Life Cycle Impact Assessment Models Research Articles

Dissipation-based life cycle impact assessment of mineral resource use—a review, case study, and implications for the product environmental footprint

Abstract Purpose Impacts of mineral resource use on the availability of resources can be assessed using a broad range of methods. Until recently, life cycle inventory (LCI) and life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) models have been based on resource extraction. As extracted resources are not necessarily “lost” for future use, recent methodological developments have shifted the focus from resource extraction to resource dissipation. This paper aims at reviewing dissipation-based LCIA methods, testing them in a case study, analyzing potential implications for the product environmental footprint (PEF), and providing recommendations for future method development. Method Five recently developed LCIA methods have been reviewed and compared based on 22 criteria, such as the forms and time horizons of dissipation considered, scientific publication, and number of characterization factors (CFs). Additionally, the abiotic depletion potential (ADP) method has been included to serve as a non-dissipation-based reference. All methods are tested in a case study on a theoretical product, designed solely for demonstration purposes, and consisting of 1 kg of the metals aluminum, cobalt, copper, molybdenum, nickel, and zinc. In addition to the absolute LCIA results, the contributions of metal production stages and individual resource extractions/emissions have been investigated. Finally, normalization and weighting have been carried out to analyze consequences of replacing ADP with the new dissipation-based methods in the context of PEF. Results and discussion Most recently developed LCIA methods take a long-term perspective, cover emissions of resources to the environment (and partly technosphere), and vary in the number of CFs and resources covered. The case study results obtained by ADP are dominated by the molybdenum dataset; the results of the dissipation-based LCIA methods are strongly influenced by the cobalt dataset. All results are strongly sensitive to the LCI database used (ecoinvent or GaBi). Normalization and weighting revealed that the mineral resource use impact result dominates the aggregated PEF score (57%), when using the currently recommended ADP model. Shifting from the resource extraction-based ADP to dissipation-based models can reduce the contribution to 23% or < 1% depending on the method. Conclusion The development of methods addressing mineral resource use in LCIA has shifted from resource extraction to dissipation. The analyzed methods are applicable and lead to different findings than the extraction-based ADP. Using the newly developed methods in the context of PEF would significantly change the relevance of the mineral resource use impact category in comparison to other environmental impacts.

Between the lines: Life cycle impact assessment models of collision and electrocution impacts of power lines on bird diversity in Norway

AbstractThe expansion of the electric grid is inevitable. Renewable energy is on the rise, and new transmission lines must be built to link new electricity production facilities with the local network. In addition, higher electricity demand due to electrification will lead to the growth of the distribution grid. However, further construction of power lines will affect the local biodiversity. Birds are especially vulnerable: every year, power lines cause the deaths of hundreds of millions of birds by collision and electrocution. Yet the environmental impacts of the electric grid in life cycle assessment (LCA) are limited to a few impact categories, failing to cover the area of protection for damages to ecosystem quality. We developed the first methodology to quantify power lines' collision and electrocution impacts on bird richness within LCA. We calculated the potentially disappeared fraction of species (PDF) by developing species–area relationships using high‐resolution species distribution maps, species‐specific characteristics, and the location of power lines and pylons. We applied our models to Norway, a country that aims to become a low‐emission nation by 2050. The characterization factors ranged between 8.48 × 10−16 and 5.6 × 10−15 PDF*yr/kWh for collision and 3.27 × 10−18 and 1.66 × 10−16 PDF*yr/kWh for electrocution. Integrating power lines’ impacts on biodiversity in LCA is essential, as harmonized models can estimate the effects of electricity production alongside the impacts of electricity distribution. This brings us a step further in promoting a holistic assessment of energy systems.

What Is the Impact of Accidentally Transporting Terrestrial Alien Species? A New Life Cycle Impact Assessment Model.

