An E-score Development Methodology for Life Cycle Impact Assessment

This study is to make LCIA(Life Cycle Impact Assessment) easier as a methodology of environmental scores(called E-score) that integrated environmental load of each emission substance based on environmental damage such as in human health, ecosystem and resources category. The concept is to analyzes the LCI(Life Cycle Inventory) and defines the level of environment damages for human health, ecosystem and resources to objective impact assessment standard, and makes the base of marginal damage to calculate the damage factor, which can present the indication that can establish the standard value of environmental impact. First, damages to human health are calculated by fate analysis, effect analysis and damage analysis to get the damage factor of health effect as a DALY(Disability Adjusted Life Years) unit. Second, damages to ecosystem are calculated by fate analysis, effect analysis and damage analysis to get the damage factor of the effect as a PDF(Potentially Disappeared Fraction) unit through linking potentially increased disappeared fraction. Third, damages to resources are carried out by resource analysis and damage analysis for linking the lower fate to surplus energy conception to get damage factor as a MJ(Mega Joule) unit. For the ranking of relative environment load level each other, LCIA can be carried out effectively by applying this E-score methodology to the particular emission substances. A case study has been introduced for the emission substances coming out of a tire manufacturer in Korea. It is to show how to work the methodology. Based on such study result, product-designers or producers now can apply the E-scores presented in this study to the substances of emission list, and then calculate the environment load of the product or process in advance at any time and can see the environment performance comparatively and expected to contribute to the environmental improvement in view of environmental pollution prevention.