The Glasgow consensus on the delineation between pesticide emission inventory and impact assessment for LCA

Rosenbaum, Ralph K.; Antón, Assumpció; Bengoa, Xavier; Bjørn, Anders; Brain, Richard A.; Bulle, Cécile; Cosme, Nuno Miguel Dias; Dijkman, Teunis Johannes; Fantke, Peter; Felix, Mwema; Geoghegan, Trudyanne S.; Gottesbüren, B.; Hammer, C.J.; Humbert, Sébastien; Jolliet, Olivier; Juraske, Ronnie; Lewis, Fraser; Maxime, Dominique; Nemecek, Thomas; Payet, Jérôme; Räsänen, Kati; Roux, Philippe; Schau, Erwin M.; Sourisseau, Sandrine; Zelm, Rosalie van; Streit, Bettina von; Wallman, Magdalena

doi:10.1007/s11367-015-0871-1

Cited by 70 publications

(51 citation statements)

References 78 publications

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“…This is information at landscape level which is completely missing in LCA. Two of the most incomplete modelling challenges in LCAs of food systems are the significant inconsistencies between emission inventory modelling and impact assessment of pesticides (Rosenbaum et al 2015), and assessment of land use change associated with off-farm inputs to agricultural production systems.…”

Section: A N U S C R I P Tmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…If some fate modelling is included at inventory analysis and it includes degradation of substances, then any environmental impacts caused by these substances prior to degradation are omitted from the analysis. Current eutrophication or toxicity LCIA models account for emissions rather than the amounts applied, and because there is no agreement on emission models to be used at inventory analysis, different modelling approaches will lead to different results (as shown by Perrin et al 2014, Rosenbaum et al 2015) (see section 4.4).…”

Section: Distinction Between Technosphere and Ecosphere In Relation Tmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The role of life cycle assessment in supporting sustainable agri-food systems: A review of the challenges

Notarnicola

Sala

Antón

et al. 2017

Journal of Cleaner Production

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475

273

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Life cycle thinking is increasingly seen as a key concept for ensuring a transition towards more sustainable production and consumption patterns. As food production systems and consumption patterns are among the leading drivers of impacts on the environment, it is important to assess and improve food-related supply chains as much as possible. Over the years, life cycle assessment has been used extensively to assess agricultural systems and food processing and manufacturing activities, and compare alternatives "from field to fork" and through to food waste management. Notwithstanding the efforts, several methodological aspects of life cycle assessment still need further improvement in order to ensure adequate and robust support for decision making in both business and policy development contexts. This paper discusses the challenges for life cycle assessment arising from the complexity of food systems, and recommends research priorities for both scientific development and improvements in practical implementation. In summary, the intrinsic variability of food production systems requires dedicated modelling approaches, including addressing issues related to: the distinction between technosphere and ecosphere; the most appropriate functional unit; the multi-functionality of biological systems; and the modelling of the emissions and how this links with life cycle impact assessment. Also, data availability and interpretation of the results are two issues requiring further attention, including how to account for consumer behaviour.

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Section: A N U S C R I P Tmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Distinction Between Technosphere and Ecosphere In Relation Tmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of life cycle assessment in supporting sustainable agri-food systems: A review of the challenges

Notarnicola

Sala

Antón

et al. 2017

Journal of Cleaner Production

Self Cite

475

273

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“…Another limitation in our study is the use of generic fractions lost to air during and after 508 pesticide application and associated uncertainty estimates. Further research is required to 509 estimate these fractions more accurately in the context of LCA (Rosenbaum et al 2015). 510…”

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confidence: 99%

Life cycle human health impacts of 875 pesticides

Fantke

Jolliet

2015

Int J Life Cycle Assess

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142

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11Purpose Residues in field crops grown and harvested for human consumption are the 12 main contributor to overall human exposure toward agricultural pesticides for the general 13 population. However, exposure from crop residues is currently not considered in life cycle 14 assessment practice. We therefore present a consistent framework for characterizing human 15 toxicological impacts associated with pesticides applied to agricultural crops in the frame of 16 life cycle impact assessment based on state-of-the-art data and methods. 17Methods We combine a dynamic multicrop plant uptake model designed for evaluating 18 human exposure to residues for a wide range of pesticide-crop combinations with latest 19 findings of pesticide dissipation kinetics in crops and post-harvest food processing. Outcome 20 is a set of intake fractions and characterization factors for 875 organic pesticides and 6 major 21 food crops along with specific confidence intervals for each factor. 22Results and Discussion Intake fractions aggregating exposure via crop residues and 23 exposure via fractions lost to air and soil for pesticides applied to agricultural crops vary 24 between 8 10 and 1 10  kg intake per kg applied as a function of pesticide and crop. Intake 25 fractions are typically highest for lettuce and tomato and lowest for potato due to differences 26 in application times before crop harvest and soil as additional barrier for uptake into potato 27 tubers. Uncertainty in intake fractions is mainly associated with dissipation dynamics in 28crops, where results demonstrate that using pesticide-and crop-specific data is crucial. 29Combined with the uncertainty in effect modeling, characterization factors per pesticide and 30 crop show squared geometric mean standard deviations ranging from 38 to 15560 over a 31 variability range across pesticide-crop combinations of 10 orders of magnitude. 32Conclusions Our framework is operational for use in current life cycle impact assessment 33 models, is made available for USEtox, and closes an important gap in the assessment of 34 human exposure to pesticides. For ready use in life cycle assessment studies, we present 35 pesticide-crop combination-specific characterization factors normalized to pesticide mass 36 3 applied and provide default data for application times and loss due to post-harvest food 37 processing. When using our data, we emphasize the need to consult current pesticide 38 regulation, since each pesticide is registered for use on certain crops only, which varies 39 between countries. 40 41 Keywords: dynamiCROP plant uptake model; human toxicity characterization factors; 42 pesticides; life cycle impact assessment (LCIA); food crop consumption; intake fractions 43 4

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“…Toxicity potentials were calculated based on the method described in the USETox manual [39]. Even though all current life cycle impact assessment models for toxicity account for the impact of pesticides once they are emitted into the natural environment [55], there is no consensus model on the emission factors of pesticides for both on and off-field environments [39,[55][56][57]. The present study selected the USEtox model as it treats agricultural soil as a separate emission media, thus allowing for on-site emissions leading to the human and freshwater toxicity potential to be summarized using the amount of pesticides applied in the field [55].…”

Section: Life Cycle Impact Assessmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Even though all current life cycle impact assessment models for toxicity account for the impact of pesticides once they are emitted into the natural environment [55], there is no consensus model on the emission factors of pesticides for both on and off-field environments [39,[55][56][57]. The present study selected the USEtox model as it treats agricultural soil as a separate emission media, thus allowing for on-site emissions leading to the human and freshwater toxicity potential to be summarized using the amount of pesticides applied in the field [55]. Also, the USEtox model provides the largest substance database available with a higher precision on mid-and end-point toxicity outcomes than other models [39], making it a better choice, as in this case, when multiple chemicals are involved.…”

Section: Life Cycle Impact Assessmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Life Cycle Assessment of a Highly Diverse Vegetable Multi-Cropping System in Fengqiu County, China

Giller

et al. 2018

Sustainability

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Agricultural biodiversity usually leads to greater sustainability in production practices. To understand the environmental implications of the development of village-level multi-cropping in rural China, we compared the environmental impact of a highly diverse vegetable multi-cropping system to a conventional wheat/maize rotation system based on the method of life cycle assessment (LCA). Using household level cultivation data, this study examined the gate-to-gate environmental impacts of on-site cultivation practices relating to the production of 10,000 nutrient equivalent units. Results show that vegetable multi-cropping resulted in decreased average land requirement, and diesel, water and electricity usage by 69.8%, 62.2%, 71.7%, and 63.4%, respectively, while average nitrogen (Total N), phosphorus (P 2 O 5 ), and potassium (K 2 O) usage in vegetable multi-cropping systems decreased by 16.3%, 42.1%, and 75.8%, respectively. Additional corresponding effects led to a decrease in the total global warming, eutrophication, and acidification potentials from external inputs by 21.6%, 16.7%, and 16.2% of the entire system, respectively. Moreover, the midpoint human toxicity potential from pesticide usage of the vegetable multi-cropping system was lower than that of the conventional system. However, the midpoint eco-toxicity potential from pesticide usage was higher due to certain highly toxic substances, and both human and eco-toxicity potentials from heavy metals were all higher by a few orders of magnitudes. Thus, to mitigate these detrimental consequences, some related measures are proposed for sustainable practices in the future implementation of multi-cropping systems.

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The Glasgow consensus on the delineation between pesticide emission inventory and impact assessment for LCA

Cited by 70 publications

References 78 publications

The role of life cycle assessment in supporting sustainable agri-food systems: A review of the challenges

The role of life cycle assessment in supporting sustainable agri-food systems: A review of the challenges

Life cycle human health impacts of 875 pesticides

Life Cycle Assessment of a Highly Diverse Vegetable Multi-Cropping System in Fengqiu County, China

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