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Morantes G, Jones B, Molina C, Sherman MH. Harm from Residential Indoor Air Contaminants. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:242-257. [PMID: 38150532 PMCID: PMC10785761 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c07374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
This study presents a health-centered approach to quantify and compare the chronic harm caused by indoor air contaminants using disability-adjusted life-year (DALY). The aim is to understand the chronic harm caused by airborne contaminants in dwellings and identify the most harmful. Epidemiological and toxicological evidence of population morbidity and mortality is used to determine harm intensities, a metric of chronic harm per unit of contaminant concentration. Uncertainty is evaluated in the concentrations of 45 indoor air contaminants commonly found in dwellings. Chronic harm is estimated from the harm intensities and the concentrations. The most harmful contaminants in dwellings are PM2.5, PM10-2.5, NO2, formaldehyde, radon, and O3, accounting for over 99% of total median harm of 2200 DALYs/105 person/year. The chronic harm caused by all airborne contaminants in dwellings accounts for 7% of the total global burden from all diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giobertti Morantes
- Department
of Architecture and Built Environment, University
of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, U.K.
| | - Benjamin Jones
- Department
of Architecture and Built Environment, University
of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, U.K.
| | - Constanza Molina
- Escuela
de Construcción Civil, Pontificia
Universidad Católica de Chile, Avenida Vicuña Mackenna 4860, Macul, Santiago 7820436, Chile
| | - Max H. Sherman
- Department
of Architecture and Built Environment, University
of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, U.K.
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2
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Paoli L, Bandoni E, Sanità di Toppi L. Lichens and Mosses as Biomonitors of Indoor Pollution. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:1248. [PMID: 37759647 PMCID: PMC10525784 DOI: 10.3390/biology12091248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
Biomonitoring in indoor environments is a recent application, and so far, indoor air quality (IAQ) has been investigated only in a few cases using photosynthesising biomonitors. On the whole, 22 studies have been selected and reviewed, being specifically focused on the assessment of IAQ using biomonitors, such as lichens (9 papers), mosses (10), or their combination (3). In general, indoor samples face an altered light regime, ventilation, and a reduced hydration, which should be taken into consideration during the design and implementation of indoor monitoring. This review highlights critical issues (and some solutions) related to sample devitalisation (moss), hydration during exposure, preparation of the exposure device (mostly lichen and moss bags), duration of the exposure, post-exposure treatments, assessment of the vitality of the samples, as well as data elaboration and interpretation. This review evidences the feasibility and usefulness of lichen/moss monitoring in indoor environments and the need to develop standardised protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Paoli
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (E.B.); (L.S.d.T.)
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3
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Huang Z, Kijko G, Scanlon K, Lloyd S, Henderson A, Fantke P, Jolliet O, Li S. System Approach for Characterizing and Evaluating Factors for Occupational Health Impacts Due to Nonfatal Injuries and Illnesses for the Use in Life Cycle Assessment. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:11738-11749. [PMID: 37490771 PMCID: PMC10433530 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c00188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023]
Abstract
Occupational injuries and illnesses are major risk factors for human health impacts worldwide, but they have not been consistently nor comprehensively considered in life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) methods. In this study, we quantified occupational health impacts as disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for nonfatal injuries and illnesses in all US industries. We further applied an economic input-output model of the US economy to develop a new data set of characterization factors (CFs) that links direct and indirect occupational health impacts to product life cycle final demand. We found that the CF data set varies significantly by industry, ranging from 6.1 to 298 DALYs per billion dollars. About 20% of final demand in the US economic system contributes nearly 50% of the total impacts of occupational health, suggesting occupational health impacts are concentrated in a small portion of industries. To verify the feasibility of the CFs and demonstrate their importance, we included a case of an office chair. The occupational health impacts caused by nonfatal injuries and illnesses during the production of an office chair are of the same order of magnitude as those caused by chemical emissions across the chair's life cycle, with 1.1 × 10-5 and 1.4 × 10-5 DALYs per chair, respectively. Results and data sets derived from this study support the integration of occupational health impacts with LCIA methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhehan Huang
- College
of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Gaël Kijko
- École
Polytechnique de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec H3C 3A7, Canada
| | - Kelly Scanlon
- Independent
Researcher, Washington, District of Columbia 20008, United States
| | - Shannon Lloyd
- John
Molson School of Business, Concordia University, Montréal, Quebec H3G 2J1, Canada
| | - Andrew Henderson
- School
of Public Health, University of Texas Health
Science Center, Austin, Texas 77030, United States
- Eastern
Research Group, Concord, Massachusetts 01742, United States
| | - Peter Fantke
- Quantitative
Sustainability Assessment, Department of Environmental and Resource
Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby 2800, Denmark
| | - Olivier Jolliet
- Quantitative
Sustainability Assessment, Department of Environmental and Resource
Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby 2800, Denmark
- Department
of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Shaobin Li
- College
of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
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4
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Sahoo S, Mondal S, Sarma D. Luminescent Lanthanide Metal Organic Frameworks (LnMOFs): A Versatile Platform towards Organomolecule Sensing. Coord Chem Rev 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ccr.2022.214707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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5
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Vijay S, Wang J. Health benefit/burden, PM 2 .5 removal effectiveness, and power consumption based comparison of common residential air-cleaning technologies in the United States. INDOOR AIR 2022; 32:e13080. [PMID: 35904393 PMCID: PMC9543307 DOI: 10.1111/ina.13080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Revised: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
This modeling study compared the common air cleaners in U.S. residences based on averted disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) related to indoor PM2.5 concentration reduction and the DALYs resulted from carbon-di-oxide (CO2 ) emissions from power consumption. The technologies compared include mechanical fibrous filters, electret fibrous filters, and electronic air cleaners. For DALYs estimation, the indoor PM2.5 concentration and power consumption were first calculated and compared. These were then multiplied by the respective health damage factors. Air cleaners were compared under several indoor particle size distributions scenarios. A methodology was developed to evaluate the influence of the aging of air cleaners on the selected comparison criteria. The results suggest that the averted DALYs from indoor PM2.5 concentration reduction far supersedes the indirect DALYs associated with the operational power consumption of the air cleaners. Hence, the DALY-based ranking of the air cleaners considered was the same as that of their effectiveness to reduce indoor PM2.5 concentrations. However, the result should be taken with care as only the use-phase of air cleaners was considered. For future study, a complete life-cycle assessment is recommended. Considering aging can change the ranking of the air cleaners and is thus advised to be incorporated in further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saloni Vijay
- Institute of Environmental Engineering (IfU)ZürichSwitzerland
- Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering (MAVT)Global Health Engineering groupZürichSwitzerland
| | - Jing Wang
- Institute of Environmental Engineering (IfU)ZürichSwitzerland
- Laboratory for Advanced Analytical TechnologiesDubendorfSwitzerland
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6
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Sy MM, Garcia-Hidalgo E, Jung C, Lindtner O, von Goetz N, Greiner M. Analysis of consumer behavior for the estimation of the exposure to chemicals in personal care products. Food Chem Toxicol 2020; 140:111320. [PMID: 32302718 DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2020.111320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2019] [Revised: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 04/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
In this study, the main objective was to implement an integrative modelling framework in order to support the prioritization and screening of chemicals present in personal care products (PCPs) regarding their potential to expose users across multiple possible pathways. Here, we implemented an exposure-based framework based on product intake fractions (PiFs) calculated using a two-compartment model reproducing the skin uptake and the competing volatilization of chemicals applied on skin during PCP use. The implemented framework enabled to simultaneously and comprehensively accommodate coupled chemical specific parameters (i.e. physical and chemical properties of the candidate chemicals), exposure information specific for product-chemical combinations, and survey data informing on consumer behavior. A case-study, based on the usage pattern data of 22 PCPs investigated among Swiss individuals (Garcia-Hidalgo et al., 2017a) and 113 candidate chemicals chosen for their suspected presence in the PCP categories of interest was defined to evaluate the applicability of the framework. Nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF) and hierarchical clustering were subsequently applied to identify chemicals with the highest exposure potential and to highlight most relevant mixtures of chemicals on the basis of the specific usage patterns of the considered survey individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mouhamadou M Sy
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Exposure Department, Max-Dohrn Str. 8-10, 10589, Berlin, Germany.
| | | | - Christian Jung
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Exposure Department, Max-Dohrn Str. 8-10, 10589, Berlin, Germany
| | - Oliver Lindtner
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Exposure Department, Max-Dohrn Str. 8-10, 10589, Berlin, Germany
| | - Natalie von Goetz
- Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Matthias Greiner
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Exposure Department, Max-Dohrn Str. 8-10, 10589, Berlin, Germany
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7
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Paoli L, Fačkovcová Z, Guttová A, Maccelli C, Kresáňová K, Loppi S. Evernia Goes to School: Bioaccumulation of Heavy Metals and Photosynthetic Performance in Lichen Transplants Exposed Indoors and Outdoors in Public and Private Environments. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2019; 8:E125. [PMID: 31086106 PMCID: PMC6571755 DOI: 10.3390/plants8050125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2019] [Revised: 05/06/2019] [Accepted: 05/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Recently indoor air quality (IAQ) has become a key issue, especially in schools, where children spend most of the day. Only in a few cases IAQ was investigated using lichens as biomonitors. During autumn 2017, lichens (Evernia prunastri) were exposed for two months indoors and outdoors in public (schools) and private (dwellings) environments, in both rural and urban areas of Slovakia. The bioaccumulation of selected elements and the physiological status of the samples were considered. The content of heavy metals increased in samples exposed outdoors for 11 out of 12 elements (Al, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Pb, S, Sb, V and Zn, but not Ca) in the urban area and for 5 (As, Cd, Cu, Pb and Sb) in the rural area. Indoor concentrations were overall similar, both in rural and urban buildings, independently of the outdoor conditions. An indoor accumulation occurred only for Cd, Cu and Pb. An indoor origin was suggested for Cd, while for Cu and Pb, outdoor penetration (car traffic) is the likely cause of indoor values. Indoor exposed lichens maintained their vitality (as reflected by chlorophyll a fluorescence emission). This latter result further supports the use of lichen biomonitoring as a suitable method for assessing IAQ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Paoli
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via L Ghini, 13 - 56126 Pisa, Italy.
| | - Zuzana Fačkovcová
- Plant Science and Biodiversity Centre, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9-84523 Bratislava, Slovakia.
| | - Anna Guttová
- Plant Science and Biodiversity Centre, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9-84523 Bratislava, Slovakia.
| | - Caterina Maccelli
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via PA Mattioli, 4 - 53100 Siena, Italy.
| | - Katarína Kresáňová
- Spojená škola Tilgnerova, 714/14 Karlova Ves, 84105 Bratislava, Slovakia.
| | - Stefano Loppi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via PA Mattioli, 4 - 53100 Siena, Italy.
