scholarly journals Valuing Biodiversity in Life Cycle Impact Assessment

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (20) ◽  
pp. 5628 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Lindner ◽  
Horst Fehrenbach ◽  
Lisa Winter ◽  
Judith Bloemer ◽  
Eva Knuepffer
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Impact Assessment ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Value Chains ◽  
Conservation Priorities ◽  
Impact Assessment Method ◽  
The Impact

In this article, the authors propose an impact assessment method for life cycle assessment (LCA) that adheres to established LCA principles for land use-related impact assessment, bridges current research gaps and addresses the requirements of different stakeholders for a methodological framework. The conservation of biodiversity is a priority for humanity, as expressed in the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Addressing biodiversity across value chains is a key challenge for enabling sustainable production pathways. Life cycle assessment is a standardised approach to assess and compare environmental impacts of products along their value chains. The impact assessment method presented in this article allows the quantification of the impact of land-using production processes on biodiversity for several broad land use classes. It provides a calculation framework with degrees of customisation (e.g., to take into account regional conservation priorities), but also offers a default valuation of biodiversity based on naturalness. The applicability of the method is demonstrated through an example of a consumer product. The main strength of the approach is that it yields highly aggregated information on the biodiversity impacts of products, enabling biodiversity-conscious decisions about raw materials, production routes and end user products.

scholarly journals Investigating the wastewater treatment system of the Tehran Oil Industry Research Institute using the Life Cycle Assessment Method

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Afsaneh Eskandari Ashgofti ◽  
Maryam Morovati ◽  
Ebrahim Alaiee ◽  
Kamelia Alavi
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Industrial Effluent ◽  
Treatment Plant ◽  
Industrial Effluents ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Research Institute

Introduction: Due to population growth and subsequent limited water resources, the use of treatment plant effluents is of particular importance. Therefore, this study was conducted to identify the environmental effects of the treatment plant and also to identify critical points or weaknesses of the treatment plant system and provide corrective action to reduce the severity of the effects.  Methods: After visiting the research institute and collecting data (during the years 2017-2018), the energy, consuming materials and output of the system were calculated using the life cycle assessment method. Finally, information on the spread of pollution and consumption was included in the list of index effects. To analyze the obtained information, Simapro software (using ILCD 2011 Midpoint V1.03 method) version 8.5.0.0. was applied. Results: Based on the research findings, the software depicted the evaluation of the effects in 13 categories and all the information entered in the software according to the impact, has participated in each category of effects, the most effective factors related to chloride, energy consumption and oil. Conclusion: The results of this study show that the main critical point identified in the treatment plant is related to electricity and the sanitary effluent is in a worse condition than the industrial effluent. However, the environmental impact of industrial effluents should not be neglected. Due to the fact that the MBR method is considered as one of the best methods of wastewater treatment, it is not recommended to change the treatment method, but with continuous monitoring and management of the system, it is possible to reduce the consumption of raw materials.

Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Conventional Concrete to Ash Concrete

2021 ◽  
Vol 897 ◽  
pp. 151-157
Author(s):  
José Ferreira ◽  
Elisabete Silva ◽  
Idalina Domingos ◽  
Luiza Silva ◽  
Isabel Brás
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Fly Ash ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Waste Reduction ◽  
Resource Saving ◽  
Life Cycle Assessment Methodology ◽  
Conventional Concrete ◽  
Impact Assessment Method ◽  
The Impact

In the present work, the environmental impacts of the concrete made with woody fly ash that presented compressive strength like the conventional concrete were evaluated and compared using the Life Cycle Assessment methodology. The impact assessment method used was the “CML-IA baseline” implemented in SimaPro software. The results showed that concrete with fly ash had a lower impact than conventional concrete in all the impact categories under study and may be classified as an eco-material (eco-concrete) considering that the environmental issues that are minimized are waste reduction, reduce of landfill problems and resource saving by the utilization of recycled materials.

scholarly journals Life cycle assessment of electric and conventional cars energy consumption and CO2 emissions

2018 ◽  
Vol 234 ◽  
pp. 02007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivan Evtimov ◽  
Rosen Ivanov ◽  
Georgi Kadikyanov ◽  
Gergana Staneva
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Electric Energy ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Electric Cars ◽  
Electric Car ◽  
Electric Traction ◽  
The Impact

This paper presents an analysis concerning the effectiveness of electric traction in comparison with conventional cars. The Life Cycle Assessment method is used. It estimates the energy spent for the extraction of the raw materials/sources, manufacturing and transportation of the components and the vehicle, motion, maintenance and repair during exploitation period and the recycling process. The impact of the production technology of the electric energy, needed for charging the battery, is taken into account. The energy consumption and CO2 emissions for the life cycle of electric and conventional cars are presented on graphs. Examples for Bulgaria and EU countries are given. The exploitation conditions in which the electric car is more effective regarding CO2 equivalent emissions are shown. The main influence on the effectiveness of electric cars has the structure of the energy mix of the country where the electric car is produced and is used in exploitation.

