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A diagram of the tools included in Mistra SafeChem's toolbox

Toolbox: Life cycle based assessments

Substituting hazardous chemicals in industrial processes and consumer products requires not only selecting less hazardous alternatives but also ensuring that the substitution does not lead to unacceptable trade-offs elsewhere in the chemical or product life cycle. Similarly, in process design and optimization, applying a systems perspective is crucial, to prevent burden shifting from one health and environmental related potential impact to another.

To address these challenges, robust methods and tools are needed. Life cycle based tools need to incorporate hazardous properties of chemicals and materials, as well as the risks for exposure along the entire life cycle.

As part of the Mistra SafeChem research programme, a life cycle based assessment toolbox is being developed to support the assessment of sustainability of chemicals. This toolbox is based on available models already applied in life cycle assessment (LCA) for evaluating chemical toxicity and ecotoxicity, while also incorporating the advancements in digitalization methods.

This page will later be populated with more examples of LCA applications from the ongoing case studies.

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is used to understand hot spot patterns for further optimization and to compare new solutions to the conventional ones (see e.g. ISO standards 140 40 and 140 44). The LCAs can be broad in scope and include many impact categories. The focus herein lies on the toxicity related impacts by inclusion of chemical footprints (i.e. ecotoxicity and toxicity indicators).

Consequential LCA to evaluate environmental sustainability in valorization of forest residues

Use of consequential LCA to evaluate environmental sustainability benefits by using kraft lignin in different applications, such as valorization of forest residues.
Contact: Joseph Samec
Article: Manuscript accepted.
Status: Ready to use

The term "chemical footprint" is here used for ecotoxicity and toxicity indicators in LCA. The footprint is generated for a function that could be a product or service. Relevant impacts are on ecosystem integrity and human health. This is in analogue with e.g., the terms environmental footprint, carbon footprint or water footprint. In Mistra SafeChem we use mainly USEtox and ProScale derived indicators for chemical footprint.
Contact: Hanna Holmquist, Anna-Karin Hellström
Background material: Towards a common conceptual framework for chemical footprint bridging Risk Assessment and Life Cycle Assessment: Short review and way forward External link, opens in new window.
Status: Ready to use

USEtox

USEtox is used for life cycle impact assessment (LCIA). It is a scientific consensus model endorsed by UNEP's Life Cycle Initiative for characterizing human and ecotoxicological impacts of chemical emissions and chemicals in products. USEtox calculates characterization factors including fate, exposure, and effect factors. USEtox 3 includes near-field and far-field environments. USEtox is being further developed as part of several projects including Mistra SafeChem.
Contact: Peter Fantke
Articles:
Exposure and toxicity characterization of chemical emissions and chemicals in products: global recommendations and implementation in USEtox External link, opens in new window.
Ecotoxicity characterization of chemicals: Global recommendations and implementation in USEtox External link, opens in new window.
Background material: www.usetox.org External link, opens in new window.
Status: Ready to use

ProScale

A life cycle oriented method based on REACH data (specifically a combination of ECETOC tiered risk assessment for exposure, and hazard classification CLP/GHS for hazard) to assess toxicological potentials of product systems. ProScale for human health toxicity potential (ProScale-H) has toxicity via direct exposures in focus and is operational. Refinements of ProScale-H, and the development of Proscale for ecotoxicological potential (ProScale-E) are underway in several projects, including Mistra SafeChem.
Contact: Tomas Rydberg, Peter Saling
Article: Global Human Toxicity Potential assessed with the ProScale method for use in Normalisation in LCA External link, opens in new window.
Report: A ProScale case study on indoor wall paint Pdf, 1 MB, opens in new window.
Background material:
ProScale – A life cycle oriented method to assess toxicological potentials of product systems (2017) External link, opens in new window.
www.proscale.org External link, opens in new window.
Status: Ready to use

Machine learning based models for substance property prediction

Life cycle impact assessment (LCIA): Machine learning model to predict ecotoxicity effect factors developed in collaboration with WP3. Trained on RIVM Solutions database. Output compatible with USEtox 3, possibly USEtox 2. Additional models for yet other endpoints might be added.
Contact: Peter Fantke, Kerstin von Borries
Status: In development

Life cycle inventory process modelling

For achieving data on relevant inputs and outputs on industrial scale level processes and to explore possibilities to use process simulations to generate LCA inventory data.
Contact: Tomas Rydberg, Håkan Fridén
Status: In development

Life cycle based alternatives assessment for chemical substitution

Life cycle based alternatives assessment (LCAA) framework for consistently integrating quantitative exposure and life cycle impact performance in the substitution process. Tier-based assessment process that builds on USEtox 3.
Contact: Peter Fantke
Article: Life cycle based alternatives assessment (LCAA) for chemical substitution External link, opens in new window.
Status: Ready to use

Last updated: 2023-12-04