidification, and 45% lower for global warming. A scenario analysis between the industry average and best available technologies revealed considerable potential to mitigate impacts across all production chains, particularly by improving waste treatment practices.

A comprehensive evaluation of physical and environmental performances for wet-white leather manufacture

This paper presents the comprehensive evaluation results of physical and environmental performances for a novel wet-white (chrome-free) leather manufacturing. The tanning process is optimized as 15 wt% tannic acid (TA) combination with 4 wt% Laponite nanoclay, giving the leather with shrinkage temperature (Ts) above 86 °C. Inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) measurements indicate that Laponite can be evenly and tightly bound within the leather matrix, which is further confirmed by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX) spectroscopy analysis. The resultant wet-white leathers have reasonable good physical properties that can meet the standard requirements for furniture leather without containing hazardous Cr(VI) and formaldehyde. Further life cycle assessment (LCA) studies shows that tanning process is the main contributor to environmental impact categories in the wet-white tanning process, and tannic acid is the most significant substance factor. Compared to conventional chrome tanning, the wet-white tanning process exhibits much lower abiotic depletion potential (ADP), and reduced global warming potential (GWP) and human toxicity potential (HTP) impacts due to the nature of vegetable tanning; whereas, GWP excluding biogenic carbon and energy consumption are higher owing to prolonged run time.

Geospatial characterization of building material stocks for the life cycle assessment of end-of-life scenarios at the urban scale

Demolition waste represents a significant portion of the total generated waste and has a high importance from both a waste management and a resource efficiency perspective. The urban context is highly relevant to assess the environmental impact of the end-of-life stage of buildings and potential for future reduction to properly design corresponding demolition waste management strategies.The goal of this paper is the development of a framework for the characterization of building material stocks and the assessment of the potential environmental impact associated with the end-of-life of buildings at the urban scale to support decision on waste management strategies. The methodology combines a bottom-up material stock model based on geographical information systems (GIS) and a spatial–temporal database with life cycle assessment (LCA) for the evaluation of end-of-life scenarios.The approach was tested for the city of Esch-sur-Alzette (Luxembourg) and provided significant results on the quantity and the composition of the housing material stock. Two alternative scenarios involving recycling rates of respectively 50% and 70% for inert materials were assessed and an average reduction potential of 25.6% on abiotic depletion potential and 9.2% on global warming potential was estimated.

Analysis of Environmental Impact for Concrete Using LCA by Varying the Recycling Components, the Compressive Strength and the Admixture Material Mixing

Concrete is a type of construction material in which cement, aggregate, and admixture materials are mixed. When cement is produced, large amounts of substances that impact the environment are emitted during limestone extraction and clinker manufacturing. Additionally, the extraction of natural aggregate causes soil erosion and ecosystem destruction. Furthermore, in the process of transporting raw materials such as cement and aggregate to a concrete production company, and producing concrete in a batch plant, substances with an environmental impact are emitted into the air and water system due to energy use. Considering the fact that the process of producing concrete causes various environmental impacts, an assessment of various environmental impact categories is needed. This study used a life cycle assessment (LCA) to evaluate the environmental impacts of concrete in terms of its global warming potential, acidification potential, eutrophication potential, ozone depletion potential, photochemical ozone creation potential, and abiotic depletion potential (GWP, AP, EP, ODP, POCP, ADP). The tendency was that the higher the strength of concrete, the higher the GWP, POCP, and ADP indices became, whereas the AP and EP indices became slightly lower. As the admixture mixing ratio of concrete increased, the GWP, AP, ODP, ADP, and POCP decreased, but EP index showed a tendency to increase slightly. Moreover, as the recycled aggregate mixing ratio of concrete increased, the AP, EP, ODP, and ADP decreased, while GWP and POCP increased. The GWP and POCP per unit compressed strength (1 MPa) of high strength concrete were found to be about 13% lower than that for its normal strength concrete counterpart. Furthermore, in the case of AP, EP, ODP, and ADP per unit compressed strength (1 MPa), high-strength concrete was found to be about 10%~25% lower than its normal strength counterpart. Among all the environmental impact categories, ordinary cement was found to have the greatest impact on GWP, POCP, and ADP, while aggregate had the most impact on AP, EP, and ODP.

