Life Cycle Inventory Database Research Articles

Decision tree-based approach to extrapolate life cycle inventory data of manufacturing processes

Life cycle assessment (LCA) plays a crucial role in green manufacturing to uncover the critical aspects for alleviating the environmental burdens due to manufacturing processes. However, the scarcity of life cycle inventory (LCI) data for the manufacturing processes is a considerable challenge. This paper proposes a novel approach to extrapolate LCI data of manufacturing processes. Taking advantage of LCI data in the Ecoinvent datasets, decision tree-based supervised machine learning models, namely decision tree, random forest, gradient boosting, and adaptive boosting, have been developed to extrapolate the data of GHG emissions, i.e., carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane, and water vapor. Initially, a correlation analysis was conducted to derive the most influential factors on GHG quantities resulting from manufacturing activities. First, the collected data have been preprocessed and split into train and test sets (70% and 30%, respectively). Second, a five-fold cross-validation method was applied to tune the hyperparameters of the models. Then, the models were re-trained using the best hyperparameters and evaluated using the test set. The results reveal that the Gradient Boosting model has a superior predictive performance for extrapolating the GHG emission data, with average coefficients of determination (R2) on the test set <0.95. Moreover, the model predictions involve relatively low values of the average root mean squared error and an average mean percentage of error on the test set. The correlation and feature importance analyses emphasized that the workpiece material and manufacturing technology have a considerable effect on natural resource consumption, i.e., energy, material, and water inflows into the process. Meanwhile, energy consumption, water usage, and raw aluminum depletion were the most influential factors in GHG emissions. Eventually, a case study to extrapolate the inflows and the outflows for new manufacturing activities has been conducted using the validated models. The proposed GraBoost model provides a computational supplementary approach to estimate and extrapolate the GHG emissions for different manufacturing processes when LCI data are incomplete or don't exist within LCI databases.

Assessing Environmental Impact: Organosolv Extraction of Cellulose Pulp from Wood Waste

In the upcoming years, the paper industry is expected rely on containerboard for packaging, with approximately 80% of it being made from recycled fibers by 2020. Creating a new supply chain for fibers could help mitigate possible shortages. In this context, wood waste emerges as a valuable resource with the potential to serve as a plentiful and cost-effective reservoir for generating new materials, as cellulose fibers. This study presents an assessment of the environmental impact associated with the organosolv extraction of cellulose pulp from wood waste based on a previous in lab study conducted by the authors. The increasing demand for sustainable materials has prompted exploration into alternative methods for cellulose pulp production, with a focus on minimizing environmental footprint. Organosolv extraction, a promising technique, involves the use of organic solvents and acid catalysts to break down lignocellulosic biomass, resulting in high-quality cellulose pulp production. To evaluate the environmental implications of this process, a comprehensive life cycle assessment (LCA) approach was adopted. The LCA framework considers all stages of the organosolv extraction process, from wood waste collection to cellulose pulp manufacture, using a gate-to-gate approach. The functional unit for assessment is set as one ton of cellulose pulp. The dataset utilized for the LCA comprises primary data obtained from laboratory experiments, complemented by secondary data sourced from literature and the Ecoinvent life cycle inventory database. Furthermore, sensitivity analysis was conducted to assess the influence of key parameters on the environmental performance of the organosolv extraction process, with a focus on variations in energy consumption to identify potential areas for optimization and improvement. In summary, this study emphasizes the environmental aspects of utilizing organosolv extraction for cellulose pulp production from wood waste. Further research is warranted to explore energy consumption during the organosolv process for obtaining more precise data and optimizing the process. This could be achieved through pilot-scale experiments or utilizing process simulation software.

Environmental Impacts Associated with the Production and Packing of Persian Lemon in Mexico through Life-Cycle Assessment

In this study, the environmental impacts associated with the intensive production of Persian lemons are assessed, including the agricultural and packing phases of the fresh fruit. A life-cycle assessment (LCA) tool was used in accordance with the ISO 14040 and 14044 standards and implemented in SimaPro PhD (9.2) software. The life-cycle inventory database was primarily composed of data collected during field visits to local lemon orchards and the main packing company in the region. The functional unit was defined as 1 kg of packed fresh Persian lemons. The selected impact categories were the carbon footprint, water footprint, and energy footprint, and the results obtained for the defined functional unit were 405.8 g CO2 eq, 40.3 L of water, and 5.9 MJ, respectively. The industrial packing phase of the fruits had a greater impact on the carbon and energy footprints, mostly due to the manufacturing of packaging materials and cardboard boxes, followed by the transportation of supplies. Regarding the water footprint, the agricultural phase was identified as the most significant contributor to water consumption, primarily attributed to maintenance operations and the application of agrochemicals.

