Abstract
Purpose
In Life Cycle Impact Assessment, atmospheric fate factors, soil exposure factors, and effect factors are combined to characterize potential impacts of acidifying substances in terrestrial environments. Due to the low availability of global data sets, effect factors (EFs) have been reported as the major contributors to statistical uncertainties of characterization factors and they are the focus of this study. We aim to develop spatially differentiated EFs taking Brazil as case and explore new methodological ways to derive them.
Methods
EFs are calculated based on a comprehensive database reporting observations of approximately 30,000 plant species at biome and ecoregion levels. Species richness distributions as function of soil pH are developed and translated into potentially not occurring fraction (PNOF) of species, which can be equated to the more commonly used potentially disappeared fraction of species, to assess effects of changes in soil hydrogen ion concentration on terrestrial plant species. Potentially extinct fraction (PXF) of species is proposed as a complementary metric for LCIA models based on distributions of range-restricted species (species only occurring in one ecoregion of Brazil). Different approaches for determining EFs from the species richness distributions are evaluated. Area-weighted EFs are explored to determine potential effects when considering both acid and alkaline sides of species richness curves, thus integrating potentially positive effects of acidification on biodiversity.
Results and discussion
Spatially differentiated EFs are provided for 6 biomes and 45 ecoregions composing Brazil. Comparisons with previous EFs demonstrate that data availability might significantly influence regression analyses, and the use of more representative data can lead to more consistent EFs. Moreover, consideration of the entire species richness curves yields positive and negative EFs. Adding acidifying substances onto specific soils in Brazilian ecoregions may therefore be associated with increased species richness if the pH approaches the optimum pH from the alkaline side of the curve. The meaningfulness of species richness as indicator of acidification stress is discussed based on this finding, as is the inclusion of the metric PXF, highlighting species whose loss could cause irreversible damages to the environment.
Conclusions
We recommend the calculation of area-weighted EFs to be integrated into characterization models for terrestrial acidification, and we therefore advocate that similar work be done for other regions in the world than Brazil to enhance the consistency of the EFs and reduce their uncertainties. We additionally recommend that LCIA method developers further explore the application of PXF for other impact categories than acidification.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Azevedo LB, van Zelm R, Hendriks AJ, Bobbink R, Huijbregts MA (2013) Global assessment of the effects of terrestrial acidification on plant species richness. Environ Pollut 174:10–15
Crespo-Mendes N, Laurent A, Bruun HH, Hauschild MZ (2019) Relationships between plant species richness and soil pH at the level of biome and ecoregion in Brazil. Ecol Indic 98:266–275
de Baan L, Mutel CL, Curran M, Hellweg S, Koellner T (2013) Land use in life cycle assessment: global characterization factors based on regional and global potential species extinction. Environ Sci Technol 47(16):9281–9290
EC-JRC—European Commission-Joint Research Centre—Institute for Environment and Sustainability (2010) International Reference Life Cycle Data System (ILCD) handbook—framework and requirements for life cycle impact assessment models and indicators, 1st edn. Publications Office of the European Union, Luxemburg
EC-JRC—European Commission-Joint Research Centre—Institute for Environment and Sustainability (2011) International Reference Life Cycle Data System (ILCD) handbook—recommendations for life cycle impact assessment in the European context, 1st edn. Publications Office of the European Union, Luxemburg
Forzza RC, Baumgratz JFA, Bicudo CEM, Canhos DAL, Carvalho AA, Coelho MAN, Zappi DC (2012) New Brazilian floristic list highlights conservation challenges. BioScience 62(1):39–45
GBIF: The Global Biodiversity Information Facility (2017) What is GBIF? Available via http://www.gbif.org/what-is-gbif. Accessed 8 Dec 2017
Goedkoop M, Huijbregts MAJ, Heijungs R, De Schryver A, Struijs J, Van Zelm R (2009) ReCiPe 2008: a life cycle impact assessment method which comprises harmonised category indicators at the midpoint and the endpoint level. Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment (VROM), Amersfoort
Guinée JBE, Gorrée M, Heijungs R, Huppes G, Kleijn R, De Koning A, Van Oers L, Wegener Sleeswijk A, Suh S, Udo de Haes HA, De Bruijn JA, Van Duin R, Huijbregts MAJ (2002) Handbook on life cycle assessment: operational guide to the ISO standards. Series. Eco-efficiency in industry and science. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht
Hauschild M, Wenzel H (1998) Environmental assessment of products. Vol 2: scientific background. Chapman & Hall, London ISBN 0-412-80810-2
Hayashi K, Okazaki M, Itsubo N, Inaba A (2004) Development of damage function of acidification for terrestrial ecosystems based on the effect of aluminium toxicity on net primary production. Int J Life Cycle Assess 9:13–22
