Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Lecture Flashcards

This flashcard set covers the fundamental definitions, phases, and scopes of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) as used in biotechnology and product development.

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

A systematic approach to quantifying the environmental impacts associated with a product, process, or service over its entire life cycle, from raw material extraction to end-of-life.

ISO 14040/14044

The international standards that formalize the methodology for conducting a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA).

Gate-to-gate

An LCA scope covering only a specific process or facility from the input entering that process to the output leaving it, excluding upstream production and downstream use.

Cradle-to-gate

An LCA scope covering all stages from raw material extraction up to the product leaving the factory gate, excluding distribution, use, and end-of-life.

Cradle-to-grave

An LCA scope covering the entire life cycle of a product from raw material extraction, through manufacturing and use, to final disposal or treatment.

Cradle-to-cradle

An LCA scope where end-of-life materials are recovered and reused as input for another system, forming a closed loop.

Problem shifting

Reducing one form of environmental impact (e.g., energy use) but increasing another (e.g., hazardous waste or water use) elsewhere in the system.

Four Main Phases of LCA

1. Goal and scope definition, 2. Life cycle inventory (LCI), 3. Life cycle impact assessment (LCIA), and 4. Interpretation.

Functional unit

A quantified description of the service provided by the system that serves as a reference for all input and output data to ensure fair comparison between alternatives.

Life Cycle Inventory (LCI)

The phase involving collecting and quantifying all inputs (materials, energy, water) and outputs (products, co-products, emissions, waste) relative to the functional unit.

Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA)

The phase that translates the Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) into environmental impact categories such as climate change, acidification, and human toxicity.

Characterisation factors

Factors used to convert and sum emissions into potential impacts, such as converting $1\,kg$ of methane to $\sim 28\text{–}34\,kg$ $CO_2$-equivalents.

Normalisation

An optional LCIA step that scales impact categories relative to a reference, such as per capita or regional totals, to provide context.

Weighting

An optional LCIA step reflecting the assumed relative importance or severity of different impact categories, often yielding endpoint damage scores.

Hotspot analysis

An interpretation technique used to identify the dominant contributors (e.g., specific materials or life cycle stages) to each environmental impact category.

Sensitivity analysis

A method used to test the robustness of conclusions by varying key assumptions, such as electricity mix or waste treatment options, to see how results change.

Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA)

An integrated assessment covering Environment (LCA), Society (Social LCA), and Economy (TEA/LCC) to evaluate if a product is bearable, equitable, and viable.

Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA)

An assessment of economic performance, including cost per unit, cost drivers, and profitability potential, using Process Flow Diagrams (PFDs).

Global Warming Potential (GWP)

A measure of climate change impact, typically expressed in units of $kg$ $CO_2$-equivalents.

Eutrophication

An environmental impact category referring to the nutrient enrichment of water bodies.