Electronic Supplementary Information
ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL
LIFE CYCLE IMPACT ASSESSMENT (LCIA)
Characterisation framework development for the SIMPASS (Singapore IMPact ASSessment) methodology
Yin T. Chan • Reginald B.H. Tan • Hsien H. Khoo
Received: 8 February 2011 / Accepted: 22 August 2011
© Springer-Verlag 2011
Responsible editor: Mark Huijbregts
Y. T. Chan • R. B. H. Tan
Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117576, Singapore
H. H. Khoo ()
Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences, 1 Pesek Road, Jurong Island, Singapore 627833, Singapore
e-mail: [email protected]
() Corresponding author:
Hsien H. Khoo
Tel. +65 6796 7341; +65 6267 8835
e-mail: [email protected]
Characterisation Framework Development for the Proposed SIMPASS Methodology
Electronic Supplementary Information
Design Considerations
User Issues
Midpoint vs Endpoint Approach
Reference
LCIA
Methodology
Current Regulations
and Future Policies
Design Consideration
Areas of Protection
Characterisation Framework Overview
Breadth in Scope
Design Consideration
Impact Categories
Life Cycle
Inventory
Model
Recommended
Relevance to Singapore
Possible Elementary
Flows
Relevant Characterisation
Models
Evaluation and
Operationalisation of
Characterisation
Framework
Category
Midpoint
Current Best Practices for
Characterisation
Framework
Recommendations and
Assumptions
Sample Calculation
Proposed Characterisation
Mathematical Framework
Category
Endpoint
AoP
Environmental Impacts
Framework Merits and
Requirements for Future
Development
Design Consideration
Evaluation against the ILCD Criteria
Fig. E-1: The proposed SIMPASS characterisation development approach
Characterisation Framework Development for the Proposed SIMPASS Methodology
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Table E.1: The proposed SIMPASS climate change characterisation framework
Environmental
Life Cycle
Mechanism
Inventory (LCI)
Characterisation Model
Category
General Characterisation
Category
Midpoint
Factor Equation
Endpoint
Area of
Protection
(AoP)
Damage to
Human Health
The model developed by the Intergovernmental
Recommendations
Greenhouse gases
Human Health
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) defining the
Global-Warming
Climate change = ∑x (mx x
Aquatic and
global warming potential of different greenhouse
Potential
GWPx)
Terrestrial
Natural
Ecosystem
Environment
gases (IPCC 2007)
Damage
None
Assumptions
The general characterisation factor equation is
Merits
None
Widespread scientific acceptance.
selected in accordance to current best practices in
None
characterisation.
Future Development
Required
Future updating and
revisions may be
necessary.
To consolidate data for Singapore required by the
general characterisation factor equation.
Characterisation Framework Development for the Proposed SIMPASS Methodology
None
Future updating and revisions may
be necessary.
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Table E.2: The proposed SIMPASS acidification characterisation framework
Environmental
Mechanism
Recommendations
Life Cycle Inventory (LCI)
Characterisation Model
SOx and NOx
RAINS-Asia model
Category
General Characterisation
Midpoint
Factor Equation
Acidification
Potential
AP = ∑x (mx x APx)
SOx and NOx are the only
Assumptions
acidification-contributing
None
emissions in the LCI
Area of Protection
Category Endpoint
(AoP)
Aquatic and Terrestrial
Natural Environment
Ecosystem Damage
Damage to Crops, Fisheries,
Human Health and Man-
Infrastructure, Human Health
made Environment
assumed negligible
assumed negligible
Spatially differentiated, geographically
relevant and has option for source selection.
High environmental relevance due to
Merits
None
consideration for atmospheric fate and
transport, as well as sensitivity to critical
loads.
The general characterisation factor equation is selected
in accordance to current best practices in
None
characterisation.
High stakeholder acceptance due to legacy
and authoritativeness of RAINS-LCA.
To develop characterisation model that
considers NOx.
To consolidate data for Singapore required
Future Development
Required
Future updating and
by the general characterisation factor
revisions may be necessary.
equation.
None
Future updating and revisions may be necessary.
To develop and verify the proposed
acidification characterisation mathematical
framework.
Characterisation Framework Development for the Proposed SIMPASS Methodology
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Table E.3: The proposed SIMPASS eutrophication characterisation framework
Environmental
Life Cycle Inventory
Mechanism
(LCI)
Characterisation Model
Category
Midpoint
General
Characterisation
Recommendations
Eutrophication
AEP = ∑x (mx x AEPx)
Potential
Total N and P
Eutrophication
TEP = ∑x (mx x TEPx)
Potential
It is assumed that terrestrial eutrophication is not significant in Singapore.
Assumptions
Aquatic Ecosystem
Damage
Natural Environment
Terrestrial
Amount of N2 emitted to the air
Area of Protection (AoP)
Factor Equation
Aquatic
NEUTRO
Category Endpoint
Terrestrial Ecosystem
Damage
Damage to Fisheries and
Human Health and Man-
Human Health assumed
made Environment assumed
negligible
negligible
Spatially and temporally differentiated, geographically
relevant and has option for source selection.
