Saadi, N. and Lavoie, J. and Fantke, P. and Redondo-Hasselerharm, P.E. and Boulay, A.M. (2025) Including impacts of microplastics in marine water and sediments in life cycle assessment. Journal of Cleaner Production, 520. p. 146037. ISSN 09596526
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Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) pose a threat to marine ecosystems. When released, MPs first reach the water column, where they can be ingested by pelagic species. MPs can then reach marine sediments, a potential sink, where they may affect sediment-dwelling species. However, current life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) methods do not consider the impact of MPs in sediments, providing an incomplete picture when comparing environmental profiles of products and services. This work builds on the MarILCA working group characterization factors (CFs) by computing updated physical effects on biota CFs that include both water and sediment compartments, as previous factors did not consider the latter. A simplified fate of MPs in the marine environment is modelled, combining fate in water and sediments and differentiating between MP polymers, sizes, and shapes. A combined exposure and effect factor for MPs in sediments (EEFsed) is developed, calculated from a hazardous concentration for 20 % of species (HC20), derived from a species sensitivity distribution (SSD) of effect concentrations of 10 % (EC10) values. A methodology accounting for species feeding behaviour is proposed to derive ecosystem-level impacts via exposure through different compartments, expressed as the potentially affected fraction (PAF) of marine species. Combining the fate, EEFsed, and EEFw (water) yielded updated marine CFs including impacts on both water and sediment-dwelling biota. CFs were tested in a textile LCA case study. Sediments were found to be a sink for high-density MPs, with EEFsed (16 PAF m3/kg) significantly lower than the previously reported EEFw (1068 PAF m3/kg). Developed marine CFs range from 34 to 5.4 × 108 PAF m3 d/kg and are available for use in environmental decision-making.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Subjects: | Q Science > QC Physics Q Science > QD Chemistry T Technology > TA Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General) T Technology > TD Environmental technology. Sanitary engineering |
| Depositing User: | Dra. Paula Redondo Hasselerharm |
| Date Deposited: | 11 Sep 2025 10:06 |
| Last Modified: | 11 Sep 2025 10:06 |
| URI: | http://eprints.imdea-agua.org:13000/id/eprint/1734 |
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