Life Cycle Inventory Analysis Research Articles

Consumer resistance diminishes environmental gains of dietary change

The environmental gains of dietary change are often assessed in relation to average national diets, overlooking differences in individual consumption habits and people’s willingness to change. This study combines microdata on food intake and consumer behaviour to elicit the likely environmental gains of dietary shifts. We focus on the Netherlands owing to the country’s ambition to halve its dietary footprint by 2050. Linking food recall survey data from a cross-section of the population (n = 4313), life cycle inventory analysis for 220 food products, and behavioural survey data (n = 1233), we estimate the dietary footprints of consumer groups across water, land, biodiversity and greenhouse gas (GHG). We find that meat and dairy significantly contribute to the dietary GHG footprint (59%), land footprint (54%), and biodiversity footprint (59%) of all consumer groups and that male consumers impose a 30%–32% greater burden than women across these impact areas. Our scenario analysis reveals that simply replacing cow milk with soy milk could reduce the GHG, land and biodiversity footprints by ≈8% if widely adopted by the Dutch adult population. These footprints could be further reduced to ≈20% with full adoption of the EAT-Lancet diet but with a significantly increased blue water footprint. However, when incorporating gender- and age-specific willingness to reduce meat and dairy consumption, the environmental gains resulting from partial adoption of the No-Milk diet and EAT diet diminish to a mere ≈0.8% and ≈4.5%, respectively. Consequently, consumer motivation alone is insufficient to realise the significant environmental gains often promised by dietary change. Yet, substituting high-impact food products offers a near-term opportunity to accelerate a rapid sustainable dietary transition. Future studies on sustainable dietary transition must incorporate consumer behaviour to fully comprehend the lock-in of food consumption patterns and targeted policy action required to secure a sustainable food future.

Embodied carbon premium for vanity height: A case for the exclusion of decorative spires in the design of tall buildings

In measuring the height of a tall building, the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) recognises three categories: “height to architectural top”; “height to highest occupied floor”; and “height to tip”. The “height to architectural top” category, which includes decorative spires, is used to define the influential CTBUH annual rankings of the “World's Tallest Buildings”. The inclusion of decorative spires in the category ranking has created an incentive for developers to maximise the vanity height of tall buildings, defined as the height difference between a tall building's architectural top and its highest occupied floor.The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the detrimental influence of spires and, by extension, vanity height on the embodied carbon of structural systems for tall buildings. This influence is evaluated using three tall building scenarios of varying heights (50, 70, and 90 storeys). Two finite element models, with and without spires, are parametrically designed for each scenario. All the modelled structural systems comprise a reinforced concrete tube-in-tube lateral load resisting system. A hybrid life cycle inventory analysis approach is used to quantify the embodied carbon of spires as well as the resulting increase in the embodied carbon of structural systems.The findings of this study indicate that even basic spires can lead to an increase of up to 14.2% in the embodied carbon of structural systems for tall buildings, underscoring the imperative to eliminate such elements in the design and construction of tall buildings to minimise overall embodied carbon.

Social life cycle assessment of the olive oil industry: a case study in Guilan Province, Iran

AbstractOlive oil production has severe environmental consequences, including resource depletion, land degradation, carbon emissions, and waste generation. As a result, for over two decades, environmental life cycle assessment (ELCA) has been applied to the olive oil industry to identify environmental issues and reduce the environmental effects. However, little is known regarding the social sustainability of this industry. Social life cycle assessment (S-LCA) has been established as one of the most effective methodologies for assessing the social implications of products throughout their life cycles. Accordingly, based on the S-LCA approach, this study aims to assess the social impacts of the olive oil extraction industry in Roudbar County in Guilan Province in Iran, the major producer of olives and olive oil. The S-LCA model adopted in this paper is built in four major phases (UNEP/SETAC in Guidelines for social life cycle assessment of products, 2009): (1) Definition of Goal and Scope: outlines the intended use and the goal pursued and specifies the scope of the research. The research will then be defined to fulfill that purpose within any constraints. (2) Life Cycle Inventory analysis: is the phase at which data are collected, systems are modeled, and LCI results are generated. (3) Life Cycle Impact Assessment: a collection of steps to obtain data categorization, aggregation, and characterization based on performance reference points. (4) Life Cycle Interpretation: considers all important aspects of the research when drawing results, offering recommendations, and reporting. The findings suggested that the social conditions governing the olive oil extraction cycle in the study area are almost adequate. However, other categories of social impacts, such as cultural heritage, community development, and working conditions, were rated unsatisfactory by olive orchard workers and need improvement. Adopting the cause-and-effect chain in this study favors identifying specific indicators based on social issues in the study location. On the other hand, a scale-based assessment may result in the subjectivity of the results, which adds to the uncertainty. An impact-based assessment may be applied to analyze social impacts such as occupational health and safety, employment, pay, and benefits to get more credible social impact data. Consequently, integrating the scale-based approach with an efficient path-based method may improve its effectiveness.

