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7 Site-Dependent Impact

Analysis*

Guido Sonnemann, Ralph O. Harthan,
Karl-Michael Nigge, Marta Schuhmacher,
and Francesc Castells

7.1 INTRODUCTION

In this chapter we present a provisional approach to overcoming the disadvantages
of site-generic and site-specific methods. This approach is one of the recently
developed site-dependent impact assessment methods that can be considered a trade-
off between exactness and feasibility. As with site-specific approaches, fate, exposure
and effect information are taken into account, but indicators applicable for classes
of emission sites rather than for specific sites are calculated. That is the trade-off
between the accurate assessment of the impacts and the practicability of spatial
disaggregation for impact assessments in a life-cycle perspective. We note the devel-
oping nature of these methods, but regard them as the most promising alternative
for future estimations of environmental damages in industrial process chains. The
approach is adapted so that it fits perfectly into the methodology presented in the
previous chapter. A flowchart for site-dependent impact assessment is proposed and
the algorithm of the methodology is applied using the calculated site-dependent
impact indicators.
The consideration of spatial differentiation in LCIA was proposed first by Potting
and Blok (1994). However, it took time until developments for site-dependent impact
assessment such as those by Potting (2000) and Huijbregts and Seppälä (2000) were
made in an operational way, especially for acidification and eutrophication. More-
over, several approaches have been presented for human health effects due to airborne
emissions. Exemplary damage factors for a number of European countries are pro-
vided by Spadaro and Rabl (1999). Potting (2000) establishes impact indicators that
take into account different release heights, population density, and substance char-
acteristics such as atmospheric residence time and dispersion conditions. The release
height is statistically linked to several industrial branches. Typical meteorological
data for four zones within Europe are used, but the issue of local dispersion condi-
tions is not addressed and no operational guidance for the determination of popula-
tion densities based on sufficiently detailed data is provided.

* Selected text in Sections 7.2, 7.3, and 7.4 has been reprinted with permission from Nigge, K.M., Life-
Cycle Assessment of Naturlal Gas Vehicles: Development and Application of Site-Dependent Impact
Indicators, ©2000 by Springer-Verlag, Berlin.

© 2004 CRC Press LLC