Life Cycle Assessment Software Research Articles

Life Cyle Assessment of Activated Carbon from Waste Materials as an Adsorbent in Wastewater Treatment

Activated Carbon (AC) has been a great alternative to reduce the cost of the process in wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) but they also have several hidden impacts on the environment. The impact assessment on the waste materials from coconut shells and wood will be identified using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) software approach. Through the “Cradle-to-gate” approach, activated carbon made from waste materials is produced and consumed, and its eighteen environmental effects which are fine particulate matter formation, fossil resource scarcity, freshwater ecotoxicity, freshwater eutrophication, global warming, human carcinogenic toxicity, human non-carcinogenic toxicity, ionizing radiation, land use, marine ecotoxicity, marine eutrophication, mineral resource scarcity, human health, terrestrial ecosystem, stratospheric ozone depletion, terrestrial acidification, terrestrial ecotoxicity and water consumption are assessed using the LCA software. This study aims to discover whether the choice of waste material precursors from the Activated Carbon (AC) can help to minimise environmental impacts. The study evaluates the potential benefits of using waste-derived activated carbon in wastewater treatment by comparing the environmental performance of activated carbon obtained from coconut, wood, and coal. This study is based on past studies all around the world. In thirteen of the eighteen impact categories, wood has the greatest environmental impact. Coconut shells on the other hand, has the lowest total environmental impacts, ranking first or second in fifteen among the eighteen environmental categories. The findings help in making choices for environmentally friendly wastewater treatment methods by illuminating the effects of employing waste products as an alternative source of adsorbents.

A review of building life cycle assessment software tools: Challenges and future directions

A review of building life cycle assessment software tools: Challenges and future directions

Ionic Liquid-Based Green Solvents for Extraction and Purification of Natural Plant Products

Introduction: This research paper explores the environmental sustainability of ionic liquid-based green solvents in the extraction and purification of natural plant products, with a focus on their entire life cycle. The objectives of the study were to assess the environmental impact of ionic liquid synthesis, energy consumption, water usage, emissions, recycling rates, policy effects, and stakeholder perceptions. Method: Methodologically, we conducted a comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) that involved primary data collection through field surveys and interviews with key stakeholders in the ionic liquid production and usage industry across various regions in India. The data were analyzed using specialized LCA software tools to quantify environmental impacts. Key findings include the identification of synthesis as a major contributor to environmental impact, emphasizing the need for greener synthesis methods. Result: The study revealed the significant carbon footprint, energy consumption, and water usage during production, highlighting opportunities for improvement. Emissions data underscored the importance of emission control measures, particularly for greenhouse gases and volatile organic compounds. Recycling and reuse were identified as environmentally friendly disposal methods. Policy compliance varied among stakeholders, indicating room for stricter regulations. Stakeholder perceptions varied, with researchers having the most positive outlook. Implications of the findings extend to sustainable chemistry practices, emphasizing interdisciplinary collaboration and the importance of considering the entire life cycle of chemical processes. Conclusion: This research contributes to a deeper understanding of green solvents and provides a foundation for promoting sustainable practices in industrial processes in India and globally

Comparative Life-Cycle Assessment of Steel and GFRP Rebars for Procurement Sustainability in the Construction Industry

This research examines the potential impact on the procurement sustainability of replacing steel rebars with Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) rebars in the construction industry, focusing on screed pre-cast hollow core topping in a project in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) is conducted using One Click LCA (Version 0.26.0) software for cradle-to-grave analysis. The assessment covers various stages, including raw material extraction, manufacturing, transportation, usage, and recycling. The comprehensive LCA highlights GFRP rebars as a more sustainable alternative to steel, emitting 17% less CO2 equivalent (2e) per kilogram throughout its life cycle. Additionally, GFRP requires substantially less mass compared to steel, resulting in a dramatic reduction in CO2e emissions ranging from 77.89% to 85.26% across different spacing configurations in real-world construction scenarios, as presented in this research case study. These findings suggest that GFRP rebars offer a promising solution for reducing the environmental impact of construction activities while potentially yielding significant cost savings over the project’s life cycle. Integrating environmental considerations into material selection processes can prioritize sustainability without compromising performance or safety, contributing to a more sustainable future for the construction industry globally.

Life cycle assessment approach of silviculture and timber harvesting of Norway spruce – a case study in the Czech Republic

Compared to other sectors, the long rotation period in forest management makes it difficult to carry out a life cycle assessment (LCA). Data collection is not possible in a short time frame but would require decades. For this reason, forestry is often forced to rely on secondary data. To address this challenge, environmental impacts of the forestry sector in the Czech Republic were investigated according to the value chain corresponding to silvicultural and harvesting processes, without any further wood use options. The methodological procedure is based on the ISO 14040 and 14,044 standards, using SimaPro, an LCA software. The study was carried out in four phases of LCA in the scope of cradle-to-gate and focused on the early stages of the product life cycle. The system boundaries were set up to include seed collection, seedling production, establishment and tending of young forest stands up to 20 years of age, thinning, harvesting, maintenance of roads and extraction trails, with the endpoint is the hauling place. Three scenarios have been defined that differ in the method of harvesting. Scenario I– chainsaw felling, horse extraction. Scenario II– chainsaw (90% of hours worked) and harvester (10% of hour-worked), tractor extraction. Scenario III– chainsaw (23% of hour-worked) and harvester (77% of hour-worked), extraction by a tractor with a winch. The results show that the maintenance of the forest road network holds a significant share of the overall environmental impact of forest management. Other significant consequences are associated with timber harvesting. These impacts vary considerably depending on the mechanical equipment used. The highest impact was recorded for the third scenario, still, it is practically the most often applied, as it is the most cost-effective. The results show the need to optimize forest management practices in the future both from an economic and environmental point of view. The work on the life cycle assessment was particularly challenging because the silviculture and harvesting of raw timber involve 20 production operations. This research was based on long-term knowledge of forest typology, forest management planning, forest economics, experience with forest technologies, and regulatory measures. Thus, the findings serve for further analysis of LCA in timber production, and future analysis for other forest ecosystem services.

Considering product life cycle characteristics and industry background in environmental impact analysis and application: a case study of a television.

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is widely used to evaluate product's life cycle environmental impact and identify the environmental weaknesses. However, it is difficult for existing LCA software to perform flexible LCA analysis based on the product life cycle characteristics and industry background. Meanwhile, under the existing LCA research model, product designers and manufacturers are usually not LCA evaluators, resulting in a certain time gap between the evaluation results and product improvement. Designers with less experience in green design often find it difficult to identify high environmental impact links in products at different life cycle stages and product levels, and updated products are challenging to meet various environmental restrictions. This paper establishes a multi-module product life cycle analysis model that combines product industry background that includes basic information, assessment information, structural information, and restriction information to achieve the multi-scenario of product LCA in different dimensions in a typical domain. The calculated mechanism of the dynamic power emission factor is built according to the service time and space dimensions. The proposed method forms an integrated environmental performance evaluation of household appliance (EPEHA) system. A software assessment and an optimization method are proposed to improve the EPEHA system. The results of this study show that these proposed methods can improve the timeliness and diversity of results analysis of product LCA in the field of household appliances in China. The universal data exchange format and simple operation interface of the EPEHA system enable people related to the product to quickly understand the environmental impact of the product in different scenarios, even if they lack green design knowledge and professional software training.

Human-powered hydroponic systems: An environmental and economic assessment

Hydroponic systems like vertical farming have been proposed as an alternative and potentially more sustainable option for growing vegetables than conventional soil-based production methods. However, the energy required for the functioning of hydroponic systems is a key contributor to the total environmental impact and economic cost. Human-powered hydroponic systems, which utilise human muscular exertion to power the system, have not been thoroughly investigated, despite their potential as a cost-efficient alternative and less harmful to the environment. This paper presents a prototype of a novel human-powered hydroponic system and assesses its environmental impact and economic costs using life cycle assessment (LCA) and life cycle costing (LCC), considering the cultivation of lettuce as a case study. A scenario analysis was performed to assess the environmental impact of lettuce production using a human-powered hydroponic system compared to conventional soil or greenhouse-based production methods. Using SimaPro LCA software, 18 impact categories included in the ReciPe Midpoint (H) method were evaluated. The results indicated that the battery, followed by the power system, represented the primary environmental hotspots of the human-powered hydroponic system. Improving the yield (production of 6 lettuces of 500 g vs 200 g per 40-day growing cycle) of the human-powered hydroponic system can reduce the environmental impact of lettuce production compared to conventionally soil-based produced lettuce in 11 out of the 18 evaluated impact categories, and when compared to greenhouse-produced lettuce, it generates lower impacts in 14 out of 18 categories. Regarding economic cost, considering a yield of 1.2 kg (6 lettuces of 200 g) per 40-day growing cycle with the human-powered hydroponic system, it is more expensive for the consumer than buying lettuce produced with conventional soil-based open-field agriculture and greenhouses, and break-even points are not achievable within 15 years (the lifespan of the system). However, when considering a yield of 3 kg (6 lettuces of 500 g), the break-even point with greenhouse-produced lettuce was achieved between 10 and 11 years. Therefore, although a break-even point is not achievable within the considered lifespan of the developed system, it could be reached if the yield of the system increased and/or if the system had a longer lifespan, which is mainly determined by the lifespan of the battery.

Recent Technological Advancements in BIM and LCA Integration for Sustainable Construction: A Review

In the high-energy, high-carbon landscape of the construction industry, a detailed and precise life cycle assessment (LCA) is essential. This review examines the role of building information modeling (BIM) software in streamlining the LCA process to enhance efficiency and accuracy. Despite its potential, challenges such as software interoperability and compatibility persist, with no unified standard for choosing BIM-integrated LCA software. Besides, the review explores the capabilities and limitations of various BIM software, LCA tools, and energy consumption tools, and presents characteristics of BIM-LCA integration cases. It critically discusses BIM-LCA integration methods and data exchange techniques, including bill of quantities import, Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) import, BIM viewer usage, direct LCA calculations with BIM plugins, and LCA plugin calculations. Finally, concluding with future perspectives, the study aims to guide the development of advanced LCA tools for better integration with BIM software, addressing a vital need in sustainable construction practices.

Effect of steel slag on the mechanical properties and self-sensing capability of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC)

This study investigates the self-sensing capability and mechanical properties of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) incorporating steel slag aggregates. The experimental findings underscore the potential of steel slag as a promising industrial by-product capable of fully replacing the natural fine aggregates within UHPC. In addition, the incorporation of steel slag is shown to reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 40 kg/m3, as determined through life cycle assessment software, while simultaneously enhancing flowability when compared to UHPC incorporating natural aggregate. Although the compressive and tensile strength of UHPC with steel slag is slightly lower than that of UHPC with natural aggregates, it still demonstrates impressive performance, with compressive and tensile strengths reaching approximately 207 MPa and 14 MPa, respectively. To assess the mechanical properties and self-sensing capacity of steel slag, this study incorporates carbon fiber and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) into the UHPC series. The self-sensing capacity results emphasize the advantage of incorporating steel slag due to its high iron content that leads to superior conductivity compared to silica sand. Furthermore, comparisons are made with UHPC series incorporating carbon fiber and MWCNT. UHPC with steel slag demonstrates superior self-sensing capabilities compared to the silica sand series with carbon fibers, and it is comparable to UHPC with MWCNT. To quantify the self-sensing capability of UHPC with steel slag, nonlinear curve fitting is employed, resulting in highly accurate simulation outcomes. These experiments collectively highlight the multifaceted benefits of utilizing steel slag aggregate in UHPC, encompassing environmental advantages, enhanced flowability, and impressive self-sensing capabilities.

