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6B - LCIA - New Impact Categories (WE2/6) Life cycle impact categories - the problem of new categories and biological impacts - Part I: Systematic approach. Kloepffer, Walter1, Renner, Isa1, 1 C.A.U.GmbH, Dreieich, Germany, Germany ABSTRACT- Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) mostly uses a limited number of 10 to 20 impact categories. The introduction of new categories, although foreseen by ISO 14042, faces difficulties in practice, especially if non-chemical "potential impacts" are to be characterized. This can easily be shown by an analysis of the widely used list originating form the pioneering work at CML Leiden. The majority of these established categories deals with effects caused by chemicals in a broad sense. This is demonstrated in a new grouping of the output-related categories, based on chemical, physical and biological emissions. Biological emissions in this sense are defined by their characteristics. They are viable, capable of reproduction or capable of transferring genetic material. An example for biological emissions is introducing organisms or microorganisms into ecosystems where they do not occur naturally. The most obvious class of such "emissions" belongs to the invasive species which are already - after habitat destruction - the second largest threat to biodiversity. Another potential class of such emissions are genetically modified organisms. The main problem with impact categories dealing with biological emissions consists in finding and modelling a suitable indicator. The main reason for this undesirable situation is the unsufficient knowlegde we have about the basic functioning of ecosystems. Therefore it seems difficult, if not impossible at present, to find key parameters which could be used as indicators. The only possibility at present seems to apply the precautionary principly, at least as a "proxy" in analogy to persistence and range in the case of organic environmental chemicals. Key words: Impact Categories, Life Cycle Impact Assessment, Biological Impact |
