Mutel Christopher L, Hellweg Stefanie
ETH Zurich, Institute of Environmental Engineering, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland.
Environ Sci Technol. 2009 Aug 1;43(15):5797-803. doi: 10.1021/es803002j.
Life cycle assessment (LCA) studies have shown that site-dependent impact assessment for categories like acidification and eutrophication give more accurate and realistic results than site-generic assessments. To date, existing geography-specific, or regionalized, impact assessment factors have not been applied to LCA databases and software tools. We describe a simple, generic methodology to couple existing regionalized characterization factors with large life cycle inventory databases. This approach allows for detailed geographic life cycle impact assessment results. Case-study results for European country-specific electricity mixes are calculated using the Ecoinvent 2.01 database and the EDIP 2003 and Accumulated Exceedance impact assessment methods and CASES project external energy cost characterization factors. In most cases, regionalization shows different total scores, different processes of high importance, and varying geographic distributions of environmental impacts. As the methodology requires no additional input other than the geographic information already in existing LCA databases, it can be used routinely. Better and more consistent geographic information in life cycle inventory databases and impact assessment methods, tailored to the specific spatial range of all environmental effects considered, would be beneficial.
生命周期评估（LCA）研究表明，对于酸化和富营养化等类别，基于特定地点的影响评估比通用地点评估能给出更准确、更现实的结果。迄今为止，现有的特定地理区域或区域化的影响评估因子尚未应用于LCA数据库和软件工具。我们描述了一种简单的通用方法，将现有的区域化特征因子与大型生命周期清单数据库相结合。这种方法能够得出详细的地理生命周期影响评估结果。使用Ecoinvent 2.01数据库、EDIP 2003和累积超标影响评估方法以及CASES项目外部能源成本特征因子，计算了欧洲特定国家电力组合的案例研究结果。在大多数情况下，区域化显示出不同的总分、不同的高重要性过程以及不同的环境影响地理分布。由于该方法除了现有LCA数据库中的地理信息外不需要其他额外输入，因此可以常规使用。在生命周期清单数据库和影响评估方法中，提供更好、更一致的地理信息，并针对所考虑的所有环境影响的特定空间范围进行定制，将是有益的。