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 &lt; 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.

Top-down characterization of resource use in LCA: from problem definition of resource use to operational characterization factors for resource inaccessibility of elements in a short-term time perspective

Abstract Purpose When resources are extracted and used by society, they are not necessarily lost for future generations. Therefore, recent publications on impact assessment of abiotic resource use in life cycle assessment focus on a decreased accessibility of resources due to dissipation, rather than depletion. In a previous study, dissipation was defined as a function of the global change in accessible stock due to human actions, and the global amount of the accessible stock, assuming a very long-term time perspective (more than 500 years). In this paper, a short-term time perspective (25 years) is adopted. Methods The same generic characterization model is used, but different choices are outlined to derive characterization factors for a short-term perspective (25 years). To illustrate how the short term might be approached, a preliminary set of characterization factors is developed, based on assumptions and estimates. Results The problem of resource use is defined as follows: the decrease of accessibility on a global level of primary and/or secondary elements over the short term due to the net result of compromising actions (i.e., emissions, dissipation in the technosphere, occupation in use, and exploration for new stocks). Characterization factors are derived based on assumptions, like the following: the accessible stock is based on present estimates of accessible stocks in the environment and the technosphere; estimates of accessible stocks in the technosphere are based on past extractions and generic recycling rates; all flows that are presently not recycled are assumed to be inaccessible. Finally, weighting between elements and the functions they have for the present society is based on the added value of the economic sector that is affected due to the decreased accessibility. Discussion and conclusion A preliminary set of characterization factors is proposed for 55 elements. They assess the impact of the present use of resources on the decreased accessibility in the short term due to emissions and dissipation in the technosphere. However, calculation of impact category scores is still hampered by a lack of appropriate data for dissipative flows in life cycle inventory databases. The presented calculations are based on several simplifications and proxies. A more detailed distinction of dissipative flows and estimates of stocks in the technosphere may be possible based on (dynamic) SFA modelling of elements in different applications. To derive a more mature set of characterization factors, it is recommended to use the presented model as a basis and further elaborate or replace the proxies.

Bibliometric analysis and visualisation of research on life cycle assessment in Africa (1992–2022)

Abstract Purpose Life cycle assessment (LCA) has found wide applicability as a tool for assessing the environmental impacts of human activities in different fields such as manufacturing, mining, transportation, oil and gas, construction, and medicine. Despite the wide applicability of LCA globally, the uptake and use of the tool in Africa remains limited. This research is motivated by the need to explore the continental structure of life cycle assessment to ascertain the level of knowledge and research; collaboration amongst institutions, countries, and authors; keyword co-occurrence; thematic evolution; and bibliographic coupling. Methods Publications related to life cycle assessment were retrieved and cleaned from the Scopus database with the language restricted to English and only countries recognised by the African Union. VOSviewer (version 1.6.19) visualisation tool was used to construct and visualise the network maps of researchers, co-occurrence, co-authorships, and keywords. On the other hand, Bibliometrix was employed to carryout descriptive analysis and thematic evolution and to extract bibliographic information. Results and discussion In total, 616 research publications between 1992 and 2022 were retrieved. The results show that research on the subject matter picked up from 2004 and has been on the upward trend. South Africa, Egypt, Tunisia, and Algeria are the top countries carrying out LCA research on the continent. In addition, the top authors, affiliations, and funders also come from these countries. It was also noted that there were low levels of cooperation between authors on the African continent; rather, they collaborate more with researchers in Europe, America, and other parts of the world. The built environment, construction industry, alternative energy, agriculture, and waste management and recycling are the major themes of research on the continent. Conclusion Life cycle assessment is gaining traction amongst researchers in Africa, albeit slowly. Considering the continents’ role in the future especially in providing critical raw materials needed for the transition to a carbon-neutral society in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), rapid uptake and embedding life cycle thinking in every sector of the African economy are needed. However, there is an urgent need to equip researchers with the skills to facilitate the development of a life cycle inventory (LCI) database at countries or continental level.