Integrating Life Cycle Assessment in Conceptual Aircraft Design: A Comparative Tool Analysis

Early and rapid environmental assessment of newly developed aircraft concepts is eminent in today’s climate debate. This can shorten the decision-making process and thus accelerate the entry into service of climate-friendly technologies. A holistic approach within the conceptual aircraft design is taken into consideration in terms of a life cycle assessment (LCA) to properly model and evaluate these concepts. To provide an understanding of how different LCA software affects the assessment, the goals of this study are to establish a baseline metrics definition for comparative evaluation and apply them to two tools. The first tool is an existing simplified derivative of openLCA, while the second, developed in this study, is an automated interface to the same software. The main finding is that researchers and practitioners must carefully consider the intended use of the tool. The simplified tool is suitable for training and teaching purposes and assessments on single score level. In contrast, an advanced tool is required in order to appropriately analyze the overall impact categories requiring high levels of LCA expertise, modeling, and time effort.

Performing a Life Cycle Assessment for Self-service Devices: A Case Study of Self-checkout

Nowadays, self-checkouts are becoming increasingly popular in stores and markets. This is simply because they offer customers the convenience of shopping without having to wait in line and provide store owners with an opportunity to increase sales and improve the customer experience. Meanwhile, the sustainability options of the devices have gained more traction, such as reducing the CO2 emissions of the product and production. However, it is initially unknown how to investigate the sustainability of self-service devices due to insufficient research in this area. To address this issue, the different methodologies have been analyzed based on domain-oriented boundaries. The life cycle assessment (LCA) is chosen to assess the sustainability. Then, the inventory analysis is worked out to gather the relevant raw data. Subsequently, the model of the product’s life cycle is established in an LCA software tool. The assessment and interpretation is carried out. A case study of self-checkout is conducted in the industrial company and the results shows that recycled material zincor and using solar energy could lead to a reduction of CO2 emissions of up to 41.8%.

Assessment of Sustainable Packaging Supply Chain Management Using the Life Cycle Assessment Method (Case Study: FMCG Company in Indonesia)

Based on a Greenpeace International survey, Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) companies are the dominant force behind the single-use economic model that drives the plastic waste crisis originating from consumption and production by producing industrial waste that must be handled appropriately with the concept of sustainable supply chain management (SSCM). This study discusses SSCM practices in one of the FMCG companies, namely PT XYZ, and focuses on sustainable packaging supply chains, intending to know the application of SSCM in the supply chain and improvements that can be made to reduce waste and its negative impacts. The exploratory research was done with a case study type and used a mixed-method approach to formulate the development that can be done to reduce the waste and negative impact of the packaging supply chain. The assessment resulted from calculating the Life Cycle Assessment software, Simapro, with the CML-IA baseline V3.06/EU25 method. This method represents the environmental impact using 11 indicators. The most significant adverse environmental impacts are global warming, human toxicity, and marine aquatic ecotoxicity. The most significant contribution to the cause of the negative environmental impact is the consumption of electricity and water, which produce excess CO2 and boiler engines which produce excess NO2. Improvements can be made by reducing CO2 gas and using alternative fuels for environmentally friendly boilers.

Life Cycle Assessment of Water Treatment Plant Using Open LCA Software

Abstract: India is bearing from one of the world's worst national water crises. More than 50% of the population from India has no access to safe drinking water. The production of potable water from surface water includes several processes, energy consumption, and chemical dosing. Yet, the water treatment industry may be responsible for significant global environmental impacts, the most common amongst which are the depletion of natural resources and indirect release of pollutants into the water, land, and air through chemicals and energy consumption. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a tool that could be used to generate information on the environmental impacts of water treatment systems. Hence this study identifies the impact of WTP Miraj by using the LCA approach to determine the holistic profile. Impacts were assessed for construction phase and operational phase by considering the emissions from raw material extraction, manufacturing and use.

A comparative LCA of external wall assemblies in context of Iranian market: considering embodied and operational energy through BIM application.

