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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Updated and comprehensive characterization factors for microplastics in life cycle assessment considering multimedia fate modelling
ClearUpdated and comprehensive characterization factors for microplastics in life cycle assessment considering multimedia fate modelling
Researchers updated and expanded characterization factors for microplastics in life cycle assessment, allowing better quantification of plastic pollution impacts on ecosystem quality and human health. The new factors cover a broader range of particle types and environmental compartments than previous versions.
Regionalized characterization factors for microplastic emissions in life cycle assessment considering multimedia fate modelling
This study developed regionalized characterization factors for microplastic emissions in life cycle assessment (LCA), using multimedia fate modeling to account for how plastics distribute across marine, freshwater, and terrestrial compartments. The new factors improve the accuracy of plastic product environmental impact assessments, which had previously underestimated ecosystem quality impacts.
Regionalized Characterization Factors for Microplastic Emissions in Life Cycle Assessment Considering Multimedia Fate Modelling
Researchers developed location-specific impact factors for microplastic emissions to be used in life cycle assessments, accounting for how plastics move between air, water, soil, and sediment. Their model covers nine world regions and shows that the environmental impact of microplastic emissions varies significantly depending on where they are released. The study helps fill a gap in current environmental impact tools, which tend to overlook plastic pollution when comparing products.
Developing human noncancer and reproductive/developmental effect factors for nano- and microplastics exposure in LCA
Researchers developed non-cancer and reproductive/developmental effect factors for nano- and microplastics to support human health risk assessment in life cycle assessment frameworks. The derived factors provide a quantitative basis for comparing microplastic health risks with other chemical stressors in product assessments.
Developing human noncancer and reproductive/developmental effect factors for nano- and microplastics exposure in LCA
This study developed noncancer and reproductive/developmental effect factors for nano- and microplastics for use in life cycle impact assessment, filling a gap in toxicological characterization needed to include plastic particles in environmental health accounting. The framework supports integrating microplastic health impacts into standardized life cycle assessments.
It is time to develop characterization factors for terrestrial plastic pollution impacts on ecosystems in life cycle impact assessment – a systematic review identifying knowledge gaps
Researchers reviewed how plastic pollution is — and is not — accounted for in life cycle assessments (LCAs), which are tools used to measure a product's full environmental footprint. They found that while ocean plastic impacts have been partially modeled, freshwater and terrestrial plastic pollution, including microplastics, are still missing from standard environmental impact calculations, leaving a major blind spot in sustainability analysis.
Plastic litter in life cycle assessment: Advances of the marine impacts in life cycle assessment international taskforce and application to case studies
Researchers reviewed advances in incorporating marine plastic litter impacts into life cycle assessment, focusing on recently developed indicators for biodiversity and ecosystem quality. The new indicators allow LCA practitioners to account for plastic pollution when comparing product systems and informing design choices.
Life-cycle Assessment of Microplastics in the Environment
This chapter applied life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology to examine the full environmental impact of microplastics, from production through environmental release, covering ecological and human health impacts, methodological challenges of applying LCA to persistent pollutants, and knowledge gaps for future research.
How Relevant Are Direct Emissions of Microplastics into Freshwater from an LCA Perspective?
This study assessed the relevance of direct microplastic emissions into freshwater from a life cycle assessment perspective, providing initial inventory data and identifying key knowledge gaps needed to incorporate microplastic impacts into environmental assessments.
Methodology to address potential impacts of plastic emissions in life cycle assessment
Researchers proposed a new method for including the environmental impact of plastic emissions in life cycle assessments, which currently tend to make plastic products appear less harmful than alternatives. The approach introduces characterization factors based on how long different plastics persist in the environment. The study suggests that accounting for plastic pollution in these assessments could significantly change how the environmental footprint of plastic products is evaluated.
Modeling marine microplastic emissions in Life Cycle Assessment: characterization factors for biodegradable polymers and their application in a textile case study
Researchers developed new methods for measuring the environmental impact of biodegradable plastic microplastic emissions using life cycle assessment. They found that microplastic degradation rates may be overestimated when based on data from larger plastic pieces, and that microplastic emissions could account for up to 30% of the total environmental impact in a textile case study. The work aims to improve the accuracy of environmental comparisons between conventional and biodegradable materials.
Strategies for efficient management of microplastics to achieve life cycle assessment and circular economy
This review examines strategies for managing microplastic waste through a circular economy and life cycle assessment (LCA) lens, arguing that current recycling practices and waste disposal methods are inadequate given the sheer volume of plastics entering ecosystems. The authors propose a conceptual framework integrating LCA principles into microplastic management to better quantify ecological risks and guide more sustainable plastic use policies.
