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Life cycle assessment of wood-based boards produced in Japan and impact of formaldehyde emissions during the use stage

  • WOOD AND OTHER RENEWABLE RESOURCES
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to conduct a comprehensive life cycle assessment (LCA) of wood-based boards to support environmentally conscious design. The goal is achieved by the following objectives: to produce generic LCA data for production of wood-based boards (cradle-to-gate) and to evaluate the human health impacts through life cycle including the use stage (cradle-to-grave), based on the latest regulations for formaldehyde emissions in Japan.

Methods

Production data of particleboard (PB), hard fiberboard (HB), medium-density fiberboard (MDF), and insulation fiberboard (IB) were obtained from major manufacturers of wood-based boards in Japan. We evaluated the impact categories of climate change, abiotic resource depletion, human toxicity (cancer and non-cancer effects), and ecotoxicity (cradle-to-grate assessment). For the human health impacts by formaldehyde emissions from PB and MDF in the use stage (40 years), we calculated the impacts through the life cycle (cradle-to-grave assessment), at all grades of formaldehyde emission rates set by the formaldehyde regulation.

Results and discussion

Cradle-to-gate assessment indicated that adhesives constituted 28–55% of the impacts in all categories for PB and MDF, whereas 74–98% of the impacts resulted from utilities supply for HB and IB. In particular, heat supply from wood boilers accounted for more than 92% of human health (non-cancer) and 71% of ecotoxicity impacts in HB. Cradle-to-grave assessment of PB and MDF, which satisfy strict regulations on formaldehyde emissions (<0.005 mg/m2/h), demonstrated that impacts on human health (total of cancer and non-cancer effects) were decreased by more than 90% compared with a conventional product (0.15 mg/m2/h). The production stage impacts of the products meeting the string regulations were more than half of the total owing to the lower formaldehyde emissions in the use stage.

Conclusions

Generic LCA data for wood-based board production (cradle-to-gate) in Japan are calculated. Significant impacts are adhesives for PB and MDF and utility supply for HB and IB. The cradle-to-grave assessment of PB and MDF revealed that shifting to low-formaldehyde emission products has markedly reduced impacts on human health. We recommend preferentially improving the environmental performance of the production process of wood-based boards in countries with strict regulations on formaldehyde emissions.

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Acknowledgements

The production data of wood-based boards were collected by the life cycle assessment committee for wood-based boards comprising member companies in Japan Fiberboard and Particleboard Manufacturers Association and Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology. The authors thank the companies (10 factories of 7 companies) who contributed to the data collection. The authors also thank Satoshi Terashima and Hiroki Tsujimoto who contributed to the data reduction while pursuing their master’s degree at the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology. This study was partly supported by the Forestry Agency and the Ministry of Environment of Japan.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. LCA Center, Japan Environmental Management Association for Industry (JEMAI), 2-1, Kajicho 2-chome, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 101-0044, Japan

    Katsuyuki Nakano

  2. Faculty of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 5-8, Saiwai-cho 3-chome, Fuchu-shi, Tokyo, 183-8509, Japan

    Keisuke Ando & Nobuaki Hattori

  3. Japan Fiberboard and Particleboard Manufacturers Association, 12-9, Nihonbashi 2-chome, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 103-0027, Japan

    Mitsuo Takigawa

Authors
  1. Katsuyuki Nakano
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  2. Keisuke Ando
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  3. Mitsuo Takigawa
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  4. Nobuaki Hattori
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nobuaki Hattori.

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Responsible editor: Zuoren Nie

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Nakano, K., Ando, K., Takigawa, M. et al. Life cycle assessment of wood-based boards produced in Japan and impact of formaldehyde emissions during the use stage. Int J Life Cycle Assess 23, 957–969 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-017-1343-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-017-1343-6

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