Embodied Carbon Premium for Cantilevers

This study addresses the critical need for sustainable architectural designs within the context of climate change and the significant role the built environment plays in greenhouse gas emissions. The focus of this paper is on understanding the influence of unbalanced cantilevers on the embodied carbon of structural systems in buildings, a subject that has, until now, remained underexplored despite its importance in architectural innovation and environmental sustainability. Employing a case study approach, the Melbourne School of Design (MSD) building serves as a primary example to assess the embodied carbon implications of cantilevered versus supported structures. The methodological framework encompasses a comparative embodied carbon assessment utilising an input–output-based hybrid life cycle inventory analysis approach. The findings reveal that unbalanced cantilevers in buildings, exemplified by the MSD building, can lead to a 10% increase in embodied carbon compared to alternative designs incorporating supporting columns. Such findings underscore the environmental premium for cantilevers, prompting a re-evaluation of design practices towards minimising embodied carbon. Through this investigation, the research contributes to the broader discourse on sustainable construction practices, offering valuable insights for both design practitioners and educators in the pursuit of improving the environmental performance of the built environment.

Life Cycle Assessment of Conventionally and Organically Grown Pineapple in Gampaha District

Pineapple is one of the major commercial fruits grown in Gampaha and Kurunegala districts of Sri Lanka. Most cultivations are under conventional practices which generate significant environmental impacts while there are few organic cultivations (~1%). There is lack of published on the environmental impacts related to cultivation of pineapple in Sri Lanka. This study therefore aimed to quantify and compare environmental impacts of conventionally and organically grown pineapple in Gampaha District. Environmental impacts were compared using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) tool which evaluates the potential environmental impacts throughout the life cycle of a product or a process. According to ISO 14040:2006 and ISO 14044:2006 guidelines, LCA methodology has four main phases such as goal and scope definition, life cycle inventory analysis (LCI), life cycle impact assessment (LCIA), and life cycle interpretation. The system boundary for the study was from cradle to farm gate. All the environmental impacts were estimated for a functional unit of one tonne of pineapple. Primary data for the LCA was gathered using a pre-tested structured questionnaire conducted among twenty conventional- and six organic farms. Input and output inventories were prepared during LCI phase. Under LCIA phase, impact categories such as global warming potential (GWP), eutrophication, human toxicity, terrestrial ecotoxicity, and freshwater ecotoxicity were considered. Results indicated that conventional cultivation system has significantly higher impacts compared to the organic cultivation system. Global warming potential of conventionally cultivated one tonne of pineapple was 182.23 kg CO2 eq. It was 26.72 kg CO2 eq for organic cultivation indicating 7 times lower impact. Eutrophication potential was 6.63 kg PO43- eq for conventional cultivation while that for organic cultivation was 0.81 kg PO43- eq (8 times lower). Pesticide use has resulted in 2,279.12 kg 1,4 DB eq of human toxicity, 18,331.71 kg 1,4 DB eq of freshwater ecotoxicity and 1,624,494.37 kg 1,4 DB eq terrestrial ecotoxicity for conventional cultivation while organic cultivations have resulted in no toxicity. The results highlight significant contribution of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides towards all five impact categories of the LCA. The results could provide implications for promoting organic cultivation in order to reduce the impacts on the environment in the long run. 
 Keywords: Life cycle assessment, Pineapple, Conventional cultivation, Organic cultivation, Environmental impacts

