Addressing the Dissipation of Mineral Resources in Life Cycle Assessment

Addressing the Dissipation of Mineral Resources in Life Cycle Assessment PDF Author: Alexandre Charpentier Poncelet
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Metals
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Dissipative flows of mineral resources are central to environmental impact assessment, since they are harmful to the environment and embody a wasteful use of non-renewable resources. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a recognized environmental assessment tool framed by the ISO 14040/44 norms, typically aiming to prevent damage on three areas of protection (AoP): ecosystem health, human health, and natural resources.Traditionally, the depletion of mineral resources has been assessed to quantify impacts on the AoP natural resources. However, recent trends in discussion within the LCA community suggest that dissipation of minerals may be more relevant to assess, since they represent the real loss of materials that are no longer accessible for future use, whereas the depletion of geological stocks may actually be considered to be desirable for as long as mineral resources remain accessible for further human use.This thesis has the objective to improve the consideration of dissipative flows of mineral resources in the LCA framework, focusing on the AoP natural resources. Broadly speaking, two topics are encompassed within the objective: improving the understanding of the impacts of mineral resource use on the AoP natural resources, and developing a life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) method allowing to quantify these impacts in relation to the dissipation of mineral resources.We first investigate the impact pathways relating human interventions to the AoP natural resources. The relation between resource flows and the AoP natural resources is studied in order to provide a coherent framework to assess the impacts of mineral resource use on the AoP using multiple LCIA methods at once. Then, we explore concepts and terminology surrounding dissipation and propose a conceptual framework to address the dissipation of mineral resources based on dynamic material flow analysis (MFA) data. Two options are identified: reworking current life cycle inventories to integrate dissipative flows and develop a life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) method accordingly, or propose a LCIA method that integrates dissipation in the calculation of its characterization factors that can be applied to extraction flows in the current inventories. The second option is further developed in this thesis.In order to develop LCIA methods, data is collected for 61 metallic elements and dynamic material flow analysis results are computed for them. We then propose two methods to measure the impact of dissipation on mineral resources: the average dissipation rate (ADR) and the potential service time lost (LPST). Based on the dynamic material flow analysis results, midpoint characterization factors are calculated for 61 metals. In addition, endpoint characterization factors are computed using a price-based index. Finally, the characterization factors are applied to a wide range of life cycle inventory datasets in order to observe the trends to be expected in LCA studies covering the dissipation of mineral resources using the developed methods. These results are compared to those of other frequently used LCIA methods to address the impacts of mineral resource use.

Addressing the Dissipation of Mineral Resources in Life Cycle Assessment

Addressing the Dissipation of Mineral Resources in Life Cycle Assessment PDF Author: Alexandre Charpentier Poncelet
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Metals
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Dissipative flows of mineral resources are central to environmental impact assessment, since they are harmful to the environment and embody a wasteful use of non-renewable resources. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a recognized environmental assessment tool framed by the ISO 14040/44 norms, typically aiming to prevent damage on three areas of protection (AoP): ecosystem health, human health, and natural resources.Traditionally, the depletion of mineral resources has been assessed to quantify impacts on the AoP natural resources. However, recent trends in discussion within the LCA community suggest that dissipation of minerals may be more relevant to assess, since they represent the real loss of materials that are no longer accessible for future use, whereas the depletion of geological stocks may actually be considered to be desirable for as long as mineral resources remain accessible for further human use.This thesis has the objective to improve the consideration of dissipative flows of mineral resources in the LCA framework, focusing on the AoP natural resources. Broadly speaking, two topics are encompassed within the objective: improving the understanding of the impacts of mineral resource use on the AoP natural resources, and developing a life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) method allowing to quantify these impacts in relation to the dissipation of mineral resources.We first investigate the impact pathways relating human interventions to the AoP natural resources. The relation between resource flows and the AoP natural resources is studied in order to provide a coherent framework to assess the impacts of mineral resource use on the AoP using multiple LCIA methods at once. Then, we explore concepts and terminology surrounding dissipation and propose a conceptual framework to address the dissipation of mineral resources based on dynamic material flow analysis (MFA) data. Two options are identified: reworking current life cycle inventories to integrate dissipative flows and develop a life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) method accordingly, or propose a LCIA method that integrates dissipation in the calculation of its characterization factors that can be applied to extraction flows in the current inventories. The second option is further developed in this thesis.In order to develop LCIA methods, data is collected for 61 metallic elements and dynamic material flow analysis results are computed for them. We then propose two methods to measure the impact of dissipation on mineral resources: the average dissipation rate (ADR) and the potential service time lost (LPST). Based on the dynamic material flow analysis results, midpoint characterization factors are calculated for 61 metals. In addition, endpoint characterization factors are computed using a price-based index. Finally, the characterization factors are applied to a wide range of life cycle inventory datasets in order to observe the trends to be expected in LCA studies covering the dissipation of mineral resources using the developed methods. These results are compared to those of other frequently used LCIA methods to address the impacts of mineral resource use.

Mineral resources in Life Cycle Assessment

Mineral resources in Life Cycle Assessment PDF Author: Guillaume Busato
Publisher:
ISBN: 9782356716460
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 86

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Book Description


Thanatia

Thanatia PDF Author: Antonio Valero Capilla
Publisher: World Scientific Publishing Company Incorporated
ISBN: 9789814273930
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 629

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Book Description
Is Gaia becoming Thanatia, a resource exhausted planet? For how long can our high-tech society be sustained in the light of declining mineral ore grades, heavy dependence on un-recycled critical metals and accelerated material dispersion? These are all root causes of future disruptions that need to be addressed today. This book presents a cradle-to-cradle view of the Earth's abiotic resources through a novel and rigorous approach based on the Second Law of Thermodynamics: heat dissipates and materials deteriorate and disperse. Quality is irreversibly lost. This allows for the assessment of such depletion and can be used to estimate the year where production of the main mineral commodities could reach its zenith. By postulating Thanatia, one acquires a sense of destiny and a concern for a unified global management of the planet's abiotic resource endowment. The book covers the core aspects of geology, geochemistry, mining, metallurgy, economics, the environment, thermodynamics and thermochemistry. It is supported by comprehensive databases related to mineral resources, including detailed compositions of the Earth's layers, thermochemical properties of over 300 substances, historical energy and mineral resource inventories, energy consumption and environmental impacts in the mining and metallurgical sector and world recycling rates of commodities.

Life Cycle Assessment

Life Cycle Assessment PDF Author: Michael Z. Hauschild
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3319564757
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 1215

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Book Description
This book is a uniquely pedagogical while still comprehensive state-of-the-art description of LCA-methodology and its broad range of applications. The five parts of the book conveniently provide: I) the history and context of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) with its central role as quantitative and scientifically-based tool supporting society’s transitioning towards a sustainable economy; II) all there is to know about LCA methodology illustrated by a red-thread example which evolves as the reader advances; III) a wealth of information on a broad range of LCA applications with dedicated chapters on policy development, prospective LCA, life cycle management, waste, energy, construction and building, nanotechnology, agrifood, transport, and LCA-related concepts such as footprinting, ecolabelling,design for environment, and cradle to cradle. IV) A cookbook giving the reader recipes for all the concrete actions needed to perform an LCA. V) An appendix with an LCA report template, a full example LCA report serving as inspiration for students who write their first LCA report, and a more detailed overview of existing LCIA methods and their similarities and differences.

Environmental Life Cycle Assessment (Open Access)

Environmental Life Cycle Assessment (Open Access) PDF Author: Olivier Jolliet
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 1439887705
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 302

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Book Description
Environmental Life Cycle Assessment is a pivotal guide to identifying environmental problems and reducing related impacts for companies and organizations in need of life cycle assessment (LCA). LCA, a unique sustainability tool, provides a framework that addresses a growing demand for practical technological solutions. Detailing each phase of the LCA methodology, this textbook covers the historical development of LCA, presents the general principles and characteristics of LCA, and outlines the corresponding standards for good practice determined by the International Organization for Standardization. It also explains how to identify the critical aspects of an LCA, provides detailed examples of LCA analysis and applications, and includes illustrated problems and solutions with concrete examples from water management, electronics, packaging, automotive, and other industries. In addition, readers will learn how to: Use consistent criteria to realize and evaluate an LCA independently of individual interests Understand the LCA methodology and become familiar with existing databases and methods based on the latest results of international research Analyze and critique a completed LCA Apply LCA methodology to simple case studies Geared toward graduate and undergraduate students studying environmental science and industrial ecology, as well as practicing environmental engineers, and sustainability professionals who want to teach themselves LCA good practices, Environmental Life Cycle Assessment demonstrates how to conduct environmental assessments for products throughout their life cycles. It presents existing methods and recent developments in the growing field of LCA and systematically covers goal and system definition, life cycle inventory, life cycle impact assessment, and interpretation.

