Full Length Research Paper

Life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) using EDIP 97 method: An analysis of potential impact from potable water production

Amir Hamzah Sharaai¹*, Noor Zalina Mahmood², and Abdul Halim Sulaiman²

¹Institute of Teacher Education, Tuanku Bainun Campus, 14000 Bukit Mertajam, Penang, Malaysia.

²Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: amirhamzah5@yahoo.com.

Accepted 18 October, 2011

 Abstract

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a method to analyze a particular product or service; from the beginning of the process it is extracted until it is no more in use or much to be known as ‘cradle to grave analysis’. The LCA analysis includes collection of inventory that is all types of emissions and also waste products. After that, this inventory would be translated or transformed to show the impact on environment in the life cycle impact assessment (LCIA). Two LCIA methods has been accepted such as midpoint and endpoint approach. The EDIP 97 is a LCIA method which uses midpoint approach. From the analysis done on the two stages, life cycle assessment for potable water production that is construction stage and production stage; it is found that production stage contributes the highest impact on acidification and euthrophication which is derived from the PAC production process. Whereas, the construction stage contributes two main impacts which are human toxicity (water) and chronic water ecotoxicity which are produced through the process of steel production.

Key words: EDIP 97 method, life cycle impact assessment, potable water production, midpoint approach.