Alien species form one of the main threats to global biodiversity. Although Life Cycle Assessment attempts to holistically assess environmental impacts of products and services across value chains, ecological impacts of the introduction of alien species are so far not assessed in Life Cycle Impact Assessment. Here, we developed country-to-country-specific characterization factors, expressed as the time-integrated potentially disappeared fraction (PDF; regional and global) of native terrestrial species due to alien species introductions per unit of goods transported [kg] between two countries. The characterization factors were generated by analyzing global data on first records of alien species, native species distributions, and their threat status, as well as bilateral trade partnerships from 1870-2019. The resulting characterization factors vary over several orders of magnitude, indicating that impact greatly varies per transportation route and trading partner. We showcase the applicability and relevance of the characterization factors for transporting 1 metric ton of freight to France from China, South Africa, and Madagascar. The results suggest that the introduction of alien species can be more damaging for terrestrial biodiversity as climate change impacts during the international transport of commodities.

An endpoint model for life cycle impact assessment in China and preliminary normalization values: A case study of vehicles

Life cycle assessment (LCA) has become a vital tool for selecting and developing green products to support decision-making. While there are various regional evaluation models for conducting life cycle impact assessment (LCIA), which is one of the key steps in LCA, a systematic LCIA model is still lacking in China. In this study, we propose an endpoint damage model for LCIA. We focus on three endpoint damage categories and eleven environmental impact categories based on local characteristics in China. By using the emission factor method, extrapolation method and other methods, the total emission of each pollutant is quantified. Localized per capita normalization values were calculated. Then, the potential value for environmental impact (PVEI) is acquired, which could be used to represent the impact of pollutant emissions and resource and energy consumption on the environment. With a base year of 2017, the regional per capita normalization values of human health, ecosystem quality and resources in China are 1.94 × 10−2 DALY, 6.08 × 10−5 species, and 2.47 × 103 MJ, respectively. The developed methodology is validated by applying it to the LCIA of vehicles, and the PVEI of three vehicles is ranked as follows: methanol vehicle (MV) > battery electric vehicle (BEV) > compressed natural gas vehicle (CNGV). The findings support the development of an LCIA method for China. The localization parameters supplement and improve the method of life cycle assessment in China, improve the scientificity of life cycle assessment results, and make the evaluation results more in line with China's actual conditions.

Potential environmental and human health menace of spent graphite in lithium-ion batteries

The growing demand for lithium-ion batteries for portable electronics and electric vehicles results in a booming lithium battery market, leading to a concomitant increase in spent graphite. This research investigated the potential impacts of spent graphite on environmental and human health using standardized toxicity extraction and Life Cycle Impact Assessment models. The spent graphite samples were classified as hazardous waste due to the average nickel content of 337.14 mg/L according to Chinese regulations. Besides, cadmium and fluorine were the other elements that exceeded the regulations threshold. Easily ignored aluminum and heavy metal cobalt are other harmful elements according to the results of Life Cycle Impact Assessments. All the metallic harmful elements mainly exist in a transferable state. Thermogravimetry infrared spectrometry coupled with mass spectrometry was employed to recognize the emitted gases and explore gas emission behavior. Inorganic gases of CO, H2S, SO2, SO3, oxynitride, HCl, and fluoride-containing gases were detected. Sulfur-containing gases released from spent graphite were contributed by the residual sulfuric acid after leaching. The correlation between the evolution of emitted gases and the heating schedule was established simultaneously. The research comprehensively illustrates the pollution of spent graphite and provides assistance for the design of green recycling schemes for spent graphite.

