LIFE CYCLE ANALYSIS Subject

During the last 5 to 10 years there was a growing tendency to include subject matters of societal relevance into a broad view of Environmental Chemistry. Topics include LCA (Life Cycle Analysis), Environmental Management, Sustainable Development and others. Whilst these topics are of great importance for the development and acceptance of Environmental Chemistry Publishers and Editors have decided to keep the Handbook essentially a source of information on hard sciences . 

This chapter outlines the principles of green chemistry, and explains the connection between catalysis and sustainable development. It covers the concepts of environmental impact, atom economy, and life-cycle analysis, with hands-on examples. Then it introduces the reader to heterogeneous catalysis, homogeneous catalysis, and biocatalysis, explaining what catalysis is and why it is important. The last two sections give an overview of the tools used in catalysis research, and a list of recommended books on specialized subjects in catalysis. 

A greater emphasis on life cycle analysis and sustainability as the key element in all subjects. Also, training in stakeholder engagement. 

Determining the impact assessment requires classification of each impact into one of these categories, characterization of the impact to establish some kind of relationship between the energy or materials input/output and a corresponding natural resource/human health/ecological impact, and finally the evaluation of the actual environmental effects. Many life cycle analyses admit that this last phase involves social, political, ethical, administrative, and financial judgments and that the quantitative analyses obtained in the characterization phase are only instruments by which to justify policy. A truly scientific life cycle analysis would end at the characterization phase, as many of the decisions made beyond that point are qualitative and subjective in nature. 

The second activity is characterized by the revitalization of older instrumental methods such as gravitational and centrifugal sedimentation methods. Redesign, modernization with advanced electronics, and user-friendly, computer-aided analysis have extended the instrument product life cycle. A good example is disc centrifuge photosedimentometry (DCP), the subject of three chapters in this volume. 

Risk assessment/analysis is a vast subject and very much plant specific. It depends highly on stages in the plant life cycle, available information, and resources. Therefore it is very difficult to cover all the processes and highlight each of them. In fact, there could be as many as 62 different kinds of PHA and risk assessment... 

The analysis of these materials is even more critical with increased interest in their environmental impact on ecological systems and human health. A number of frequently used additives, such as phthalate and adipate plasticizers have been identified as environmental pollutants, and the fate of these chemicals is the subject of ongoing studies. Concern over the total composition of plastics has increased the focus on the total life cycle of polymeric materials. Government attention to toxic substances has increased over the years through the US Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and the REACH initiative in the EU. These regulations may prohibit or otherwise impact the exportability of the plastic goods or other products that come in contact with the plastics. This, coupled with increased consumer attention and disclosures of chemicals in consumer products, has increased the need for a more complete analysis of polymeric materials. Combustion of rubber... 

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