Tinjauan Inventori Daur Hidup dalam Pengelolaan Mineral Ikutan Radioaktif

Naturally-Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM) is generated by several non-nuclear activities or events. Life cycle assessment can be used to evaluate the steps and processes in managing NORM. However, the use of life cycle assessment for NORM is still limited. This paper aims to identify the key considerations when conducting a life cycle inventory analysis for NORM management. The life cycle assessment process includes determining objectives and scope, performing a life cycle inventory analysis, impact assessment, and interpretation. Since NORM is produced by a wide range of activities, it is essential to establish clear objectives and scope from the outset. Analysis of NORM management inventories will vary depending on the physical, chemical, or radionuclide characteristics of the NORM. One of the main challenges in inventory analysis is collecting data and information related to the input, process, and output of a processing unit based on the objectives and scope. Some general considerations that can be used in inventory analysis include determining flow and mass diagrams, location, and equipment data. Flow and mass diagrams show the input, process, and output stages of a processing unit, while location data can be used as a constraint in the life cycle assessment system. Equipment data will contain information regarding the type and number of equipment, equipment performance details, energy requirements, fuel requirements, etc. Inventory analysis can only be carried out accurately and effectively when the objectives and scope of the NORM management life cycle assessment are known. However, even if the processing unit and NORM management characteristics influence the input and output information and data, initial information regarding energy and fuel sources can still be analyzed. Keywords: radioactive minerals, life cycle assessment, NORM analysis, inventory.

Lifecycle Assessment of Two Urban Water Treatment Plants of Pakistan

Water treatment technologies are striving to retain their ecological and economic viability despite the rising demand, conventional infrastructure, financial constraints, fluctuating climatic patterns, and highly stringent regulations. This study evaluates the lifecycle environmental impact of urban water treatment systems within the two densely populated South Asian municipalities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, Pakistan. The scope of this study includes a process-based Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the entire water treatment system, particularly the resources and materials consumed during the operation of the treatment plant. The individual and cumulative environmental impact was assessed based on the treatment system data and an in-depth lifecycle inventory analysis. Other than the direct emissions to the environment, the electricity used for service and distribution pumping, coagulant use for floc formation, chlorine gas used for disinfection, and caustic soda used for pH stabilization were the processes identified as the most significant sources of emissions to air and water. The water distribution consumed up to 98% of energy resources. The highest global warming impacts (from 0.3 to 0.6 kg CO2 eq./m3) were assessed as being from the coagulation and distribution processes due to extensive electricity consumption. Direct discharge of the wash and wastewater to the open environment contributed approximately 0.08% of kg-N and 0.002% of kg-P to the eutrophication potential. The outcome of this study resulted in a thorough lifecycle inventory development, including possible alternatives to enhance system sustainability. A definite gap was identified in intermittent sampling at the treatment systems. However, more stringent sampling including the emissions to air can provide a better sustainability score for each unit process.

Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Alternative Marine Fuels

With the stricter rules introduced by the policymakers in maritime transportation, harmful emissions are aimed to be mitigated. Consequently, studies on alternative fuels have emerged, and different methods had adopted to evaluate fuel choices. Within this context, a well-to-wake life cycle assessment method is used to determine the environmental impacts of the fuel options. Included fuels in the study are ammonia, biodiesel, Dimethyl ether, electro Fischer Tropsch diesel fuel, electro methanol, Fischer Tropsch diesel fuel, hydrogen, liquefied natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, marine diesel oil, marine gas oil, marine bio-oil, methanol, pyrolysis oil, renewable diesel, straight vegetable oil, and ultra-low sulfur heavy fuel oil. The paper aims to evaluate the fuels according to the 2050 strategy of the International Maritime Organization. Hence, black carbon, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, nitrogen oxide, sulfur oxide, particulate matter, methane, and volatile organic compounds are considered emissions. During the study, an ocean tanker model available in the GREET Model 2022 was used for life cycle inventory analysis, and life cycle assessment was conducted by Environmental Footprint Method 3.0, which is included in the OpenLCA. The assessment was carried out according to climate change, acidification, freshwater ecotoxicity, marine eutrophication, terrestrial eutrophication, non-cancer human toxicity, particulate matter, and photochemical ozone formation criteria. The results show that out of eight criteria, marine bio-oil became the most dominant choice due to the consumption of CO2 and methane while producing and low emission generation during combustion.

