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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Development of simplified characterization factors for the assessment of expanded polystyrene and tire wear microplastic emissions applied in a food container life cycle assessment
ClearMethodology 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.
Updated 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.
Updated and comprehensive characterization factors for microplastics in life cycle assessment considering multimedia fate modelling
Researchers updated life cycle assessment characterization factors for microplastics, developing comprehensive factors that account for ecosystem quality, human health, and socioeconomic impacts across multiple environmental compartments. The updated factors enable LCA practitioners to more accurately compare the plastic pollution impacts of different product systems and waste management strategies.
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.
Are vehicle tires major contributors to microplastic emissions into the China seas? A simple model perspective
Researchers developed a model to estimate annual microplastic emissions from vehicle tires into China's marine environment. The study suggests that tire wear particles represent a substantial but often overlooked source of marine microplastics, with transport and fate varying significantly based on physical and chemical properties of the particles.
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.
Development of a parametrized and regionalized life cycle inventory model for tire and road wear particles
Researchers developed a detailed model for estimating tire and road wear particle emissions, a major but often overlooked source of microplastics from vehicle traffic. The model accounts for nine key factors including road texture, driving behavior, temperature, and tire type, and can generate estimates at both individual vehicle and national scales. The study found that road surface roughness, aggressive driving, and wet conditions are the biggest drivers of large particle emissions, while temperature and vehicle load most affect fine particle release.
Comprehensive approach to national tire wear emissions: Challenges and implications
Researchers developed a comprehensive approach to estimate national tire wear emissions, which are a major source of microplastics in the environment. They found that increasing vehicle weight due to electrification trends and growing traffic volumes are driving higher emissions, while no regulations currently exist for tire wear. The study provides methods needed for tracking changes in tire-related microplastic pollution and supporting future environmental impact assessments.
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 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.
Polymer-Specific Modeling of the Environmental Emissions of Seven Commodity Plastics As Macro- and Microplastics
A polymer-specific material flow model estimated the environmental emissions of seven major commodity plastics as both macro- and microplastics into aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, finding significant differences in emission pathways by plastic type. The model highlights that understanding polymer-specific behavior is essential for accurate pollution estimates and effective mitigation strategies.
Plastics in the global environment assessed through material flow analysis, degradation and environmental transportation
Researchers conducted a global mass flow analysis of plastic emissions across all countries, tracking 8 polymer types across 10 sectors into 7 environmental compartments. The study estimated that 0.8 million tonnes of microplastics and 8.7 million tonnes of macroplastics entered the environment in 2017, with tire wear being the largest source of microplastic emissions. Modeling predicts that even with zero plastic production after 2022, approximately 2.15 gigatonnes of plastics would still accumulate in the environment by 2050 due to landfill leakage and degradation.
Plant species-specific impact of polyethylene microspheres on seedling growth and the metabolome
Researchers modeled the lifecycle of plastic packaging and estimated the generation of secondary microplastics from different disposal pathways including landfill, incineration, and recycling. Results indicate that recycling significantly reduces microplastic generation but does not eliminate it entirely.
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.
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.
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.
An estimation of tire and road wear particles emissions in surface water based on a conceptual framework
Researchers developed a conceptual framework to estimate emissions of tire and road wear particles (TRWPs) into surface water, identifying them as a dominant source of microplastic contamination in freshwater environments globally.
Plastic dispersion and accumulation in the environment using a mass flow analysis approach
Researchers developed a material flow analysis model to quantify global plastic emissions and project their environmental accumulation through 2050 under business-as-usual, reduction, and zero-production scenarios. Results show that rubber microplastics from car tyres account for over 60% of global microplastic releases, accumulating primarily along roadsides and in subsurface waters, while packaging plastics from lower-middle-income countries dominate macroplastic inputs.
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.
Generating environmental sampling and testing data for micro- and nanoplastics for use in life cycle impact assessment
This study examined how environmental sampling and testing data for micro- and nanoplastics can be adapted for use in life cycle impact assessment, bridging the gap between receptor-perspective field data and emitter-perspective LCA frameworks.
Swedish sources and pathways for microplastics to the marine environment
Researchers reviewed Swedish sources and transport pathways of microplastics to the marine environment, identifying road tire wear and abrasion as the dominant emission source at approximately 13,000 tonnes per year, with stormwater, wastewater, and atmospheric deposition as primary pathways to aquatic systems.
Environmental impact of microplastic emissions from wastewater treatment plant through life cycle assessment
Researchers used life cycle assessment to quantify the environmental impact of microplastic emissions from wastewater treatment plants. They found that microplastics accounted for 94% of the total ecotoxicity impact at the midpoint level, surpassing heavy metals and nutrients by at least two orders of magnitude, with polyethylene, polystyrene, and polypropylene identified as the most impactful polymer types.