Table 5.
Impact categories and life-cycle impact assessment methods used in this study.
| Impact category | LCIA method (units) | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Acidification | ILCD 2011 Midpoint + (mol H + eq) | Acidification of soils and freshwater due to gas release |
| Climate change | IPCC 2013 GWP 100a (kg CO2-eq) | Potential for global warming from greenhouse gas emissions |
| Ecotoxicity, freshwater | ILCD 2011 Midpoint + (CTUe) | Harmful effects of toxic substances on freshwater organisms |
| Eutrophication, freshwater | ILCD 2011 Midpointþ (kg P-eq) | Changes in freshwater organisms and ecosystems caused by excess nutrients |
| Eutrophication, marine | ILCD 2011 Midpoint + (kg N-eq) | Changes in marine organisms and ecosystems caused by excess nutrients |
| Eutrophication, terrestrial | ILCD 2011 Midpoint + (mol N eq) | Changes in land organisms from excess nutrients in soil and air |
| Human toxicity, cancer | ILCD 2011 Midpoint + (CTUh) | Harm to human health that causes or increases cancer risk |
| Human toxicity, non-cancer | ILCD 2011 Midpoint + (CTUh) | Harm to human health that is not related to cancer or ionizing radiation |
| Ionising radiation | ILCD 2011 Midpoint + (kBq U-235 eq) | Potential damage to human DNA from ionizing radiation |
| Land use | Soil quality index based on LANCA (points) |
Depletion of natural resources, change in soil quality and reduction in biodiversity |
| Ozone depletion | ILCD 2011 Midpoint + (kg CFC11 eq) | Air emissions causing stratospheric ozone layer destruction |
| Particulate matter | PM method (disease incidence) | Harm to human health caused by particulate matter emissions (respiratory inorganics) |
| Photochemical ozone formation | ILCD 2011 Midpoint þ (kg NMVOC-eq) | Harm to human health from gas emissions that contribute to smog in the lower atmosphere |
| Resource use, fossils | CML-IA baseline (MJ) | Depletion of natural fossil fuels |
| Resource use, minerals and metals | CML-IA baseline (kg Sb-eq) | Depletion of natural non-fossil fuel resources |
| Water use | AWARE (m3 deprivation) | Potential for water deprivation to humans and ecosystems globally |