Automation of Life Cycle Assessment—A Critical Review of Developments in the Field of Life Cycle Inventory Analysis

The collection of reliable data is an important and time-consuming part of the life cycle inventory (LCI) phase. Automation of individual steps can help to obtain a higher volume of or more realistic data. The aim of this paper is to survey the current state of automation potential in the scientific literature published between 2008 and 2021, with a focus on LCI in the area of process engineering. The results show that automation was most frequently found in the context of process simulation (via interfaces between software), for LCI database usage (e.g., via using ontologies for linking data) and molecular structure models (via machine learning processes such as artificial neural networks), which were also the categories where the highest level of maturity of the models was reached. No further usage could be observed in the areas of automation techniques for exploiting plant data, scientific literature, process calculation, stoichiometry and proxy data. The open science practice of sharing programming codes, software or other newly created resources was only followed in 20% of cases, uncertainty evaluation was only included in 10 out of 30 papers and only 30% of the developed methods were used in further publication, always including at least one of the first authors. For these reasons, we recommend encouraging exchange in the LCA community and in interdisciplinary settings to foster long-term sustainable development of new automation methodologies supporting data generation.

Climate impact of bioenergy with or without carbon dioxide removal: influence of functional unit and parameter variability

PurposeBioenergy with carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is increasingly proposed as an efficient way to mitigate climate change. This study examined the circumstances and methodological choices in which two CDR bioenergy systems were preferable to a reference bioenergy system from a climate change mitigation perspective. The CDR systems were also compared.MethodsThree systems were modelled: two CDR systems (Biochar, bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS)), with a combined heat and power (CHP) system as reference. A parameterised life cycle inventory (LCI) model was developed and computed for all systems and four different functional units (FUs), resulting in different distributions of climate impacts. Contribution analysis was performed, followed by pair-wise comparison of all scenarios to establish their ranking. First-order Sobol indices were computed to assess the contribution of each parameter to total variance. When ranking of scenarios was strongly dependent on parameter values, decision tree analysis was applied.Results and discussionThe CDR systems had a lower climate impact than CHP in most computations, across all FUs. On comparing the two CDR systems, the preferable system changed with FU. With heat or carbon sequestration as FU the Biochar system was preferable in general, while with electricity or biomass use as FU, the BECCS system had the lowest climate impact in most computations. For most system configurations, energy substitutions had a large influence and contributed most to the variance in results. The system ranking also depended on the reference activities in the background energy system.ConclusionsThe Biochar and BECCS systems were generally preferable to the reference CHP system from a climate mitigation perspective, particularly when the reference energy systems had a relatively low climate impact. However, FU and parameters affected the system ranking. For comparing BECCS and biochar, case-specific climate impacts will be decisive, but not always conclusive, as the choice of FU has such large impact on the results.RecommendationsWhen conducting LCA of multi-functional systems, the use of several FUs, parameterised LCI, and contribution analysis allows for deeper investigation than conventional sensitivity analyses. When analysing the climate impact of bioenergy with or without carbon removal, it is especially important to perform sensitivity analysis on the energy background system, since it strongly affects the results.

