Page 242 - Materials Chemistry, Second Edition

226 4 Life Cycle Impact Assessment

target of ecological systems and should be characterised by an additional suitable
Mid-point indicator.
Recent scientific research and ISO 14046 discuss water as an essential natural
resource and consider both the increasing scarcity of fresh water in many regions
and the degradation of water quality.
The published characterisation methods show two general lines of develop-
ment 123),124) :
• Primary impact (mid-point indicator): Scarcity is considered to be the impact.
Examples are the ‘Swiss Ecoscarcity Method’ 125) or the method of Ridoutt and Pfis-
ter considering a regional ‘water stress index’ (WSI) caused by the consumptive
water use (CWU). 126),127)
• Secondary (or higher order) impact (damage indicator), for example, damage of
human health or of ecosystems:
Examples are the method of Motoshita et al. 128),129) and the consideration of
qualitative aspects by including degradative water use (DWU) in the method of
Ridoutt and Pfister 130) , following the eco-indicator 99 approach. 131)
Two continuative methodological approaches are to be mentioned:
Mila i Canals et al. 132),133) propose to consider the ‘Ecosystem Water Requirements’,
that means the amount of water used by the respective ecosystem in the region of
interest, because this has to be subtracted from the availability of fresh water supply.
The method of Boulay et al. addresses water scarcity caused by pollution. 134),135) The
quality of input and output water as well as the benefit for potential downstream
riparians is considered.
All published impact assessment methods demand differentiated inventory data
and ISO 14046 includes requirements on the documentation of elementary flows
in the LCI: water quantity (inputs and outputs), resource type of used water,
displacement of water from one resource type into another (e.g. groundwater to
surface water), water quality characteristics, designated use of water, geographical
location of water withdrawal and discharge including information of relevant
drainage basin, temporal aspects and water quality.
ISO/DIS 14046 states that the communication of a ‘water footprint’ shall cover
both the quantitative aspect (water availability, respectively, scarcity footprint) and
the qualitative aspect (water footprint addressing water degradation). A specific
characterisation model is not mandatory but the methods used shall be chosen

123) Berger and Finkbeiner (2010).
124) Berger and Finkbeiner (2012).
125) Frischknecht et al. (2009).
126) Ridoutt and Pfister (2010).
127) Ridoutt and Pfister (2013).
128) Motoshita, Itsubo and Inaba (2008).
129) Motoshita et al. (2009).
130) Pfister et al. (2009) and Pfister, Saner and Koehler (2011).
131) Goedkoop and Spriensma (2001).
132) Mil´ a i Canals et al. (2009).
133) Mil´ a i Canals et al. (2010).
134) Boulay et al. (2011a).
135) Boulay et al. (2011b).