Assessing life cycle cost and environmental impact for office building construction in Saudi Arabia

ABSTRACT The continuous growth of the construction sector in Saudi Arabia will result in social, environmental, and economic implications. To this end, this study focuses on selecting optimal structural and external envelope systems for an office building in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia. Our research’s novelty lies in the fusion of life cycle cost (LCC) and life cycle impact (LCI) assessment models to optimize structural and envelope choices, a methodology that has real-world applications for the sustainable construction of office buildings. The study findings offer a substantial contribution to the evolving field of sustainable construction practices by enhancing cost-efficiency and environmental performance. The proposed models evaluate different external envelope materials, including concrete masonry unit (CMU), insulated CMU, limestone cladding, autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC), three types of glazing (double, triple, and Nanogel), and two structural systems (steel frame and reinforced concrete frame), considered over a 30-year lifespan. Our methodology integrates advanced tools, including Autodesk Revit for precise building modeling, Design Builder software for energy consumption simulations, and One Click LCA software for life cycle assessments. The LCC analysis reveals the most cost-effective option as reinforced concrete with insulated CMU and triple glazing, saving 5.6% or 11,962,496 Saudi Riyals compared to the baseline. Moreover, insulated CMU with Nanogel glazing demonstrates a remarkable 22% annual energy savings, equivalent to 397,469 Saudi Riyals. The proposed framework provides facility managers with comprehensive guidelines for updating conventional office buildings into sustainable ones.

Spatially eutrophication potential and policy implication of nitrogen emission for surface water: A case study in Guangzhou city, China

Understanding the spatial distribution and path tracing of eutrophication caused by nitrogen (N) enrichment in urban freshwater is crucial for whole-process and precise damage effect control. This study constructed a site-specific life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) model, covering the overall cause–effect chain from source emission to endpoint effect, to assess N-induced eutrophication potential at the species damage level. Applied to Guangzhou city, China, marked spatial disparities in eutrophication potential were derived, with higher values in the downtown areas driven by anthropogenic disturbances, such as wastewater discharge. Spatially differentiated measures were provided through eutrophication hotspot identification and driver tracking. This study offers a necessary complement for eutrophication impact category indicators in LCIA methodology and lays a scientific foundation for potential hotpots diagnosis and targeted mitigation policy-making.

What are the main environmental impacts and products contributing to the biodiversity footprint of EU consumption? A comparison of life cycle impact assessment methods and models

PurposeRecent developments in life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) target at better addressing biodiversity impacts, including the extended modeling of drivers of biodiversity loss. This led to the development of multiple LCIA methods addressing the area of protection of ecosystem quality (i.e, biodiversity loss) over time. This paper aims at systematically comparing available operational LCIA methods and models for assessing the main drivers of biodiversity impacts of EU consumption and unveiling similarities and differences among current methods.MethodsThis paper compares the biodiversity impacts of EU consumption by implementing eight LCIA methods and models: five full LCIA methods (namely, LC-IMPACT, Impact World + , Ecological Scarcity 2013, ReCiPe 2016, and Stepwise), a land-use intensity-specific LCIA model, and two approaches based on the GLOBIO model. The EU Consumption Footprint model is adopted as case study. The comparative analysis between the assessed methods aimed at identifying convergent and divergent results regarding the drivers of biodiversity impacts of EU consumption. The analysis focused on four different levels: impact category, representative product (modeled consumed products), inventory process, and elementary flow. The agreement among the methods in defining an element as relevant was evaluated. Finally, gaps among methods were assessed in terms of coverage of impact categories and elementary flows.Results and discussionThe analysis unveiled that there is a certain level of agreement among available LCIA methods and models regarding the most contributing impact categories and products to the overall biodiversity footprint due to EU consumption. Land use, climate change, and ecotoxicity had a major contribution to overall impacts, thereby highlighting their role as drivers of biodiversity loss. Biodiversity impacts were due to a limited number of consumed products, where food (meat), mobility, and household goods were identified as top contributors. Most contributing inventory processes and elementary flows were associated to most contributing representative products (e.g, animal feed). The relevance and presence of elementary flows in LCIA methods and models were heterogeneous for most of the impact categories.ConclusionsThe results of this study highlight the importance of impact category coverage in the assessment of biodiversity impacts. Limited coverage of impact categories (e.g, methods limited to assess land use) might underestimate the impacts of other drivers of biodiversity loss, especially climate change and ecotoxicity. Further efforts are required to assess the effects of spatial regionalization and the inclusion of missing drivers, recently developed in LCIA.

