Life cycle assessment environmental profile

KaUiala, E.M., Nousiainen, P., 1999. Life cycle assessment, environmental profile of cotton and polyester-cotton fabrics. Autex Research Journal 1 (1), 8—20. 

The development of green Foodomics runs parallel to the improvement and design of techniques able to assess the environmental impact of the different protocols/processes/operations involved. At present several techniques can be found in the literature to test, for instance, the impact of analytical chemistry methods (such as the Greeness profile, the HPLC-EAT, or the Analytical Eco-Scale) and the environmental impacts associated with a product or process, over its entire life cycle (such as Life Cycle Assessment). Nevertheless, techniques able to provide a more holistic view of the different aspects... 

With the growing awareness for the protection of the environment, there is a greater need for producers to improve the environmental profile of their products. Consumers and regulatory bodies expect more information on the effects of products on the environment during their manufacture, use, and disposal. The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is used as a holistic approach to assess the impact of a product throughout its life cycle. An important aspect of LCA is recycling and waste management. 

Eco-efficiency assessment focuses in principle on the entire life cycle, but then concentrates on specific events in a life cycle where the alternatives under consideration differ. Eco-efficiency analysis includes the cost data as well as the straight life cycle data. Eigure 5.3 shows that life cycle assessment is based on the environmental profile, which can be obtained, for example, from data provided by the plants and which includes the path from the cradle to the work-gate. On extending this approach to the entire life cycle, a life cycle assessment is obtained. Adding to these additional assessment criteria again, followed by an economic assessment, then leads to an eco-efficiency analysis (Figure 5.4). 

Figure 5.4 Eco-efficiency analysis includes life cycle assessment and environmental profile. Source adapted from Salingeto/. [22].

Life-cycle assessment (LCA) is a three-step design evaluation methodology composed of inventory profile, environmental impact assessment, and improvement analysis (Keoleian and Menerey 1994). The purpose of the inventory step is to examine the resources consumed and wastes generated at all stages of the product life cycle, including raw materials acquisition, manufacturing, distribution, use, repair, reclamation, and waste disposal. 

Resource and environmental profile analysis (REPA), the forerunner to the current practice of life cycle assessment, focused on quantifying the energy requirements and emissions of a product or process but not the impacts on human health or the ecosystem. Ideally, according to the originators of REPA, the analysis would be linked to a risk assessment of emissions related to a process or product [91,92]. It is worth noting, with respect to the theme of this book, that REPA originated in 1969. Environmental life cycle considerations did not formally enter into product development or modification before that time. 

The technology of enzyme production also contributes to the positive enzyme environmental profile. In that respect, gene technology is very favorable, as shown by a life-cycle assessment. A nice example is given by Kliippel et al. [118], which is summarized in Table 11. 

The aim of the Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) is to facilitate the interpretation of the results of the inventory analysis. The result of the inventory analysis is an emission profile for each alternative system. In this study the emission profile is the total of all emissions to air, water and soil from the grave-to-cradle chain for the use of cushion vinyl floor covering, including the up chain processes, like electricity production and the down chain processes, like the incineration and landfill of the waste. Such an emission profile may consist of hundreds of emissions and extractions. In LCA impact assessment the total of interventions (emissions, extractions) of a process chain is evaluated in terms of environmental problems (impact categories). 

A recent example of an attempt to determine whether using a renewable bio-logicaUy-based process for making a particular product exhibits a better environmental profile in comparison to using a synthetic pathway is the comparison of two different processes for the manufacture of the pharmaceutical intermediate 7-aminocephalosporic acid (7-ACA) as a case study [33]. The methodology used for the assessment integrates environment, health, safety, and life cycle aspects... 

The assessment of each material was conducted in three steps. First, a screening of the life cycle for the potentially most severe impacts of the material was accomplished by consulting experts in material-, health-, and environmental sciences, and a chemical profile, including four to five chemicals or chemical groups... 

The threat hazard assessment is an evaluation of a munition and its life-cycle environmental profile to determine the threats and hazards to which the munition may be exposed. The assessment includes threats posed by friendly munitions, enemy munitions, accidents, handling, transportation, storage, and so on. The assessment is based on analytical or empirical data to the best extent possible. A THA is a mandatory requirement specified in MIL-STD-2105 (Series), Hazard Assessment Tests for Non-Nuclear Munitions. A THA covers the fife cycle of the munition item, including friendly and hostile environments starting with production delivery and extending until the item is expended, or properly disposed. The THA identifies threats and hazards, both qualitatively and quantitatively, along with their causes and effects. 

LCA or LC Assessment is a technique with which the stages in the life cycle of an activity, product or process are identified, analyzed and assessed to obtain a LC profile of the subject imder study or to compare different products or processes. It is defined as a process to evaluate the environmental burdens associated with a project, process, service or activity by identifying and quantifying energy and material usage and environmental releases to asses their impact on the environment, and to evaluate and implement opportunities for environmental improvements. 

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