Impact assessment categories

Impact assessment categories

One Click LCA supports all the 24 impact categories listed in EN 15804 based on CML methodology and 6 TRACI impact categories. However, the impact categories offered for each of the calculation tool depend on the purpose of the tool. For instance, BREEAM Intl Mat 01 LCA tool only shows the six impact categories required for this credit. Please find below a complete list of impact categories and which of them are shown for each calculation tool.

Indicators
BNB
BREEAM UK/Intl
DGNB DE
DGNB Intl/DK
HQE
LEED CML/Intl
Building Element
LCA complete
Life-cycle LCA
Life-cycle CO2
Global warming
potential (Kg CO2 e)
 x
 x
 x
 x
x
 x
 x
 x
 x
 x
Ozone depletion
potential (Kg CFC-11 e)
 x
 x
 x
 x
 x
 x
 x
 x
 x

Acidification
potential (Kg SO2 e)
 x
 x
 x
 x
 x
 x
 x
 x
 x

Eutrophication
potential (Kg (PO4)3- e)
 x
 x
 x
 x
 x
 x
 x
 x
 x

Photochemical
ozone depletion
potential (Kg C4H4 e)
 x
 x
 x
 x
 x
 x
 x
 x
 x

Abiotic depletion
potential (kg Sb e)


 x




 x


Abiotic depletion
potential (MJ net
calorific value)







 x


Other EN standard impact categories included in One Click LCA:

  • Use of renewable primary energy excluding renewable primary energy resources used as raw materials (MJ net calorific value)
  • Use of renewable primary energy resources used as raw materials (MJ net calorific value)
  • Total use of renewable primary energy resources (primary energy and primary energy resources used as materials) (MJ net calorific value)
  • Use of non-renewable primary energy excluding non-renewable primary energy resources used as raw materials (MJ net calorific value)
  • Use of non-renewable primary energy resources used as raw materials (MJ net calorific value)
  • Total use of non-renewable primary energy resources (primary energy and primary energy resources used as materials) (MJ net calorific value)
  • Use of secondary material (kg)
  • Use of renewable secondary fuels (MJ net calorific value)
  • Use of non-renewable secondary fuels (MJ net calorific value)
  • Net use of fresh water (m3)
  • Hazardous waste disposed* (kg)
  • Non hazardous waste disposed (kg)
  • Radioactive waste disposed (kg)
  • Components for re-use (kg)
  • Materials for recycling (kg)
  • Materials for energy recovery (kg)
  • Exported energy (MJ per energy carrier)

LCA for LEED, USA and Canada uses all 6 TRACI 2.1 categories.

CML / EN/ TRACI standard impact categories and units

Global warming potential (GWP): Global warming potential is a relative measure of how much heat a greenhouse gas traps in the atmosphere. The global warming potential is calculated in carbon dioxide equivalents meaning that the greenhouse potential of an emission is given in relation to CO2. Since the residence time of gases in the atmosphere is incorporated into the calculation, a time range for the assessment is defined to be 100 years. For CML methodology unit kgCO2-Eq and for TRACI kgCO2-Eq/kg substance is used.

Ozone depletion potential (ODP): Ozone depletion potential represents a relative value that indicates the potential of a substance to destroy ozone gas as compared with the potential of chlorofluorocarbon-11 which is assigned a reference value of 1, resulting in an equilibrium state of total ozone reduction. For CML methodology unit kgCFC-11-Eq and for TRACI kgCFC-11-Eq/kg substance is used.

Acidification potential (AP): The acidification of soils and waters occurs predominantly through the transformation of air pollutants into acids, which leads to a decrease in the pH-value of rainwater and fog from 5.6 and below. Acidification potential is described as the ability of certain substances to build and release H+ions and is given in sulphur dioxide equivalents (kgSO2-Eq for CML and kgSO2-Eq/kg substance for TRACI).

Eutrophication potential (EP): Eutrophication is the enrichment of nutrients in a certain place. It can be aquatic or terrestrial. All emissions of N and P to air, water and soil and of organic matter to water are aggregated into a single measure. The unit for CML methodology is kgPO4-Eq and kgN-Eq/kg substance for TRACI.

Photochemical ozone creation potential (POCP)/ Smog formation: Radiation from the sun produces aggressive reaction products, like ozone, in the presence of nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons. Photochemical ozone creation potential (POCP) for CML methodology is expressed using the reference unit in ethylene-equivalents (kgC2H4-Eq), for smog formation of TRACI methodology the ozone formation is used as a reference (kgO3Eq/kg substance is used).

Abiotic depletion potential (ADP)/ Fossil fuel depletion: Abiotic depletion describes the reduction of the global amount of non-renewable raw materials and is determined for each extraction of minerals and fossil fuels based on the remaining reserves and rate of extraction. The results are calculated in reference case for Antimony kg Sb-eq or in MJ for CML methodology and in MJ for TRACI methodology, which includes the fossil energy carriers (crude oil, natural gas, coal resources).

Human health cancer; Human health noncancer; Human health criteria pollutants, Eco-toxicity: Used in TRACI methodology only, it focuses on covering those chemicals of concern within the US (e.g., TRI chemicals). It has since been recognized that today’s global economy often requires the inclusion of suppliers who are outside of the US within countries who may have their own lists of reportable chemicals. The USEtox expanded set allows this expansion into chemicals of concern globally. USEtox is developed with two spatial scales: continental and global. The environmental compartments within the continental scale includes: urban air, rural air, agricultural soil, industrial soil, freshwater, and coastal marine water. USEtox includes most of the pathways found in the original EPA Risk Assessment Guidelines, including inhalation, ingestion of drinking water, produce, meat, milk, and freshwater and marine fish. The recommended units for the USEtox human health cancer, noncancer, and ecotoxicity are: CTUcancer/kg, CTUnoncancer/kg, and CTUeco/kg, respectively. Read more here.

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