scholarly journals PRODUCT LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT METHOD AS AN EFFECTIVE COMPLEX OF ACTIONS REGARDING THE ECO-SAFETY OF THE CHEMICAL INDUSTRY

2021 ◽  
pp. 52-57
Author(s):  
Yevheniia Matis ◽  
Olga Krot
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Product Life Cycle ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Solid Waste Disposal ◽  
Inventory Analysis ◽  
Iso 14040 ◽  
Product Life ◽  
The Impact

Based on the methods of product life cycle assessment, it is proposed to assess the environmental friendliness of the chemical plant. The LCA method represents the very systematic approach to assessing the environmental impact of production, carried out as a whole over its life cycle from the extraction and processing of raw materials to the use of individual components. It is used to systematically assess the impact of each stage of the production life cycle on the environment. Life cycle inventory analysis includes the collection of data required for the study, as well as the inventory of input (energy, water, raw materials and materials) and output (emissions into the environment, emissions, solid waste disposal, eastern water flows). a system that is a set of single processes interconnected by the flows of semi-finished products used in one or more given functions, with other productive systems and elementary flows with the environment (emissions into the atmosphere, discharges into water). Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a method that should be used to quantify the products and services of the environment carried out during its life cycle (ISO 14040 (2006)). There are several procedures approved by this methodology to support the calculation of the impact on emergencies. The methodology includes commercial software tools that are used directly or indirectly [1]. One of the goals of the LCA is to analyze the development of the production process at the station of emergency facilities. According to ISO 14040 (2006), the product life cycle assessment structure includes: 1) determining the level and scope to limit the study and select a functional unit; 2) analysis of input and output reserves of energy and materials that are important for the study of the research system; 3) life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) to classify environmental impacts; 4) phase interpretation, to test the overall popularity of the conclusion. The LCA can manage information to analyze and support the project and production decision-making process.

scholarly journals Residential Life Cycle Assessment Modeling: Comparative Case Study of Insulating Concrete Forms and Traditional Building Materials

2010 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 95-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neethi Rajagopalan ◽  
Melissa M Bilec ◽  
Amy E Landis
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Impact Assessment ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Impact Category ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Frame Structure ◽  
Use Phase ◽  
Wood Frame ◽  
The Impact

Innovative, sustainable construction products are emerging in response to market demands. One potential product, insulating concrete forms (ICFs), offers possible advantages in energy and environmental performance when compared with traditional construction materials. Even though ICFs are in part derived from a petroleum-based product, the benefits in the use phase outweigh the impacts of the raw material extraction and manufacturing phase. This paper quantitatively measures ICFs' performance through a comparative life cycle assessment of wall sections comprised of ICF and traditional wood-frame. The life cycle stages included raw materials extraction and manufacturing, construction, use and end of life for a 2,450 square foot house in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Results showed that even though building products such as ICFs are energy intensive to produce and thus have higher environmental impacts in the raw materials extraction and manufacturing phase, the use phase dominated in the life cycle. For the use phase, the home constructed of ICFs consumed 20 percent less energy when compared to a traditional wood-frame structure. The results of the impact assessment show that ICFs have higher impacts over wood homes in most impact categories. The high impacts arise from the raw materials extraction and manufacturing phase of ICFs. But there are a number of embedded unit processes such as disposal of solid waste and transport of natural gas that contribute to this high impact and identifying the top unit process and substance contributors to the impact category is not intuitive. Selecting different unit processes or impact assessment methods will yield dissimilar results and the tradeoffs associated with every building product should be considered after studying the entire life cycle in detail.

scholarly journals 2-Piece Cork Stoppers as Alternative for Valorization of Thin Cork Planks: Analysis by LCA Methodology

Foods ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 873
Author(s):  
Francisco Javier Flor-Montalvo ◽  
Agustín Sánchez-Toledo Ledesma ◽  
Eduardo Martínez Cámara ◽  
Emilio Jiménez-Macías ◽  
Jorge Luis García-Alcaraz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Lca Methodology ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Different Dimensions ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Different Thickness ◽  
Cork Stoppers ◽  
Wine Bottle

Natural stoppers are a magnificent closure for the production of aging wines and unique wines, whose application is limited by the availability of raw materials and more specifically of cork sheets of different thickness and quality. The growing demand for quality wine bottle closures leads to the search for alternative stopper production. The two-piece stopper is an alternative since it uses non-usable plates in a conventional way for the production of quality caps. The present study has analyzed the impact of the manufacture of these two-piece stoppers using different methodologies and for different dimensions by developing an LCA (Life Cycle Assessment), concluding that the process phases of the plate, its boiling, and its stabilization, are the phases with the greatest impact. Likewise, it is detected that the impacts in all phases are relatively similar (for one kg of net cork produced), although the volumetric difference between these stoppers represents a significant difference in impacts for each unit produced.

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