Life Cycle Inventory Analysis Methodology Reflecting the Impact of Supply and Demand of Secondary Resources and Materials

製品 LCA では、製品システムで消費あるいは回収する二次資源の入出力を環境影響評価にて考慮するに際して、異なる複数の手法があり、画一的な手法はいまだ確立されていない。実際には、製品で用いる材料が異なればリサイクル性が異なり、製品の設計が異なれば使用済み製品に含まれる材料の回収性が異なる。二次資源の入出力による環境負荷の計算方法が異なれば、ライフサイクルを通して環境負荷の少ない材料の選択や、環境負荷の少ない製品設計の開発に対して、異なった結論を与えることが危惧される。そこで、本稿では、consequentialアプローチに則って、製品ライフサイクルにおける二次資源の消費ならびに回収にかかる環境負荷の追加や回避に関する考え方を示し、それに基づく評価式について概説した。続いて、欧州委員会が公表している製品環境フットプリントカテゴリールールガイダンスに CFF としてとりまとめられた評価式と比較した。その結果、CFF では、リサイクルにより回避される廃棄段階の負荷が適切に評価されていないことが明らかとなった。これは、CFF が実質的に負担の要素を積み上げているためと考えられた。本稿では、理論式と実務的な積み上げに基づく計算式の違いについても理論的に説明した。

Интеграция оценки жизненного цикла в практику выбора перспективной технологии функциональных пищевых ингредиентов

The research involved environmental assessment of technologies for the production of functional ingredients with oncoprotective functions on the basis of different raw materials: secondary resources – by-products of soybean oil production and plant raw materials (extracts from Filipendula ulmaria) in order to determine the environmental impact in their life cycle and to select the environmentally best of the considered technologies. The following biologically active substances were considered as research objects: microencapsulated phytosterols from by-products of soya oil production and nanoencapsulated extracts from wild and farmer Filipendula ulmaria. Life cycle assessment method was used as a research method as a tool to assess the environmental impact of production. Life cycle inventory analysis of technologies was carried out based on SimaPro 9.1.1.1.1 software using EPD (2018) V1.01, ReCiPe 2016 (Midpoint (H) V1.04/World (2010) H), and IPCC 2013 (GWP 500a V1.01) calculation models. Using the life cycle of functional ingredients for cancer prevention as an example, it is shown that the use soya oil production by-products is more environmentally friendly than the use of plant extracts from wild and farmer's labdanum (Filipendula ulmaria). The environmental impacts of the production technologies in the categories of global warming, eutrophication, acidification, and water consumption were quantified, confirming the superiority of phytostyrene from soya oil waste. The results obtained can be used to create a domestic information database for the selection of the best technologies for the production of biologically active substances and functional food ingredients, taking into account the environmental assessment of the life cycle.

Comparative life cycle analysis of environmental and machining performance under sustainable lubrication techniques

One of the issues confronting manufacturers is the requirement for establishing sustainable production methods, which poise between economic feasibility and ecological preservation. Alternative sustainable cutting fluid methods must be developed since the traditional lubricants employed in machining operations are unsustainable from the environmental impact point of view. The balance between energy-production demand and quality-productivity is required for sustainable production. In this respect, this research studies the tool life, machining efficiency, energy consumption, and carbon emission under dry, flood machining, and minimum quantity lubrication machining. This study comprises two parts: evaluation of machining characteristics in terms of tool life, machining efficiency, energy consumption, and carbon emission, and the life cycle assessment (LCA) of inventories used during machining experimentation. The outcomes of this novel work revealed an increase of 42% and 61% in tool life at a cutting speed of 185 ​m/min under flood and MQL media than dry machining. At a cutting speed of 185 ​m/min in three different lubricating conditions, the percentage increase in the efficiency was 31%, and 28% for dry, flood, and MQL machining. In MQL machining, due to more uniform lubrication than flood machining, energy usage decreases by 38%, 32%, and 27% at the rate of metal removal of 93.67, 131.68, and 152.36 ​mm3/min. Also, A decrease in CO2 emissions of 16%, 21%, and 18% was attained in MQL machining than flood machining at 185, 215, and 245m/min cutting speeds. Furthermore, this also compares life cycle inventory analysis in dry, flood, and minimum quantity lubrication. Gate-to-gate approach methodology adopted for LCA analysis of system boundaries and functional unit to examine the environmental impression through ReCipe 2016, Endpoint (H) methodology. Sustainable assessment through life cycle analysis determined that dry and mist machining are more sustainable than wet machining.

