Water footprint Flashcards
How can we define a plastic footprint?
How much plastic is consumed per capita/per sector? (LCI)
How much plastic is leaked to the environment? (LCI)
What are the impacts of plastic leaked to the environment (LCIA)
What are examples of macroplastics?
Plastic packaging
Plastic products
Other sources
What are examples of microplastics
Tires
Synthetic clothes
Plastic pellets
What are the plastic midpoint and endpoint impacts in LCA?
Plastics -> Physical impact on biota, human toxicity, ecotoxicity -> Ecosystem quality, resources, human health
Explain the “physical effects on biota” impact category
Physical impacts (external and internal) of plastic litter
External: entanglement
Internal: Ingestion
What does the CF equation look like in terms of plastic?
CF = Fate factor * Exposure factor * Effect factor
Fate factor: Distribution and longevity of microplastics
Exposure factor: Ingestion of microplastics
Effect factor: Animal health issues, reproductive impairment
What are the preliminary fate modelling mechanisms?
The fate of plastic:
Fragmentation (inventory)
Degradation (integrated in CF)
Sedimentation (integrated in CF)
Other: aggregation, biofouling, advection…
What is needed for preliminary fate and CFs?
Detailed modelling of different types of microplastics needed to reduce uncertainty
(ex. tire and road wear particles < expanded polystyrene in CF
TRWP «_space;EPS in impact)
What are the takeaways from the plastic case study?
A compostable alternative may not always have lower environmental impacts
Future works for MarILCA?
- More detailed analysis in scales of plastics modelled, human toxicity, and additives
- Integrating the potential impacts of plastic litter into LCA methods
- Submitting recommendations to GLAM
Define blue, green, and grey water under the volumetric approach?
Blue: river, lakes, groundwater
Green: rainwater used by plants
Grey: hypothetical dilution volume (wastewater?)
Compare the Water footprint assessment (WFN) and LCA frameworks?
Quantitative indicators are done during Phase 2 (water footprint and accounting) in WFN and in Phase 3 (impact assessment) of LCA
How do LCA and water footprint differ?
A water footprint is an LCA which includes only water related impacts
What are the important concepts behind water footprints from the ISO?
high quality impact regarding water
- Should be life cycle based
- Could be stand alone or part of a LCA
- Results should include impact assessment and address regional issues
- Both quantity and quality should be considered
- Comprehensive impact assessment related to water (all impacts related to water)
- Can result in one or several indicators
What are water availability midpoints and endpoints?
Midpoint: water scarcity or water availability (i.e., water use)
Endpoint HH: Malnutrition and/or water related diseases
Endpoint E: Terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems
What are water degradation midpoints and endpoints?
Midpoints: Human toxicity, eco toxicity, eutrophication, acidification
Endpoint HH: Human toxicity
Endpoint E: Ecotoxicity, Eutrophication, Acidification
Define the entire water footprint?
Consists of water degradation and availability footprints.
Reduced water availability from consumption + degradation + direct pollution impacts
What question does the water scarcity footprint indicator aim to answer?
What is the potential of depriving another user of water (human or ecosystem) when consuming water in this area?
Define the user depravation potential/water scarcity footprint eqn
User depravation potential = water consumption * 1/available water remaining
CF = 1/available water remaining
Interpretation of m^3 world-eq
CF: how many times less water than avg
Impact: how much water in avg
- A CF of 10 in region X means that there is 10 times less water in this region than in the world average region
- an impact of 50 m^3 world eq means that this consumption of 5 m^3 in region X is equivalent to 50 m^3 consumed in the worlds average location
What are factors to consider when regarding aggregated values at country/annual levels based on consumption?
- Does not represent the average situation of the country/year
- Is strongly influenced by agricultural water use (in unknown and agri)
- Represents where/when water is most consumed
What are factors regarding the interpretation and world average?
- CF = 1 represents region where the average water is consumed in the world in terms of AMD (amount of water remaining)
- CF = 1 does not equal to the factor for the average water consumption in the world
How is direct consumed water defined in inventory?
Water balance: inflows - outflows = water consumed
OR
Water consumed = evaporated + product integration + discharged into sea or other watershed
What are examples of indirect water consumption in inventory?
- water use due to energy consumption
- water in products
- water consumption and release from raw material (i.e., cow)
