Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Environmental and human health impact assessment of major interior wall decorative materials

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Frontiers of Engineering Management Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Despite the growing interest in green products in the interior wall decorative material market, knowledge gaps exist because determining which product is more environmental and user friendly than the others is difficult. This work assesses the environmental and human health profiles of interior latex and wallpaper. Two interior latex products of different raw material ratios and one non-woven wallpaper product are considered. The environmental impact assessment follows life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology and applies Building Environmental Performance Analysis System (BEPAS). The human health impact is based on impact-pathway chain and is performed using Building Health Impact Analysis System (BHIAS). The assessment scope, associated emissions, and territorial scope of various emissions are defined to facilitate comparison study of interior wall decorative products. The impacts are classified into 15 categories belonging to three safeguard areas: ecological environment, natural resources, and human health. The impacts of categories are calculated and monetized using willingness to pay (WTP) and disability-adjusted life year (DALY) and summarized as an integrated external cost of environmental and human health impacts. Assessment results reveal that the integrated impact of interior latex is lower than that of non-woven wallpaper, and the interior latex of low quality causes low life cycle integrated impact. The most impacted categories are global warming, respiratory effects, and water consumption. Hotspots of product manufacturing are recognized to promote green product design.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Acharya B K, Cao C, Xu M, Khanal L, Naeem S, Pandit S (2018). Present and future of dengue fever in Nepal: mapping climatic suitability by ecological niche model. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15(2): 187–201

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Azuma K, Uchiyama I, Uchiyama S, Kunugita N (2016). Assessment of inhalation exposure to indoor air pollutants: screening for health risks of multiple pollutants in Japanese dwellings. Environmental Research, 145: 39–49

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barberio G, Scalbi S, Buttol P, Masoni P, Righi S (2014). Combining life cycle assessment and qualitative risk assessment: the case study of alumina nanofluid production. The Science of the Total Environment, 496: 122–131

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brandt J, Silver J D, Christensen J H, Andersen M S, Bonlokke J H, Sigsgaard T, Geels C, Gross A, Hansen A B, Hansen K M, Hedegaard G B, Kaas E, Frohn L M (2013a). Assessment of past, present and future health-cost externalities of air pollution in Europe and the contribution from international ship traffic using the EVA model system. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 13(15): 7747–7764

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brandt J, Silver J D, Christensen J H, Andersen M S, Bonlokke J H, Sigsgaard T, Geels C, Gross A, Hansen A B, Hansen K M, Hedegaard G B, Kaas E, Frohn L M (2013b). Contribution from the ten major emission sectors in Europe and Denmark to the health-cost externalities of air pollution using the EVA model system - An integrated modelling approach. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 13(15): 7725–7746

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brasche S, Bischof W (2005). Daily time spent indoors in German homes - Baseline data for the assessment of indoor exposure of German occupants. International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, 208(4): 247–253

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bueno C, Hauschild M Z, Rossignolo J A, Ometto A R, Mendes N C (2016). Sensitivity analysis of the use of life cycle impact assessment methods: a case study on building materials. Journal of Cleaner Production, 112: 2208–2220

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burnett R T, Pope C A, Ezzati M, Olives C, Lim S S, Mehta S, Shin H H, Singh G, Hubbell B, Brauer M, Anderson H R, Smith K R, Balmes J R, Bruce N G, Kan H, Laden F, Prüss-Ustün A, Turner M C, Gapstur S M, Diver W R, Cohen A (2014). An integrated risk function for estimating the global burden of disease attributable to ambient fine particulate matter exposure. Environmental Health Perspectives, 122 (4): 397–403

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • EPLCA (2010). European platform on life cycle assessment, list of tools

  • Ferrao J L, Niquisse S, Mendes J M, Painho M (2018). Mapping and modelling malaria risk areas using climate, socio-demographic and clinical variables in Chimoio, Mozambique. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15(4): 795–809

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Furberg A, Arvidsson R, Molander S (2018). Live and let die? Life cycle human health impacts from the use of tire studs. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15(8): 1774–1786

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Im U, Brandt J, Geels C, Hansen K M, Christensen J H, Andersen M S, Solazzo E, Kioutsioukis I, Alyuz U, Balzarini A, Baro R, Bellasio R, Bianconi R, Bieser J, Colette A, Curci G, Farrow A, Flemming J, Fraser A, Jimenez-Guerrero P, Kitwiroon N, Liang C K, Nopmongcol U, Pirovano G, Pozzoli L, Prank M, Rose R, Sokhi R, Tuccella P, Unal A, Vivanco M G, West J, Yarwood G, Hogrefe C, Galmarini S (2018). Assessment and economic valuation of air pollution impacts on human health over Europe and the United States as calculated by a multi-model ensemble in the framework of AQMEII3. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 18(8): 5967–5989