어류용 어초의 전과정평가 기법을 이용한 환경성 평가

A life cycle assessment (LCA) was performed to evaluate the potential environmental impact on the producing process of artificial reefs which are structure used for increasing fisheries resources. A cube-type artificial reef and a jumbo-type artificial reef were selected and evaluated to compare the potential environmental impact assessments. A total of 8 impact categories were selected for life cycle impact assessment (LCIA). MiLCA, IDEA and LIME 2 were employed for the LCA program, life cycle inventory database and LCIA methodology, respectively. As a result of life cycle inventory analysis, a total of 132 kinds of inflows and 69 kinds of outflows were derived. And it was found that a cube-type artificial reef had potentially greater influence than a jumbo-type artificial reef in 8 environmental impact categories.

A comparative life cycle assessment of phytosterol and meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) oncoprotective functional food ingredients

The urgent and relevant goals of providing a healthier diet and sustainable food systems taken together require a systematic approach that considers a broader environment for food choice. The paper compares three technologies to produce functional ingredients for preventing oncological diseases - each of them involving different sources of raw materials - a by-product of soybean processing, wild meadowsweet extract and planted meadowsweet extract.Life cycle assessment (LCA) has been selected to justify the choice of raw ingredients and the best technology for the stakeholders. Life cycle inventory analysis (LCIA) of technologies was carried out based on the SimaPro 9.1.1.1. To confirm the results of the LCIA of technologies to produce biologically active substances (BAS) from by-products of soybean oil processing, the following models of the SimaPro 9.1.1.1 software were used: EPD (2018) V1.01, ReCiPe 2016 (Midpoint (H) V1.04 / World (2010) H) and IPCC 2013 (GWP 500a V1.01). The validation of the results and the assessment of the impact of uncertainties in the initial data on the LCA calculations of the technologies were carried out using Monte Carlo method. The results showed that production of BAS from a by-product of soybean oil processing is the most environmentally friendly technology, and the data obtained could add to the life cycle database for the category of “Functional food ingredients” or serve as an example for further research and comparison with other targeted functional ingredients.

Greenhouse Gas Analysis in Field Maize Agriculture Using Life Cycle Assessment

The scope of this research was limited to analyzing land preparation and harvested maize. This study aimed to identify and measure the largest GHG in each process of field maize farming to design efficient mitigation efforts. This research employed a field research method and involved five farmer groups with different field maize farming models. The data analysis referred to the SNI ISO 14040: 2016 Framework, consisting of four stages: goal and scope definition, life cycle inventory analysis, life cycle impact assessment, and life cycle interpretation. The life cycle inventory used energy coefficients, emission factors, and the Intergovernmental Panel Climate Change (IPCC) guidelines. The results showed that the Total Global Warming Potential (GWP 100) in one ton of shelled maize production was 251.50–10,000.29 CO2 eq. The largest GWP was found in biomass burning and the use of Urea and NPK fertilizers. The potential for burning biomass was 5,533.67–9,683.93 CO2 eq per ton of shelled maize. There are two recommended efforts to minimize GHG emissions: converting biomass into feed and using organic fertilizer to reduce GWP from the use of fertilizer.

Life Cycle Analysis of Food Waste Valorization in Laboratory-Scale

Among the different alternatives for the production of biofuels, food waste could be a favorable bioenergy source. Using food waste as a feedstock has the potential to meet the expectations of the second generation of biofuels, in terms of environmental savings and revenue-generation, and which, along with other valuable co-products, can contribute to biorefinery profits. This study aimed to investigate the early stages of life-cycle assessment (LCA) for restaurant food waste processed into bioethanol, biomethane, and oil, split over different scenarios. Based on a life cycle inventory analysis, the environmental impacts were assessed using an IMPACT 2002+ methodology. The characterized impacts were then normalized against the average impacts, and the normalized results were weighted and aggregated to provide single score LCA results. The overall findings showed that electricity consumption and condensates included VFAs, as well as enzymes, yeast, and n-hexane, were the main contributors to the environmental burdens in all impact categories. Considering the sensitivity analysis, the results demonstrated that the enzyme dosage loading in the hydrolysis process and n-hexane utilization in the fat extraction process can change the environmental performance, along with the process efficiency. This study can provide an approach to foresee environmental hotspots in the very early developmental stages of food waste valorization into biofuels, and for highlighting drawbacks connected to the implementation of conversion processes at pilot and industrial scales.