Environmental impact assessment of lignocellulosic lactic acid production: Integrated with existing sugar mills

Lactic acid (LA) is considered for the diversification and value addition to sugar industry in South Africa, through a bioconversion of sugarcane bagasse and leaves. A bioconversion process was modeled in Aspen Plus® V8.6 and its environmental impacts were evaluated using the Life Cycle Assessment method using SimaPro® considering its integration into existing South African Sugar mills. The life cycle approach took into account the whole sugar production chain, including sugarcane cultivation stage, harvesting and transportation of sugarcane, sugar mill, and LA production. The life cycle inventories of the sugarcane cultivation and sugar mill were obtained from literature while Aspen Plus® simulation data were used for the LA production. The ecoinvent database of SimaPro® was used for all external inputs and fossil-based LA production. Environmental impacts of the biobased and fossil based LA productions were assessed and compared. The total environmental savings of the major impact categories obtained upon replacing a tonne of fossil-based LA with biobased LA are: 3925.65kg CO2 eq. of global warming potential; 1742.05kg fossil fuel eq. of abiotic depletion potential; 1296.16kg 1,4-DB eq. of human toxicity potential; 397.79kBq U235 eq. of ionizing radiation potential; 253.97kg Fe eq. of metal depletion potential; 43.48kg 1,4-DB eq. of marine aquatic ecotoxicity potential; 42.97kg 1,4-DB eq. of fresh water aquatic ecotoxicity potential and 18.23kg SO2 eq. of acidification potential. Auxiliary chemicals used in the biobased LA production are most relevant to the total environmental impacts. Thus, biobased LA production has significantly reduced the impact on the environment, giving 80–99% environmental savings compared to fossil-derived LA.

Life Cycle Assessment of an innovative recycling process for crystalline silicon photovoltaic panels

Lifecycle impacts of photovoltaic (PV) plants have been largely explored in several studies. However, the end-of-life phase has been generally excluded or neglected from these analyses, mainly because of the low amount of panels that reached the disposal yet and the lack of data about their end of life. It is expected that the disposal of PV panels will become a relevant environmental issue in the next decades. This article illustrates and analyses an innovative process for the recycling of silicon PV panel. The process is based on a sequence of physical (mechanical and thermal) treatments followed by acid leaching and electrolysis. The Life Cycle Assessment methodology has been applied to account for the environmental impacts of the process. Environmental benefits (i.e. credits) due to the potential productions of secondary raw materials have been intentionally excluded, as the focus is on the recycling process. The article provides transparent and disaggregated information on the end-of-life stage of silicon PV panel, which could be useful for other LCA practitioners for future assessment of PV technologies. The study highlights that the impacts are concentrated on the incineration of the panel׳s encapsulation layers, followed by the treatments to recover silicon metal, silver, copper, aluminium. For example around 20% of the global warming potential impact is due to the incineration of the sandwich layer and 30% to the post-incineration treatments. Transport is also relevant for several impact categories, ranging from a minimum of about 10% (for the freshwater eutrophication) up to 80% (for the Abiotic Depletion Potential – minerals).

The Abiotic Depletion Potential: Background, Updates, and Future

Depletion of abiotic resources is a much disputed impact category in life cycle assessment (LCA). The reason is that the problem can be defined in different ways. Furthermore, within a specified problem definition, many choices can still be made regarding which parameters to include in the characterization model and which data to use. This article gives an overview of the problem definition and the choices that have been made when defining the abiotic depletion potentials (ADPs) for a characterization model for abiotic resource depletion in LCA. Updates of the ADPs since 2002 are also briefly discussed. Finally, some possible new developments of the impact category of abiotic resource depletion are suggested, such as redefining the depletion problem as a dilution problem. This means taking the reserves in the environment and the economy into account in the reserve parameter and using leakage from the economy, instead of extraction rate, as a dilution parameter.