Environmental impacts of circularity strategies for social distancing plastic shields made of polymethyl methacrylate in the United States.

One application of plastics that grew during the COVID-19 pandemic is for social distancing plastic shields, or protective barriers, made from polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) such as transparent face guards. Although available for other applications, end-of-life impacts for barriers are currently lacking in the literature, and there is a need to fill in this gap to guide decisions. This study evaluated the end-of-life environmental impacts of PMMA barriers in the United States by using life cycle assessment. We evaluated five strategies including landfilling, waste-to-energy, mechanical recycling, chemical recycling and reuse. Data were sourced from literature and various life cycle inventory databases. The Tool for Reduction and Assessment of Chemicals and Other Environmental Impacts (TRACI) was used as the life cycle impact assessment method. Landfilling exhibited the highest impact in all indicators and reuse demonstrated optimal results for global warming potential. A scenario analysis was conducted to explore a combination of strategies, revealing that the most promising approach involved a mix of 40% reuse, 20% mechanical recycling and 40% chemical recycling. Circular economy recommendations are proposed for managing these sources of plastic waste in the United States.

Integrating health, nutrition, and environmental impacts of foods: a life cycle impact assessment and modelling analysis of foods in Canada

BackgroundGiven the urgency of transitioning towards sustainable nutrition, dietary shifts that provide co-benefits to human health and the environment are imperative. There is currently no database of the environmental impacts of foods that reflects Canada's unique geographical and agri-climatic context and regional inputs and emissions. To determine sustainable diets, harmonising nutritional considerations with environmental impacts is also essential for an equitable comparison of foods. We aimed to develop a Canadian Food Life Cycle Inventory database and a multidimensional index to enable a joint assessment of the health and environmental impacts of foods in Canada. MethodsThe Canadian Food Life Cycle Inventory database uses life cycle assessment methodology to evaluate environmental impacts. The datasets mirror Canada's food consumption patterns, averaging the spectrum of agricultural practices weighted by domestic production and import shares. The database is structured according to the nomenclature and categorisation of the Canadian Nutrient File. Environmental sustainability is assessed using a cradle-to-grave approach, including indicators such as greenhouse gas emissions, eutrophication, particulate matter, freshwater usage, land use, non-renewable energy consumption, and food loss and waste. Environmental impacts are quantified through an environmental impact score (EIS) assigned to each impact category for a given food. The EIS-nutrition (EIS-N) integrates the evaluation of nutritional quality with environmental impacts using Nutri-Score, a validated food nutrient-profiling tool. The EIS-N is modelled as a ratio of the EIS to the Nutri-Score values. FindingsPreliminary results show the greatest environmental impacts for animal-based foods, particularly beef, in agreement with current literature. Foods with greater nutritional quality also generally show greater environmental sustainability, with some exceptions for particular impact categories. InterpretationThe database and index have potential to serve as powerful tools to support researchers, policy makers, and consumers, harnessing big data to drive efficient food and climate solutions for systems transformation. FundingProvince of Ontario and University of Toronto, CIHR SMART Healthy Cities Training Platform, and University of Toronto's Temerty Faculty of Medicine.

Comparative life cycle assessment of photovoltaic systems: An evaluation of environmental impacts over time

The production of photovoltaic (PV) systems is subject to continuous technological development and geographical shifts in manufacturing, leading to changes in economic aspects and environmental impacts. This work focuses on evaluating changes in environmental impacts over time using life cycle assessment (LCA). Several existing LCA studies and life-cycle inventory datasets for multi-crystalline silicon (multi-Si), single-crystalline silicon (single-Si), cadmium telluride (CdTe), and copper indium gallium selenide (CIS) were compared, and the reasons for deviations were analyzed.The comparison was carried out at the plant level for panel slanted roof systems, and the impact assessment results were compared to their counterparts from the ecoinvent v3.3 life cycle inventory cut-off database for individual datasets.The study found that technological advances in PV manufacturing have reduced environmental impacts. The differences between cell types converged over time, with CdTe having the lowest environmental impact during production. However, this may be relativized when considering the lower life time of CdTe cells in a cradle-to-grave assessment. Single-Si has a higher environmental impact during manufacturing, but it is just about compensated for compared to multi-Si. If a dataset for PV must be selected without cell-type knowledge, multi-Si plants are recommended as a proxy. The analysis provides insights into the environmental impacts of different PV systems over time and highlights the importance of regular updates of life-cycle inventories and consistent modeling.