Grinding sustainability analysis using a fatigue failure-related product life indicator

Grinding is considered as a rather environmental-unfriendly process, where the aspects involving the high demanding process energy input and required fluid application can lead to severe environmental impacts while achieving high product quality. However, the reduction of the cutting fluids raises the cutting temperature, leading to negative alterations of the ground subsurface. Such detrimental aspects are usually not factored into a life cycle inventory analysis. Therefore, this study introduces a new sustainability indicator based on the rolling contact fatigue life of the component, as determined by the grinding process. A method for calculating this indicator is presented, and a case study is illustrated. The subsurface damage thickness can be loosely correlated with fatigue life and introduced as a new indicator. The selected indicators were used as decision-making parameters to showcase the potential of the product life factor as an aggregate sustainability indicator.

Social impact and social performance of paddy rice production in Iran and Malaysia.

PurposeSustainable agri-food production is incredibly important for society. Despite Iran and Malaysia being one of the highest production countries for paddy rice, there is no study on the social life cycle assessment (S-LCA) for rice production for both countries in the literature. The lack of data and complexity of social issue are the challenges of conducting the S-LCA study. This study compared the social impacts from the related stakeholders in the life cycle of paddy rice production between Malaysia and Iran.MethodsThis study applied S-LCA based on UNEP (UNEP/SETAC Life Cycle Initiative, 2020) as an evaluation technique to investigate social issues and social performance of paddy rice production in Malaysia and Iran. This research included workers, local communities, and farmers as the stakeholders. The inventory data were collected by using questionnaires. The subcategories for evaluation were adapted from UNEP 2020 guideline. The items in the questionnaire were separately validated by experts in Malaysia and Iran, and the reliability was done by conducting pilot studies in Malaysia and Iran. The questionnaires were distributed by multistage sampling method. The following four steps were conducted following the ISO14040 framework: (1) goal and scope definition, (2) social life cycle inventory analysis (S-LCI), (3) social life cycle impact assessment (S-LCIA), and (4) interpretation.Results and discussionThe result showed that the social performance of workers and farmers in Malaysia was better than Iran because of low cost with high yield for farmers, contributing to increased income. Rice cultivation in Iran for local community did not show good performance regarding health and safety because of burning of rice residue. Around 62% of local Iranian people reported air pollution from rice residue burning. However, the overall social performance for local community was not different in Iran and Malaysia, showing good performances with respect to job opportunity. Sexual harassment was identified as one of the negative social issues in Iran with the score of 60%, including unwanted sexual attention. Moreover, the farmers showed poor performance in Iran, resulting from low satisfactory from income, and low yield and high cost of paddy production in Iran.ConclusionThe key investigation from this research revealed that social performance of crop production in different geographical areas could show different results. The key finding from this study reported that modern agriculture could increase social and economic performance by reducing the production cost, and increasing productivity and social performance in terms of satisfactory from income for farmers. The result of this study can be used for policy makers to improve social performance by using modern agriculture.

Modeling pesticide residues in tobacco leaves for improving life cycle inventory analysis of pesticides in the cigarette industry

To promote pesticide management in tobacco products, we conducted a life cycle inventory (LCI) analysis by simulating pesticide residues in tobacco leaves during tobacco farming, manufacturing, and product use stages in the cigarette industry. For the tobacco farming stage, the bioaccumulation-potential analysis of pesticide residues in fresh tobacco leaves indicated that lipophilicity and degradation half-life in soil were two significant factors determining residue mass in leaves. For the manufacturing stage, the persistence analysis of pesticide residues in processed tobacco leaves revealed that pesticides with high volatility or high degradability in plant tissues had small processing factors. For the product use stage, exposure and toxicity assessment of pesticide residues were conducted for tobacco consumed via smoking, which generated characterization factors linking pesticides to impacting human health. According to the LCI analysis, we quantitatively showed that pesticides with low lipophilicity, high degradability, and high volatility limited consumers' exposure to residues via smoking.