Page 220 - Materials Chemistry, Second Edition

204 4 Life Cycle Impact Assessment

Table 4.4 List of impact categories.

Designation according to SETAC Europe 64)
(A) Input-related categories (resource depletion or competition)
Abiotic resources (deposits, funds and flow)
Biotic resources (funds)
Land
(B) Output-related categories (pollution)
Global warming a
Depletion of stratospheric ozone
Human toxicological impacts
Ecotoxicological impacts
Photo-oxidant formation
Acidification
Eutrophication (including BOD and heat)
Odour b
Noise
Radiation
Casualties b

a Later renamed as ‘climate change’.
b Proposed without operationalisation method.

safeguard subjects 65) or areas of protection (AoP) 66) such as human health, integrity
of ecological systems and resources. However, confusion remains since these are
also often called end points (or damage categories).
From the very beginning, the significance of ‘feasibility’ in the impact assessment
has been addressed. 67) The definition of the number of impact categories and the
level of detail of the linkage with potential impacts is a tight-rope walk between the
desired scientific accuracy on the one hand and feasibility with limited data and
system information on the other hand.
From the aspect of precaution it has to be pointed out that such lists always and only
correspond to present knowledge and reception (they differ!). In this context it would be
useful to consider such a list that was drawn up 20, 40 or 60 a ago.
When were individual environmental problem fields acknowledged as such, (i)
scientifically and (ii) social-politically? Answers are summarised in Table 4.5. It
should be noted that the exact time cannot always be as easily determined as for
stratospheric ozone depletion (1974). In this case scientific knowledge and public
awareness nearly coincided – a rare case.
With the data from Table 4.5 it would be possible to compile a ‘list’ for each
decade in the recent past. An average ‘incubation period’ from scientific discovery
to public attention of approximately 10 a is discernible. A compilation of avoidable

64) Udo de Haes (1996).
65) Beltrani (1997).
66) Udo de Haes et al. (2002).
67) Kl¨ opffer (1994b).