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The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment

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01-04-2014 | LIFE CYCLE IMPACT ASSESSMENT (LCIA)

Uncertainty and spatial variability in characterization factors for aquatic acidification at the global scale

Authors: Pierre-Olivier Roy, Louise Deschênes, Manuele Margni

Published in: The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment | Issue 4/2014

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Abstract

Purpose

Characterization factors (CFs) quantifying the potential impact of acidifying emissions on inland aquatic environments in life cycle assessment are typically available on a generic level. The lack of spatial differentiation may weaken the relevance of generic CFs since it was shown that regional impact categories such as aquatic acidification were influenced by the surroundings of the emission location. This paper presents a novel approach for the development of spatially differentiated CFs at a global scale for the aquatic acidification impact category.

Methods

CFs were defined as the change in relative decrease of lake fish species richness due to a change in acidifying chemicals emissions. The characterization model includes the modelling steps linking emission to atmospheric acid deposition (atmospheric fate factor) change, which lead to lake H⁺ concentration (receiving environment fate factor) change and a decrease in relative fish species richness (effect factor). We also evaluated the significance of each factor (i.e. atmospheric fate, receiving environment fate and effects) to the overall CFs spatial variability and parameter uncertainty.

Results and discussion

The highest CFs were found for emissions occurring in Canada, Scandinavia and the northern central Asia because of the extensive lake areas in these regions (lake areas being one of the parameters of the CFs; the bigger the lake areas, the higher the CFs). The CFs’ spatial variability ranged over 5, 6 and 8 orders of magnitude for NO_x, SO₂ and NH₃ emissions, respectively. We found that the aquatic receiving environment fate factor is the dominant contributor to the overall spatial variability of the CFs, while the effect factors contributed to 98 % of the total parameter uncertainty.

Conclusions

The resulting characterization model and factors enable a consistent evaluation of spatially explicit acidifying emissions impacts at the global scale.

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Title: Uncertainty and spatial variability in characterization factors for aquatic acidification at the global scale
Authors: Pierre-Olivier Roy
Louise Deschênes
Manuele Margni
Publication date: 01-04-2014
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in: The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment / Issue 4/2014
Print ISSN: 0948-3349
Electronic ISSN: 1614-7502
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-013-0683-0

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Abstract

Purpose

Methods

Results and discussion

Conclusions

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