Life cycle assessment of polycarbonate production: Proposed optimization toward sustainability

The global plastics industry urgently requires a shift to sustainable manufacturing, but only a mere fraction of these plastics have been explored for their life cycle environmental impacts. Polycarbonate (PC), the top consumer of engineering plastics, lacks due attention. This study quantified the industrial-level environmental impacts of two mainstream PC production processes in China, the world's largest PC producer, via an integrated and regionalized life cycle impact assessment model. The fossil depletion category contributed dominant environmental impacts, accounting for approximately 60% in both scenarios. Bisphenol A production and coal mining and combustion were identified as crucial processes, specifying optimal directions toward sustainability. The PC green factories showed eco-effectiveness, with roughly 10% reductions in both non-carcinogens and global warming categories at the leading level. The mechanically recycled PC production could yield 82.3%–99.6% benefits in key categories. Moreover, green mines, ultra-low emission, bio-based plastics, and extended producer responsibility are highly recommended.

Environmental Assessment of Wastewater Treatment and Reuse for Irrigation: A Mini-Review of LCA Studies

This paper provides an overview of existing LCA literature analyzing the environmental impacts of wastewater treatment and reuses, with irrigation as a process or scenario. Fifty-nine (n = 59) papers published between 2010 and 2022 were reviewed to provide insights into the methodological choices (goals, geographical scope, functional units, system boundaries, life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) procedures). The results show that LCA research has steadily increased in the last six years. The LCAs are case-study specific, apply a process perspective, and are primarily conducted by European authors. The LCAs are mainly midpoint-oriented with global warming, acidification and eutrophication potential as the most common impact categories reported. Volumetric-based functional units are the most widely applied. The most commonly used LCIA models were ReCiPe and CML, with Ecoinvent as the most commonly used database and SimaPro as the primary LCA software tool. Despite the fact that these methods cover a wide range of midpoint impact categories, nearly half of the studies focused on a few life cycle impact category indicators. In many studies, the LCA scope is frequently narrowed, and the assessment does not look at the cradle-to-grave system boundary but rather at cradle-to-gate or gate-to-gate system boundaries. Regardless of technology or other system boundary assumptions, the design of environmentally efficient wastewater reuse schemes is primarily determined by the type of energy supplied to the product’s life cycle. Our findings highlight that more holistic studies that take into account the expansion of system boundaries and the use of a broad set of environmental impact categories, supported by uncertainty and/or sensitivity analysis, are required. The overview presented in this paper serves as groundwork for future LCA studies in the field of irrigation with treated wastewater.

Climate-smart planting for potato to balance economic return and environmental impact across China

Potato production plays an important role in safeguarding food security in China since the central government implemented the ‘Potato-as-Staple-Food’ policy in 2015. However, a key challenge facing China's potato production is to realize a tradeoff between economic return and environmental impact. Effective strategies for reducing carbon emission without compromising potato yield remain to be developed. This study conducted a comprehensive assessment by integrating climate, soil, crop, and agricultural input data, crop model and life cycle impact assessment model to quantify potato yields, GHG emission amounts and intensities (GHGI), and economic benefits under the conventional planting pattern (CPP), the lowest GHG emission pattern (LEP), and the highest yield pattern (HYP) across China's potato planting regions including four sub-regions, i.e., North Single planting region (NS), Central Double planting region (CD), South Winter planting region (SW), and Southwest Mixed planting region (SWM). Averaged fresh potato yield, GHG emission amount, and GHGI under the CPP were 21.7 t ha−1, 2815.1 kg CO2eq ha−1, and 137.3 kg CO2eq t−1, respectively, in China's potato planting region. Compared with the CPP, averaged GHG emission amount and GHGI under the LEP could be decreased by 48.2 % and 51.5 % respectively while the fresh potato yield and economic benefit could be enhanced by 8.1 % and 18.5 %, respectively. For the HYP, averaged GHG emission amount and GHGI could be decreased by 24.2 % and 39.8 % respectively while the fresh potato yield and economic benefit could be enhanced by 18.7 % and 39.6 %, respectively, compared with the CPP. Across the four potato planting regions, SW had the largest potential in reducing GHG emissions owing to a high reduction amount of nitrogen application rate. Our study demonstrates that optimizing agronomic management could reduce environmental impact without compromising economic benefit and provides a scientific method for assessing crop potential to realize the climate-smart planting.

