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POLLUTION PREVENTION AND LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT (CHAPTER 15): BOOK CHAPTER
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BOOK NRMRL-CIN-1088 Curran*, M.A., and Schenck, R.C. "Pollution Prevention and Life Cycle Assessment (Chapter 15)." Published in: Handbook of Pollution Control and Waste Minimization, A. Ghassemi (Ed.),New York, NY: Marcel Dekker, Inc., 2001, p. 289-320. /2000 Much has been accomplished internationally to establish industrial Pollution Prevention as an important component in environmental management. It includes approaches that reduce or eliminate the creation of pollutants or wastes at the source. However, the growing recognition that pollution prevention activities have frequently led to the export of pollution to another location, type, or medium has led to the use of Life Cycle Assessment. This technique evaluates the links between manufacturers, suppliers, customer and waste managers in a holistic fashion, and it provides a framework for a comprehensive review of the environmental impacts of products. This chapter provides an overview of the concept behind Pollution Prevention, the basic steps involved in conducting a Pollution Prevention Opportunity Assessment, as well as ways to calculate payback on investment. Further, discussion on Life Cycle Assessment gives an introductory view of this complicated topic. The basic 4-phase framework of goal & scope definition, inventory, impact assessment, and interpretation are discussed. Finally, a broad overview of Life Cycle Impact Assessment modeling is presented for ozone depletion, global warming, acidification, and eutrophication.