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Part II: spatial differentiation in life-cycle assessment via the site-dependent characterisation of environmental impact from emissions

  • LCA Methodology
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Abstract

Due to a lack of spatial and temporal differentiation in lifecycle assessment (LCA), no environmental concentrations can be predicted. As a consequence, it does not seem possible to evaluate whether a no-effect level is exceeded. Therefore, some LCA studies show a poor relationship between the predicted environmental impact and the expected occurrence of actual environmental impact for impacts of a non-global character. This article discusses possibilities for the inclusion of spatial information in life-cycle impact assessment and provides an outline of a site-dependent approach. The required level of complexity in LCA is analysed. The elements of the cause-effect relationships to be incorporated in characterisation modelling, and the need for spatial and temporal differentiation within each of these elements are discussed. It is argued that the accordance between the impact predicted by LCA and the expected occurrence of actual impact can be improved considerably through the use of a site-dependent approach in impact assessment, and without unacceptable increasing uncertainty. In such an approach, the assessment process is extended with a few general site-parameters.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Process and Production Engineering, Dept. of Manufacturing Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Building 403 II, DK-2800, Lyngby, Denmark

    José Potting & Michael Hauschild

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  1. José Potting
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  2. Michael Hauschild
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Potting, J., Hauschild, M. Part II: spatial differentiation in life-cycle assessment via the site-dependent characterisation of environmental impact from emissions. Int. J. LCA 2, 209–216 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02978417

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