Environmental Benefit Assessment of Blended Cement with Modified Granulated Copper Slag.

This study aimed to investigate the environmental impact of modified granulated copper slag (MGCS) utilization in blended cement production at a representative cement plant in China. Sensitivity analysis was performed on the substance inputs, and the life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) model was applied. A detailed comparative analysis was conducted of the environmental impact of cement production in other studies, and ordinary Portland cement production at the same cement plant. Results showed that calcination has the largest contribution impact of all the impact categories, especially in causing global warming (93.67%), which was the most prominent impact category. The life cycle assessment (LCA) result of blended cement was sensitive to the chosen LCIA model and the depletion of limestone and energy. In this study, producing blended cement with MGCS effectively mitigated the environmental impact for all the selected impact categories. Results also show a reduction in abiotic depletion (46.50%) and a slight growth (6.52%) in human toxicity. The adoption of MGCS in blended cement would therefore generally decrease the comprehensive environmental impact of cement, which contributes to the development of sustainable building materials.

Prioritizing agricultural pesticides to protect human health: A multi-level strategy combining life cycle impact and risk assessments

In this study, a multi-level strategy to prioritize pesticides for use in agriculture is proposed in support of protecting human health. The strategy includes four levels (production, application, distribution, and bioaccumulation) of screening approaches, for which the life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) and human health risk assessment (HHRA) models were applied to generate priority lists at each level. The LCIA model was used at the production level (i.e., chemical design; before pesticides being registered and entering the market), providing the inventory management based on environmental persistence and toxicity potential of pesticides, whereas the HHRA models were used at the other three levels, assessing human health risks based on pesticide emission to cropland. Priority scores (PS) of 319 pesticides were simulated with high scores indicating high priority for use in agriculture (relatively high human safety). The simulated results via the LCIA at the production level had strong positive correlations with those via the HHRA at the other three levels, indicating that the LCIA tool was capable of an initial screening of pesticides for use in agriculture. The simulated PS values of 319 pesticides indicated that some pesticides (e.g., chlorpyrifos and fipronil) with low PS values (e.g., < 8) that are currently used in some countries should be further evaluated. For other pesticides with high simulated PS values (e.g., > 15) for use in agriculture, their ecotoxicity impacts and ecological risks should be considered in protecting human health.

Spatially differentiated marine eutrophication method for absolute environmental sustainability assessments

Marine eutrophication and hypoxia caused by excess nutrient availability is a growing environmental problem. In this study, we explore marine nitrogen enrichment in the context of Absolute Environmental Sustainability Assessment (AESA), a method combining life cycle assessment (LCA) with environmental boundaries aiming to compare environmental impacts from an activity (product or system) with the safe operating space (SOS) for the activity. Specifically, we aim to increase the spatial resolution and improve life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) models for marine eutrophication for use in AESAs. By estimating a proxy of the areal extent of eutrophication and hypoxia in coastal large marine ecosystems (LME), we increased model resolution from 66 LMEs in the original LCIA method to 289 coastal LME subsegments and updated relevant LME parameters to the new scale (residence time, bottom water volume, reference O2 concentration, primary production rates and depths). The new method was tested and validated by comparing the global and spatially differentiated occupation of SOS by global nitrogen emissions with observations and it showed an improved ability to identify critical areas where the SOS is exceeded, in accordance with observations of hypoxic events. Despite limitations such as the estimation of benthic zone volume and low spatial differentiation of environmental boundaries, the method can be used by AESA and LCA practitioners wishing to assess the impact of nitrogen release on marine eutrophication with a higher and more relevant spatial resolution.