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8
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Goel A, Ola D, Veetil AV. Burden of disease for workers attributable to exposure through inhalation of PPAHs in RSPM from cooking fumes. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2019; 26:8885-8894. [PMID: 30719671 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-019-04242-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2018] [Accepted: 01/14/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), some of which are classified as possible carcinogens (WHO), have been detected in cooking fumes in considerable amounts. Distribution of 24 PAHs on varying particle sizes was analyzed in cooking emission. Analysis of cooking fumes from vegetarian and non-vegetarian food was carried out separately in the kitchen of a hostel mess in IIT Kanpur during November 2012 and February 2013. Respirable suspended particulate matter (RSPM) and particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PPAHs) showed a similar sequence regarding concentration observed in vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. PAHs with carcinogenic potential was detected and quantified mostly in the fine particles. Total PAH concentrations in the fine and ultrafine ranges together accounted for > 90% of the total carcinogenic PAHs, highlighting them as primary carriers of PAHs rather than coarser particles. Benzo [a] pyrene (B [a]P) levels contribute > 70% to total carcinogenic potential and > 60%, to mutagenic potential, respectively. The total toxicity impact on the workers due to the PAHs emitted from cooking fumes was 3.374 × 10-10 DALYs, with B [a] P contributing the most (> 70%) despite its low concentration. Exposure to cooking fumes especially for people involved in this activity on a daily basis (chefs, hostel mess workers, among others) raises health concerns. An extensive examination of impacts due to exposure to emissions in both particle and gas phase on a long-term basis is required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anubha Goel
- Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, 208016, Kanpur, India.
- Atmospheric Particle Technology Lab (APTL) at Center for Environmental Science and Engineering (CESE), IIT Kanpur, 208016, Kanpur, India.
| | - Deepshikha Ola
- Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, 208016, Kanpur, India
| | - Anitha V Veetil
- Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, 208016, Kanpur, India
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9
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Li L, Westgate JN, Hughes L, Zhang X, Givehchi B, Toose L, Armitage JM, Wania F, Egeghy P, Arnot JA. A Model for Risk-Based Screening and Prioritization of Human Exposure to Chemicals from Near-Field Sources. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2018; 52:14235-14244. [PMID: 30407800 PMCID: PMC6652188 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.8b04059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Exposure- and risk-based assessments for chemicals used indoors or applied to humans (i.e., in near-field environments) necessitate an aggregate exposure pathway framework that aligns chemical exposure information from use sources to internal dose and eventually to their potential for health effects. Such a source-to-effect continuum is advocated to balance the complexity of human exposure and the insufficiency of relevant data for thousands of existing and emerging chemicals. Here, we introduce the Risk Assessment, IDentification And Ranking-Indoor and Consumer Exposure (RAIDAR-ICE) model, which establishes an integrated framework to evaluate human exposure due to indoor use and direct application of chemicals to humans. As a model evaluation, RAIDAR-ICE faithfully reproduces exposure estimates inferred from biomonitoring data for 37 chemicals with direct and indirect near-field sources. RAIDAR-ICE generates different rankings for 131 chemicals based on different exposure- and risk-based assessment metrics, demonstrating its versatility for diverse chemical screening goals. When coupled with a far-field RAIDAR model, the near-field RAIDAR-ICE model enables assessment of aggregate human exposure. Overall, RAIDAR-ICE is a powerful tool for high-throughput screening and prioritization of human exposure to neutral organic chemicals used indoors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Li
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Lauren Hughes
- ARC Arnot Research and Consulting Inc., Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Xianming Zhang
- ARC Arnot Research and Consulting Inc., Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Babak Givehchi
- ARC Arnot Research and Consulting Inc., Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Liisa Toose
- ARC Arnot Research and Consulting Inc., Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Frank Wania
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Peter Egeghy
- Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States
| | - Jon A. Arnot
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, Canada
- ARC Arnot Research and Consulting Inc., Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, ON, Canada
- Corresponding author: Arnot, J. A., 36 Sproat Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, M4M 1W4, Tel: +1 (647) 225-3771;
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10
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Tian S, Bilec M. Integrating site-specific dispersion modeling into life cycle assessment, with a focus on inhalation risks in chemical production. JOURNAL OF THE AIR & WASTE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION (1995) 2018; 68:1224-1238. [PMID: 29985784 DOI: 10.1080/10962247.2018.1496189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2018] [Revised: 06/20/2018] [Accepted: 06/27/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
It has become increasingly important for environmental managers to evaluate the human health (HH) impact of chemicals in their supply chain. Current life cycle assessment (LCA) methods are limited because they often only address the HH impact at large geographical scales. This paper aims to develop a method that derives a regionalized life cycle inventory data set and site-specific air dispersion modeling to evaluate the HH impact of chemicals along the life cycle phases at finer geographical scales to improve decision-making, with focus on inhalation pathway. More specifically, cancer risk and noncancer hazard index (HI) are quantified at the county level to identify high-risk regions and at the census tract level to reveal the geographical pattern of health impacts. The results showed that along the cradle-to-gate life cycle stages of a widely used chemical, methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI), the accumulative inhalation risk was 3 orders of magnitude below the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) risk management thresholds for both cancer risk (2.16 × 10-9) and noncancer HI (1.53 × 10-3). However, the absolute value of inhalation risks caused by the case study chemicals varied significantly in different geographical areas, up to 4 orders of magnitude. This paper demonstrates a feasible approach to improve human health impact assessment (HHIA) by combining site-specific air dispersion modeling and LCA using publicly available inventory data. This proposed method complements existing life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) models to improve HHIA by employing both HH risk assessment and LCA techniques. One potential outcome is to prioritize pollution prevention and risk reduction measures based on the risk maps derived from this method. Implications: It has become increasingly important for environmental managers to evaluate the human health impacts of chemicals in their supply chain. Regionalized life cycle inventory data sets should be developed using publically available databases such as EPA's toxic release inventory. The combination of site-specific dispersion modeling and life cycle assessment modeling can improve human health impact assessment of chemicals by providing more regionalized results along their supply chain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shen Tian
- a Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering , University of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh , PA, USA
- b Product Safety and Regulatory Affairs , Covestro LLC , Pittsburgh , PA , USA
| | - Melissa Bilec
- a Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering , University of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh , PA, USA
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11
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Linkov I, Trump BD, Wender BA, Seager TP, Kennedy AJ, Keisler JM. Integrate life-cycle assessment and risk analysis results, not methods. NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY 2017; 12:740-743. [PMID: 28775358 DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2017.152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2015] [Accepted: 06/30/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Two analytic perspectives on environmental assessment dominate environmental policy and decision-making: risk analysis (RA) and life-cycle assessment (LCA). RA focuses on management of a toxicological hazard in a specific exposure scenario, while LCA seeks a holistic estimation of impacts of thousands of substances across multiple media, including non-toxicological and non-chemically deleterious effects. While recommendations to integrate the two approaches have remained a consistent feature of environmental scholarship for at least 15 years, the current perception is that progress is slow largely because of practical obstacles, such as a lack of data, rather than insurmountable theoretical difficulties. Nonetheless, the emergence of nanotechnology presents a serious challenge to both perspectives. Because the pace of nanomaterial innovation far outstrips acquisition of environmentally relevant data, it is now clear that a further integration of RA and LCA based on dataset completion will remain futile. In fact, the two approaches are suited for different purposes and answer different questions. A more pragmatic approach to providing better guidance to decision-makers is to apply the two methods in parallel, integrating only after obtaining separate results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor Linkov
- US Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Concord, Massachusetts 01742, USA
| | - Benjamin D Trump
- US Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Concord, Massachusetts 01742, USA
- University of Michigan School of Public Health, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
| | - Ben A Wender
- National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 500 5th Street NW, Washington DC 20001, USA
- 660 College Avenue, School of Sustainable Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, USA
| | - Thomas P Seager
- 660 College Avenue, School of Sustainable Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, USA
| | - Alan J Kennedy
- US Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Concord, Massachusetts 01742, USA
| | - Jeffrey M Keisler
- 100 Morrissey Boulevard, University of Massachusetts, Boston, Massachusetts 02125, USA
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12
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Fransman W, Buist H, Kuijpers E, Walser T, Meyer D, Zondervan-van den Beuken E, Westerhout J, Klein Entink RH, Brouwer DH. Comparative Human Health Impact Assessment of Engineered Nanomaterials in the Framework of Life Cycle Assessment. RISK ANALYSIS : AN OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE SOCIETY FOR RISK ANALYSIS 2017; 37:1358-1374. [PMID: 27664001 DOI: 10.1111/risa.12703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2015] [Revised: 07/08/2016] [Accepted: 07/26/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
For safe innovation, knowledge on potential human health impacts is essential. Ideally, these impacts are considered within a larger life-cycle-based context to support sustainable development of new applications and products. A methodological framework that accounts for human health impacts caused by inhalation of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) in an indoor air environment has been previously developed. The objectives of this study are as follows: (i) evaluate the feasibility of applying the CF framework for NP exposure in the workplace based on currently available data; and (ii) supplement any resulting knowledge gaps with methods and data from the life cycle approach and human risk assessment (LICARA) project to develop a modified case-specific version of the framework that will enable near-term inclusion of NP human health impacts in life cycle assessment (LCA) using a case study involving nanoscale titanium dioxide (nanoTiO2 ). The intent is to enhance typical LCA with elements of regulatory risk assessment, including its more detailed measure of uncertainty. The proof-of-principle demonstration of the framework highlighted the lack of available data for both the workplace emissions and human health effects of ENMs that is needed to calculate generalizable characterization factors using common human health impact assessment practices in LCA. The alternative approach of using intake fractions derived from workplace air concentration measurements and effect factors based on best-available toxicity data supported the current case-by-case approach for assessing the human health life cycle impacts of ENMs. Ultimately, the proposed framework and calculations demonstrate the potential utility of integrating elements of risk assessment with LCA for ENMs once the data are available.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Tobias Walser
- Institute of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Risk Assessment of Chemicals, Federal Office of Public Health, Berne, Switzerland
| | - David Meyer
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Risk Management Research Laboratory, Cincinnati, OH, USA
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13
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Protano C, Owczarek M, Antonucci A, Guidotti M, Vitali M. Assessing indoor air quality of school environments: transplanted lichen Pseudovernia furfuracea as a new tool for biomonitoring and bioaccumulation. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2017; 189:358. [PMID: 28656559 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-017-6076-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2016] [Accepted: 06/15/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this research is to evaluate the ability of transplanted lichen Pseudovernia (P). furfuracea to biomonitor and bioaccumulate in urban indoor environments. The elements As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni and Pb and 12 selected polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were used to assess P. furfuracea as a biomonitoring tool for the indoor air quality of school environments. To achieve this purpose, lichen samples were exposed for 2 months in the outdoor and indoor environments of five school settings located in urban and rural areas. The results demonstrated that transplanted lichen P. furfuracea is a suitable biomonitoring tool for metals and PAHs in indoor settings and can discriminate between different levels of air pollution related to urbanisation and indoor conditions, such as those characterised by school environments. A transplanted lichen biomonitoring strategy is cost-effective, "green", educational for attending children and less "invasive" than traditional air sampling methods. The feasibility of indoor monitoring by P. furfuracea is a relevant finding and could be a key tool to improve air quality monitoring programmes in school scenarios and thus focus on health prevention interventions for children, who are one of the most susceptible groups in the population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmela Protano
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro, 5, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Malgorzata Owczarek
- Arpa Lazio, Regional Agency for Environmental Protection, Sede di Rieti, Via Salaria per l'Aquila, 8, 02100, Rieti, Italy
| | - Arianna Antonucci
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro, 5, 00185, Rome, Italy
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, Tuscia University, Via S. Maria in Gradi, 4, 01100, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Maurizio Guidotti
- Arpa Lazio, Regional Agency for Environmental Protection, Sede di Rieti, Via Salaria per l'Aquila, 8, 02100, Rieti, Italy
| | - Matteo Vitali
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro, 5, 00185, Rome, Italy.
