Table 3.
Impact categories associated with the technology stages for PLA production (I—biomass process, II—pretreatment of biomass, III—SSF process, IV—purification of lactic acid, and V—polymerization of lactic acid).
| Impact Category | Unit | I | II | III | IV | V | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carcinogens | kg C2H3Cl eq | 1.1 | 2.9 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 4.5 |
| Non-carcinogens | kg C2H3Cl eq | 2.3 | 6.3 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 9.8 |
| Respiratory inorganics | kg PM2.5 eq | 4.7 | 11.4 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 17.5 |
| Ionizing radiation | kBq Co-14 eq | 892.5 | 4625.4 | 3142.9 | 5.6 | 1430.8 | 10,097.2 |
| Ozone layer depletion | kg CFC-11 eq | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Respiratory organics | kg C2H4 eq | 1.6 | 3.8 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 5.7 |
| Aquatic ecotoxicity | kg TEG water | 9973.5 | 28,497.1 | 4342.8 | 38.8 | 1049.0 | 43,901.2 |
| Terrestrial ecotoxicity | kg TEG soil | 889.3 | 3033.3 | 690.9 | 7.9 | 250.1 | 4871.4 |
| Terrestrial acid/nutrification | kg SO2 eq | 165.6 | 401.7 | 42.6 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 610.4 |
| Land occupation | m2org arable | 0.0 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 1.8 |
| Aquatic acidification | kg SO2 eq | 22.8 | 55.4 | 6.1 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 84.6 |
| Aquatic eutrophication | kg PO4 P-lim | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 |
| Global warming | kg CO2 eq | 3704.0 | 8990.5 | 998.3 | 3.3 | 32.8 | 13,728.9 |
| Non-renewable energy | MJ primary | 52,961.2 | 129,993.5 | 14,657.6 | 49.3 | 658.4 | 198,319.9 |
| Mineral extraction | MJ surplus | 0.3 | 4.1 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 7.2 | 12.5 |