Future Lithium-ion Batteries

Future Lithium-ion Batteries PDF Author: Ali Eftekhari
Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry
ISBN: 1788014189
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 384

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Book Description
This book collects authoritative perspectives from global experts to project the emerging opportunities in the field of lithium-ion batteries.

Life Cycle Impact Assessment

Life Cycle Impact Assessment PDF Author: Michael Z. Hauschild
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 9401797447
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 345

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Book Description
This book offers a detailed presentation of the principles and practice of life cycle impact assessment. As a volume of the LCA compendium, the book is structured according to the LCIA framework developed by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO)passing through the phases of definition or selection of impact categories, category indicators and characterisation models (Classification): calculation of category indicator results (Characterisation); calculating the magnitude of category indicator results relative to reference information (Normalisation); and converting indicator results of different impact categories by using numerical factors based on value-choices (Weighting). Chapter one offers a historical overview of the development of life cycle impact assessment and presents the boundary conditions and the general principles and constraints of characterisation modelling in LCA. The second chapter outlines the considerations underlying the selection of impact categories and the classification or assignment of inventory flows into these categories. Chapters three through thirteen exploreall the impact categories that are commonly included in LCIA, discussing the characteristics of each followed by a review of midpoint and endpoint characterisation methods, metrics, uncertainties and new developments, and a discussion of research needs. Chapter-length treatment is accorded to Climate Change; Stratospheric Ozone Depletion; Human Toxicity; Particulate Matter Formation; Photochemical Ozone Formation; Ecotoxicity; Acidification; Eutrophication; Land Use; Water Use; and Abiotic Resource Use. The final two chapters map out the optional LCIA steps of Normalisation and Weighting.

Abiotic and Biotic Resources Impact Categories in LCA

Abiotic and Biotic Resources Impact Categories in LCA PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN: 9789276172277
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
Depletion is the concept underpinning one of the most widely applied approach to account for the impacts associated with mineral and metal resource use in Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) step. The extraction of a resource from the Earth's crust implies the reduction of the corresponding geological stocks, and is considered to subsequently contribute to this resource depletion. During the Environmental Footprint (EF) pilot phase (2013-2018), the concept of resources (or materials) dissipation after their use in the technosphere has been increasingly called for being considered as a potential better way to account for (abiotic) resources in an EF context. The international community has started investigating further the concept of resource dissipation applied to Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and, still, there is currently no common understanding of what a dissipative flow is, if this has implications on how to define the Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) of a process, nor there is an accepted LCIA model to be applied to dissipative flows. This report provides a literature review of existing studies in different disciplines regarding resource dissipation. Furthermore, it provides an approach on how to deal with resource dissipation at the LCI and LCIA levels. The proposed approaches were tested in case studies. Moreover, the report addresses another aspects so far not properly developed in LCIA: the impact associated to the use of naturally occurring biotic resources and a proposal for the characterization thereof. The results of this study cannot be integrated "as is" in an EF context: when considering abiotic and biotic resources still some further work is needed both at LCI and LCIA levels. However, for what concerns biotic, a list of elementary flows that can be integrated in EF is provided. Nevertheless, this work constitutes the basis for further developments by researchers and method developers for a possible consideration for implementation in an EF context. As a next step we invite the scientific community to build on the results of this report in view of a fully applicable method.

Sustainability Assessments of Urban Systems

Sustainability Assessments of Urban Systems PDF Author: Claudia R. Binder
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 110847179X
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 523

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Book Description
Provides guidelines for assessing the sustainability of urban systems including theory, methods and case studies.

Mineral Resources Management and the Environment

Mineral Resources Management and the Environment PDF Author: U. Aswathanarayana
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 0203971221
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 313

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Book Description
Through an exploration of the links between geologic setting, mining and process technologies, economics, environment and stakeholder communities, this text addresses ways in which the mineral industry can be made safe, efficient and ecologically sustainable, focusing in particular upon the following key themes: a review of the current status of t