Swiss Agricultural Life Cycle Assessment: A method to assess the emissions and environmental impacts of agricultural systems and products

PurposeAgricultural production, which dominates the environmental impacts of the food sector, has specific characteristics that need to be considered in life cycle assessment (LCA) studies. Agricultural systems are open, difficult to manage and control, strongly depend on natural resources and their impacts are highly variable and influenced by soil, climate and farm management. A specific framework, efficient methods and tools are thus needed to adequately assess the environmental impacts of agricultural systems.MethodsWe present the Swiss Agricultural Life Cycle Assessment (SALCA) concept and method, developed for a detailed and specific analysis of agricultural systems. It comprises rules for the definition of system boundaries, functional unit and allocation, emission models, a life cycle inventory (LCI) database, calculation tools, impact assessment methods and concepts for analysis, interpretation and communication. This paper focuses on emission models for gaseous N, nitrate leaching, P emissions to water, soil erosion, pesticides, heavy metals, emissions from animal production and impact assessment methods for soil quality and biodiversity. The models are calculated at the crop, field, animal group and farm levels and are integrated in a consistent and harmonised framework, which is ensured by exchanging intermediate results between models.Results and discussionThe SALCA concept has been applied in numerous LCA studies for crops and crop products, cropping systems, animal husbandry systems and animal products, food and feed products, farms and product groups, the agrifood sector and food systems. The SALCA methodology has also been a backbone of the LCI databases ecoinvent, AGRIBALYSE and the World Food LCA database. The strengths of SALCA lie in its comprehensiveness, specificity to agriculture, harmonisation, broad applicability, consistency, comparability, flexibility and modularity. The extensive data demand and the high complexity, however, limit the application of SALCA to experts. The geographical scope is limited to Central and Western Europe, with a special focus on Switzerland. However, due to the modular and flexible design, an adaptation to other contexts is feasible with reasonable effort.ConclusionsSALCA enables answering a wide range of research questions related to environmental assessment and is applicable to various goals and scopes. A further development would be the inclusion of the social and economic dimensions to perform a full sustainability analysis in the SALCAsustain framework.

The PROPER program evaluation to support the development of a national life cycle inventory database: recommendations

The quality and quantity of unit process datasets in the Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) database directly affect the reliability and accuracy of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study results where the data is used. Research has shown that data inventory management takes up 70-80% of LCA work. Using available datasets can improve efficiency in carrying out inventory. However, the availability of datasets for the Indonesia region still needs to be improved. Since 2021, the government has issued the revision of regulations related to corporate environmental performance known as PROPER. This research aims to recommend which industrial sectors should be prioritized for a national LCI database development based on an analysis of PROPER 2022 ratings, which company submitted LCA reports. This research concludes that the priority for developing the national LCI database is the oil and gas, electricity, mining, chemical, cement, food & beverages, and plantation sectors. This adds a new perspective to the development of the national database as it allows available resources through the implementation of the PROPER program.

The ILCIDAF project for the development of an Italian Life Cycle Inventory Database of agri-food products: the bread production phase

The Project of Significant National Interest (PRIN, 2017) entitled: "Italian Life Cycle Inventory Database of Agri-Food Products" (ILCIDAF), financed by the Ministry of University and Research, aims to promote the sustainability of the agri-food sector through the development of a database on a national and regional scale for some food chains that are significant for the Italian economy The objective is to create datasets for the Italian agri-food sector which current existing databases do not provide. Specifically, datasets that are geographically, temporally and technologically representative of the Italian national territory were developed. The selected supply chains are: bread and pasta, wine, olive oil and citrus fruits respectively studied by four scientific units: the Universities of Bari, Chieti-Pescara, Messina and Reggio Calabria respectively. The database is constructed considering the entire supply chain of the indicated foodstuffs. The University of Bari, to which the authors of this work belong to, has previously provided contributions on the agricultural phase of wheat, the milling phase and the pasta-making phase. In this work, on the other hand, the phases of the bread-making process of durum and soft wheat bread are described. The aim of this study is to construct datasets relating to the transformation phase of the indicated end products. In particular, 5 datasets were constructed: two relating to bread made from soft wheat flour, 2 with durum wheat semolina and 1 with wholemeal durum wheat semolina. The data was acquired through information provided by the companies in the sector (field data) through the completion of appropriately drafted questionnaires and company reports. In addition, the same analysed and processed were compared with data available in scientific literature.

