Lifecycle impact assessment

Goedkoop, M., Spriensma, R., 2000. Eco-indicator 99, a Damage Oriented Method for Lifecycle Impact Assessment, Methodology Report (update April 2000). 

Goedkoop Ml, Spriensma R (2000) Eco-indicator 99 a damage oriented method for lifecycle impact assessment, methodology report (update Apr 20W)... 

Assessing and evaluating chemical hazards in order to seek the greenest options provides the foundation from which hfecycle impacts and exposure can be considered. By first selecting chemical candidates with the least inherent hazard, companies can make more informed choices by considering the potential for exposure and lifecycle impacts. 

All other scorecard items stem directly from lifecycle analysis assessment theory (32). For some impact types, quantitative norms can be stated. For stratospheric ozone layer depletion components, the emission norm is zero. This means in practice that components such as CFCs and SF6 should not be used at all, not even in contained technical applications, because containment over the lifecycle cannot be ensured. 

In reality, this assessment hinges on four clearly defined phases the definition of the goals and scopes of the LCA lifecycle inventory, evaluation of the impacts of the lifecycle and finally interpretation of the lifecycle. The assessment is based on a scientific methodology, which employs software toolkits, within the framework laid down by the ISO 14040 and 14044 standards. 

CBA, cost-benefit analysis DMC, direct material consumption DMI. direct material input EF. ecological footprint EIA, environmental impact assessment EMS, environmental management system En. energy analysis lOA, input-output analysis LCA, lifecycle assessment LCC. life cycle costing MFA, material flow accounting MIPS material intensity per unit service RA, risk assessment SEA. strategic environmental assessment SEEA system of economic and environmental accounts SFA, substance flow analysis TMR. total material requirement. 

The impact assessment presents the databased balance in terms of environmental impact so as to derive conclusions concerning the overall impact. The databased balance thus provides the basis for the impact assessment. The aspects under investigation include the potential environmental impacts (e.g., climate change, ozone depletion, acid rain) caused by the input and output flows over the entire lifecycle. 

Monitoring will begin prior to construction in order to develop a baseline against which to judge any changes that occur throughout die lifecycle of the plant. The collation of baseline data is required as part of an environmental impact assessment to support an application for planning consent. 

Analysis of the solid and liquid process waste streams clearly indicates that the MCC process offers environmental benefits compared with the chemical resolution procedure. To generate data for the cradle-to-grave emissions and impacts, a streamlined life cycle assessment of all of the processes was performed using the Fast Lifecycle Assessment for Synthetic Chemistry, FLASC . 

To be able to assess the environmental impact of a technology over the whole lifecycle, a lifecycle assessment (LCA) should be performed. A brief description of LCA follows. 

Life cycle assessment is a method for calculating the environmental impact of a product or service over its whole lifecycle. Steps in a lifecycle include ... 

A product lifecycle ranges from resource extraction through manufacture to use and final waste disposal or processing. Under the current EU chemical risk assessment procedure, lifecycle thinking considers the risks at each stage of a substance s lifecycle, with the possible summation of multiple sources of exposures to a single substance [144], LCA that quantitatively evaluate the overall environmental and health impacts of processes, services or products can complement risk assessment as a useful decision-support tool for chemical risk management [183, 188, 536]. 

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