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14
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Huang L, Ernstoff A, Fantke P, Csiszar SA, Jolliet O. A review of models for near-field exposure pathways of chemicals in consumer products. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2017; 574:1182-1208. [PMID: 27644856 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.06.118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2016] [Revised: 06/15/2016] [Accepted: 06/15/2016] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to chemicals in consumer products has been gaining increasing attention, with multiple studies showing that near-field exposures from products is high compared to far-field exposures. Regarding the numerous chemical-product combinations, there is a need for an overarching review of models able to quantify the multiple transfers of chemicals from products used near-field to humans. The present review therefore aims at an in-depth overview of modeling approaches for near-field chemical release and human exposure pathways associated with consumer products. It focuses on lower-tier, mechanistic models suitable for life cycle assessments (LCA), chemical alternative assessment (CAA) and high-throughput screening risk assessment (HTS). Chemicals in a product enter the near-field via a defined "compartment of entry", are transformed or transferred to adjacent compartments, and eventually end in a "human receptor compartment". We first focus on models of physical mass transfers from the product to 'near-field' compartments. For transfers of chemicals from article interior, adequate modeling of in-article diffusion and of partitioning between article surface and air/skin/food is key. Modeling volatilization and subsequent transfer to the outdoor is crucial for transfers of chemicals used in the inner space of appliances, on object surfaces or directly emitted to indoor air. For transfers from skin surface, models need to reflect the competition between dermal permeation, volatilization and fraction washed-off. We then focus on transfers from the 'near-field' to 'human' compartments, defined as respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract and epidermis, for which good estimates of air concentrations, non-dietary ingestion parameters and skin permeation are essential, respectively. We critically characterize for each exposure pathway the ability of models to estimate near-field transfers and to best inform LCA, CAA and HTS, summarizing the main characteristics of the potentially best-suited models. This review identifies large knowledge gaps for several near-field pathways and suggests research needs and future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Huang
- Environmental Health Sciences & Risk Science Center, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029, United States.
| | - Alexi Ernstoff
- Quantitative Sustainability Assessment Division, Department of Management Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, 2808 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Peter Fantke
- Quantitative Sustainability Assessment Division, Department of Management Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, 2808 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Susan A Csiszar
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education Research Participant, US Environmental Protection Agency, National Risk Management Research Laboratory, Cincinnati, OH 45268, United States
| | - Olivier Jolliet
- Environmental Health Sciences & Risk Science Center, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029, United States
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15
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Kikuchi Y, Kikuchi-Uehara E, Matoba H, Wada T, Oagiri T, Doi J, Hirao M. Design Support for VOC Control in SMEs by Simulation-Based Life-Cycle Engineering Part 2: Case Study of Metal Cleaning Process. JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING OF JAPAN 2017. [DOI: 10.1252/jcej.15we250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yasunori Kikuchi
- Presidential Endowed Chair for “Platinum Society”, the University of Tokyo, Ito International Research Center
- Department of Chemical System Engineering, The University of Tokyo
| | | | - Hiroki Matoba
- Department of Chemical System Engineering, The University of Tokyo
| | - Takao Wada
- Mizuho Information & Research Institute, Inc
| | | | | | - Masahiko Hirao
- Department of Chemical System Engineering, The University of Tokyo
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16
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Kijko G, Jolliet O, Margni M. Occupational Health Impacts Due to Exposure to Organic Chemicals over an Entire Product Life Cycle. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2016; 50:13105-13114. [PMID: 27794595 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.6b04434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
This article presents an innovative approach to include occupational exposures to organic chemicals in life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) by building on the characterization factors set out in Kijko et al. (2015) to calculate the potential impact of occupational exposure over the entire supply chain of product or service. Based on an economic input-output model and labor and economic data, the total impacts per dollar of production are provided for 430 commodity categories and range from 0.025 to 6.6 disability-adjusted life years (DALY) per million dollar of final economic demand. The approach is applied on a case study assessing human health impacts over the life cycle of a piece of office furniture. It illustrates how to combine monitoring data collected at the manufacturing facility and averaged sector specific data to model the entire supply chain. This paper makes the inclusion of occupational exposure to chemicals fully compatible with the LCA framework by including the supply chain of a given production process and will help industries focus on the leading causes of human health impacts and prevent impact shifting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaël Kijko
- CIRAIG, Polytechnique Montréal, Chemical Engineering Department, 3333 Chemin Queen-Mary, Suite 310, P.O. Box 6079, Station Centre-ville, Montréal, Quebec Canada, H3C 3A7
| | - Olivier Jolliet
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Manuele Margni
- CIRAIG, Polytechnique Montréal, Chemical Engineering Department, 3333 Chemin Queen-Mary, Suite 310, P.O. Box 6079, Station Centre-ville, Montréal, Quebec Canada, H3C 3A7
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17
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Hodas N, Loh M, Shin HM, Li D, Bennett D, McKone TE, Jolliet O, Weschler CJ, Jantunen M, Lioy P, Fantke P. Indoor inhalation intake fractions of fine particulate matter: review of influencing factors. INDOOR AIR 2016; 26:836-856. [PMID: 26562829 DOI: 10.1111/ina.12268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2015] [Accepted: 11/02/2015] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5 ) is a major contributor to the global human disease burden. The indoor environment is of particular importance when considering the health effects associated with PM2.5 exposures because people spend the majority of their time indoors and PM2.5 exposures per unit mass emitted indoors are two to three orders of magnitude larger than exposures to outdoor emissions. Variability in indoor PM2.5 intake fraction (iFin,total ), which is defined as the integrated cumulative intake of PM2.5 per unit of emission, is driven by a combination of building-specific, human-specific, and pollutant-specific factors. Due to a limited availability of data characterizing these factors, however, indoor emissions and intake of PM2.5 are not commonly considered when evaluating the environmental performance of product life cycles. With the aim of addressing this barrier, a literature review was conducted and data characterizing factors influencing iFin,total were compiled. In addition to providing data for the calculation of iFin,total in various indoor environments and for a range of geographic regions, this paper discusses remaining limitations to the incorporation of PM2.5 -derived health impacts into life cycle assessments and makes recommendations regarding future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Hodas
- Division of Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
- Department of Environmental Science and Management, Portland State University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - M Loh
- Institute of Occupational Medicine, Edinburgh, UK
| | - H-M Shin
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - D Li
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - D Bennett
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - T E McKone
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - O Jolliet
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - C J Weschler
- Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
- International Centre for Indoor Environment and Energy, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - M Jantunen
- Department of Environmental Health, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | - P Lioy
- Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - P Fantke
- Department of Management Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
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18
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Csiszar SA, Ernstoff AS, Fantke P, Meyer DE, Jolliet O. High-throughput exposure modeling to support prioritization of chemicals in personal care products. CHEMOSPHERE 2016; 163:490-498. [PMID: 27565317 PMCID: PMC7359637 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2016.07.065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2016] [Revised: 07/12/2016] [Accepted: 07/21/2016] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
We demonstrate the application of a high-throughput modeling framework to estimate exposure to chemicals used in personal care products (PCPs). As a basis for estimating exposure, we use the product intake fraction (PiF), defined as the mass of chemical taken by an individual or population per mass of a given chemical used in a product. We calculated use- and disposal- stage PiFs for 518 chemicals for five PCP archetypes. Across all product archetypes the use- and disposal- stage PiFs ranged from 10(-5) to 1 and 0 to 10(-3), respectively. There is a distinction between the use-stage PiF for leave-on and wash-off products which had median PiFs of 0.5 and 0.02 across the 518 chemicals, respectively. The PiF is a function of product characteristics and physico-chemical properties and is maximized when skin permeability is high and volatility is low such that there is no competition between skin and air losses from the applied product. PCP chemical contents (i.e. concentrations) were available for 325 chemicals and were combined with PCP usage characteristics and PiF yielding intakes summed across a demonstrative set of products ranging from 10(-8)-30 mg/kg/d, with a median of 0.1 mg/kg/d. The highest intakes were associated with body lotion. Bioactive doses derived from high-throughput in vitro toxicity data were combined with the estimated PiFs to demonstrate an approach to estimate bioactive equivalent chemical content and to screen chemicals for risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan A Csiszar
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) Research Participation Program, hosted at U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, OH, 45268, USA.