Gadjah Mada University drinking water supply system TOYAGAMA life cycle inventory

TOYAGAMA is the drinking water supply system (DWSS) of Gadjah Mada University. Acknowledging that its production operations have potential environmental and ecological impacts is essential. To ensure sustainable operations, comprehension of these impacts is necessary. The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) has been reported to be an ideal method, but it has never been carried out, Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) is a vital preliminary step. Therefore, this study aims to construct an LCI database for the production of drinking water in TOYAGAMA DWSS, covering the process of raw water intake to treatment. This database could serve as a reference for future LCA studies involving similar technologies and as an overview of its potential impacts. The data collection methods included observation, literature review, and interviews. The collected data focus was carried out from September 26 to November 3, 2022. Organizing and processing were performed using Microsoft Excel and OpenLCA 2.0 Beta. The results showed that TOYAGAMA DWSS consisted of 15 unit processes and an additional 1 non-TOYAGAMA DWSS unit process was included in the LCI. Flows recapitulation showed that 15 environmental flows were involved. Evaluation using Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) method Environmental Footprint 3.0 indicated that the production of 1 m3 drinking water contributed to 12 of 28 potential impact categories. Based on the results, to produce 1 m3 of drinking water, 3.35293 MJ of electrical energy and 1.22723 m3 groundwater were required. Furthermore, plastic waste had the highest potential impact, with a total of 5 impacts.

Prospective consequential life cycle assessment: Identifying the future marginal suppliers using integrated assessment models

Previous research efforts have focused on developing prospective life cycle inventory databases that build upon projections from integrated assessment models but were limited to attributional system models. A novel approach is required to construct consequential LCI databases that can be applied consistently on a large scale. To this end, the heuristic approach from Bo Weidema was selected as a basis for this study. This approach has been validated with historical data and was adapted in this study to identify the marginal suppliers in a prospective context. The different steps within the approach were analyzed, and alternative techniques for each step within the heuristic method were proposed. The techniques were tested on the future electricity sector using projections from two integrated assessment models (IMAGE and REMIND). Results show the sensitivity of results on the modelling technique selected in each step. The most sensitive step is the selection of the time interval, with even small changes resulting in a noticeable difference. In addition, the results also showed a substantial difference between the projections of the two models. The relevance and goals of the alternative techniques for each step were discussed to guide users in forming the heuristic method for their study.

Establishing the effectiveness of life cycle assessment to assess the environmental impact of passenger cars using biofuels: A Review

Predictions and decisions made by legislators may be partially or wholly informed by the results of life cycle assessment studies, but the outcomes can vary significantly. This review seeks to establish whether existing life cycle assessment study results are accurate and if there are errors or deficiencies in life cycle inventory databases, chosen methodologies, or choice of life cycle assessment tool that may impact the outcome of life cycle assessment studies. The context of the work is set against the role bioethanol/gasoline blends might play in reducing the environmental impact of internal combustion engine-powered vehicles. The findings indicate inaccuracies exist and that there are various reasons for this. The accuracy of life cycle assessment results is affected by differences and inconsistencies that occur between life cycle inventory databases, the choice of life cycle inventory databases and life cycle assessment tools and because, in many cases, life cycle assessment methodology does not specify whether the biofuel content in the fuel is considered. The increase in the average age of biofuel-compatible passenger cars challenges the validity of results obtained by employing the commonly used approach based on fixed annual mileage profiles and lifetime activity. Uncertainty is a significant factor, and more attention should be paid to uncertainty analysis. Evidence shows the use of biofuels can deliver considerable environmental gains and reductions in CO2, especially in blends containing a higher percentage of biofuel.

