Integrating life cycle assessment and environmental risk assessment: a critical review

Life cycle assessment (LCA) and Environmental risk assessment (ERA) are highly complementary; several studies have attempted to bridge the two approaches by means of integration for a more comprehensive assessment of environmental impacts. This paper reviews existing studies on LCA and ERA integration to establish an understanding of the benefits and challenges of different integration approaches and provide suggestions for future approaches for integrating LCA and ERA.

A total of 36 reviewed studies employed a variety of approaches and used different indicators in reporting the results of the integrated assessment, making direct comparison difficult. The most common integration method is the subset integration, and 17 of the reviewed studies employed this approach. 1 out of all the reviewed studies used a parallel integration, while the remaining studies employed other approaches including “complimentary use”, “sequential” and “multi-option”. Some of the reviewed studies were case study specific, while others employed a methodological approach, but most of these studies did not present the procedure for integration.

Common barriers to integration of LCA and ERA include the lack of data (e.g., on toxicity) and differences in model structure of LCA and ERA. The majority of the proposed approaches presented in the reviewed studies are inclined towards one of LCA or ERA, resulting in the omission of important components from the other, and leading to the inability of these approaches to address properly the needs of both LCA and ERA simultaneously. There is no clarity on the available information or data required to progress in this area and a clear pathway for practitioners to follow when integrating LCA and ERA, is also lacking.

A comprehensive approach that provides opportunity to address both LCA and ERA objectives, based on case study needs, is required to harness the benefits of integrating LCA and ERA. This should be built around the theories and principles of both tools to encompass all relevant impacts and risks and to ensure complementarity. A conceptual framework that provides flexibility for modifications, to suit relevant case studies, would provide direction to practitioners on the general concepts to adopt, and ensure consistency in the overall approach of integrated LCA and ERA.