ESA Database Project

When assessing the environmental impact of technical systems for e.g. the purpose of technique or product development, system research and teaching or policy making, there is a need for environmental data on the technical processes of the systems. The purpose and goal of the ESA Database Project was to make LCI data produced at ESA, from 1990 to the present date, available online at the CPM LCA Database and to facilitate future online publishing. During the project, 162 process data sets have been published online, an increase of 30 % of processes in the database. Technical improvements of the software and the website interface have been made throughout the project and a start‐up method for future documenting and publishing at ESA has been made, containing the ESA DBP Quality Criteria, relevance directions and the description of the documenting and reviewing procedure

Literature study - models

The ChEmiTecs program includes eleven subprojects. In project no. 1 (P1) one of the aims is todevelop a concept model regarding emissions caused by the entire process of production and useof products. This literature study aims at a limited review of the scientific literature related tomodels related to the ChEmiTecs model. Methods comprised search in article databases and theuse of web search engines together with consultation of persons well-read in the subject. Thereview suggests that there have been no concept models published that resembles the wholeChEmiTecs concept model, not even close. There is however recent publications dealing withmodels of one certain group of emissions from one certain group of products, indicating that thequestion is emerging. Though there are inspirational publications out there, this study has notidentified any model that cover more than parts of the ChEmiTecs concept model scope

Emission of chemicals from consumer goods - From product flow data to organic substance emissions to the environment – the case of PVC flooring

This case study on PVC flooring investigates the possibilities and barriers to extract and combine Swedish product flow data from Statistics Sweden, in order to derive data detailed enough to populate a developed emission model and execute calculations on total emissions from all PVC flooring in Sweden during one year. A comparison is made, between calculated emissions using either product flow data from Statistics Sweden or from other domestic floor branch sources. At Statistics Sweden, existing databases, published statistics and available methods were used for identifying and illustrating the possible methods and barriers for extraction and combination of product flow data. For calculations of emissions a combined material flow and diffusive mass transfer model was developed and used. This case study shows that the data categories and the methods needed for estimating the accumulated product area exist at Statistics Sweden, in principle, but the data is sometimes too aggregated or too protected to make the calculations on a detailed product category level, as in this case for PVC flooring. Using product flow data from the least aggregated level of the Combined Nomenclature, for PVC flooring, generates calculated emissions three times higher than the emissions calculated from the more specific product flow data from The Swedish Flooring Trade Association. The PVC flooring case study boils down to the facing of a trade off when it comes to national emission assessment of several product categories; using data from Statistics Sweden generates emissions within a reasonable period of time, but with aggregated and in this case, too high values – using branch product flow data generates more accurate emission values but is not a plausible option due to the steep increase in resource demands

Conceptualizing emissions of chemicals from products - foundations of a modelling approach

The research reported here is approaching the task of conceptually linking chemicals in products to their occurrence in environmental samples building on earlier work applying the concepts of substance and material flow analysis and bridging that modelling with chemical diffusive mass-transfer models. The bridging of these concepts is possible using the “combined nomenclature”(CN) and concepts such as total stock, total product area and mean composition of materials in the surface of products. The process of conceptual modelling used builds on principles used in design of information systems in multidomain user settings. A conceptual model of the information i.e. the nomenclatures, terminologies and categorisations of concepts and terms, has been identified through workshops with researchers, a references group and a literature study. The aim of the model is to cover the processes that lead to emissions from environmental relevant processes of products along the entire “life-cycle”. The core concepts of the technical system are “product” and “use”. The “product” concept hence includes any physical product not limited to a specific category. Each product consists of one or several components, which in turn are made of one or several materials, which consists of one or several chemicals. Different types of properties and descriptions are related to each of the levels of physical representation from product category (CN-categories) to chemical level.The “use” concept is describing an episode during the “life-time” of a given product. The amount of chemical substances emitted from a product depends on the type of use, the length of time it is used in this particular way and the ambient conditions in the direct vicinity where use takes place. The use concept is thus very wide and encompasses the different stages of a product lifecycle which require a thorough definition of “use types” and ambient conditions.A further specification of concepts has been done, covering around 20 concepts and their further relations and connections to data and data sources useful for calculations will be presented

