Updated indicators of Swedish national human toxicity and ecotoxicity footprints using USEtox 2.01
- Division of Physical Resource Theory, Department of Energy and Environment, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-412 96 Gothenburg (Sweden)
- Division of Environmental Systems Analysis, Department of Energy and Environment, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-412 96 Gothenburg (Sweden)
- KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Division of Environmental Strategies Research, SE-100 44 Stockholm (Sweden)
- Statistics Sweden, Regions and Environment Department, SE-104 51 Stockholm (Sweden)
In a recent paper, Sörme et al. (Environ. Impact Assess. Rev., 56, 2016), took a first step towards an indicator of a national chemical footprint, and applied it to Sweden. Using USEtox 1.01, they calculated national impact potentials for human toxicity and ecotoxicity. The results showed that zinc dominated impacts, both for human toxicity and ecotoxicity. We calculated updated indicators of the Swedish national human toxicity and ecotoxicity footprint using USEtox 2.01. We also compared impact potentials based on USEtox with the mass of chemical emissions. The two model versions produced relatively consistent results. Zinc is still a major contributor to the human toxicity and ecotoxicity impact potentials when characterized with USEtox 2.01. The mass-based indicator pinpoints somewhat different substances than the impact-based indicators. - Highlights: • USEtox 1.01 and 2.01 are relatively consistent in identifying the substances with largest impact potentials. • Metals were identified as a priority group of substances for both human toxicity and ecotoxicity. • Zinc is a major contributor to the human toxicity impact potential, in both model versions. • Zinc’s dominance concerning human toxicity sharply contrasts results from other studies: this is somewhat of a paradox. • Using the mass of chemical emissions as a simplified indicator pinpoints somewhat different substances.
- OSTI ID:
- 22687969
- Journal Information:
- Environmental Impact Assessment Review, Vol. 62; Other Information: Copyright (c) 2016 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved.; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0195-9255
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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