| | - Alexi S Ernstoff
- Quantitative Sustainability Assessment Division, Department of Management Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Peter Fantke
- Quantitative Sustainability Assessment Division, Department of Management Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - David E Meyer
- Office of Research and Development, National Risk Management Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, OH 45268, USA
| | - Olivier Jolliet
- Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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19
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Xiong J, Zhang P, Huang S, Zhang Y. Comprehensive influence of environmental factors on the emission rate of formaldehyde and VOCs in building materials: Correlation development and exposure assessment. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2016; 151:734-741. [PMID: 27662212 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2016.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2016] [Revised: 08/06/2016] [Accepted: 09/05/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Temperature and relative humidity can simultaneously change in indoor environment, which significantly affect the emission rate of formaldehyde and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from building materials. Prior studies generally focus on the single effect of temperature or relative humidity, and the combined effect is not considered. This paper investigates the comprehensive influence of temperature and relative humidity on the emission rate of pollutants from building materials. Correlation between the emission rate and the combined environmental factors is derived theoretically. Data in literature are applied to validate the effectiveness of the correlation. With the correlation, the indoor formaldehyde concentration in summer is predicted to be 1.63 times of that in winter in Beijing, which is approximately consistent with surveyed data. In addition, a novel approach is proposed to assess the human health impact due to pollutants emitted from building materials at varied temperature and relative humidity. An association between the human carcinogenic potential (HCP) and the environmental factors is obtained. By introducing a reference room model developed previously, it is calculated that the HCP of bedroom at high relative humidity (70%, 25°C) for formaldehyde exceeds 10-4 cases, meaning high cancer health risk. This study should prove useful for evaluating the emission behaviors and the associated exposure of pollutants from building materials at varied environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianyin Xiong
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Pianpian Zhang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Shaodan Huang
- Department of Building Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
| | - Yinping Zhang
- Department of Building Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
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20
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Csiszar SA, Meyer DE, Dionisio KL, Egeghy P, Isaacs KK, Price PS, Scanlon KA, Tan YM, Thomas K, Vallero D, Bare JC. Conceptual Framework To Extend Life Cycle Assessment Using Near-Field Human Exposure Modeling and High-Throughput Tools for Chemicals. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2016; 50:11922-11934. [PMID: 27668689 PMCID: PMC7388028 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.6b02277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a decision-making tool that accounts for multiple impacts across the life cycle of a product or service. This paper presents a conceptual framework to integrate human health impact assessment with risk screening approaches to extend LCA to include near-field chemical sources (e.g., those originating from consumer products and building materials) that have traditionally been excluded from LCA. A new generation of rapid human exposure modeling and high-throughput toxicity testing is transforming chemical risk prioritization and provides an opportunity for integration of screening-level risk assessment (RA) with LCA. The combined LCA and RA approach considers environmental impacts of products alongside risks to human health, which is consistent with regulatory frameworks addressing RA within a sustainability mindset. A case study is presented to juxtapose LCA and risk screening approaches for a chemical used in a consumer product. The case study demonstrates how these new risk screening tools can be used to inform toxicity impact estimates in LCA and highlights needs for future research. The framework provides a basis for developing tools and methods to support decision making on the use of chemicals in products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan A Csiszar
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) Research Participation Program, hosted at U.S. Environmental Protection Agency , Cincinnati, Ohio 45268, United States
| | - David E Meyer
- Office of Research and Development, National Risk Management Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency , Cincinnati, Ohio 45268, United States
| | - Kathie L Dionisio
- Office of Research and Development, National Exposure Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency , Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711, United States
| | - Peter Egeghy
- Office of Research and Development, National Exposure Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency , Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711, United States
| | - Kristin K Isaacs
- Office of Research and Development, National Exposure Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency , Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711, United States
| | - Paul S Price
- Office of Research and Development, National Exposure Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency , Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711, United States
| | - Kelly A Scanlon
- AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow hosted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air and Radiation, Office of Radiation and Indoor Air, Washington, DC 20460, United States
| | - Yu-Mei Tan
- Office of Research and Development, National Exposure Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency , Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711, United States
| | - Kent Thomas
- Office of Research and Development, National Exposure Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency , Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711, United States
| | - Daniel Vallero
- Office of Research and Development, National Exposure Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency , Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711, United States
| | - Jane C Bare
- Office of Research and Development, National Risk Management Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency , Cincinnati, Ohio 45268, United States
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21
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Hao JN, Yan B. A dual-emitting 4d-4f nanocrystalline metal-organic framework as a self-calibrating luminescent sensor for indoor formaldehyde pollution. NANOSCALE 2016; 8:12047-12053. [PMID: 27243359 DOI: 10.1039/c6nr02446g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
A dual-emissive 4d-4f Ag(i)-Eu(iii) functionalized MOF nanocomposite was fabricated and utilized as a self-calibrating luminescent nanoprobe for detecting indoor formaldehyde (FA). The implantation of Ag(+) ions can tune the dual-emissive characters of the material. FA can interact with the Ag(+) ions and induce opposite luminescence behaviors of the two emitters in the singular molecular material, thus realizing its recognition. This nanoprobe for FA exhibits many merits, such as excellent selectivity, high sensitivity with a detection limit of 51 ppb, fast response, room-temperature testing ability, easy preparation and low cost. This is the first example of a MOF-implicated self-calibrated sensor for indoor FA detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji-Na Hao
- Shanghai Key Lab of Chemical Assessment and Sustainability, Department of Chemistry, Tongji University, Siping Road 1239, Shanghai 200092, China.
| | - Bing Yan
- Shanghai Key Lab of Chemical Assessment and Sustainability, Department of Chemistry, Tongji University, Siping Road 1239, Shanghai 200092, China.
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22
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Teeguarden JG, Tan YM, Edwards SW, Leonard JA, Anderson KA, Corley RA, Harding AK, Kile ML, Simonich SM, Stone D, Tanguay RL, Waters KM, Harper SL, Williams DE. Completing the Link between Exposure Science and Toxicology for Improved Environmental Health Decision Making: The Aggregate Exposure Pathway Framework. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2016; 50:4579-86. [PMID: 26759916 PMCID: PMC4854780 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.5b05311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Driven by major scientific advances in analytical methods, biomonitoring, computation, and a newly articulated vision for a greater impact in public health, the field of exposure science is undergoing a rapid transition from a field of observation to a field of prediction. Deployment of an organizational and predictive framework for exposure science analogous to the "systems approaches" used in the biological sciences is a necessary step in this evolution. Here we propose the aggregate exposure pathway (AEP) concept as the natural and complementary companion in the exposure sciences to the adverse outcome pathway (AOP) concept in the toxicological sciences. Aggregate exposure pathways offer an intuitive framework to organize exposure data within individual units of prediction common to the field, setting the stage for exposure forecasting. Looking farther ahead, we envision direct linkages between aggregate exposure pathways and adverse outcome pathways, completing the source to outcome continuum for more meaningful integration of exposure assessment and hazard identification. Together, the two frameworks form and inform a decision-making framework with the flexibility for risk-based, hazard-based, or exposure-based decision making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin. G. Teeguarden
- Health Effects and Exposure Science, Pacific Northwest
National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352
- Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon
State University, Corvallis, OR 93771
- Corresponding Author: 902 Battelle Blvd. Richland, WA
99352, (P) 509-376-4262,
| | - Yu-Mei Tan
- National Exposure Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Durham, NC 27709
| | - Stephen W. Edwards
- National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory,
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Durham, NC 27709
| | - Jeremy A. Leonard
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Oak Ridge,
Tennessee 37831
| | - Kim A. Anderson
- Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon
State University, Corvallis, OR 93771
| | - Richard A. Corley
- Health Effects and Exposure Science, Pacific Northwest
National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352
- Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon
State University, Corvallis, OR 93771
| | - Anna K Harding
- School of Biological and Population Health Sciences, Oregon
State University, Corvallis, OR 93771
| | - Molly L. Kile
- School of Biological and Population Health Sciences, Oregon
State University, Corvallis, OR 93771
| | - Staci M Simonich
- Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon
State University, Corvallis, OR 93771
| | - David Stone
- Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon
State University, Corvallis, OR 93771
| | - Robert L. Tanguay
- Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon
State University, Corvallis, OR 93771
| | - Katrina M. Waters
- Health Effects and Exposure Science, Pacific Northwest
National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352
- Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon
State University, Corvallis, OR 93771
| | - Stacey L. Harper
- Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon
State University, Corvallis, OR 93771
- School of Chemical, Biological and Environmental
Engineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331
| | - David E. Williams
- Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon
State University, Corvallis, OR 93771
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23