Linking inventories and impact assessment models for addressing biodiversity impacts: mapping rules and challenges

PurposeAn adequate matching between the nomenclature of elementary flows in life cycle inventory (LCI) databases and life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) methods is key for ensuring the proper application of life cycle assessment (LCA). However, the nomenclature of elementary flows lacks harmonization among the LCA community. This paper aims at defining mapping rules and discussing main challenges related to the process of systematically mapping LCI nomenclatures to LCIA methods and models addressing biodiversity impacts.MethodsEight LCIA methods and models addressing biodiversity loss are analyzed: five comprehensive LCIA methods (i.e., LC-IMPACT, Impact World + , Ecological Scarcity 2013, ReCiPe 2016, and Stepwise), one land use intensity-specific LCIA model; and two approaches adapting the GLOBIO model to LCIA. These models and methods are mapped to two LCI nomenclatures (ecoinvent v3.6 as implemented in Simapro and Environmental Footprint (EF) 3.0). A mapping tool was developed to support the process of (a) mapping elementary flows by name, Chemical Service number or available synonyms; (b) implementing specific mapping rules regarding compartment/sub-compartment, and substance name; (c) mapping elementary flows to manually defined proxies (e.g., synonyms, spelling corrections and similar substances); and (d) assigning characterization factors (CFs). The process entails analyzing a case study to identify uncharacterized elementary flows.Results and discussionWe present a mapping of LCIA methods and models addressing impacts on biodiversity loss with specific LCI nomenclatures. Mapping rules are proposed for elementary flows regarding chemicals, carbon emissions, land use, water use, and particulate matter. Specific aspects to be considered in mapping elementary flows in LCIA and LCI nomenclatures are discussed. Main gaps in LCI nomenclatures are associated to toxicity and climate change impacts. The EF 3.0 was more aligned than ecoinvent 3.6 with the LCIA methods and models regarding elementary flows coverage and regionalization level. Analyzing uncharacterized flows revealed further coverage needs for “Chemical, organic” (between 19 and 20% uncharacterized flows), “Chemical, inorganic” (between 9 and 18% uncharacterized flows) and “Chemical, radioactive” (between 9 and 14% uncharacterized flows).ConclusionsThis paper contributes to the operationalization of LCIA methods and models addressing biodiversity impacts by proposing a systematic mapping process and rules for a better LCIA-LCI connection. Different development pathways of LCI (e.g., focused on substance name detail) and LCIA (e.g., towards improved regionalization level) have stretched the gap between both nomenclatures. Recommendations are provided identifying further efforts towards the harmonization of the nomenclature of elementary flows in the LCA community.

A literature review of eutrophication in Life Cycle Assessment. Relevance for pampean agroecosystems in Argentina

The tools that operate within the framework of life cycle thinking have acquired great relevance, since they make it possible to determine the environmental profile of the system being evaluated. One of the risks deriving from the various economic activities is the eutrophication of water bodies and soil, and these categories are considered in all Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) models. However, aquatic and terrestrial eutrophication is not yet exhaustively explored in the field of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in Argentina.&#x0D; A systematic analysis of specific national and international antecedents on these impact categories is carried out, focusing on terrestrial ecosystems, given the productive matrix and the advance of the agricultural frontier in the region. In the absence of research articles, it is deduced that there are no site-dependent characterizing factors (CFs) to evaluate environmental impacts in environmentally significant areas, given that there are no antecedents on the integrated analysis of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. The methods and their models will be selected based on the one that best suits regional conditions, following the guidelines agreed upon at the Pellston Workshop 2018. This research can be further developed, continuing with the characterization of the ecosystems receiving the emissions. Argentina is currently considered one of the major agricultural regions of the world, with most activity centered in the Pampa region. The development of regional indicators for this region within the LCIA stage is of great relevance, since it will allow the quantification of environmental impacts derived from activities of great economic importance for the country, positioning itself as an advance in the study of environmental risks in the region.&#x0D;

