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Life Cycle Assessment

Mary Ann Curran BSChE/MSc/PhD (June 2008) LCA Research Program Manager EPA Office of Research & Development National Risk Management Research Laboratory Cincinnati, OH 45268 curran.maryann@epa.gov. Life Cycle Assessment. LCA is an environmental management tool to:.

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Life Cycle Assessment

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  1. Mary Ann Curran BSChE/MSc/PhD (June 2008) LCA Research Program Manager EPA Office of Research & Development National Risk Management Research Laboratory Cincinnati, OH 45268 curran.maryann@epa.gov Life Cycle Assessment

  2. LCA is an environmental management tool to: • Apply a system-wide examination • Use a multi-media approach (air, water, solid waste) • Identify trade-offs among alternatives • Identify opportunities to improve systems • Support environmental decision making • Achieve sustainable development

  3. Life cycle thinking is being applied but often not called LCA • For example: OECD Report “Biofuels: Is the Cure Worse than the Disease? Sept 2007 These studies reveal bigger picture issues of making (more) bioethanol, such as land availability, water use, soil and water quality, and food-for-fuel issues.

  4. “Life Cycle Studies” often focus on a single issue, such as… • Recycling/Resource Conservation • Greenhouse Gas Emissions • Climate Change • Carbon Balance • Energy Balance but miss the element of trade-offs. So what is Life Cycle Assessment?

  5. There is a standardized tool for conducting a multi-media, cradle-to-grave assessment • ISO 14040 “Life Cycle Assessment – Principles and Framework” 1997 • ISO 14044 “Life Cycle Assessment – Requirements and Guidelines” 2006 * ISO – International Standards Organisation

  6. ISO 14040 Standards

  7. Defining system boundaries for E85

  8. Inventory data availability is a barrier to conducting LCAs • National LCI database still being developed (www.nrel.gov/lci) • Data come from many different sources, such as: • Proprietary company data • Consultants, labs, universities • Public, e.g., Toxics Release Inventory (EPA) • Databases use different units or different reference flows; report on different time periods • Often more than one source is needed to calculate the necessary inventory data • Data for new products must be estimated

  9. AIST-LCA APME Athena ATHENA BEES Boustead CMLCA Dubo-Calc EcoInvent EcoQuantum EDIP eiolca.net EMIS EPS GaBi GEMIS GREET IdeMAT KCL-Eco 3.0 LCAiT LCAPix MIET REGIS SimaPro 5.0 SPINE TEAM Umberto LCA Software/Consultants

  10. 31 National Databases (in varying stages of development)

  11. Impact Assessment -Common Impact Categories Impact Category Indicator Measurement • Resources kg Scarce Resources • Water m3 Water • Global Warming kg CO2 equivalents • Ozone Depletion CFC-11 equivalents • Acidification kg SO2 equivalents • Eutrophication kg PO43- equivalents • Smog Formation kg Ethene equivalents • Human Toxicity HTx equivalents • Eco Toxicity ETx equivalents • Waste kg Waste • Land Use equivalent hectares • Noise equivalent decibels • Odor ??

  12. LCIA usually models to midpoints(unlike Risk Assessment) Emissions (CFCs, Halons) Chemical reaction releases Cl- and Br- Cl-, Br- destroys ozone MIDPOINT measures ozone depletion potential (ODP) Less ozone allows increased UVB radiation which leads to following ENDPOINTS skin cancer cataracts crop damage marine life damage immune system suppression damage to materials like plastics

  13. Can we create a Streamlined LCA? • Out of necessity, all LCA’s are simplified in some aspect, however, • Narrowing the scope by • Omitting stages • Limiting the inventory • Targeting impacts can overlook potential trade-offs and report misleading results.

  14. Current LCA Practice • Public LCI data sources are few • Vendor data lack transparency • No guidance exists for data modeling • Impact modeling varies • No guidance exists for peer review • International UNEP/SETAC workgroup is slowly making progress • US Database is underway but struggling to get support/data

  15. Worldwide growing interest in the life cycle concept is being ignited by • Concerns about Global Climate Change (“An Inconvenient Truth”) • Walmart Scorecard development • Green/Sustainable buildings • General interest by companies to be ‘green’

  16. Sustainable Development requires balancing environmental, economic and social factors

  17. Suggested Reading • ISO Standards 14040 & 14044 (2006) • U.S. EPA (2006) Life Cycle Assessment Principles & Practice EPA/600/R-06/060 • Curran, M.A. (ed.) (1996) Environmental Life Cycle Assessment. McGraw-Hill, New York • Baumann & Tillman (2004) The Hitch Hiker's Guide to LCA: An Orientation in Life Cycle Assessment Methodology and Application • Heijungs R, et al (1992) Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of Products.Vol. I: Guide, and Vol. II: Backgrounds, Center for Envir. Studies, Leiden University • International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment • Journal of Cleaner Production • Journal of Industrial Ecology

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