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Life Cycle Impact assessment of pollutants causing aquatic eutrophication

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Abstract

In life cycle impact assessment (LCIA), limited attention is generally given to a consistent inclusion of a fate analysis in the derivation of aquatic eutrophication potentials. This paper includes fate and potential effects in the calculation of aquatic eutrophication potentials of NH3 and NOx emitted to the ait, N and P emitted to water, and N and P emitted to soil. These characterisation factors were calculated for the Netherlands, West-Europe and the world, respectively. Implementation in current LCIA practice is further facilitated by calculating normalisation scores for the Netherlands in 1997, West-Europe in 1995 and the world in 1990. Although the results presented may be a step forward, significant improvements are still needed in the assessment of pollutants causing aquatic eutrophication. In particular, the fate factors representing transport of NOx and NH3, air emissions via soils to the aquatic environment should be improved. In addition, differences in the biological availability of nutrients and differences in the sensitivity of aquatic environments should be included in the calculation of effect factors for aquatic eutrophication.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Nieuwe Prinsengracht 130, NL-1018, Amsterdam, VZ, The Netherlands

    Mark A. J. Huijbregts

  2. Department of Environmental Studies, University of Nijmegen, Toernooiveld 1, NL-6525, Nijmegen, ED, The Netherlands

    Mark A. J. Huijbregts

  3. Finnish Environment Institute, Kesäkatu 6, PB 140, SF-00251, Helsinki, Finland

    Jyri Seppälä

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  1. Mark A. J. Huijbregts
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  2. Jyri Seppälä
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Correspondence to Mark A. J. Huijbregts or Jyri Seppälä.

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Huijbregts, M.A.J., Seppälä, J. Life Cycle Impact assessment of pollutants causing aquatic eutrophication. Int J LCA 6, 339–343 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02978864

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02978864

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