Life Cycle Assessment Definitions

Life cycle assessment is defined by ISO 14040 as compilation and evalu ation of inputs, outputs and the potential environmental impacts of a product system throughout its life cycle. The ISO standards regulate the procedural aspects of LCA. They do not, however, provide all the information required for carrying out an LCA study. The main phases of LCA are goal and scope definition, inventory, impact assessment, and interpretation. The various applications of LCA are not regulated by the standard (Fig. 15.1). 

ISO, F.nvironmental Management—Life Cycle Assessment—Goal and Scope Definition and Inventory Analysis (ISO 14041). 

ISO 14041 1998 (1998) Environmental Management - Life Cycle Assessment - Goal and Scope Definition and Life Cycle Inventory Analysis. European Commitee for Standardisation, Brussels, Belgium. 

Rebitzer G, Ekvall T, Frischknecht R, Hunkeler D, Norris G, Rydberg T, Schmidt WP, Suh S, Weidema BP, Pennington DW. Life Cycle Assessment Part 1 Framework, Goal and Scope Definition, Inventory Analysis, and Applications. Environment International. 2004 30(5) 701-720. DOI 10.1016/j.envint.2003.11.005... 

ISO (1998) ISO 14041 Environmental management - Life cycle assessment - Goal and scope definition and inventory analysis. International Organisation for Standardisation, Geneva... 

We start with a definition of the problem and based on this, we identify the candidates (such as, molecules, mixtures and formulations) through expert knowledge, database search, model-based search, or a combination of all. The next step is to perform experiments and/or model-based simulations (of product behavior) to identify a feasible set of candidates. At this stage, issues related to process design are introduced and a process-product match is obtained. The final test is related to product quality and performance verification. Other features, such as life cycle assessment could also be introduced at this stage. 

Many site-specific characteristics have an impact on vitrification technologies. One critical aspect of any thermal technology is the water content of the waste. Water dilutes feed material, requires energy to drive off, and physically limits the feed rate of waste. Feed preparation is another variable, which differs with the technology and with site-specific characteristics. Many estimates do not take into account site preparation and waste disposal costs. Only complete treatment life-cycle assessments can provide reliable comparison data, and such studies are, by definition, highly site and waste specific (D18248T, p. 55). 

Life-cycle goal definition The reason(s) for undertaking die individual assessments in die LCA. 

ISO International Standard 14041, 1999E. Environmental management—life cycle assessment—goal and scope, definition and inventory analysis. International Organization for Standardization (ISO), Geneva. 

ISO ISO/TR 14049 Environmental Management—Life Cycle Assessment—Examples of Application of ISO 14041 to Goal and Scope Definition and Inventory Analysis ISO/TR 14049 International Organization for Standardization Geneva, March 15, 2000, 2000. 

Rebitzer G, Ekvall T, Frischknecht R, etal. (2004) Life cycle assessment - Part 1 Framework, goal scope definition, inventory analysis, and applications. Environment International 30 701-720. 

Report of EU COST Action 628 life cycle assessment (LCA) of textile products, eco-efficiency and definition of best available technology (BAT) of textile processing (Nieminen et al, 2007)... 

ISO/TR 14049 2012 Environmental management — Life cycle assessment — Illustrative examples on how to apply ISO 14044 to goal and scope definition and inventory analysis... 

Rebitzer, G., Ekvall, T., Frischknecht, R., Hunkeler, D., Norris, G., Rydberg, T., Schmidt, W.-P., Sub, S., Weidema, B.P., Pennington, D.W., 2004. Life cycle assessment Part 1 framework, goal and scope definition, inventory analysis, and applications. Environment International 30, 701—720. 

ISO. (1998). Environmental management—Life-cycle assessment— Goal and scope definition and inventory analysis (ISO 14041 1998). Intemational Standard Organization, October 1998, pp. 27. Brussels. 

LCSA extends the environmental boundaries of traditional LCA in an attempt to incorporate the concept of sustainable development. It is defined as a method of addressing environmental, economic, and social sustainabiHty of a product system over its life cycle, indicated through the measurement of either positive or negative impacts [3]. LCA has been implemented through an integration of E-LCA, hfe cycle costing (LCC), and social life cycle assessment (S-LCA) [3]. Brief definitions of E-LCA, LCC, and S-LCA are described in Table 14.1. 

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