Life-cycle impacts of wind energy development on bird diversity in Norway

While wind energy remains a preferred source of renewable energy, understanding the full spectrum of impacts are vital to balance climate-related benefits against their costs to biodiversity. Environmental impact assessments often fail to assess cumulative effects at larger spatial scales. In this respect, life cycle assessments are better suited, but have to date mainly focused on greenhouse gas emissions and energy accounting. Here, we adapt a recent global life-cycle impact assessment (LCA) methodology to evaluate collision, disturbance and habitat loss impacts of onshore wind energy development on bird species richness in Norway. The advantage of a local model for Norway is that it enables employing species distribution models to more accurately estimate the potential distribution area of species. This facilitates more realistic site- and species-specific assessments of potential impacts within a local scale but excludes habitat ranges outside Norway. Furthermore, a new characterization factor was developed for potential barrier effects. Larger onshore wind-power plants overall had greater site-specific potentially disappeared fractions (PDF) of species, while smaller plants were less efficiently located with greater impacts per GWh. Overall, Norwegian wind-power plants were sited least efficiently (PDF/GWh) regarding indirect habitat loss (2.186 × 10−9) and disturbance (1.219 × 10−9), followed by direct habitat loss (0.932 × 10−9), and finally collisions (0.040 × 10−9) and barriers (0.310 × 10−9). Vulnerability differed among bird groups with seabirds, raptors and waterfowl emerging as the most impacted groups (e.g. 5.143 × 10−9, 3.409 × 10−9 and 3.139 × 10−9 PDF/GWh for disturbance, respectively); highlighting the sympatric distribution of their habitats and the majority of Norway's onshore wind-power plants. Current practice has not succeeded in avoiding sites with higher impacts for birds, fuelling conflicts surrounding environmental concerns of onshore wind energy development in Norway. Operative LCA models can help decision-makers assessing localized life-cycle environmental impacts to support environmental-friendly wind energy production in specific regions.

A high-resolution life cycle impact assessment model for continental freshwater habitat change due to water consumption

Global value chains and climate change have a significant impact on water resources and increasingly threaten freshwater ecosystems. Recent methodological proposals for life cycle impact assessment (LCIA), evaluate water use impacts on freshwater habitats based on river hydraulic parameters alterations. However, they are limited to French rivers due to lack of global data and models. On this basis, this article proposes an approach to compute regionalized characterization factors for modeling river habitat change potential (HCP) induced by water consumption, potentially applicable worldwide. A simplified model is developed for fish guilds and invertebrates. Based on French datasets, it establishes a relationship between HCP and river hydraulic parameters. A methodology to derive discharge and hydraulic geometry at the reach scale is proposed and applied to European and Middle Eastern rivers below 60°N latitude. Regionalized HCPs are calculated at the river reach scale and aggregated at watershed. Then, the impact of agricultural water use in contrasted European and Middle Eastern countries is evaluated comparing the outcomes from the HCP and the Available Water Remaining (AWARE) models at the national scale, considering water supply mix data. The same analysis is carried out on selected river basins. Finally, result consistency, uncertainty and global applicability of the overall approach are discussed. The study demonstrates the reproducibility of the impact model developed for French rivers on any hydrographic network where comparable ecological, hydrological and hydraulic conditions are met. Furthermore, it highlights the need to characterize impacts at a higher spatial resolution in areas where HCP is higher. Large scale quantification of HCP opens the way to the operationalization of mechanistic LCIA models in which the habitat preferences of freshwater species are taken into account to assess the impacts of water consumption on biodiversity.