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Rosenbaum RK, Meijer A, Demou E, Hellweg S, Jolliet O, Lam NL, Margni M, McKone TE. Indoor Air Pollutant Exposure for Life Cycle Assessment: Regional Health Impact Factors for Households. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2015; 49:12823-31. [PMID: 26444519 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.5b00890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Human exposure to indoor pollutant concentrations is receiving increasing interest in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). We address this issue by incorporating an indoor compartment into the USEtox model, as well as by providing recommended parameter values for households in four different regions of the world differing geographically, economically, and socially. With these parameter values, intake fractions and comparative toxicity potentials for indoor emissions of dwellings for different air tightness levels were calculated. The resulting intake fractions for indoor exposure vary by 2 orders of magnitude, due to the variability of ventilation rate, building occupation, and volume. To compare health impacts as a result of indoor exposure with those from outdoor exposure, the indoor exposure characterization factors determined with the modified USEtox model were applied in a case study on cooking in non-OECD countries. This study demonstrates the appropriateness and significance of integrating indoor environments into LCA, which ensures a more holistic account of all exposure environments and allows for a better accountability of health impacts. The model, intake fractions, and characterization factors are made available for use in standard LCA studies via www.usetox.org and in standard LCA software.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ralph K Rosenbaum
- Irstea, UMR ITAP, ELSA Research group & ELSA-PACT-Industrial Chair for Environmental and Social Sustainability Assessment, 361 rue J.F. Breton, 5095, 34196 Montpellier, France
- Division for Quantitative Sustainability Assessment, Department of Management Engineering, Technical University of Denmark , 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Arjen Meijer
- OTB Research for the Built Environment, Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, Delft University of Technology , 2600 GA Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Evangelia Demou
- Healthy Working Lives Group, Institute of Health and Wellbeing, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow , Glasgow G12 8RZ, U.K
- MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow , Glasgow G2 3QB, U.K
| | - Stefanie Hellweg
- Institute of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zurich , 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Olivier Jolliet
- Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Nicholas L Lam
- School of Public Health, University of California Berkeley , Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Manuele Margni
- Department of Mathematical and Industrial Engineering, CIRAIG - Polytechnique Montreal , Montreal, Quebec H3C 3A7, Canada
| | - Thomas E McKone
- School of Public Health, University of California Berkeley , Berkeley, California 94720, United States
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24
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Kobayashi Y, Peters GM, Ashbolt NJ, Shiels S, Khan SJ. Assessing burden of disease as disability adjusted life years in life cycle assessment. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2015; 530-531:120-128. [PMID: 26042893 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2014] [Revised: 04/28/2015] [Accepted: 05/04/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Disability adjusted life years (DALYs) have been used to quantify endpoint indicators of the human burden of disease in life cycle assessment (LCA). The purpose of this paper was to examine the current use of DALYs in LCA, and also to consider whether DALYs as used in LCA have the potential to be compatible with DALYs as used in quantitative risk assessment (QRA) to facilitate direct comparison of the results of the two approaches. A literature review of current usage of DALYs in LCA was undertaken. Two prominent methods were identified: ReCiPe 2008 and LIME2. The methods and assumptions used in their calculations were then critically reviewed. The assumptions used for the derivation of characterization factors in DALYs were found to be considerably different between LCA methods. In many cases, transparency of these calculations and assumptions is lacking. Furthermore, global average DALY values are often used in these calculations, but may not be applicable for impact categories where the local factors play a significant role. The concept of DALYs seems beneficial since it enables direct comparison and aggregation of different health impacts. However, given the different assumptions used in each LCA method, it is important that LCA practitioners are aware of the differences and select the appropriate method for the focus of their study. When applying DALYs as a common metric between LCA and QRA, understanding the background information on how DALYs were derived is crucial to ensure the consistency of DALYs used in LCA and QRA for resulting DALYs to be comparable and to minimize any double counting of effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yumi Kobayashi
- School of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Greg M Peters
- School of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Nicholas J Ashbolt
- School of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton T6G 2G7, Alberta, Canada
| | - Sean Shiels
- Knowledge, Technology & Innovation, Environment Protection Authority Victoria, 200 Victoria Street, Carlton, VIC 3053, Australia
| | - Stuart J Khan
- School of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
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25
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Heeren N, Mutel CL, Steubing B, Ostermeyer Y, Wallbaum H, Hellweg S. Environmental Impact of Buildings--What Matters? ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2015; 49:9832-9841. [PMID: 26176213 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.5b01735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The goal of this study was to identify drivers of environmental impact and quantify their influence on the environmental performance of wooden and massive residential and office buildings. We performed a life cycle assessment and used thermal simulation to quantify operational energy demand and to account for differences in thermal inertia of building mass. Twenty-eight input parameters, affecting operation, design, material, and exogenic building properties were sampled in a Monte Carlo analysis. To determine sensitivity, we calculated the correlation between each parameter and the resulting life cycle inventory and impact assessment scores. Parameters affecting operational energy demand and energy conversion are the most influential for the building's total environmental performance. For climate change, electricity mix, ventilation rate, heating system, and construction material rank the highest. Thermal inertia results in an average 2-6% difference in heat demand. Nonrenewable cumulative energy demand of wooden buildings is 18% lower, compared to a massive variant. Total cumulative energy demand is comparable. The median climate change impact is 25% lower, including end-of-life material credits and 22% lower, when credits are excluded. The findings are valid for small offices and residential buildings in Switzerland and regions with similar building culture, construction material production, and climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niko Heeren
- †Institute of Environmental Engineering, Chair of Ecological System Design, ETH Zurich, John-von-Neumann-Weg 9, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Christopher L Mutel
- ‡Technology Assessment Group (LEA), Paul Scherrer Institut, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - Bernhard Steubing
- †Institute of Environmental Engineering, Chair of Ecological System Design, ETH Zurich, John-von-Neumann-Weg 9, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - York Ostermeyer
- §Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, 412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Holger Wallbaum
- §Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, 412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Stefanie Hellweg
- †Institute of Environmental Engineering, Chair of Ecological System Design, ETH Zurich, John-von-Neumann-Weg 9, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
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Jolliet O, Ernstoff AS, Csiszar SA, Fantke P. Defining Product Intake Fraction to Quantify and Compare Exposure to Consumer Products. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2015; 49:8924-31. [PMID: 26102159 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.5b01083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
There is a growing consciousness that exposure studies need to better cover near-field exposure associated with products use. To consistently and quantitatively compare human exposure to chemicals in consumer products, we introduce the concept of product intake fraction, as the fraction of a chemical within a product that is eventually taken in by the human population. This metric enables consistent comparison of exposures during consumer product use for different product-chemical combinations, exposure duration, exposure routes and pathways and for other life cycle stages. We present example applications of the product intake fraction concept, for two chemicals in two personal care products and two chemicals encapsulated in two articles, showing how intakes of these chemicals can primarily occur during product use. We demonstrate the utility of the product intake fraction and its application modalities within life cycle assessment and risk assessment contexts. The product intake fraction helps to provide a clear interface between the life cycle inventory and impact assessment phases, to identify best suited sentinel products and to calculate overall exposure to chemicals in consumer products, or back-calculate maximum allowable concentrations of substances inside products.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alexi S Ernstoff
- ‡Quantitative Sustainability Assessment Division, Department of Management Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | | | - Peter Fantke
- ‡Quantitative Sustainability Assessment Division, Department of Management Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
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Johnson MA, Chiang RA. Quantitative Guidance for Stove Usage and Performance to Achieve Health and Environmental Targets. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2015; 123:820-6. [PMID: 25816219 PMCID: PMC4529010 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1408681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2014] [Accepted: 03/25/2015] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Displacing the use of polluting and inefficient cookstoves in developing countries is necessary to achieve the potential health and environmental benefits sought through clean cooking solutions. Yet little quantitative context has been provided on how much displacement of traditional technologies is needed to achieve targets for household air pollutant concentrations or fuel savings. OBJECTIVES This paper provides instructive guidance on the usage of cooking technologies required to achieve health and environmental improvements. METHODS We evaluated different scenarios of displacement of traditional stoves with use of higher performing technologies. The air quality and fuel consumption impacts were estimated for these scenarios using a single-zone box model of indoor air quality and ratios of thermal efficiency. RESULTS Stove performance and usage should be considered together, as lower performing stoves can result in similar or greater benefits than a higher performing stove if the lower performing stove has considerably higher displacement of the baseline stove. Based on the indoor air quality model, there are multiple performance-usage scenarios for achieving modest indoor air quality improvements. To meet World Health Organization guidance levels, however, three-stone fire and basic charcoal stove usage must be nearly eliminated to achieve the particulate matter target (< 1-3 hr/week), and substantially limited to meet the carbon monoxide guideline (< 7-9 hr/week). CONCLUSIONS Moderate health gains may be achieved with various performance-usage scenarios. The greatest benefits are estimated to be achieved by near-complete displacement of traditional stoves with clean technologies, emphasizing the need to shift in the long term to near exclusive use of clean fuels and stoves. The performance-usage scenarios are also provided as a tool to guide technology selection and prioritize behavior change opportunities to maximize impact.
