Environmental Impact Assessment Of Product Using Life Cycle Assessment

Based on the methodology of life cycle assessment, six environmental impact categories of abiotic depletion (ADP), global warming potentiall (GWP), acidification potential (AP), eutrophication potential (EP), ozone layer depletion potential (ODP), and photochem ozone creation potential (POCP) were assessed for the primary energy demand of several products, by using the model CML2001of GaBi6software. Three typical residential buildings in Chongming Island and two IKEA products, powder coating/electroplating carbon steel products and purified cotton textile were selected as examples in this study in order to provide their carbon footprints and environmental impacts, helping local authority and enterprise seeking right ways to reduce greenhouse gas emission in Ecological Chongming Construction, and in the design, manufacture, and supply of products as well.The main results were the followings:(1) GWP ranked the first place in six environmental impact categories for three typical residential buildings in Chongming Island, with the contribution proportions of73%,78%,69%for the old house, the new house and the new multiple-storey building respectively. The new house was of the most comprehensive environmental impact and primary energy demand on the construction area basis, while the new multiple-storey building could be considered the most suitable construction model for Ecological Chongming Island.(2) For four kinds of powder coating carbon steel products and two electroplating carbon steel products, the raw material of carbon steel had greater influence on the selected environmental impact categories in the forming, welting, sanding, polishing processes. In the acid cleaning and powder coating stage, the process of the thermosetting coating powder had the most significant effect on the environment,while in the acid cleaning and electroplating stage, energy consumption was an important influencing factor. In the packing stage, production of the corrugated paper, main packaging materials had serious impact on the environment.(3) The most important environmental impact category was GWP for purified cotton textile, followed by AP, POCP, EP, ADP and ODP. The contributions to GWP in the dyeing and finishing, spinning and weaving stages were39.27%,32.43%and27.77%respectively. The spinning stage had the most prominent effect on the environment and the largest primary energy demand. Fiber blended and clean energy alternative could be considered main measures to reduce carbon dioxide emission and environmental impacts.(4) Our results and other LCA studies of rice and tourism service indicated that the LCA method can be used to calculate carbon footprints and assess environmental impacts for most products and services in Chongming Island, which provides a usefully scientific methodology for Ecological Chongming Construction and other low carbon projects.(5) Certain achievements of GaBi software was successfully obtained in this study, which showed its potential application of this international database in China. It is expected that LCA and GaBi can set up a common platform of carbon footprint assessment not only for domestic researches, but also for comparative studies with developed countries, which will promote our knowledge and application of LCA to the higher level.