Developing anticipatory life cycle assessment tools to support responsible innovation
Chapter two provides a framework for anticipatory LCA, identifies where research from multiple disciplines informs LCA practice, and builds off the recommendations presented in the preceding chapter. Chapter two focuses on crystalline and thin film photovoltaics (PV) to illustrate the novel framework, in part because PV is an environmentally motivated technology undergoing extensive R&D efforts and rapid increases in scale of deployment. The chapter concludes with a series of research recommendations that seek to direct PV research agenda towards pathways with the greatest potential for environmental improvement.
Similar to PV, engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) are an emerging technology with numerous potential applications, are the subject of active R&D efforts, and are characterized by high uncertainty regarding potential environmental implications. Chapter three introduces a Monte Carlo impact assessment tool based on the toxicity impact assessment model USEtox and demonstrates stochastic characterization factor (CF) development to prioritize risk research with the greatest potential to improve certainty in CFs. The case study explores a hypothetical decision in which personal care product developers are interested in replacing the conventional antioxidant niacinamide with the novel ENM C60, but face high data uncertainty, are unsure regarding potential ecotoxicity impacts associated with this substitution, and do not know what future risk-relevant experiments to invest in that most efficiently improve certainty in the comparison. Results suggest experiments that elucidate C60 partitioning to suspended solids should be prioritized over parameters with little influence on results. This dissertation demonstrates a novel anticipatory approach to exploration of uncertainty in environmental models that can create new, actionable knowledge with potential to guide future research and development decisions.]]>autWender, Ben A.thsSeager, ThomasdgcGuston, DaviddgcWesterhoff, PaulpblArizona State UniversityengPartial requirement for: Ph.D., Arizona State University, 2016Includes bibliographical references (pages 101-117)Field of study: Civil and environmental engineeringby Benjamin Wenderhttps://hdl.handle.net/2286/R.I.3836200Doctoral DissertationAcademic thesesviii, 131 pages : illustrations (some color)114647861351630347901154300adminIn CopyrightAll Rights Reserved2016TextEnvironmental engineeringlife cycle assessmentresponsible innovationIndustrial EngineeringIndustrial managementSocial responsibility of businessTechnological innovations--Management.