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • ISO (2006a). Environmental Management-Life Cycle Assessment- Principles and Framework. London: British Standards Institution

  • ISO (2006b). Environmental Management-Life Cycle Assessment- Requirements and Guidelines. Geneva, Switzerland: International Organization for Standardization

  • Kong X Q (2010). Research on the health damage assessment model of building during the life cycle. Thesis for the Master’s Degree. Beijing: Tsinghua University

    Google Scholar 

  • Li X D, Su S, Zhang Z H, Kong X Q (2017). An integrated environmental and health performance quantification model for pre-occupancy phase of buildings in China. Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 63: 1–11

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li X D, Zhu Y M, Zhang Z H (2010). An LCA-based environmental impact assessment model for construction processes. Building and Environment, 45(3): 766–775

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu R J, Zhang Z H, Zhou L (2011). A comparative study of waterproof material’s life cycle environmental impact. Environmental Pollution & Control, 33(12): 103–106

    Google Scholar 

  • Ma Y, Cao L, Zhou C H (2011). Environmental impact assessment of typical chemical product using life cycle assessment-based on waterbased paint. Environmental Science & Technology, 34: 189–193

    Google Scholar 

  • National Bureau of Statistics of China (2016). China Statistical Yearbook. Beijing: China Statitics Press (in Chinese)

  • National Bureau of Statistics of China (2017). China Statistical Yearbook. Beijing: China Statitics Press (in Chinese)

  • Sexton K, Adgate J L, Ramachandran G, Pratt G C, Mongin S J, Stock T H, Morandi M T (2004). Comparison of personal, indoor, and outdoor exposures to hazardous air pollutants in three urban communities. Environmental Science & Technology, 38(2): 423–430

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shanghai Bureau of Statistics (2017). Shanghai Statistical Yearbook. Beijing: China Statitics Press

  • Skaar C, Jorgensen R B (2013). Integrating human health impact from indoor emissions into an LCA: a case study evaluating the significance of the use stage. International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 18(3): 636–646

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Steen B (2000). A systematic approach to environmental priority strategies in product development (EPS): Version 2000-General System Characteristics. Centre for Environmental Assessment of Products and Material Systems, Gothenburg

    Google Scholar 

  • The Danish Environmental Protection Agency (2004). The product, functional unit and reference flows in LCA. Environmental News No. 70

  • Tian L W, Zhang G Q, Lin Y L, Yu J H, Zhou J, Zhang Q (2009). Mathematical model of particle penetration through smooth/rough building envelop leakages. Building and Environment, 44(6): 1144–1149

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • US EPA (2008). Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS). Office of Health and Environmental Assessment

  • Weldu Y W, Assefa G, Jolliet O (2017). Life cycle human health and ecotoxicological impacts assessment of electricity production from wood biomass compared to coal fuel. Applied Energy, 187: 564–574

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • WHO (2010). WHO Guidelines for Indoor Air Quality: Selected Pollutants. Bonn: World Health Organization

  • Yang J X, Wang R S, Liu J R (2001). Methodology of life cycle impact assessment for Chinese products. Acta Scientiae Circumstantiae, 21 (2): 234–237

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang Y Z, Luo X F, Buis J J, Sutherland J W (2015). LCA-oriented semantic representation for the product life cycle. Journal of Cleaner Production, 86: 146–162

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang Z H, Wu X, Yang X M, Zhu Y M (2006). BEPAS - A life cycle building environmental performance assessment model. Building and Environment, 41(5): 669–675

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Construction Management, School of Civil Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China

    Bingqing Zhang & Xiaodong Li

  2. School of Construction Management, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA

    Ruochen Zeng

Authors
  1. Bingqing Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ruochen Zeng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Xiaodong Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Xiaodong Li.

Additional information

This work has been funded by the China National Key R&D Program (No. 2018YFC0704400).

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Zhang, B., Zeng, R. & Li, X. Environmental and human health impact assessment of major interior wall decorative materials. Front. Eng. Manag. 6, 406–415 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42524-019-0025-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42524-019-0025-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation