Contents
Key Stage 4
Meaning
A life cycle assessment is a technique to assess environmental impacts associated with all the stages of a product's life from raw material extraction through materials processing, manufacture, distribution, use, repair and maintenance, and disposal or recycling.
About Life Cycle Assessments
A life cycle assessment includes information on the energy needed and the waste produced during:
- Extraction the raw material
- Purification of materials
- Manufacture of the product
- Use, maintenance and repairing of the product
- Disposal or recycling of the product
A life cycle assessment of a product will show:
- Emission of gases into the atmosphere
- Emission of waste products into rivers or the ocean
- Production of solid waste for landfills
- Coproducts made during manufacture that are useful elsewhere
- Energy required at each stage of a product's life cycle
Beyond the Curriculum
References
AQA
- Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), pages 214-215, GCSE Chemistry; Third Edition, Oxford University Press, AQA
- Life cycle assessment, pages 193-4, GCSE Combined Science Trilogy 2, Hodder, AQA
- Life cycle assessment, pages 250-1, GCSE Chemistry, Hodder, AQA
- Life cycle assessments, page 101, GCSE Chemistry; The Revision Guide, CGP, AQA
- Life cycle assessments, pages 161, 162, GCSE Combined Science; The Revision Guide, CGP, AQA
- Life cycle assessments, pages 223-225, GCSE Combined Science Trilogy; Chemistry, CGP, AQA
- Life cycle assessments, pages 294-296, GCSE Chemistry, CGP, AQA