Characterization model to assess ocean acidification within life cycle assessment ...

• Main Authors: Bach, Vanessa, Möller, Franziska, Finogenova, Natalia, Emara, Yasmine, Finkbeiner, Matthias
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Technische Universität Berlin 2016
• Subjects: 500 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik; acidifying substances; CO2; life cycle assessment; life cycle impact assessment; marine environment; ocean acidification; Ocean acidification
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.14279/depositonce-9126; https://depositonce.tu-berlin.de/handle/11303/10137

Purpose: Ocean acidification due to the absorption of increasing amounts of atmospheric carbon dioxide has become a severe problem in the recent years as more and more marine species are influenced by the decreasing pH value as well as by the reduced carbonate ion concentration. So far, no characterization model exists for ocean acidification. This paper aims to establish such a characterization model to allow for the necessary future inclusion of ocean acidification in life cycle assessment (LCA) case studies. Methods: Based on a cause-effect chain for ocean acidification, the substances carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and methane were identified as relevant for this impact category. In a next step, the fate factor representing the substances’ share absorbed by the ocean due to conversion, distribution, and dissolution is determined. Then, the fate sensitivity factor is established reflecting the changes in the marine environment due to the amount of released hydrogen ions per gram of substance (category ...