A Method of Multi-Environmental Spatial Scales Division in LCA Based on Chinese Region-Specific

Abstract:

Traditionally LCA generally focus on a global scale and on steady-state, linear modeling. How to reflect the varying and complicated spatial characteristics of environmental impacts of large numbers of processes is in urgent need for improving the practicality of the LCA, especially for that with distinct environmental diversity in China. Based on the Chinese environmental policies and standards, a method of multi-environmental spatial scales division in LCA is proposed. First, environmental space types are discussed according to the relations between the life cycle inventories, impact categories of LCA and the environmental spatial characteristics. Second, the environmental spatial scale coefficient is proposed and defined in order to quantify the spatial characteristics and used in the calculation for the environmental impact potentials of products. The method of calculation for the coefficient is presented by analyzing the endure capacity of regional environment. Finally, this method is applied to study the spatial characteristics of ambient air quality and other environmental space types.

• Periodical: Advanced Materials Research (Volumes 97-101)
• Pages: 2338-2342
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMR.97-101.2338
• Online since: March 2010
• Authors: Xiao Wei Wang, Fang Yi Li, Jian Feng Li, Li Ming Wang, Xiao Xu Chen
• Keywords: Life Cycle Assessment, Multi-Environmental Spatial Scale, Spatial Characteristics, Spatial Scale Coefficient

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