Merits
None
High environmental relevance due to consideration for
The general characterisation factor equations
fate sensitivity and distinction from individual N- and
are selected in accordance to current best
P- compounds.
practices in characterisation.
None
High stakeholder acceptance due to legacy and
authoritativeness of RAINS-LCA.
To develop characterisation model that considers
inland aquatic eutrophication.
Future Development
Required
To consolidate Singapore’s data required by the
general characterisation factor equations, and
None
Future updating and revisions may be necessary.
parameter inputs to the NEUTRO model.
To develop and verify the proposed eutrophication
characterisation mathematical framework.
Characterisation Framework Development for the Proposed SIMPASS Methodology
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Table E.4: The proposed SIMPASS fossil fuel depletion characterisation framework
Environmental
Life Cycle Inventory
Mechanism
(LCI)
Recommendations
Characterisation Model
Category
Midpoint
Fossil Fuels (coal,
Hubert Peak Theory and
Fossil Fuel
petroleum and natural
the Verhulst Depletion
Depletion
gas)
Equation
Potential
General
Characterisation Factor
Category Endpoint
Area of Protection (AoP)
Equation
Natural Resources
FFDP = ∑x (mx x FFDPx)
Fossil Fuel Depletion
Human Health
Stocks of fossil fuel in the economic system are assumed to be more or less
Fossil fuels are
assumed to be
Assumptions
encompassed of only
the above three broad
classes.
constant in time.
The extracted quantities of fossil fuel that are in the economic system are
assumed to be dissipated sooner or later.
Fossil Fuel Competition assumed negligible
None
It has been assumed that fossil fuels of different types are exchangeable
with regards to their scarcity aspect.
Widely regarded as best practice for
Merits
None
Widely-accepted and
characterising Fossil Fuel Depletion. Strong
scientifically reasonable.
environmental relevance and reasonable
None
applicability.
To consolidate data for
Singapore required by the
general characterisation
Future
Development
Required
Future updating and
factor equation.
revisions may be
necessary.
There may be an element of uncertainty and
an unclear endpoint concept when using the
To verify the proposed
Verhulst Depletion Equation.
fossil fuel depletion
Human Health to be
Future updating and revisions may be
considered when there is
necessary.
more expert consensus in
the future.
characterisation
mathematical framework.
Characterisation Framework Development for the Proposed SIMPASS Methodology
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Table E.5: The proposed SIMPASS water use characterisation framework
Environmental
Mechanism
Life Cycle Inventory (LCI)
Characterisation Model
Category
General Characterisation
Category
Area of
Midpoint
Factor Equation
Endpoint
Protection (AoP)
Freshwater deficits
Damage to
for human uses
Human Health
Human Health
Terrestrial
Ecosystem
Recommendations
Freshwater
WaterGAP model
Freshwater deficits
None recommended at the
Damage
Natural
in ecosystems
moment.
Aquatic
Environment
Ecosystem
Damage
Freshwater
Freshwater
Depletion Potential
Depletion
Natural Resources
Singapore assumed to be a single watershed,
taking up two grid cells in the WaterGAP
Assumptions
None
Merits
None
model.
Use of GIS allows data processing and
Strong environmental relevance. Facilitates the determination of technological compensation
statistical evaluation on different spatial
scenarios as a result of changes in freshwater availability, which is important in water-scarce
resolutions.
Singapore.
To improve the spatial resolution of the
To consolidate LCI data for Singapore,
Future Development
including water resource type, water
Required
quality, water quantity entering and
leaving the product system.
WaterGAP model if possible so as to allow for
further sub-division to examine catchment areas
As there is currently no consensus on the best approach to characterise water use, there is a
within Singapore.
need for future developers to constantly review available approaches to keep up with the
latest developments.
To improve temporal resolution to factor in
seasonal variation in Singapore.
Characterisation Framework Development for the Proposed SIMPASS Methodology
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Table E.6: The proposed SIMPASS land use characterisation framework
Environmental
Mechanism
Life Cycle Inventory (LCI)
Characterisation Model
Category Midpoint
Specific environmental impact
due to land occupation
Recommendations
Land
No relevant models at present
General Characterisation
Factor Equation
CIocc = CFocc x ∆tocc x Aocc
Specific environmental impact
CItrans,n-1→n = CFtrans,n-1→n x
due to land transformation
Atrans
Land Competition Potential
LCP = ∑x (LCPx x ax)
Land use types only comprise
primary rainforest, secondary
Assumptions
rainforest, swamps and marshes,
Permanent impact of land use regarded as negligible.
cultivated land, urban land and
others.
Merits
None
Land occupation and duration of physical transformation considered.
