Life Cycle Assessment Software: Selection Can Impact Results.
When software is used to facilitate life cycle assessments (LCAs), the implicit assumption is that the results obtained are not a function of the choice of software used. LCAs were done in both SimaPro and GaBi for simplified systems of creation and disposal of 1 kilogram each of four basic material...
| Published in: | Journal of Industrial Ecology Vol. 20; no. 1; pp. 18 - 29 |
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
| Format: | Article |
| Published: |
Springer Nature
Feb2016
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | View this record in EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ssf&AN=113307609&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: ssf uiTerm: 113307609 longDbName: Social Sciences Full Text (H.W. Wilson) uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: jinfo: jid: 10881980 FL1 jtl: Journal of Industrial Ecology issn: 10881980 maglogo: Y pubinfo: dt: Feb2016 vid: 20 iid: 1 pid: 237 pub: Springer Nature artinfo: ui: 113307609 10.1111/jiec.12245 ppf: 18 ppct: 11 formats: tig: atl: Life Cycle Assessment Software: Selection Can Impact Results. aug: au: Speck, Ricky Selke, Susan Auras, Rafael Fitzsimmons, James su: Marketing Computer systems Computer software research Product life cycle Computer files sug: subj: Marketing Computer systems Computer and software stores Software publishers (except video game publishers) Computer and Computer Peripheral Equipment and Software Merchant Wholesalers Computer, computer peripheral and pre-packaged software merchant wholesalers Marketing Consulting Services Computer Systems Design Services Computer systems design and related services (except video game design and development) Computer software research Product life cycle Computer files keyword: environmental impact industrial ecology life cycle assessment (LCA) life cycle inventory (LCI) software sustainability environmental impact industrial ecology life cycle assessment (LCA) life cycle inventory (LCI) software sustainability ab: When software is used to facilitate life cycle assessments (LCAs), the implicit assumption is that the results obtained are not a function of the choice of software used. LCAs were done in both SimaPro and GaBi for simplified systems of creation and disposal of 1 kilogram each of four basic materials (aluminum, corrugated board, glass, and polyethylene terephthalate) to determine whether there were significant differences in the results. Data files and impact assessment methodologies (Impact 2002, ReCiPe, and TRACI 2) were ostensibly identical (although there were minor variations in the available ReCiPe version between the programs that were investigated). Differences in reported impacts of greater than 20% for at least one of the four materials were found for 9 of the 15 categories in Impact 2002+, 7 of the 18 categories in ReCiPe, and four of the nine categories in TRACI. In some cases, these differences resulted in changes in the relative rankings of the four materials. The causes of the differences for 14 combinations of materials and impact categories were examined by tracing the results back to the life cycle inventory data and the characterization factors in the life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) methods. In all cases examined, a difference in the characterization factors used by the two programs was the cause of the differing results. As a result, when these software programs are used to inform choices, the result can be different conclusions about relative environmental preference that are functions purely of the software implementation of LCIA methods, rather than of the underlying data. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: Article src: R language: English refInfo: copyright: @attributes: flag: N holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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