DELIVERABLE FRONTPAGE Project number: 243827 FP7-ENV-2009-1 Project acronym: LC-IMPACT Project title: Development and application of environmental Life Cycle Impact assessment Methods for improved sustainability Characterisation of Technologies. Deliverable number: D 1.7 Deliverable name: Recommended assessment framework, method and characterisation factors and normalisation factors for water resource use impacts (phase 3) Version: 1.2 WP number: 1 Lead beneficiary: ETH Nature: R1 Dissemination level: RE2 Delivery date Annex I: 41 (month number) Actual delivery date: May 3, 2013 (updated September 30, 2013) Authors: Assumpció Anton, Marlia M. Hanafiah, Stefanie Hellweg, Mark A.J. Huijbregts, Ronnie Juraske, Llorenç Milà i Canals, Montse Núñez, Stephan Pfister, Catherine Raptis, Dominik Saner, Franziska Stössel, Rosalie van Zelm, Francesca Verones (alphabetical order) Comments: Several parts of this deliverable will be published in scientific journals and need to be treated confidentially until the publishing date (for internal EU review only). 1 Please indicate the nature of the deliverable using one of the following codes: R = Report, P = Prototype, D = Demonstrator, O = Other 2 Please indicate the dissemination level using one of the following codes: PU = Public, PP = Restricted to other programme participants (incl. the Commission Services), RE = Restricted to a group specified by the consortium (incl. the Commission Services), CO = Confidential, only for members of the consortium (incl. the Commission Services) 1 Table of Contents Table of Contents ................................................................................................................................2 List of abbreviations ............................................................................................................................8 Definitions ........................................................................................................................................ 10 Executive Summary .......................................................................................................................... 11 1. Characterization factors for water consumption and greenhouse gas emissions based on freshwater fish species extinction ............................................................................................ 16 1.1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 16 1.2. Methods ................................................................................................................................ 17 1.1.1 Framework..................................................................................................................... 17 1.1.2 Water Consumption ...................................................................................................... 18 1.1.3 Greenhouse Gas Emissions............................................................................................ 19 1.1.4 Normalization ................................................................................................................ 20 1.3. Results ................................................................................................................................... 20 1.1.5 Water Consumption ...................................................................................................... 20 1.1.6 Greenhouse Gas Emissions............................................................................................ 20 1.1.7 Normalization ................................................................................................................ 21 1.4. Discussion .............................................................................................................................. 22 1.2.1 Fate factors .................................................................................................................... 22 1.2.2 Effect factors ................................................................................................................. 23 1.2.3 Implications ................................................................................................................... 24 1.5. References ............................................................................................................................. 24 2. Surface water use – human health impacts ............................................................................. 27 2.1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 27 2.1.1. Characterization Factors ................................................................................................ 27 2.1.2. Concept.......................................................................................................................... 28 2.1.3. Spatial scope and resolution ......................................................................................... 28 2.2. Model and parameter uncertainties ..................................................................................... 28 2.3. Error propagation .................................................................................................................. 29 2.4. Results ................................................................................................................................... 30 2.5. Discussion .............................................................................................................................. 34 2.6. References ............................................................................................................................. 34 2 3. Implementing groundwater extraction in life cycle impact assessment: characterization factors based on plant species richness ................................................................................... 35 3.1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 35 3.2. Methods ................................................................................................................................ 36 3.2.1. Characterization factor .................................................................................................. 36 3.2.2. Fate factor ..................................................................................................................... 36 3.2.3. Effect factor ................................................................................................................... 37 3.2.4. Cultural perspectives ..................................................................................................... 39 3.2.5. LCA application .............................................................................................................. 40 3.3. Results ................................................................................................................................... 40 3.4. Discussion .............................................................................................................................. 43 3.4.1. Fate factors .................................................................................................................... 43 3.4.2. Effect factor ................................................................................................................... 44 3.4.3. Application in LCA studies ............................................................................................. 45 3.5. References ................................................................................................................................ 45 4. Quantifying area changes of internationally important wetlands due to water consumption in LCA ............................................................................................................................................ 48 4.1. Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 48 4.2. Methods ................................................................................................................................... 49 4.2.1. Wetland distribution and classification ............................................................................. 49 4.2.2. Wetland areas ................................................................................................................... 49 4.2.3. Calculation of fate factors (FF) .......................................................................................... 50 4.2.4. Fate factors for surface water-fed wetlands ..................................................................... 51 4.2.5. Groundwater-fed wetlands ............................................................................................... 52 4.2.6. Sensitivity analysis ............................................................................................................. 54 4.2.7. Coupling with the inventory .............................................................................................. 55 4.3. Results ...................................................................................................................................... 55 4.3.1. Fate factors .......................................................................................................................