Framework for the environmental damage assessment of an industrial processchain

On the basis of the life cycle approach, a framework for the assessment of the environmental damages generated by an industrial process chain is estab lished. In order to consider all the processes of the life cycle, a methodo logy is developed based on an eco-matrix formed by chemical process eco-vec tors containing all their environmental loads. To perform the impact assess ment, environmental damage indicators are estimated in the most accurate wa y possible for each process. For this, site-specific evaluation is carried out applying damage functions and, hence, for each damage indicator, a dama ge matrix is obtained. In order to make the methodology more practical, opt ions like dominance analysis are presented. Because of the large number of environmental lends, the focus is on the priority pollutants and then the f inal estimations are done with one indicator per safeguard subject. The dam age indicators selected in this paper are damage costs, ecological damage p arameter (both site-specific) and global damage estimates. As for the verif ication of the methodology, a study has been carried out based on the life cycle of the electricity produced by a municipal waste incinerator. (C) 200 0 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.