Ecological Indicators
John S. Woods et al.
Received 19 June 2020, Revised 18 April 2021, Accepted 19 June 2021, Available online 2 July 2021.

John S. Woods $^a$, Francesca Verones $^a$, Olivier Jolliet $^b$, IanVázquez-Rowe $^c$, Anne-MarieBoulay $^d$
$^a$ Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Department of Energy and Process Engineering, Kolbjørn Hejes v 1B, NO-7491, Trondheim, Norway
$^b$ Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA
$^c$ Peruvian LCA Network (PELCAN), Department of Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Av. Universitaria 1801, San Miguel, Lima 15088, Peru
$^d$ CIRAIG, Polytechnique Montreal, 3333 Queen Mary Rd suite 310, Montreal, QC H3V 1A2, Canada

Table of Contents

Highlights

  • Framework for including plastic litter impacts in life cycle impact assessment.
  • Impact pathways from plastic litter sources to damage on six Areas of Protection.
  • Includes consideration of both existing and new impact categories.
  • To foster development of characterisation factors for marine plastic litter impacts.

Results and conclusions

Fig. 1. An LCIA modelling framework for marine plastic litter impacts (explanations and details, see text).Fig. 1. An LCIA modelling framework for marine plastic litter impacts (explanations and details, see text).

The proposed framework links inventory data in terms of kg plastic leaked to a specified environmental compartment (air, terrestrial, freshwater, marine) to six AoPs (Areas of Protection): ecosystem quality, human health, socio-economic assets, ecosystem services, natural heritage and cultural heritage. The fate modelling step, which includes transportation, fragmentation and degradation processes, is common to all included impact pathways. Exposure and effect modelling steps differentiate between at least six exposure pathways, e.g. inhalation, ingestion, entanglement, invasive species rafting, accumulation, and smothering, that potentially compromise sensitive receptors, such as ecosystems, humans, and manmade structures. The framework includes both existing, e.g. human toxicity and ecotoxicity, and proposed new impact categories, e.g. physical effect on biota, and can be used as a basis for coordinating harmonized research efforts.