An Environmental Impact Assessment of Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides) Aquaculture in Hangzhou, China

With the rapid increase in aquaculture production, its role in food safety and nutritional security has become increasingly important, but this has also given rise to environmental problems that cannot be ignored. The largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) has become a widely cultivated and highly economic freshwater farmed species since it was introduced to China in 1983; however, the environmental impacts of its freshwater pond aquaculture process have not yet been elucidated. Here, life cycle assessment (LCA), a decision-making tool that can evaluate and identify environmental issues during production processes, was used to evaluate the environmental performance of the largemouth bass freshwater pond aquaculture process, and a large-scale, commercial company was selected as an example in Hangzhou, China. The results showed that the pond-farming stage and marine aquatic ecotoxicity potential (MAETP) had the largest environmental impacts on the entire aquaculture process. An environmental contribution analysis indicated that electricity (48%) and emissions (23%) were two key factors in the seed-rearing stage, and electricity (60%) and feeds (26%) were two main impact contributors in the pond-farming stage. Improvement measures based on emerging technologies in aquaculture were discussed, namely, clean energies, industrial pond farming, and intelligent feeding strategies, to help with decision making for continuous improvement in the environmental performance of largemouth bass pond farming. Moreover, suggestions for further aquaculture LCA studies in China were summarized, as they will provide a useful reference for promoting the development of China’s aquaculture LCA research and the enrichment of the world’s aquaculture life cycle inventory databases.

Data implementation matters: Effect of software choice and LCI database evolution on a comparative LCA study of permanent magnets

AbstractLife cycle assessment (LCA) databases and software evolve. We analyzed to which extent software and evolving life cycle inventory databases affect the comparison of technology alternatives, using a comparative LCA on permanent magnets as a case study, with two selected software tools: CMLCA and Brightway LCA. We migrated the system models from the CMLCA to Brightway LCA software and alternated between the ecoinvent database versions 2.2 and 3.1 to 3.6 in the system background. When using ecoinvent v3.6 instead of v2.2, the change of the indicator results ranged from to 283%. The evolution of the ecoinvent database impacted the absolute amounts of the characterized results and the relative performance between alternatives. The impact category with the highest variability was ionizing radiation, which even showed a ranking inversion with ecoinvent v3.4. In contrast, the impact of using CMLCA or Brightway was negligible because the same data and modeling assumptions caused percentage differences below 0.4%. During the semi‐automated data migration to Brightway, we identified 23 environmental flows in the CMLCA model that were not paired with their corresponding characterization factors in the published study of reference. This error had led to an underestimation of 63% in the photochemical oxidation indicator of one of the alternatives. This underestimation relates to an interoperability issue regarding the nomenclature of environmental flows in software alternatives and is a matter of data implementation rather than an issue intrinsic to the selected software. Finally, we identified improvement opportunities for the transparency and reusability of LCA models. This article met the requirements for a Gold‐Gold JIE data openness badge described at http://jie.click/badges.

İç Duvar Panellerinin Yaşam Döngüsü Değerlendirmesi: Sümerbank Kayseri Tekstil Fabrikası Restorasyon Süreci Örneği

This study presents a case study that aims to select the ideal internal wall panel option causing less environmental impact for the Sumerbank Kayseri Textile Factory restoration process, which is now used as part of Abdullah Gul University’s main campus. Since the university has an environmental agenda, examining the environmental impacts of the materials used for the ongoing restoration process has the potential to contribute to these goals. For this purpose, the three most used interior wall panels in the Turkish building material industry, gypsum, reinforced gypsum, and cement-based panels, were selected within the scope of the case study. The life cycle assessment (LCA) method was used to compare these options, and analyses were conducted using SimaPro software. The data required for life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) were obtained based on market analyses and also from the EcoInvent Life Cycle Inventory Database. At the end of the study, damage assessment, weighting, and midpoint and endpoint data of the characterization results provided by the ReCiPe method were compared and interpreted. According to the overall results obtained for the described case conditions, reinforced gypsum panel causes the most adverse environmental impacts, followed by cement and gypsum panels, respectively.

#2695 THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE INTERNATIONALLY: RESULTS OF A LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT

Abstract Background and Aims The environmental impact of healthcare is high, and kidney care for chronic kidney disease (CKD) contributes significantly to this. Haemodialysis represents the only viable kidney replacement option for certain patients with CKD, in whom the clinical benefits are lifesaving. Haemodialysis is also resource-intensive, requiring frequent sessions, and energy- and water-intensive equipment. In recognition of this, the ERA has implemented a green nephrology initiative aiming to minimize the environmental impact of kidney care. However, there is a paucity of up-to-date analysis on the environmental impact of different dialysis techniques and CKD overall. This study presents an international, holistic life cycle assessment (LCA) of the environmental impact of CKD in adults at all CKD stages. Method LCA methodology was used, conducted according to ISO 14040/14044 international standards, to estimate the annual environmental impacts of each stage (1–5) of CKD per patient. At CKD Stage 5, supportive care, haemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, and transplantation pathways were considered. A literature review was performed to identify all studies reporting healthcare resource use in CKD, stratified by CKD stage. The study boundary is summarised in Figure 1. GaBi software was used to model the pathway based on ecoinvent Life Cycle Inventory database version 3.8. Environmental impact categories were reported according to the impact assessment methods, ReCiPE 2016 v1.1 and TRACI 2.1 (US only). Here, we describe the preliminary analysis of the international study, presenting results on the annual environmental impact of in-centre haemodialysis in the UK, based on one patient receiving haemodialysis three times weekly for four hours per session. The inputs for in-centre haemodialysis comprised dialysis consumables and their transport, energy/water used by the haemodialysis machine (including reverse osmosis), heating/cooling/lighting of the healthcare area, waste disposal, and patient transport. Results A total of 93,600 litres of water and 3,058 kWh electricity was estimated per patient for in-centre haemodialysis annually in the UK. The carbon footprint of in-centre haemodialysis in the UK per patient was estimated to be 3,900 kg CO2 equivalents, comparable to the average UK persons annual greenhouse gas footprint, effectively doubling their yearly greenhouse gas impact. Several other environmental impact categories were measured beyond the carbon footprint, including photochemical oxidation potential (ground-level ozone formation) and fine particulate matter, measured as PM2.5. Across each impact category, the parameters that drove each environmental impact differed (Figure 2). For example, dialysis consumables, haemodialysis machine, and patient transport were the main environmental contributors of fine particulate matter, while patient transport was the main driver of terrestrial ecotoxicity. Conclusion The results of this LCA build upon previous published research and demonstrate a high carbon footprint for in-centre haemodialysis, in line with other studies. The results also show that the environmental impact of in-centre haemodialysis goes beyond that of its carbon footprint, to other important environmental aspects such as PM2.5 emissions, in which long-term exposure is associated with health problems, such as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, and an increased risk of CKD. This study hopes to highlight the need for evidence-based policy interventions around the implementation of green nephrology initiatives such as use of renewable energy to power haemodialysis, utilisation of water conserving reverse osmosis systems, and reduction in waste. Furthermore, healthcare policy initiatives that could help detect patients in the early stages of CKD and thereby enable them to be managed proactively could eventually reduce the need for resource-intensive dialysis therapy.

Utilization of Free Trade Agreements to Minimize Costs and Carbon Emissions in the Global Supply Chain for Sustainable Logistics

Background: Since global warming is a crucial worldwide issue, carbon tax has been introduced in the global supply chain as an environmental regulation for the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Costs, GHG emissions, and carbon tax prices differ in each country due to economic conditions, energy mixes, and government policies. Additionally, multiple countries have signed a Free Trade Agreement (FTA). While FTAs result in their economic benefit, they also increase the risk of carbon leakage, which increases GHG emissions in the global supply chain due to relocation production sites from a country with stricter emission constraints to others with laxer ones. Method: This study proposes a mathematical model for decision support to minimize total costs involving carbon taxes with FTAs. Results: Our model determines suppliers, factory locations, and the number of transported parts and products with costs, FTAs, carbon taxes, and material-based GHG emissions estimated using the Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) database. The FTA utilization on the global low-carbon supply chain is examined by comparing the constructed supply chains with and without FTAs, and by conducting sensitivity analysis of carbon tax prices. Conclusions: We found that FTAs would not cause carbon leakage directly and would be effective for reducing GHG emissions economically.