Lecture 20 Flashcards
LCA
Life cycle assessment
What is LCA used to assess
Environmental aspects and potential impacts associated with a product, process, or service
What can an LCA evaluate
Energy and raw material consumption, emissions, and other wastes related to a system’s entire life cycle
Phrase used by LCA
“Cradle to grave”
Why is the phrase “cradle to grave” used for LCA
LCA measures the overall impact of a product or process over its life - which can include carbon dioxide emissions
ISO 14040
International standard procedure for conducting LCA with a four part framework
Four part framework of ISO 14040
- Goal and scope definition
- Inventory analysis
- Impact assessment
- Interpretation
Goals
Include the purpose of the product/process and purpose of the study
Scope
Considers methodological depth, such as whatever parameters are measured and should also determine the boundaries of analysis
Boundaries of analysis
Spatial
Temporal
Inventory analysis
Seeks to determine a method for data collection, acquire the data, compile the data
In the inventory analysis, it is important to identify ____
Unit processes
How to measure unit processes
Unique inputs and outputs
Are inputs and outputs of the unit process connected
Yes, they must be (inputs > unit process > outputs)
How do LCA studies get theoretical or already collected data
Databases
