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Radiological impacts in Life Cycle Assessment - Part II: Comparison of methodologies
Andrea Paulillo1, Roland Clift2, Jonathan Dodds3
1Department of Chemical Engineering, University College London, Torrington Place, London WC1 E7JE, United Kingdom.
The Science of the Total Environment
|November 20, 2019
Summary
This study compares two methods for assessing radiological impacts in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA): Critical Group Methodology (CGM) and UCrad. UCrad is recommended for LCA due to its consistency with existing Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) approaches.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Radiological Impact Assessment
- Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
Background:
- A framework was previously proposed to integrate radiological impacts into Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA).
- Two methodologies, Critical Group Methodology (CGM) and UCrad, were developed based on this framework.
- CGM is adapted from Human and Environmental Risk Assessment (HERA), while UCrad uses compartment modeling common in LCIA.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare characterization factors derived from CGM and UCrad methodologies.
- To investigate the impact of different fate modeling approaches on characterization factors.
- To assess the sensitivity of characterization factors to radionuclide half-life.
Main Methods:
- Detailed comparison of characterization factors obtained from CGM and UCrad.
- Analysis of fate modeling consequences and sensitivity to radionuclide half-life.
- Evaluation of methodology suitability for Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA).
Main Results:
- CGM characterization factors are significantly influenced by radioactive decay (low half-life) and dilution (large distances).
- UCrad characterization factors show less sensitivity to radioactive decay and are unaffected by dilution.
- UCrad demonstrates greater consistency with the established LCIA approach compared to CGM.
Conclusions:
- UCrad is deemed more appropriate for LCA applications due to its alignment with LCIA principles.
- CGM can serve as a complementary tool for specific recommendations on radionuclide emission sources.
- The study highlights the importance of considering fate modeling and radionuclide properties in radiological impact assessment.
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