Critical review of elementary flows in LCA data

Abstract

We recommend the application of a typology to flow lists, use of unique identifiers and inclusion of clarifiers based on external references, setting an exclusive or inclusive nomenclature for flow context information that includes directionality and environmental compartment information, separating flowable names from context and unit information, linking inclusive taxonomies to create limited patterns for flowable names, and using an encoding schema that will prevent technical translation errors.

Disclosure of Product System Models in Life Cycle Assessment: Achieving Transparency and Privacy

“…I reiterate Edelen and colleagues' suggestion to explicitly regard substances (which can easily include non‐material “flowables” such as land occupation and transformation) and contexts as independent semantic classes (Edelen et al. ). In this case, an elementary flow entry in the disclosure item d‐iii would require both a flowable and a context.…”

“…; Herrmann and Moltesen ), and several mutually inconsistent reference flow sets now exist (Edelen et al. ). The conventional understanding of a “flow” as comprising a substance and a context together (e.g., methane, emissions to air) causes a combinatorial increase in the number of flows in a database, and also multiplies the potential points of disagreement across sources.…”

“…The conventional understanding of a "flow" as comprising a substance and a context together (e.g., methane, emissions to air) causes a combinatorial increase in the number of flows in a database, and also multiplies the potential points of disagreement across sources. I reiterate Edelen and colleagues' suggestion to explicitly regard substances (which can easily include non-material "flowables" such as land occupation and transformation) and contexts as independent semantic classes (Edelen et al 2017). In this case, an elementary flow entry in the disclosure item d-iii would require both a flowable and a context.…”

“…Similarly, elementary flows and contexts should be given stable references that are held in common across data providers. Current research has revealed widespread challenges to finding consistency on the identities of elementary flows despite the community's longstanding awareness of the problem (Speck et al 2015;Herrmann and Moltesen 2015), and several mutually inconsistent reference flow sets now exist (Edelen et al 2017). The conventional understanding of a "flow" as comprising a substance and a context together (e.g., methane, emissions to air) causes a combinatorial increase in the number of flows in a database, and also multiplies the potential points of disagreement across sources.…”

Life Cycle Information Models With Parameter Uncertainty Analysis to Facilitate the Use of Life-Cycle Assessment Outcomes in Pavement Design Decision-Making

“…• The use of a set parameter typology for each entity that is being mapped as per Edelen et al, (2017). This helps to specify the parameters that are provided as input by pavement engineers and other stakeholders in conducting LCA.…”