Development of simplified characterization factors for the assessment of expanded polystyrene and tire wear microplastic emissions applied in a food container life cycle assessment
Researchers developed simplified characterization factors for assessing the environmental impacts of expanded polystyrene and tire wear microplastic emissions in life cycle assessment. The study modeled fate mechanisms for microplastics in the marine environment and applied the factors to a food container case study. The findings provide a methodology for incorporating microplastic pollution impacts into standard environmental assessment frameworks.
An effect factor for macro- and microplastic ingestion impacts on marine ecosystems for use in life cycle assessment
Researchers developed a global effect factor to quantify the fraction of marine air-breathing vertebrate species—mammals, seabirds, and sea turtles—potentially affected by macro- and microplastic ingestion, providing a tool to incorporate plastic impacts into Life Cycle Assessment.
How accurate is plastic end-of-life modeling in LCA? Investigating the main assumptions and deviations for the end-of-life management of plastic packaging
Researchers reviewed 49 life cycle assessment (LCA) studies on plastic packaging disposal and found that most models oversimplify real-world recycling processes and ignore key factors like plastic additives and microplastic generation. These gaps mean current environmental impact estimates for plastic disposal may significantly understate the true ecological costs.
Microfibers in Life Cycle Assessment: Comparing the Physical Effects of Cellulosic and Synthetic Fibers via Characterization Factors Development
Researchers developed characterization factors for comparing the physical ecotoxicity of cellulosic and synthetic microfibers in Life Cycle Assessment, finding that despite high environmental abundance, cellulosic fibers had been previously excluded from LCA comparisons due to lack of species sensitivity data.
A critical review on plastic waste life cycle assessment and management: Challenges, research gaps, and future perspectives
This review examines the full environmental impact of plastics from production through disposal, noting that life cycle assessments often produce unexpected results when comparing bio-based and petroleum-based plastics. A major gap exists because microplastic pollution is not yet factored into these environmental assessments, despite growing evidence of its ecological harm.
Unveiling the complex impact of microplastics on environmental health, ecosystems, and humans
This comprehensive review consolidates current knowledge on microplastic pollution across marine, freshwater, terrestrial, and atmospheric environments. Researchers examined sources, transport pathways, impacts on living organisms, sampling techniques, and regulatory challenges, highlighting significant gaps in understanding the full scope of microplastic effects on ecosystems and human well-being.
The biography of microplastics (MPs): occurrences, sources, weathering/degradation, characterization, ecological/human risks, removal methods, policy development, and current trends and future perspectives
This comprehensive review covers the full lifecycle of microplastics, from their sources and environmental breakdown to their effects on ecosystems and human health. The authors discuss how physical, chemical, and biological processes fragment larger plastics into microplastics and nanoplastics that spread through air, water, and soil. The review emphasizes the growing evidence that microplastic exposure poses risks to human health and calls for stronger policies and standardized research methods.
Current understanding of microplastics in the environment: Occurrence, fate, risks, and what we should do
This review synthesizes current knowledge on microplastic occurrence, environmental fate, and risk across marine, freshwater, and atmospheric compartments, noting that both the physical particles and the chemicals they carry pose hazards. The authors call for a more integrated risk assessment framework that treats microplastics as both a pollutant and a carrier of other pollutants.
An effect factor approach for quantifying the impact of plastic additives on aquatic biota in life cycle assessment
Researchers developed a preliminary effect factor approach to quantify the environmental impact of plastic additives on aquatic organisms within life cycle assessment frameworks, addressing a critical gap in how marine plastic chemical impacts are characterized.
Environmental prevalence, fate, impacts, and mitigation of microplastics—a critical review on present understanding and future research scope
This critical review evaluates the environmental prevalence, fate, impacts, and mitigation of microplastics across aquatic, atmospheric, and terrestrial environments as well as human tissues. It discusses membrane-based and other treatment technologies for microplastic removal, identifying persistent monitoring and standardization challenges.
Environmental emission, fate and transformation of microplastics in biotic and abiotic compartments: Global status, recent advances and future perspectives
This global review synthesizes knowledge on the emission, environmental fate, and transformation of microplastics across biotic and abiotic compartments, identifying key research gaps and future priorities for understanding the full plastic pollution lifecycle.
Micro/nanoplastics as environmental mediators: A systematic review of sources and interfacial processes driving cross-media transport and impacts
This systematic review advances a process-based framework for understanding how micro- and nanoplastics move between terrestrial, aquatic, and atmospheric environments. The findings reveal that cross-media transport pathways are poorly integrated in existing research, meaning the full scope of human exposure to microplastics across environmental compartments is likely underestimated.