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Kijko G, Margni M, Partovi-Nia V, Doudrich G, Jolliet O. Impact of Occupational Exposure to Chemicals in Life Cycle Assessment: A Novel Characterization Model Based on Measured Concentrations and Labor Hours. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2015; 49:8741-50. [PMID: 26079305 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.5b00078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
According to Lim et al., based on World Health Organization (WHO) data, hazardous chemicals in the workplace are responsible for over 370,000 premature deaths annually. Despite these high figures, life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) does not yet include a fully operational method to consider occupational impacts in its scope over the entire supply chain. This paper describes a novel approach to account for occupational exposure to chemicals by inhalation in LCA. It combines labor statistics and measured occupational concentrations of chemicals from the OSHA database to calculate operational LCIA characterization factors (i.e., intakes per hour worked and impact intensities for 19,069 organic chemical/sector combinations with confidence intervals across the entire U.S. manufacturing industry). For the seven chemicals that most contribute to the global impact, measured workplace concentrations range between 5 × 10(-4) and 3 × 10(3) mg/m(3). Carcinogenic impacts range over 4 orders of magnitude, from 1.3 × 10(-8) and up to 3.4 × 10(-4) DALY per blue-collar worker labor hour. The innovative approach set out in this paper assesses health impacts from occupational exposure to chemicals with population exposure to outdoor emissions, making it possible to integrate occupational exposure within LCIA. It broadens the LCIA scope to analyze hotspots and avoid impact shifting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaël Kijko
- †Polytechnique Montréal, CIRAIG, P.O. Box 6079, succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, Québec, Canada H3C 3A7
| | - Manuele Margni
- †Polytechnique Montréal, CIRAIG, P.O. Box 6079, succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, Québec, Canada H3C 3A7
| | - Vahid Partovi-Nia
- §Mathematical and Industrial Engineering Department, Polytechnique Montréal, P.O. Box 6079, Montréal, Québec H3C 3A7, Canada
| | - Greg Doudrich
- †Polytechnique Montréal, CIRAIG, P.O. Box 6079, succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, Québec, Canada H3C 3A7
- ∥Bombardier Aerospace, Design for Environment-Core Engineering, 2351 Alfred Nobel, Montréal, Québec H4S 2B8, Canada
| | - Olivier Jolliet
- ‡Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
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Collinge W, Thiel C, Campion N, Al-Ghamdi S, Woloschin C, Soratana K, Landis A, Bilec M. Integrating Life Cycle Assessment with Green Building and Product Rating Systems: North American Perspective. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.proeng.2015.08.500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Chaudhary A, Hellweg S. Including indoor offgassed emissions in the life cycle inventories of wood products. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2014; 48:14607-14. [PMID: 25405704 DOI: 10.1021/es5045024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that negatively affect human health are emitted from wood products used indoors. However, the existing life cycle inventories of these products only document the emissions occurring during production and disposal phases. Consequently, the life cycle assessment (LCA) of indoor wooden products conducted using these inventories neglect the use-phase impacts from exposure to offgassed VOCs and therefore underestimate the product's total environmental impact. This study demonstrates a methodology to calculate the use phase inventory and the corresponding human health impacts resulting from indoor use of any VOC emitting product. For the five most commonly used types of boards used in indoor wood products, the mass of each VOC emitted into the indoor compartment over their service life was calculated by statistically analyzing data from 50 published chamber testing studies. Uncertainty was assessed using Monte Carlo simulations. The calculated inventory data were used in a case study to calculate and compare the health impacts of five different wooden floorings made of above materials. The results show that the use-phase human-toxicity impacts are an order of magnitude higher than those occurring during the rest of the flooring's life cycle. The factors influencing the offgassing of VOCs from wood products and measures to reduce exposure are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhishek Chaudhary
- ETH Zurich, Institute of Environmental Engineering , 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
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Barberio G, Scalbi S, Buttol P, Masoni P, Righi S. Combining life cycle assessment and qualitative risk assessment: the case study of alumina nanofluid production. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2014; 496:122-131. [PMID: 25068795 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.06.135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2014] [Revised: 06/21/2014] [Accepted: 06/29/2014] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
In this paper the authors propose a framework for combining life cycle assessment (LCA) and Risk Assessment (RA) to support the sustainability assessment of emerging technologies. This proposal includes four steps of analysis: technological system definition; data collection; risk evaluation and impacts quantification; results interpretation. This scheme has been applied to a case study of nanofluid alumina production in two different pilot lines, "single-stage" and "two-stage". The study has been developed in the NanoHex project (enhanced nano-fluid heat exchange). Goals of the study were analyzing the hotspots and highlighting possible trade-off between the results of LCA, which identifies the processes having the best environmental performance, and the results of RA, which identifies the scenarios having the highest risk for workers. Indeed, due to lack of data about exposure limits, exposure-dose relationships and toxicity of alumina nanopowders (NPs) and nanofluids (NF), the workplace exposure has been evaluated by means of qualitative risk assessment, using Stoffenmanager Nano. Though having different aims, LCA and RA have a complementary role in the description of impacts of products/substances/technologies. Their combined use can overcome limits of each of them and allows a wider vision of the problems to better support the decision making process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grazia Barberio
- ENEA-Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, Lungotevere Thaon di Revel, 76-00196 Rome, Italy.
| | - Simona Scalbi
- ENEA-Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, Lungotevere Thaon di Revel, 76-00196 Rome, Italy
| | - Patrizia Buttol
- ENEA-Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, Lungotevere Thaon di Revel, 76-00196 Rome, Italy
| | - Paolo Masoni
- ENEA-Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, Lungotevere Thaon di Revel, 76-00196 Rome, Italy
| | - Serena Righi
- University of Bologna, C.I.R.S.A., Ravenna, Italy
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Golsteijn L, Huizer D, Hauck M, van Zelm R, Huijbregts MAJ. Including exposure variability in the life cycle impact assessment of indoor chemical emissions: the case of metal degreasing. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2014; 71:36-45. [PMID: 24972247 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2014.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2014] [Revised: 06/02/2014] [Accepted: 06/02/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The present paper describes a method that accounts for variation in indoor chemical exposure settings and accompanying human toxicity in life cycle assessment (LCA). Metal degreasing with dichloromethane was used as a case study to show method in practice. We compared the human toxicity related to the degreasing of 1m(2) of metal surface in different exposure scenarios for industrial workers, professional users outside industrial settings, and home consumers. The fraction of the chemical emission that is taken in by exposed individuals (i.e. the intake fraction) was estimated on the basis of operational conditions (e.g. exposure duration), and protective measures (e.g. local exhaust ventilation). The introduction of a time-dependency and a correction for protective measures resulted in reductions in the intake fraction of up to 1.5 orders of magnitude, compared to application of existing, less advanced models. In every exposure scenario, the life cycle impacts for human toxicity were mainly caused by indoor exposure to metal degreaser (>60%). Emissions released outdoors contributed up to 22% of the life cycle impacts for human toxicity, and the production of metal degreaser contributed up to 19%. These findings illustrate that human toxicity from indoor chemical exposure should not be disregarded in LCA case studies. Particularly when protective measures are taken or in the case of a short duration (1h or less), we recommend the use of our exposure scenario-specific approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Golsteijn
- Radboud University Nijmegen, Department of Environmental Science, PO Box 9010, 6500 GL Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Daan Huizer
- Radboud University Nijmegen, Department of Environmental Science, PO Box 9010, 6500 GL Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Caesar Consult Nijmegen, PO Box 31070, 6503 CB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Mara Hauck
- Radboud University Nijmegen, Department of Environmental Science, PO Box 9010, 6500 GL Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Rosalie van Zelm
- Radboud University Nijmegen, Department of Environmental Science, PO Box 9010, 6500 GL Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Mark A J Huijbregts
- Radboud University Nijmegen, Department of Environmental Science, PO Box 9010, 6500 GL Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Kounina A, Margni M, Shaked S, Bulle C, Jolliet O. Spatial analysis of toxic emissions in LCA: a sub-continental nested USEtox model with freshwater archetypes. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2014; 69:67-89. [PMID: 24815341 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2014.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2013] [Revised: 04/10/2014] [Accepted: 04/10/2014] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
This paper develops continent-specific factors for the USEtox model and analyses the accuracy of different model architectures, spatial scales and archetypes in evaluating toxic impacts, with a focus on freshwater pathways. Inter-continental variation is analysed by comparing chemical fate and intake fractions between sub-continental zones of two life cycle impact assessment models: (1) the nested USEtox model parameterized with sub-continental zones and (2) the spatially differentiated IMPACTWorld model with 17 interconnected sub-continental regions. Substance residence time in water varies by up to two orders of magnitude among the 17 zones assessed with IMPACTWorld and USEtox, and intake fraction varies by up to three orders of magnitude. Despite this variation, the nested USEtox model succeeds in mimicking the results of the spatially differentiated model, with the exception of very persistent volatile pollutants that can be transported to polar regions. Intra-continental variation is analysed by comparing fate and intake fractions modelled with the a-spatial (one box) IMPACT Europe continental model vs. the spatially differentiated version of the same model. Results show that the one box model might overestimate chemical fate and characterisation factors for freshwater eco-toxicity of persistent pollutants by up to three orders of magnitude for point source emissions. Subdividing Europe into three archetypes, based on freshwater residence time (how long it takes water to reach the sea), improves the prediction of fate and intake fractions for point source emissions, bringing them within a factor five compared to the spatial model. We demonstrated that a sub-continental nested model such as USEtox, with continent-specific parameterization complemented with freshwater archetypes, can thus represent inter- and intra-continental spatial variations, whilst minimizing model complexity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Kounina
- Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland; Quantis, Parc scientifique EPFL, Bâtiment D, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Manuele Margni
- Quantis, Parc scientifique EPFL, Bâtiment D, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland; CIRAIG, Polytechnique of Montréal, Chemin Polytechnique Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Shanna Shaked
- University of Michigan, School of Public Health, Environmental Health Sciences, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Cécile Bulle
- CIRAIG, Polytechnique of Montréal, Chemin Polytechnique Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Olivier Jolliet
- Quantis, Parc scientifique EPFL, Bâtiment D, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland; University of Michigan, School of Public Health, Environmental Health Sciences, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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Caniato M, Vaccari M, Visvanathan C, Zurbrügg C. Using social network and stakeholder analysis to help evaluate infectious waste management: a step towards a holistic assessment. WASTE MANAGEMENT (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2014; 34:938-951. [PMID: 24636007 DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2014.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2013] [Revised: 02/07/2014] [Accepted: 02/12/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Assessing the strengths and weaknesses of a solid waste management scheme requires an accurate analysis and integration of several determining features. In addition to the technical aspects, any such system shows a complex interaction of actors with varying stakes, decision-making power and influence, as well as a favourable or disabling environment. When capitalizing on the knowledge and experience from a specific case, it is also crucial that experts do not "forget" or underestimate the importance of such social determinants and that they are familiar with the methods and tools to assess them. Social network analysis (SNA) and stakeholder analysis (SA) methods can be successfully applied to better understand actors' role and actions, analyse driving forces and existing coordination among stakeholders, as well as identify bottlenecks in communication which affect daily operations or strategic planning for the future way forward. SNA and SA, appropriately adjusted for a certain system, can provide a useful integration to methods by assessing other aspects to ensure a comprehensive picture of the situation. This paper describes how to integrate SNA and SA in order to survey a solid waste management system. This paper presents the results of an analysis of On-Nuch infectious waste incinerator in Bangkok, Thailand. Stakeholders were interviewed and asked to prioritize characteristics and relationships which they consider particularly important for system development and success of the scheme. In such a way, a large quantity of information about organization, communication between stakeholders and their perception about operation, environmental and health impact, and potential alternatives for the system was collected in a systematic way. The survey results suggest that stakeholders are generally satisfied with the system operation, though communication should be improved. Moreover, stakeholders should be strategically more involved in system development planning, according to their characteristics, to prevent negative reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Caniato
- University of Brescia, Research Centre on Appropriate Technologies for Environmental Management in Developing Countries (CeTAmb), Via Branze, 43, 25123 Brescia, Italy.
| | - Mentore Vaccari
- University of Brescia, Research Centre on Appropriate Technologies for Environmental Management in Developing Countries (CeTAmb), Via Branze, 43, 25123 Brescia, Italy.
| | - Chettiyappan Visvanathan
- Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), School of Environment, Resources and Development (SERD), P.O. Box 4, Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand.
| | - Christian Zurbrügg
- University of Brescia, Research Centre on Appropriate Technologies for Environmental Management in Developing Countries (CeTAmb), Via Branze, 43, 25123 Brescia, Italy; Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Department of Water and Sanitation in Developing Countries (Sandec), Ueberlandstrasse 133, 8600 Duebendorf, Switzerland.