农业生命周期评价研究进展

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 农业生命周期评价研究进展 DOI: 10.5846/stxb201906201307 作者: 作者单位: 作者简介: 通讯作者: 中图分类号: 基金项目: 国家自然科学基金项目（41901255）；中国科学院战略性先导科技专项（A类）（XDA20010303） Research Progress of life cycle assessment on agriculture Author: Affiliation: Fund Project: The National Natural Science Foundation of China（41901255）；Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Science (XDA20010303), 摘要 | 图/表 | 访问统计 | 参考文献 | 相似文献 | 引证文献 | 资源附件 | 文章评论 摘要:作为评价产品系统全链条环境影响的有效工具，生命周期评价（LCA）方法已广泛用于工业领域。农业领域也面临着高强度的资源和环境压力，LCA在农业领域的应用应运而生。旨在综述已有农业LCA研究的基础上，鉴别农业LCA应用存在的问题，并为农业LCA未来的发展提出建议。目前农业LCA存在系统边界和功能单位界定不明晰、缺少区域清单数据库、生命周期环境影响评价模型（LCIA）不能准确反映农业系统环境影响、结果解释存在误区等方面的问题。为了科学准确地衡量农业系统的环境影响，促进农业系统的可持续发展，文章认为农业LCA应该从以下几个方面加强研究，即科学界定评价的参照系、系统边界的扩大及功能单位的合理选取、区域异质性数据库构建与LCIA模型开发、基于组织农业LCA的开发以及对于利益相关者行为的研究。 Abstract:As an effective tool for evaluating the environmental impact of production system from cradle to grave, the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method has been widely used in relevant studies on the industrial sector. The agricultural sector is also accompanied by high-intensity resource and environmental pressures, and the application of LCA in agriculture has emerged. This paper aims to review the existing research in agricultural LCA, identify the problems of the application of LCA in agriculture, and make recommendations for the future development of agricultural LCA. At present, several challenges exist in agricultural LCAs: unclear definitions of system boundary and functional unit, lack of regional inventory databases, inaccurate life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) model in reflecting the environmental impact of the agricultural system, and misunderstanding in the interpretation of the results. In order to scientifically and accurately measure the environmental impacts of agricultural systems and promote their sustainable development, the article advocates that the agricultural LCA should strengthen research from the following aspects: the scientific setting of the reference system, expansion of system boundaries and rational selection of functional units, construction of the regionally heterogeneous database and development of LCIA model, development of LCA on organizational agriculture, and research on stakeholder behaviors. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

Controlling biodiversity impacts of future global hydropower reservoirs by strategic site selection

Further reservoir-based hydropower development can contribute to the United Nations’ sustainable development goals (SDGs) on affordable and clean energy, and climate action. However, hydropower reservoir operation can lead to biodiversity impacts, thus interfering with the SDGs on clean water and life on land. We combine a high-resolution, location-specific, technical assessment with newly developed life cycle impact assessment models, to assess potential biodiversity impacts of possible future hydropower reservoirs, resulting from land occupation, water consumption and methane emissions. We show that careful selection of hydropower reservoirs has a large potential to limit biodiversity impacts, as for example, 0.3% of the global hydropower potential accounts for 25% of the terrestrial biodiversity impact. Local variations, e.g. species richness, are the dominant explanatory factors of the variance in the quantified biodiversity impact and not the mere amount of water consumed, or land occupied per kWh. The biodiversity impacts are mainly caused by land occupation and water consumption, with methane emissions being much less important. Further, we indicate a trade-off risk between terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity impacts, as due to the weak correlation between terrestrial and aquatic impacts, reservoirs with small aquatic biodiversity impacts tend to have larger terrestrial impacts and vice versa.