Description of the environmental impact categories in EPDs

The table for environmental impacts describes the environmental profile of the product based on 7 indicators.

GWP – Global Warming Potential:

Greenhouse gases contribute to global warming. Human activity increases the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. In order to be able to compare the warming effect of greenhouse gases, the researchers have arrived at a unit of measurement called global warming potential. GWP indicates accumulated warming power relative to CO 2 over a selected period of time.
A 100-year time horizon is usually used and the units are referred to as CO 2 equivalents. Some common emissions of gases that may contribute to GWP are given in the table below.

Emissions Chemical formula Conversion factor (IPCC 2007) Unit Typical emissions from:
Carbon dioxide CO2 1

kg CO2 eq. / kg

  • Combustion of coal, oil and gas
  • From limestone in cement production
Methane CH4 25 kg CO2 eq. / kg
  • From coal extraction
  • Belching from ruminants
  • Rotting on landfill
  • Drainage of bogs / extraction of peat
Nitrous oxide N2O 300 kg CO2 eq. / kg
  • Fertilizer on soil
  • Combustion processes

Only CO 2 from fossil fuels is included in the substance group greenhouse gases on Norwegian emissions: www.norskeutslipp.no . Norwegian emissions also show CO 2 from biomass and CO 2 as the sum of CO 2 from fossil fuels and CO 2 from biomass as separate substances on the site.

ODP - Stratospheric ozone depletion (ozone layer)

Ozone depletion potential

The ozone layer, is the altitude range in the atmosphere where one finds a significant concentration
of ozone, and where this gas plays a significant role in regulating radiation
from the sun.

Halogen radicals such as atomic chlorine, Cl, and bromine, Br, are highly reactive and contribute
for ozone depletion. The same goes for natural sources such as microbiological processes
and combustion processes on Earth. Potential for degradation of stratospheric
ozone is expressed in kg CFC-11 equivalents in EPD.

POCP - Photochemical oxidation

Photochemical ozone creation potential

Photochemical oxidation is a form of air pollution that can occur in the lower air layers when organic substances (NMVOC: Non methane volatile organic compounds) and nitrogen oxides in the atmosphere react chemically with each other due to solar radiation. This is what we often call smog.

The air's content of oxidizing substances, or oxidants, is often used as a measure of photochemical smog. There are a number of oxidants, but it is common to relate the amounts according to the potential impact of ozone (O 3 ). Potential for photochemical oxidation is expressed by kg C 2 H 4 -eqv in EPD.

AP– Acidification

Acidifikation potentional

The environmental impact, Acidification, is a measure of potential contribution to increased acidity from various sources. Acidification occurs due to, for example, air pollution, acid rain and emissions of ammonia from agriculture. Acidification is known to damage lakes and rivers with lethal effects on algae, fish and microorganisms, but also terrestrial organisms such as plants and animals can be damaged. Almost all plant species have a defined optimal level of acidity. A large deviation from this level is harmful.

Acidic precipitation can dissolve important nutrients such as potassium and calcium, making them less accessible to plants. It can also dissolve and increase the availability of toxic metals such as aluminum and mercury.

Several substances can contribute to acidification. Here, too, a factor is used that describes how much the substances can contribute in relation to a reference substance. Acidification is measured in kg SO 2 equivalents. Three important emissions that can contribute to acidification are given in the table below.

Acidifying emissions Chemical formula Conversion factor Unit Important sources
Sulfur dioxide SO2 1,2 kg SO2 eq. / kg Combustion of heavy fuel oils
Sulfur emissions from industry
Ammonia NH3 1.6 kg SO2 eq. / kg From the industry
From agriculture
Nitrogen oxides NOx 0.76 kg SO2 eq. / kg From combustion of fuel
From biomass (plants)
Different series of different production processes.

EP - Eutrophication potential

Eutrophication potential

Eutrophication is increased plant production caused by increased supply of nutrients. Eutrophication leads to an increase in the primary production of planktonic algae in the summer, often with mass blooms of some species, and subsequent loss of oxygen at the bottom where the biomass decomposes. Oxygen depletion in the groundwater can lead to further release of nutrients from the sediments, accumulated over a long period of time through natural processes. Some important emissions that may contribute to eutrophication are given in the table below.

Emissions that can
contribute to Eutrophication
Chemical formula Conversion factor Unit Important sources
Phosphate PO43- 1 kg PO43- eq/ kg Use of fertilizers and detergents containing phosphates
Wastewater from households, the food industry, the fruit and vegetable industry
and paper production.
Phosphorus P 3.06 kg PO43- eq/ kg From the industry
From agriculture
Nitrogen N 0.42 kg PO43- eq/ kg Use of fertilizers and detergents containing phosphates
From industrial wastewater in the food industry
From combustion processes in power plants and transport

 ADPE andADPM

Consumption of non-biological resources

Abiotic depletion potential for fossil resources, Abiotic depletion potential for non fossil.

The availability of useful resources in the world is limited. Therefore, the consumption of resources is an important indicator of the sustainability of a product or system. Both mineral and energy resources can be measured in an LCA. The effect is known as Abiotic Depletion Potential (ADP).

A distinction is made between minerals and energy resources. In the environmental category for mineral consumption (ADPM), all limited resources are calculated according to how rare Antimony is. The result in this environmental category is stated in antimony equivalents (Sb-eq).

Consumption of fossil energy resources is expressed as ADPE. Included fossil resources in the category are oil, natural gas, coal and peat. ADPE quantifies the total potential direct and indirect consumption of energy resources used both as
energy carrier and as a raw material for the product system. MJ fossil fuels are used as a unit for the indicator. This category does not include the consumption of renewable energy resources.

Consumption of resources

The resource use table describes the consumption of resources to which the product contributes, based on 10 indicators:

RPEE

Renewable primary energy resources used as energy carrier.
-

RPEM

Renewable primary energy resources used as raw materials.
-

TPE

Total use of renewable primary energy resources.
The sum of RPEE and RPEM

NRPE

Non renewable primary energy resources used as energy carrier.
-

NRPM

Non renewable primary energy resources used as materials.
-

TRPE

Total use of non renewable primary energy resources.
The sum of NRPE and NRPM.

SM

Use of secondary materials.
-

RSF

Use of renewable secondary fuels.
-

NRSF

Use of non renewable secondary fuels.
-

W

Use of net fresh water.
-

Waste

The table for waste describes which fractions of waste occur in the product system, based on 3 indicators.

Waste

The table for waste describes which fractions of waste occur in the product system, based on 3 indicators.

HW

Hazardous waste disposed.
-

NHW

Non hazardous waste disposed.
-

RW

Radioactive waste disposed.
-

Remember that the waste may have arisen in processes in raw material production. Radioactive waste, among other things, is normally linked to the production of electricity because the electricity mix contains some nuclear power.

Outgoing flows

The table for outgoing flows describes useful currents assumes product system, based on five indicators.     

CR

Components for reuse.
-

MR

Materials for recycling.
-

MER

Materials for energy recovery.
-

EEE

Exported electric energy.
-

ETE

Exported thermal energy.
-