Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
of.applying.rigorous.LCA.to.nanotechnology,.workshop.participants.developed.an.
alternative.approach..This.ive-step.screening.process.combines.elements.of.LCA,.
risk.analysis,.and.scenario.analysis:
.
1.. Check. for. obvious. harm.. Consider. compliance. with. health,. safety,. and.
environmental.regulations.using.conventional.analyses.
.
2.. Perform.a.traditional.LCA,.excluding.toxicity.impact.assessment..Instead,.
focus.on.potential.impacts.such.as.global.climate.change,.eutrophication,.
etc..If.the.beneits.appear.to.be.substantial,.then.proceed;.if.not,.stop.prod-
uct.development.
.
3.. Perform.a.thorough.toxicity.and.risk.assessment.(RA).of.the.product..The.
assessment.must.consider.possible.exposures.in.each.life-cycle.stage.
.
4.. Combine. the. results. of. Steps. 2. (LCA). and. 3. (RA). to. determine. overall.
impacts.
.
5.. Perform. a. scenario. analysis. to. extrapolate. the. results. of. Step. 4. to. large-
scale.usage.(e.g.,.look.at.the.implications.of.using.a.very.small.quantity.of.a.
nanomaterial.in.billions.of.products).
The.authors.of.this.approach.acknowledge.its.current.limitations:.unavailability.
of.proprietary.information,.limited.hazard.and.exposure.data,.and.lack.of.standard.
tools.to.combine.LCA.and.RA.(Step.4).
11.2.2 n
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Environmental.Defense,.a.U.S.-based.non-proit.environmental.advocacy.group,.and.
the.multi-national.chemical.company.DuPont.collaborated.to.develop.the.Nano.Risk.
Framework.[4]..In.the.words.of.the.developers,
“The.purpose.of.this.Framework.is.to.deine.a.systematic.and.disciplined.process.for.
identifying,.managing,.and.reducing.potential.environmental,.health,.and.safety.risks.
of.engineered.nanomaterials.across.all.stages.of.a.product's.'life.cycle'.—.its.full.life.
from.initial.sourcing.through.manufacture,.use,.disposal.or.recycling,.and.ultimate.fate..
The.Framework.offers.guidance.on.the.key.questions.an.organization.should.consider.
in.developing.applications.of.nanomaterials,.and.on.the.information.needed.to.make.
sound.risk.evaluations.and.risk-management.decisions..The.Framework.allows.users.
lexibility. in. making. such. decisions. in. the. presence. of. knowledge. gaps. —. through.
the.application.of.reasonable.assumptions.and.appropriate.risk-management.practices..
Further,. the. Framework. describes. a. system. for. guiding. information. generation. and.
updating. assumptions,. decisions,. and. practices. with. new. information. as. it. becomes.
available.. And. the. Framework. offers. guidance. on. how. to. communicate. information.
and.decisions.to.key.stakeholders.”
The.Framework.differs.from.LCA,.as.deined.in.Section.11.1,.in.that.it.focuses.on.
potential.environmental,.health,.and.safety.risks..It.does.not.consider.resource.inputs.
The.Nano.Risk.Framework.comprises.six.steps,.as.described.briely.below.
Step 1: Describe Material and Application.
.This.step.generates.an.overview.of.the.
physical.and.chemical.properties.of.the.material,.sources.and.manufacturing.