Heijungs R, Guinee JB, Huppes G, Lankreijer RM, Udo de Haes HA, Wegener Sleeswijk A, Ansems AMM, Eggels PG, Van Duin R, De Goede HP (1992) Environmental life cycle assessment of products: guide and backgrounds. Centre of Environmental Science, University, Leiden, Leiden
Hengl T, de Jesus JM, MacMillan RA, Batjes NH, Heuvelink GBM, Ribeiro E, Gonzalez MR (2014) SoilGrids1km—global soil information based on automated mapping. PLoS One 9(8):e105992
Huijbregts MAJ, Steinmann ZJN, Elshout PMF, Stam G, Verones F, Vieira M, Zjip M, Hollander A, van Zelm R (2017) ReCiPe2016: a harmonised life cycle impact assessment method at midpoint and endpoint level. Int J Life Cycle Assess 22:138–147
IMPACT World+ (2018) Available via http://www.impactworldplus.org/en/index.php. Accessed 5 Jan 2018
Kemna R, Van Elburg M, Li W, Van Holsteijn R (2005) MEEuP methodology report, final. VHK for European Commission, Brussels
Larsen HF, Hauschild MZ (2007) Evaluation of ecotoxicity effect indicators for use in LCIA. Int J Life Cycle Assess 12:24–33
LC-Impact: a spatially differentiated life cycle impact assessment method (2018) Available via http://www.lc-impact.eu/. Accessed 5 Jan 2018
Norris GA (2003) Impact characterization in the tool for the reduction and assessment of chemical and other environmental impacts; methods for acidification, eutrophication and ozone formation. J Ind Ecol 6(3–4):79–101
Olson DM, Dinerstein E, Wikramanayake ED, Burgess ND, Powell GVN, Underwood EC, D’Amico JA, Itoua I, Strand HE, Morrison JC, Loucks CJ, Allnutt TF, Ricketts TH, Kura Y, Lamoreux JF, Wettengel WW, Hedao P, Kassem KR (2001) Terrestrial ecoregions of the world: a new map of life on Earth. Bioscience 51(11):933–938
Pennington DW, Payet J, Hauschild MZ (2004) Aquatic ecotoxicological indicators in life-cycle assessment. Environ Toxicol Chem 23:1796–1807
Potting J, Schöpp W, Blok K, Hauschild M (1998) Site-dependent life-cycle impact assessment of acidification. J Ind Ecol 2(2):63–87
Roy PO, Huijbregts M, Deschênes L, Margni M (2012a) Spatially-differentiated atmospheric source-receptor relationships for nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides and ammonia emissions at the global scale for life cycle impact assessment. Atmos Environ 62:74–81
Roy PO, Deschenes L, Margni M (2012b) Life cycle impact assessment of terrestrial acidification: modeling spatially explicit soil sensitivity at the global scale. Environ Sci Technol 46(15):8270–8278
Roy PO, Azevedo LB, Margni M, van Zelm R, Deschênes L, Huijbregts MAJ (2014) Characterization factors for terrestrial acidification at the global scale: a systematic analysis of spatial variability and uncertainty. Sci Total Environ 500:270–276
Scherer L, Pfister S (2016) Global water footprint assessment of hydropower. Renew Energy 99:711–720
Seppälä J, Posch M, Johansson M, Hettelingh JP (2006) Country-dependent characterization factors for acidification and terrestrial eutrophication based on accumulated exceedance as an impact category indicator. Int J Life Cycle Assess 11(6):403–416
Steen B (1999) A systematic approach to environmental priority strategies in product development (EPS). Version 2000—models and data of the default method. Chalmers University of Technology, Göteborg
Udo de Haes HA, Finnveden G, Goedkoop MJ, Hauschild M, Hertwich E, Hofstetter P, Jolliet O, Klöpfer W, Krewitt W, Lindeijer E, Müller-Wenk R, Olsen SI, Pennington DW, Potting J, Steen B (2002) Life-cycle impact assessment: striving towards best practice. SETAC Press, Pensacola
Van Zelm R, Huijbregts MAJ, Van Jaarsveld JA, Reinds GJ, De Zwart D, Struijs J, Van de Meent D (2007) Time horizon dependent characterization factors for acidification in life-cycle assessment based on forest plant species occurrence in Europe. Environ Sci Technol 41:922–927
Van Zelm R, Roy PO, Hauschild MZ, Huijbregts MAJ (2015) Acidification. In: Hauschild M, Huijbregts M (eds) Life cycle impact assessment. LCA compendium—the complete world of life cycle assessment. Springer, Dordrecht
Verones F, Saner D, Pfister S, Baisero D, Rondinini C, Hellweg S (2013) Effects of consumptive water use on biodiversity in wetlands of international importance. Environ Sci Technol 47(21):12248–12257
Verones F, Huijbregts MAJ, Chaudhary A, de Baan L, Koellner T, Hellweg S (2015) Harmonizing the assessment of biodiversity effects from land and water use within LCA. Environ Sci Technol 49(6):3584–3592
Wenzel H, Hauschild M, Alting L (1997) Environmental assessment of products vol 1: methodology, tools and case studies in product development. Chapman & Hall, London ISBN 0 412 80800
Funding
This work was supported by the CAPES Foundation, Ministry of Education of Brazil, Process number 9365/13-3.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Responsible editor: Mark Huijbregts
Publisher’s Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Electronic supplementary material
ESM 1
(DOCX 334 kb)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Crespo-Mendes, N., Laurent, A. & Hauschild, M.Z. Effect factors of terrestrial acidification in Brazil for use in Life Cycle Impact Assessment. Int J Life Cycle Assess 24, 1105–1117 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-018-1560-7
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-018-1560-7