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Barlow CA, Lievense L, Gross S, Ronk CJ, Paustenbach DJ. The role of genotoxicity in asbestos-induced mesothelioma: an explanation for the differences in carcinogenic potential among fiber types. Inhal Toxicol 2014; 25:553-67. [PMID: 23905972 DOI: 10.3109/08958378.2013.807321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
The mechanism(s) underlying asbestos toxicity associated with the pathogenesis of mesothelioma has been a challenge to unravel for more than 60 years. A significant amount of research has focused on the characteristics of different fiber types and their potential to induce mesothelioma. These mechanistic studies of fiber toxicity have proceeded along two lines: those demonstrating biochemical mechanisms by which fibers induce disease and those investigating human susceptibility. Most recent studies focused on in vitro genotoxic effects induced by asbestos as the mechanism responsible for asbestos-induced disease. Although asbestos exerts a genotoxic effect at certain concentrations in vitro, a positive response in these tests does not indicate that the chemical is likely to produce an increased risk of carcinogenesis in exposed human populations. Thus far, findings from studies on the effects of fiber type in mesothelial cells are seriously flawed by a lack of a dose response relationship. The common limitation of these in vitro experiments is the lack of attention paid to the complexities of the human anatomy, biochemistry and physiology, which make the observed effects in these experimental systems difficult to extrapolate to persons in the workplace. Mechanistic differences between carcinogenic and genotoxic processes indicate why tests for genotoxicity do not provide much insight regarding the ability to predict carcinogenic potential in workers exposed to asbestos doses in the post-Occupational Safety and Health Administration era. This review discusses the existing literature on asbestos-induced genotoxicity and explains why these studies may or may not likely help characterize the dose-response curve at low dose.
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Kikuchi Y. Activity and Data Models for Process Assessment Considering Sustainability. KAGAKU KOGAKU RONBUN 2014. [DOI: 10.1252/kakoronbunshu.40.211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yasunori Kikuchi
- Presidential Endowed Chair for “Platinum Society”, Organization for Interdisciplinary Research Project, The University of Tokyo
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Walser T, Juraske R, Demou E, Hellweg S. Indoor exposure to toluene from printed matter matters: complementary views from life cycle assessment and risk assessment. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2014; 48:689-97. [PMID: 24283298 DOI: 10.1021/es403804z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
A pronounced presence of toluene from rotogravure printed matter has been frequently observed indoors. However, its consequences to human health in the life cycle of magazines are poorly known. Therefore, we quantified human-health risks in indoor environments with Risk Assessment (RA) and impacts relative to the total impact of toxic releases occurring in the life cycle of a magazine with Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). We used a one-box indoor model to estimate toluene concentrations in printing facilities, newsstands, and residences in a best, average, and worst-case scenario. The modeled concentrations are in the range of the values measured in on-site campaigns. Toluene concentrations can be close or even surpass the occupational legal thresholds in printing facilities in realistic worst-case scenarios. The concentrations in homes can surpass the US EPA reference dose (69 μg/kg/day) in worst-case scenarios, but are still at least 1 order of magnitude lower than in press rooms or newsstands. However, toluene inhaled at home becomes the dominant contribution to the total potential human toxicity impacts of toluene from printed matter when assessed with LCA, using the USEtox method complemented with indoor characterization factors for toluene. The significant contribution (44%) of toluene exposure in production, retail, and use in households, to the total life cycle impact of a magazine in the category of human toxicity, demonstrates that the indoor compartment requires particular attention in LCA. While RA works with threshold levels, LCA assumes that every toxic emission causes an incremental change to the total impact. Here, the combination of the two paradigms provides valuable information on the life cycle stages of printed matter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Walser
- Group for Ecological Systems Design, Institute of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zurich , Zurich Switzerland
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Mitchell J, Arnot JA, Jolliet O, Georgopoulos PG, Isukapalli S, Dasgupta S, Pandian M, Wambaugh J, Egeghy P, Cohen Hubal EA, Vallero DA. Comparison of modeling approaches to prioritize chemicals based on estimates of exposure and exposure potential. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2013; 458-460:555-67. [PMID: 23707726 PMCID: PMC3983788 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.04.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2013] [Revised: 04/16/2013] [Accepted: 04/16/2013] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
While only limited data are available to characterize the potential toxicity of over 8 million commercially available chemical substances, there is even less information available on the exposure and use-scenarios that are required to link potential toxicity to human and ecological health outcomes. Recent improvements and advances such as high throughput data gathering, high performance computational capabilities, and predictive chemical inherency methodology make this an opportune time to develop an exposure-based prioritization approach that can systematically utilize and link the asymmetrical bodies of knowledge for hazard and exposure. In response to the US EPA's need to develop novel approaches and tools for rapidly prioritizing chemicals, a "Challenge" was issued to several exposure model developers to aid the understanding of current systems in a broader sense and to assist the US EPA's effort to develop an approach comparable to other international efforts. A common set of chemicals were prioritized under each current approach. The results are presented herein along with a comparative analysis of the rankings of the chemicals based on metrics of exposure potential or actual exposure estimates. The analysis illustrates the similarities and differences across the domains of information incorporated in each modeling approach. The overall findings indicate a need to reconcile exposures from diffuse, indirect sources (far-field) with exposures from directly, applied chemicals in consumer products or resulting from the presence of a chemical in a microenvironment like a home or vehicle. Additionally, the exposure scenario, including the mode of entry into the environment (i.e. through air, water or sediment) appears to be an important determinant of the level of agreement between modeling approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jade Mitchell
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Exposure Research Laboratory, Research Triangle Park, NC 2771, USA
- Corresponding author at: Michigan State University, Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, 206 Farall Hall, East Lansing, MI 48823, USA. Tel.: +1 517 353 4544
| | - Jon A. Arnot
- University of Toronto Scarborough, Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Olivier Jolliet
- University of Michigan, School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | - Sastry Isukapalli
- Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Surajit Dasgupta
- Versar, Inc., Exposure and Risk Assessment Division, Springfield, VA, USA
| | | | - John Wambaugh
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Center for Computational Toxicology, Research Triangle Park, NC 2771, USA
| | - Peter Egeghy
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Exposure Research Laboratory, Research Triangle Park, NC 2771, USA
| | - Elaine A. Cohen Hubal
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Exposure Research Laboratory, Research Triangle Park, NC 2771, USA
| | - Daniel A. Vallero
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Exposure Research Laboratory, Research Triangle Park, NC 2771, USA
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41
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Kikuchi Y, Hirao M. Risk Classification and Identification for Chemicals Management in Process Design. JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING OF JAPAN 2013. [DOI: 10.1252/jcej.12we281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yasunori Kikuchi
- Presidential Endowed Chair for “Platinum Society,” The International Research Center, The University of Tokyo
- Department of Chemical System Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo
| | - Masahiko Hirao
- Department of Chemical System Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo
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42
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Shin HM, McKone TE, Bennett DH. Intake fraction for the indoor environment: a tool for prioritizing indoor chemical sources. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2012; 46:10063-72. [PMID: 22920860 DOI: 10.1021/es3018286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Reliable exposure-based chemical characterization tools are needed to evaluate and prioritize in a rapid and efficient manner the more than tens of thousands of chemicals in current use. This study applies intake fraction (iF), the integrated incremental intake of a chemical per unit of emission, for a suite of indoor released compounds. A fugacity-based indoor mass-balance model was used to simulate the fate and transport of chemicals for three release scenarios: direct emissions to room air and surface applications to carpet and vinyl. Exposure through inhalation, dermal uptake, and nondietary ingestion was estimated. To compute iF, cumulative intake was summed from all exposure pathways for 20 years based on a scenario with two adults and a 1-year-old child who ages through the simulation. Overall iFs vary by application modes: air release (3.1 × 10(-3) to 6.3 × 10(-3)), carpet application (3.8 × 10(-5) to 6.2 × 10(-3)), and vinyl application (9.0 × 10(-5) to 1.8 × 10(-2)). These iF values serve as initial estimates that offer important insights on variations among chemicals and the potential relative contribution of each pathway over a suite of compounds. The approach from this study is intended for exposure-based prioritization of chemicals released inside homes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyeong-Moo Shin
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California-Davis, Davis, California, United States.
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43
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Laurent A, Olsen SI, Hauschild MZ. Limitations of carbon footprint as indicator of environmental sustainability. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2012; 46:4100-8. [PMID: 22443866 DOI: 10.1021/es204163f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Greenhouse gas accountings, commonly referred to with the popular term carbon footprints (CFP), are a widely used metric of climate change impacts and the main focus of many sustainability policies among companies and authorities. However, environmental sustainability concerns not just climate change but also other environmental problems, like chemical pollution or depletion of natural resources, and the focus on CFP brings the risk of problem shifting when reductions in CFP are obtained at the expense of increase in other environmental impacts. But how real is this risk? Here, we model and analyze the life cycle impacts from about 4000 different products, technologies, and services taken from several sectors, including energy generation, transportation, material production, infrastructure, and waste management. By investigating the correlations between the CFP and 13 other impact scores, we show that some environmental impacts, notably those related to emissions of toxic substances, often do not covary with climate change impacts. In such situations, carbon footprint is a poor representative of the environmental burden of products, and environmental management focused exclusively on CFP runs the risk of inadvertently shifting the problem to other environmental impacts when products are optimized to become more "green". These findings call for the use of more broadly encompassing tools to assess and manage environmental sustainability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexis Laurent
- Division for Quantitative Sustainability Assessment (QSA), Department of Management Engineering, Technical University of Denmark (DTU), Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.
