A risk-based approach to life-cycle impact assessment

This paper suggests an approach to life-cycle impact assessment which is based on the comparison of predicted exploitation or pollution levels with critical levels; the latter representing the carrying capacity of the commodity-supplying or pollutant-receiving environment. The incremental pressure induced by the product system is weighted with the total pressure on the reference environment. Geographic dimensions of the reference environment are chosen in accordance with the spatial sphere of influence of commodity extractions or pollutant emissions. The feasibility of the approach is shortly surveyed for a number of input-related and output-related impacts and the approach is compared with conventional Life-cycle impact assessment. It is concluded that life-cycle risk assessment may contribute to a better harmonization of methods for impact assessment. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.