Updated Resource Depletion Characterization Factors for Life Cycle Assessment-Case Studies on Iron and Steel Production in China

In this study, the CML model for resource depletion was updated based on the current status of the mineral resources and the characteristics of relevant statistics in China; and the characterization factors of resource depletion were determined for the majority of natural minerals which are most used in materials industry. Besides, case studies on iron and steel production (BF-BOF and EAF process) were carried out to demonstrate the valid of the modified and localized resource depletion model. The results show that in terms of category, the development of Chinese steel industry is mainly based on the depletion of the natural iron ore and fluorite. The results also show that for BF-BOF process, abiotic resource depletion potential (ADP) in 2012 is 5.26 times of that in 2004; and for the EAF process, ADP in 2012 is 23.6 times of that in 2004. Therefore, the information of ADP needs to be updated at intervals of time.

Evaluation of Abiotic Resource LCIA Methods

In a life cycle assessment (LCA), the impacts on resources are evaluated at the area of protection (AoP) with the same name, through life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) methods. There are different LCIA methods available in literature that assesses abiotic resources, and the goal of this study was to propose recommendations for that impact category. We evaluated 19 different LCIA methods, through two criteria (scientific robustness and scope), divided into three assessment levels, i.e., resource accounting methods (RAM), midpoint, and endpoint. In order to support the assessment, we applied some LCIA methods to a case study of ethylene production. For RAM, the most suitable LCIA method was CEENE (Cumulative Exergy Extraction from the Natural Environment) (but SED (Solar Energy Demand) and ICEC (Industrial Cumulative Exergy Consumption)/ECEC (Ecological Cumulative Exergy Consumption) may also be recommended), while the midpoint level was ADP (Abiotic Depletion Potential), and the endpoint level was both the Recipe Endpoint and EPS2000 (Environmental Priority Strategies). We could notice that the assessment for the AoP Resources is not yet well established in the LCA community, since new LCIA methods (with different approaches) and assessment frameworks are showing up, and this trend may continue in the future.

Life Cycle Assessment of first generation energy crops in arid isolated island states: The case of Cyprus

The need to tackle climate change has pushed the cultivation of energy crops for the production of biofuels to the top of the global agenda. While biofuels produced from energy crops are useful for the reduction of greenhouse gases (GHGs), energy crops per se constitute a farming system that contributes to GHG emissions. The agricultural sector, energy crops included, accounted for an estimated emission of 6.1 Pg CO2 equivalents per year in 2005. The main goal of this study is the development of a consistent methodological approach to quantify the environmental impact of first generation energy crops under the conditions of arid isolated island states, by utilising Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). Comprehensive data regarding the cultivation of maize, sweet sorghum, winter wheat, sugar-beets, potato and winter barley in Cyprus are analysed with the aim to quantify their environmental impact. The study was based on primary data retrieved from pilot studies of energy crops conducted by the Agricultural Research Institute (ARI) in Cyprus. The total environmental impact of the examined crop systems for the production of 1MJ of crop product was calculated using the CML 2001 methodology and the GaBi software. A comparison of the obtained results with the typical GHG emissions reported in the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) and other studies was carried out.The environmental impact of the investigated crop systems is presented by means of six impact categories: global warming potential (GWP 100years), acidification potential (AP), eutrophication potential (EP), ozone depletion potential (ODP) and abiotic depletion potential (ADP-fossils). Barley, potato, and wheat crop presented the highest impact. Lower GHG emissions were obtained for wheat and maize crop systems compared to the reported emissions in the Renewable Energy Directive (RED).

Environmental impact analysis of blast furnace slag applied to ordinary Portland cement production

This study was conducted based on the ISO 14040/14044 standards to analyze the environmental impact caused by blast furnace slag utilization for ordinary Portland cement production in typical plants in Beijing. In addition, sensitivity analysis of resource consumption, transport distance, the allocation methods and life cycle impact assessment model were discussed in detail. The results showed that global warming potential and acidification potential were the most significant environmental impacts resulted by slag-based cement production, accounting for 58.5% and 21.7% of the total environmental impact, respectively. Moreover, the cement production and energy generation phases accounted for 66.6% and 29.6% of total environmental loads of slag-based cement from cradle to gate, respectively. Sensitivity analysis showed that the comprehensive environmental impact of slag-based cement was sensitive to the consumption of limestone and energy, as well as the allocation methods and life cycle impact assessment model; but was insensitive to the consumption and transport distance of blast furnace slag. Compared with traditional Portland cement, except for the approximately 9% increase of human toxicity potential, the other impacts of slag-based cement decreased to a certain extent. In particular, abiotic depletion potential and land use potential significantly reduced by 72% and 41%, respectively. Therefore, producing cement with blast furnace slag would slightly increase electricity consumption, but significantly improve the benefits of land resource and materials conservation and significantly decrease the comprehensive environmental impact of cement.

Accounting for temporal variation of electricity production and consumption in the LCA of an energy-efficient house

The development of on-site renewable energy production and demand management in buildings calls for a deeper understanding of the interaction between building operation and the electricity grid. Electricity consumption in buildings varies in terms of seasons (heating and cooling), day of the week (professional activities) and hour of the day, which is also the case of on-site electricity production (e.g. photovoltaic systems). Centralised electricity production varies as well according to the demand (e.g. during peak hours). This research aims at improving the evaluation of potential environmental impacts of an energy efficient house attributable to electricity consumption and production by taking into account the temporal variation of the electricity production. Electricity end-uses and on-site electricity production were evaluated on an hourly basis in the case of an energy-efficient house. Another objective was to investigate the sources of errors in the assessment. Life cycle assessment was used to evaluate potential environmental impacts based on electricity production data for the year 2013 in France. Results were compared using an annual average electricity supply mix versus hourly data. This case study demonstrates that the use of an annual average mix instead of hourly mix data can lead to underestimation of potential impacts up to 39% for Abiotic Depletion Potential (ADP) and 36% for Global warming potential (GWP) when combining all end-uses. Increase of GWP and ADP when using hourly mix data is mainly explained by higher share of coal and gas power plant in the electricity mix in winter. This coincides with a higher electricity consumption of the studied house in this season due to space heating, electric back-up of the solar water heating system and a lower onsite production (photovoltaic system).

Mineral resources in life cycle impact assessment—defining the path forward

Despite 20 years of research, there remains no robust, globally agreed upon method—or even problem statement—for assessing mineral resource inputs in life cycle impact assessment (LCIA). As a result, inclusion of commonly used methods such as abiotic depletion potential (ADP) in life cycle assessment (LCA)-related evaluation schemes could lead to incorrect decisions being made in many applications. In this paper, we explore in detail how to improve the way that life cycle thinking is applied to the acquisition of mineral resources and their metal counterparts. This paper evaluates the current body of work in LCIA with regard to “depletion potential” of mineral resources. Viewpoints from which models are developed are described and analyzed. The assumptions, data sources, and calculations that underlie currently used methods are examined. A generic metal-containing product is analyzed to demonstrate the vulnerability of results to the denominator utilized in calculating ADP. The adherence to the concept of the area of protection (AOP) is evaluated for current models. The use of ore grades, prices, and economic availability in LCIA is reviewed. Results demonstrate that any work on resource depletion in a life cycle context needs to have a very clear objective or LCIA will not accurately characterize mineral resource use from any perspective and decision-making will continue to suffer. New, harmonized terminology is proposed so that LCA practitioners can build better mutual understanding with the mineral industry and recommendations regarding more promising tools for use in life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA) are given. The economic issue of resource availability should be evaluated in parallel with traditional LCA, not within. LCIA developers should look to economists, the market, and society in general, for broader assessments that consider shorter-time horizons than the traditional LCIA methods. To do so, the concept of the AOP in LCA needs to be redefined for LCSA to ensure that models estimate what is intended. Finally, recommendations regarding mineral resource assessment are provided to ensure that future research has a sound basis and practitioners can incorporate the appropriate tools in their work.