Building envelopes have a critical role in the sustainability of the construction sector. The goals of the current research are assessing the environmental impacts of typical exterior wall assemblies and presenting the best Iranian market option through taking account of both embodied and operational energy. Autodesk Green Building Studio (GBS) is used to determine the operating loads of each wall. Simapro, a life cycle assessment software, is applied for managing data on environmental impacts. The derived results demonstrate that human health is the most severe damage category for all the analyzed walls. Also, the end-of-life stage's environmental impact is insignificant compared to the production and use stages. Reducing carbon emissions has the highest priority, such that replacing 1 m2 of masonry brick wall (the worst option) with prefabricated extruded polystyrene (XPS) drywall (the best option) can result in saving 1257.85 kgCO2eq. The operational phase of the studied walls has a wide range of environmental impacts. Prefabricated Knauf drywall as well as prefabricated XPS drywall consumes less energy for the operating phase mainly due to providing sufficient quantity of isolations that leads to the better total environmental performance. In conclusion, it should be noted that the thermal performance of building materials should be given more attention.

Assessing the Environmental Impact of Cement Production in Zambia: An Integration of Life Cycle Assessment and SimaPro Software

Assessing the Environmental Impact of Cement Production in Zambia: An Integration of Life Cycle Assessment and SimaPro Software

Penjanaan Kuasa yang Bersih: Kajian Mendalam Penilaian Kitaran Hayat bagi Sel Bahan Api Oksida Pepejal

Nowadays, there is a growing emphasis on creating alternative power generation methods to replace outdated technologies like coal-fired power and hydroelectric plants. One promising solution is the Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC), which offers high energy efficiency, low carbon emissions, and cost-effectiveness. This study presents a focused examination of the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of SOFCs, with the objective of reducing dependence on nonrenewable energy sources. The review encompasses a review of published articles between years 2016 to 2023 and an analysis of research gaps in SOFCs' environmental performance. A systematic literature review underpins this investigation, where several publication selection criteria were considered including plants that can produce hydrocarbon such as biogas and biomass, utilization of LCA software as a method of assessment and incorporation of the life cycle impact assessment in the articles. The results suggest that using SOFC powered by biogas as a stationary power generator is a viable option. This is supported by recent LCA studies demonstrating that SOFCs using biogas have a reduced impact on climate change compared to other fuels. Implementing SOFCs holds great potential for a cleaner energy future, aligning with society's goals for sustainable power production. For a more precise comparison of results, future LCA studies should adopt a multi-criteria environmental impact analysis using a consistent functional unit across different SOFC operations.

Sensitivity analysis of the impact of environmental product declaration values on whole life carbon assessment: A case study using expanded polystyrene insulation for the retrofit of a building in Turkiye

Until recently, reducing the energy required to service a building (the operational energy) was the main aim of controlling carbon emissions from the built environment. It is now recognised that the energy required to make a building (the embodied energy) also has a crucial role in creating a net zero carbon future. The methodologies for quantifying embodied carbon are less developed than those for operational carbon, and more research is required to refine the embodied carbon metrics used when a building’s whole-life carbon emissions are calculated in a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). One such metric is the Environmental Product Declaration (EPD), a document which can be used in different countries to quantify a product's environmental performance. EPDs are crucial data for conducting an LCA study of a building. However, despite recent efforts to standardise them, there are still inconsistencies between EPDs produced by different countries or manufacturers, even for materials with similar thermal and physical properties. This study considered some of the reasons for variations in EPDs for one product type, expanded polystyrene insulation (EPS). Factors such as (i) the LCA databases and software generators used for the EPDs, (ii) material mixes and manufacturing methods, (iii) country energy production mixes, and (iv) transportation distance from material source to the factory were considered in the analysis. As a case study, this paper examined the effects of selecting different EPDs for expanded polystyrene insulation on the final LCA results from the retrofit of a mid-rise residential building in Turkiye. Differences in EPDs demonstrated a fourfold difference between the highest and lowest upfront carbon impact results of building retrofit. This size of discrepancy indicates the need to choose the most appropriate EPD for a building/location when performing an LCA. Practical Applications Selecting an EPD when conducting an LCA for a new building or retrofit is generally left to the assessor’s judgment and knowledge, which varies greatly depending on the assessor’s background, especially in the construction sector. This study suggests an informed decision-making method over an example of EPS insulation material when the EPD options were none or limited to building locations like Turkiye.

Sustainable Purchasing Practices: A Comparison of Single-use and Reusable Pulse Oximeters in the Emergency Department.