Conceptualizing emissions of chemicals from products - foundations of a modelling approach

The research reported here is approaching the task of conceptually linking chemicals in products to their occurrence in environmental samples building on earlier work applying the concepts of substance and material flow analysis and bridging that modelling with chemical diffusive mass-transfer models. The bridging of these concepts is possible using the “combined nomenclature”(CN) and concepts such as total stock, total product area and mean composition of materials in the surface of products. The process of conceptual modelling used builds on principles used in design of information systems in multidomain user settings. A conceptual model of the information i.e. the nomenclatures, terminologies and categorisations of concepts and terms, has been identified through workshops with researchers, a references group and a literature study. The aim of the model is to cover the processes that lead to emissions from environmental relevant processes of products along the entire “life-cycle”. The core concepts of the technical system are “product” and “use”. The “product” concept hence includes any physical product not limited to a specific category. Each product consists of one or several components, which in turn are made of one or several materials, which consists of one or several chemicals. Different types of properties and descriptions are related to each of the levels of physical representation from product category (CN-categories) to chemical level.The “use” concept is describing an episode during the “life-time” of a given product. The amount of chemical substances emitted from a product depends on the type of use, the length of time it is used in this particular way and the ambient conditions in the direct vicinity where use takes place. The use concept is thus very wide and encompasses the different stages of a product lifecycle which require a thorough definition of “use types” and ambient conditions.A further specification of concepts has been done, covering around 20 concepts and their further relations and connections to data and data sources useful for calculations will be presented

Effekter av skogsbränsleuttag på näringsämnesbalanser som underlag för avvägning mellan miljömål

Uttag av skogsbränslen kan innebära positiva miljöeffekter ur klimatsynpunkt om skogsbränslet ersätter fossila bränslen. Bortförseln av näringsrika träddelar påverkar även näringsbalanserna för kväve, baskatjoner och fosfor, vilket kan påverka försurning, övergödning och näringstillgång i skogsmarken. Kompensationsåtgärder i form av askåterföring och/eller kvävegödsling kan vara ett sätt att motverka dessa effekter. I denna studie beräknas näringsämnesbalanser med hjälp av en massbalansmodell för att utvärdera effekter på markförsurning, övergödning och näringstillgång i regional skala. Näringsbudgetberäkningen visade att ett ökat biomassauttag (GROT- och stubbskörd) innebär att förråden av baskatjoner, som utgör viktiga näringsämnen och buffrar mot försurning, minskar snabbt, speciellt i granskog. Beräkningarna visade på fosforförluster i hela Sverige, även vid konventionellt stamvedsuttag. Fosforförlusterna var särskilt stora i granskog med högt ståndortsindex. Kvävebudgetberäkningen visade att ett ökat biomassauttag (GROT- och stubbskörd) innebär en kvävelättnad i sydvästra Sverige där kvävebelastningen är hög, men eftersom även andra näringsämnen går förlorade finns det ändå en risk att exempelvis fosfor kan bli begränsande, vilket i sin tur kan innebära en risk för ökad kväveutlakning. I stora delar av övriga Sverige kan däremot ett ökat biomassauttag innebära ökad kvävebrist. Kompensation i form av kvävegödsling ökar kväveupplagringen och risken för kväveutlakning bör därför beaktas i samband med denna åtgärd. Näringsämnesbalanserna skalades upp till avrinningsområdesnivå och delades upp på trädslag och ståndortsindex. Bedömningen av behov av näringskompensation kan på detta sätt anpassas till geografiskt läge och beståndsegenskaper och användas som en del av underlaget vid avvägning mellan miljömål för försurning, övergödning och klimat. Ett intensivt framtida biomassascenario visade att det finns stor potential för klimatvinster från skogen. Denna studie kan användas för att sätta denna vinst i relation till andra miljöeffekter i form av ökad försurning och näringsbrist, samt att ta fram konkreta förslag på åtgärder i form av näringskompensationUttag av skogsbränslen kan innebära positiva miljöeffekter ur klimatsynpunkt om skogsbränslet ersätter fossila bränslen. Bortförseln av näringsrika träddelar påverkar även näringsbalanserna för kväve, baskatjoner och fosfor, vilket kan påverka försurning, övergödning och näringstillgång i skogsmarken. Kompensationsåtgärder i form av askåterföring och/eller kvävegödsling kan vara ett sätt att motverka dessa effekter. I denna studie beräknas näringsämnesbalanser med hjälp av en massbalansmodell för att utvärdera effekter på markförsurning, övergödning och näringstillgång i regional skala. Näringsbudgetberäkningen visade att ett ökat biomassauttag (GROT- och stubbskörd) innebär att förråden av baskatjoner, som utgör viktiga näringsämnen och buffrar mot försurning, minskar snabbt, speciellt i granskog. Beräkningarna visade på fosforförluster i hela Sverige, även vid konventionellt stamvedsuttag. Fosforförlusterna var särskilt stora i granskog med högt ståndortsindex. Kvävebudgetberäkningen visade att ett ökat biomassauttag (GROT- och stubbskörd) innebär en kvävelättnad i sydvästra Sverige där kvävebelastningen är hög, men eftersom även andra näringsämnen går förlorade finns det ändå en risk att exempelvis fosfor kan bli begränsande, vilket i sin tur kan innebära en risk för ökad kväveutlakning. I stora delar av övriga Sverige kan däremot ett ökat biomassauttag innebära ökad kvävebrist. Kompensation i form av kvävegödsling ökar kväveupplagringen och risken för kväveutlakning bör därför beaktas i samband med denna åtgärd. Näringsämnesbalanserna skalades upp till avrinningsområdesnivå och delades upp på trädslag och ståndortsindex. Bedömningen av behov av näringskompensation kan på detta sätt anpassas till geografiskt läge och beståndsegenskaper och användas som en del av underlaget vid avvägning mellan miljömål för försurning, övergödning och klimat. Ett intensivt framtida biomassascenario visade att det finns stor potential för klimatvinster från skogen. Denna studie kan användas för att sätta denna vinst i relation till andra miljöeffekter i form av ökad försurning och näringsbrist, samt att ta fram konkreta förslag på åtgärder i form av näringskompensatio

Emissions of chemicals from the economy-wide stock of plastic material - a first model iteration for Sweden

Estimating the size of the problem with release, fate, exposure and effects from the human use of chemical substances of materials and consumer products is daunting More than 100,000 chemical substances are in commercial use and a reasonable description of their existence in, and release from, plastic polymers, glues, paints, fibres, lubricants etc. comprise a big challenge. In this study, a generic emission model has been developed and applied to estimate emissions of a set of organic chemicals from products. The scope of the estimate is emissions from products containing plastic materials during their average lifetime within the geographical boundaries of Sweden. The customs Combined Nomenclature has been used to divide the products into categories for which the chemical composition, surface area, thickness and accumulated stock in society has been described and estimated using several approaches for approximation in cases where data have been lacking. For this, information from national trade statistics as well as lifecycle assessments and building product declarations was used Anti-oxidants, flame retardants and plasticisers are among the most interesting use categories of additives that are emitted in significant quantities. Thus for anti-oxidants in plastic material in the economy-wide product stock in Sweden as an example, the emissions in the service-life were estimated to be almost 500 tons/year divided on 32 individual chemical organic substances, stemming from a stock of anti-oxidants of 84000 tons, contained in a stock of plastic material of 24 million tons. Until now, the method has only been used to estimate emissions of additives from plastic materials, but it is believed to also be applicable to other materials. However, the uncertainties in the estimations are currently large, which is partly due to model uncertainties but to a large extent also due to uncertainties in the input data

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in ash: Determination of total and leachable concentrations

Before wood ash can be used as a soil fertilizer, concentrations of environmentally hazardous compounds must be investigated. In this study, total and leachable concentrations of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were determined in four ash samples and one green liquor sludge. The ash sample with the highest carbon content also contained high levels of PAHs; three of the ash samples had total concentrations exceeding the limit permitted by the Swedish Forest Agency for recycling to forest soils. The leachable concentrations were higher for the nonstabilized samples; this was probably due to colloid-facilitated transport of the contaminants in these samples. However, the leachable concentrations were overall relatively low in all the samples studied. The amounts of PAHs introduced to forest soils by additions of stabilized, recyclable ash products will be determined primarily by the rate of weathering of the ash particles and the total concentration of contaminants