Integrative Application of Life Cycle Assessment and Risk Assessment to Environmental Impacts of Anthropogenic Pollutants at a Watershed Scale
Journal
Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology
Journal Volume
100
Journal Issue
1
Pages
41-48
Date Issued
2018
Author(s)
Abstract
Intense human activities have led to increasing deterioration of the watershed environment via pollutant discharge, which threatens human health and ecosystem function. To meet a need of comprehensive environmental impact/risk assessment for sustainable watershed development, a biogeochemical process-based life cycle assessment and risk assessment (RA) integration for pollutants aided by geographic information system is proposed in this study. The integration is to frame a conceptual protocol of “watershed life cycle assessment (WLCA) for pollutants”. The proposed WLCA protocol consists of (1) geographic and environmental characterization mapping; (2) life cycle inventory analysis; (3) integration of life-cycle impact assessment (LCIA) with RA via characterization factor of pollutant of interest; and (4) result analysis and interpretation. The WLCA protocol can visualize results of LCIA and RA spatially for the pollutants of interest, which might be useful for decision or policy makers for mitigating impacts of watershed development. © 2017, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.
Subjects
Biogeochemical process; Decision support; Geographic information system; Watershed pollutant inventory
Other Subjects
Biogeochemistry; Decision support systems; Geographic information systems; Information systems; Integration; Life cycle; Pollution; Risk assessment; Water pollution; Watersheds; Anthropogenic pollutants; Biogeochemical process; Characterization factors; Decision supports; Environmental characterization; Life Cycle Assessment (LCA); Life cycle impact assessment; Life cycle inventory analysis; Environmental impact; analysis; ecosystem; environmental monitoring; environmental protection; geographic information system; human; pollution; procedures; risk assessment; statistics and numerical data; Conservation of Natural Resources; Ecosystem; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental Pollution; Geographic Information Systems; Humans; Risk Assessment
Type
journal article