Delivering healthcare requires significant resources and creates waste that pollutes the environment, contributes to the climate crisis, and harms human health. Prior studies have generally shown durable, reusable medical devices to be environmentally superior to disposables, but this has not been investigated for pulse oximetry probes. Our goal was to compare the daily carbon footprint of single-use and reusable pulse oximeters in the emergency department (ED). Using a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), we analyzed greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from pulse oximeter use in an urban, tertiary care ED, that sees approximately 150 patients per day. Low (387 uses), moderate (474 uses), and high use (561 uses), as well as cleaning scenarios, were modelled for the reusable oximeters and compared to the daily use of single-use oximeters (150 uses). We calculated GHG emissions, measured in kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalents (kgCO2e), across all life cycle stages using life-cycle assessment software and the ecoinvent database. We also carried out an uncertainty analysis using Monte Carlo methodology and calculated the break-even point for reusable oximeters. Per day of use, reusable oximeters produced fewer greenhouse gases in low-, moderate-, and high-use scenarios compared to disposable oximeters: 3.9kgCO2e, 4.9kgCO2e, 5.7kgCO2e vs 23.4kgCO2e, respectively). An uncertainty analysis showed there was no overlap in emissions, and a sensitivity analysis found reusable oximeters only need to be used 2.3 times before they match the emissions created by a single disposable oximeter. Use phases associated with the greatest emissions varied between oximeters, with the cleaning phase of reusables responsible for the majority of its GHG emissions (99%) compared to the production phases of the single-use oximeter (74%). Reusable pulse oximeters generated fewer greenhouse gas emissions per day of use than their disposable counterparts. Given that the pulse oximeter is an ubiquitous piece of medical equipment used in emergency care globally, carbon emissions could be significantly reduced if EDs used reusable rather than single-use, disposable oximeters.

From LCA to circular design: A comparative study of digital tools for the built environment

This paper reviews digital tools for supporting the Circular Economy (CE) in the built environment. The study provides a bibliometric analysis and focuses on computer-aided design (CAD), building information modeling (BIM), and computational plugins that can be used by practitioners. While Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is the primary methodology for evaluating buildings' environmental performance, the study identifies tools beyond LCA, including computational methods and circularity indicators, that can support the evaluation of circular design strategies. Our review highlights limitations in tools’ functionalities, including a lack of representative data for LCA and underdeveloped circularity indicators. The paper calls for further development of these tools in terms of interoperability aspects, integration of more sources of data for LCA and circularity, and possibilities for a comprehensive evaluation of design choices. Computational plugins offer greater flexibility, while BIM-LCA integrations have the potential to replace dedicated LCA software and spreadsheets. Additionally, the study identifies opportunities for novel digital methods, such as algorithms for circular design with various types of reused building elements, and sharing of digital twins and material passports. This research can inform future studies and support architects and engineers in their efforts to create a sustainable built environment.

Estimating Environmental and Economic Impacts of Hermetic Bag Storage Technology

Hermetic bag storage is a growing innovative technology that can effectively mitigate insect activity in stored grain and preserve quality without pesticides. This study aimed to estimate the environmental and economic impacts of hermetic storage bags as the basis for the sustainable adoption of the technology. This study demonstrated an approach to estimate the environmental impact of using hermetic bags and their superior economic benefits for storing maize at the 1-ton scale over three years. The life cycle assessment (LCA) of six commercially available hermetic bags (AgroZ®, GrainPro, Storezo, ZeroFly®, Elite, and PICS™) from cradle to grave was evaluated and compared using the Sustainable Minds LCA software. The gas barrier liners were analyzed for structure and polymer composition using confocal microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The results showed that bag manufacturing had the highest environmental impact contribution, with 84.6% to 90.8% of the total impacts (mPt). The carbon footprint contribution of the total service life delivered for one hermetic bag ranged from 1.1 to 1.7 kg CO2eq. The economic benefits of using hermetic bags were calculated and compared with traditional storage bag methods for one smallholder farmer using ten (10) hermetic bags storing 100 kg/bag (1 ton) of maize. The results found that using hermetic bags exhibited the highest profit of 1130 USD when used for nine months over three years, while storage loss was maintained at less than 1%.