Category Endpoint
Area of Protection
(AoP)
Terrestrial Ecosystem
Natural
Damage
Environment
Land Competition
Natural Resources
Degradation of
Man-made
Cultural Values and
Environment
Landscape assumed
assumed
negligible.
negligible.
None
To consolidate data for
Singapore required by the
general characterisation factor
equations.
There is a need to obtain consensus on the appropriate indicator for
land quality Q.
Future Development
Required
Future updating and revisions
may be necessary.
To verify the proposed land
competition characterisation
As there is currently no consensus on the best approach to
mathematical framework.
characterise land competition, there is a need for future developers
To consider Aquatic
Ecosystem Damage.
Future updating
and revisions may
be necessary.
to constantly review available approaches to keep up with the latest
To develop a suitable model
developments.
that factors in different
biogeographical parameters in
Singapore.
Characterisation Framework Development for the Proposed SIMPASS Methodology
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Table E.7: Status and availability of elementary flow, characterisation models, general characterisation factor equations and parameters
Component
Climate
Change
Greenhouse
Elementary Flows
gases (✓)
Acidification
Eutrophication
Fossil Fuel Depletion
SOx (✓) NOx
(✓)
Model by
RAINS-Asia II
IPCC (✓)
(+)
Terrestrial Ecosystem
Damage
the Verhulst Depletion
WaterGAP model (+)
Model for land use (x)
Equation (+)
General Characterisation Factor Equations
(Major)
Damage
Land (✓)
Hubert Peak Theory and
Amount of N2 emitted into
Category Endpoints
Aquatic Ecosystem
Freshwater (✓)
Natural Gas (✓)
the air (+)
Damage to Human Health
Land Use
Coal (✓) Petroleum (✓)
N (✓) P (✓)
NEUTRO (+)
Characterisation Models
Water Use
(✓)
(-)
(✓)
(x)
(✓)
(-)
(x)
N.A.
Coastal aquatic bodies: (+)
Inland aquatic bodies: (x)
(+)
(x)
N.A.
(+)
Fossil Fuel Depletion
(+)
(✓a)
None specified. Characterisation
framework still under
Freshwater Depletion
N.A.
N.A.
Land Competition
TEPx (+) AEPx (+)
Basic Parameters in
Characterisation Equations
GWPX (✓)
APX (+)
Amount of N2 emitted into
the air (+)
Characterisation Framework Development for the Proposed SIMPASS Methodology
N.A.
development.
(✓a)
DRx (✓a) Rx (✓a) DRref
Q (+) ∆tocc (+) ∆ttrans (+)
(✓a) Rref (✓a)
DRx (✓a) Rx (✓a) DRref
(✓a) Rref (✓a)
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Table E.8: Summary of parameters for the various impact categories
Impact
Category
Climate Change
Acidification
Parameter
GWPX
APX
Status
(✓)
(+)
Interpretation
Global-warming potential of
greenhouse emission x
Acidification Potential of
acidifying emission x
Reference and Comments
Obtained from the model developed by the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC), 2007
Not estimated
Terrestrial Eutrophication
TEPx
(+)
Potential of eutrophication-
Not estimated
contributing emission x
Aquatic Eutrophication Potential
Eutrophication
AEPx
(+)
of eutrophication-contributing
Not estimated
emission x
Amount of N2
emitted into the
(+)
Amount of N2 emitted into the air
Not estimated
DRx
(✓a)
Extraction rate of fossil fuel x
Estimated from the Energy Information
Rx
(✓a)
Ultimate reserves of fossil fuel x
Administration, 2010
DRref
(✓a)
Rref
(✓a)
air
Fossil Fuel
Depletion
Water Use
Land Use
Extraction rate of reference
source ref
Estimated from the United States
Ultimate reserves of reference
Geological Survey, 2009
source ref
None specified. Characterisation framework still under
development. (x)
Q
(+)
∆ttrans
(+)
DRx
(✓a)
Rx
(✓a)
DRref
(✓a)
Not estimated
Indicator for land quality
Restoration time for different
Not estimated
land use types
Maximum area of land type x
available
Estimated from the works of Corlett, 1992;
Yearly amount of land type x
Glaser et al., 1991
used for human purposes
Extraction rate of reference
Estimated from the United States
source ref
Geological Survey, 2009
Characterisation Framework Development for the Proposed SIMPASS Methodology
Electronic Supplementary Information
Table E.9: Key to symbols
Symbol
Status in the LCIA Field
Action for Future Work and Development
(✓)
Available and operational
None or minimal
(✓a)
Available but only partially operational due to presence of assumptions and estimations.
Sample calculation conducted and estimates obtained
Verify assumptions and estimations
(+)
Available but not yet operational
(-)
Not available and not important
(x)
Not available but important
For immediate action and attention
N.A.
Not applicable
None
Characterisation Framework Development for the Proposed SIMPASS Methodology
Operationalise first and develop accordingly
None or minimal. May be necessary to follow up in the
future if importance increases
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