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44
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Walser T, Hellweg S, Juraske R, Luechinger NA, Wang J, Fierz M. Exposure to engineered nanoparticles: Model and measurements for accident situations in laboratories. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2012; 420:119-126. [PMID: 22326315 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2012.01.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2011] [Revised: 01/16/2012] [Accepted: 01/16/2012] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
In the life cycle of engineered nanoparticles (ENP), their manufacturing requires particular attention because of unwanted potential ENP emissions to workplaces. We simulated three scenarios of equipment failure during gas phase production of nanoparticles in a laboratory. The emission plume of nanoparticles was tracked with high spatial and temporal resolution by 10 measurement devices. While under normal production conditions, no elevated ENP concentrations were observed, worst case scenarios led to homogeneous indoor ENP concentrations of up to 10(6)cm(-3) in a 300m(3) production room after only 60s. The fast dispersal in the room was followed by an exponential decrease in number concentration after the emission event. Under conditions like those observed - rapid dispersal and good mixing - a single measurement device alone can provide valuable information for an ENP exposure assessment. A one-box model adequately reflected measured number concentrations (r(2)>0.99). The ENP emission rates to the workplace were estimated between 2.5·10(11) and 6·10(12)s(-1) for the three emission scenarios. The worst case emission rate at the production zone was also estimated at 2·10(13)s(-1) with a stoichiometric calculation based on the precursor input, density and particle size. ENP intake fractions were 3.8-5.1·10(-4) inhaled ENP per produced ENP in the investigated setting. These could only be substantially lowered by leaving the production room within a few minutes after the emission event.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Walser
- Institute for Environmental Engineering, ETH Zurich, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland.
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45
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Lim SR, Lam CW, Schoenung JM. Priority screening of toxic chemicals and industry sectors in the U.S. toxics release inventory: a comparison of the life cycle impact-based and risk-based assessment tools developed by U.S. EPA. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2011; 92:2235-40. [PMID: 21561706 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2011.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2010] [Accepted: 04/22/2011] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) and Risk Assessment (RA) employ different approaches to evaluate toxic impact potential for their own general applications. LCIA is often used to evaluate toxicity potentials for corporate environmental management and RA is often used to evaluate a risk score for environmental policy in government. This study evaluates the cancer, non-cancer, and ecotoxicity potentials and risk scores of chemicals and industry sectors in the United States on the basis of the LCIA- and RA-based tools developed by U.S. EPA, and compares the priority screening of toxic chemicals and industry sectors identified with each method to examine whether the LCIA- and RA-based results lead to the same prioritization schemes. The Tool for the Reduction and Assessment of Chemical and other environmental Impacts (TRACI) is applied as an LCIA-based screening approach with a focus on air and water emissions, and the Risk-Screening Environmental Indicator (RSEI) is applied in equivalent fashion as an RA-based screening approach. The U.S. Toxic Release Inventory is used as the dataset for this analysis, because of its general applicability to a comprehensive list of chemical substances and industry sectors. Overall, the TRACI and RSEI results do not agree with each other in part due to the unavailability of characterization factors and toxic scores for select substances, but primarily because of their different evaluation approaches. Therefore, TRACI and RSEI should be used together both to support a more comprehensive and robust approach to screening of chemicals for environmental management and policy and to highlight substances that are found to be of concern from both perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seong-Rin Lim
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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46
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Humbert S, Marshall JD, Shaked S, Spadaro JV, Nishioka Y, Preiss P, McKone TE, Horvath A, Jolliet O. Intake fraction for particulate matter: recommendations for life cycle impact assessment. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2011; 45:4808-16. [PMID: 21563817 DOI: 10.1021/es103563z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Particulate matter (PM) is a significant contributor to death and disease globally. This paper summarizes the work of an international expert group on the integration of human exposure to PM into life cycle impact assessment (LCIA), within the UNEP/SETAC Life Cycle Initiative. We review literature-derived intake fraction values (the fraction of emissions that are inhaled), based on emission release height and "archetypal" environment (indoor versus outdoor; urban, rural, or remote locations). Recommended intake fraction values are provided for primary PM(10-2.5) (coarse particles), primary PM(2.5) (fine particles), and secondary PM(2.5) from SO(2), NO(x), and NH(3). Intake fraction values vary by orders of magnitude among conditions considered. For outdoor primary PM(2.5), representative intake fraction values (units: milligrams inhaled per kilogram emitted) for urban, rural, and remote areas, respectively, are 44, 3.8, and 0.1 for ground-level emissions, versus 26, 2.6, and 0.1 for an emission-weighted stack height. For outdoor secondary PM, source location and source characteristics typically have only a minor influence on the magnitude of the intake fraction (exception: intake fraction values can be an order of magnitude lower for remote-location emission than for other locations). Outdoor secondary PM(2.5) intake fractions averaged over respective locations and stack heights are 0.89 (from SO(2)), 0.18 (NO(x)), and 1.7 (NH(3)). Estimated average intake fractions are greater for primary PM(10-2.5) than for primary PM(2.5) (21 versus 15), owing in part to differences in average emission height (lower, and therefore closer to people, for PM(10-2.5) than PM(2.5)). For indoor emissions, typical intake fraction values are ∼1000-7000. This paper aims to provide as complete and consistent an archetype framework as possible, given current understanding of each pollutant. Values presented here facilitate incorporating regional impacts into LCIA for human health damage from PM.
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47
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Sparrevik M, Saloranta T, Cornelissen G, Eek E, Fet AM, Breedveld GD, Linkov I. Use of life cycle assessments to evaluate the environmental footprint of contaminated sediment remediation. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2011; 45:4235-4241. [PMID: 21520943 DOI: 10.1021/es103925u] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Ecological and human risks often drive the selection of remedial alternatives for contaminated sediments. Traditional human and ecological risk assessment (HERA) includes assessing risk for benthic organisms and aquatic fauna associated with exposure to contaminated sediments before and after remediation as well as risk for human exposure but does not consider the environmental footprint associated with implementing remedial alternatives. Assessment of environmental effects over the whole life cycle (i.e., Life Cycle Assessment, LCA) could complement HERA and help in selecting the most appropriate sediment management alternative. Even though LCA has been developed and applied in multiple environmental management cases, applications to contaminated sediments and marine ecosystems are in general less frequent. This paper implements LCA methodology for the case of the polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and -furans (PCDD/F)-contaminated Grenland fjord in Norway. LCA was applied to investigate the environmental footprint of different active and passive thin-layer capping alternatives as compared to natural recovery. The results showed that capping was preferable to natural recovery when analysis is limited to effects related to the site contamination. Incorporation of impacts related to the use of resources and energy during the implementation of a thin layer cap increase the environmental footprint by over 1 order of magnitude, making capping inferior to the natural recovery alternative. Use of biomass-derived activated carbon, where carbon dioxide is sequestered during the production process, reduces the overall environmental impact to that of natural recovery. The results from this study show that LCA may be a valuable tool for assessing the environmental footprint of sediment remediation projects and for sustainable sediment management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magnus Sparrevik
- Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, P.O. Box 3930 Ullevål Stadion, NO-0806 Oslo, Norway.
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48
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Modeling of Off-Gas Emissions from Wood Pellets During Marine Transportation. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010; 54:833-41. [DOI: 10.1093/annhyg/meq049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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49
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Huijbregts MAJ, Hellweg S, Frischknecht R, Hendriks HWM, Hungerbühler K, Hendriks AJ. Cumulative energy demand as predictor for the environmental burden of commodity production. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2010; 44:2189-96. [PMID: 20108964 DOI: 10.1021/es902870s] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Cumulative energy demand has been used as a methodology to assess life cycle environmental impacts of commodity production since the early seventies, but has also been criticized because it focuses on energy only. During the past 30 years there has been much research into the development of more complex single-score life cycle impact assessment methodologies. However, a comprehensive analysis of potential similarities and differences between these methodologies and cumulative energy demand has not been carried out so far. Here we compare the cumulative energy demand of 498 commodities with the results of six frequently applied environmental life cycle impact assessment methodologies. Commodity groups included are metals, glass, paper and cardboard, organic and inorganic chemicals, agricultural products, construction materials, and plastics. We show that all impact assessment methods investigated often provide converging results, in spite of the different philosophies behind these methodologies. Fossil energy use is identified by all methodologies as the most important driver of environmental burden of the majority of the commodities included,with the main exception of agricultural products. We conclude that a wide range of life cycle environmental assessment methodologies point into the same environmental direction for the production of many commodities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark A J Huijbregts
- Department of Environmental Science, Institute for Wetland and Water Research, Faculty of Science, Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
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50
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Finnveden G, Hauschild MZ, Ekvall T, Guinée J, Heijungs R, Hellweg S, Koehler A, Pennington D, Suh S. Recent developments in Life Cycle Assessment. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2009; 91:1-21. [PMID: 19716647 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2009.06.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 492] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2008] [Revised: 05/22/2009] [Accepted: 06/19/2009] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Life Cycle Assessment is a tool to assess the environmental impacts and resources used throughout a product's life cycle, i.e., from raw material acquisition, via production and use phases, to waste management. The methodological development in LCA has been strong, and LCA is broadly applied in practice. The aim of this paper is to provide a review of recent developments of LCA methods. The focus is on some areas where there has been an intense methodological development during the last years. We also highlight some of the emerging issues. In relation to the Goal and Scope definition we especially discuss the distinction between attributional and consequential LCA. For the Inventory Analysis, this distinction is relevant when discussing system boundaries, data collection, and allocation. Also highlighted are developments concerning databases and Input-Output and hybrid LCA. In the sections on Life Cycle Impact Assessment we discuss the characteristics of the modelling as well as some recent developments for specific impact categories and weighting. In relation to the Interpretation the focus is on uncertainty analysis. Finally, we discuss recent developments in relation to some of the strengths and weaknesses of LCA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Göran Finnveden
- Division of Environmental Strategies Research - fms, Department of Urban Planning and Environment, School of Architecture and the Built Environment, Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), SE-100 44 Stockholm, Sweden.
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