Page 130 - Materials Chemistry, Second Edition

SOURCING LIFE CYCLE INVENTORY DATA 113

activities. Most are publicly available, although data presented in these sources
are often older, and they can be either too specific or not specific enough. Many
of these documents give theoretical data rather than real data for processes.
Such data may not be representative of actual processes or may deal with new
technologies not commercially tested. In using the technical data sources in the
following list, the analyst should consider the date, specificity, and relevancy
of the data:

• Kirk-Othme^s Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology
• Periodical technical journals such as Journal of the Water
Environment Federation
• Proceedings from technical conferences
• Textbooks on various applied sciences

Frequently, the end user will not be able to supply specific information on
inputs and outputs. However, the end user can provide data on user prac-
tices from which inputs and outputs can be derived. Generally, the end user
can be the source of related information from which the energy, materials,
and pollutant release inventory can be derived. (An exception would be an
institutional or commercial end user who may have some information on
energy consumption or water effluents.) Market research firms can often
provide qualitative and quantitative usage and customer preference data
without the analyst having to perform independent market surveys (EPA
2006).

5.6 Dedicated LCI databases

Since the early 1990s, LCA databases have proliferated in response to the grow-
ing demand for life cycle information. These data sources have mostly ema-
nated from Northeast Asia, North America, and Western Europe. In a global
economy, of course, products and services are sourced from many countries.
LCA databases mainly provide life cycle inventory (LCI) data, although char-
acterization factors associated with life cycle impact assessment methods are
often included as well.
Tables 5.1 and 5.2 identify sources of LCI data, including public, as well as
proprietary, or restricted-access, databases (updated from (Curran and Notten
2006)). Table 5.3 is based on the work by Dr. Joyce Coopers group at The
University of Washington to identify publicly available information sources
from databases, qualitative sources, and computational models that are suit-
able for use in LCA (http://faculty.washington.edu/cooperjs/Definitions/
inventory squared.htm).
Other providers of on-line lists of publicly available data sources (data-
bases, qualitative sources, and computer models suitable for LCA) include the
following: