Tool for reduction and assessment of chemicals and other environmental impacts TRACI

[edit] Introduction

TRACI is an environmental impact assessment tool. It provides characterisation factors for life cycle impact assessment (LCIA), industrial ecology, and sustainability metrics. Characterisation factors quantify the potential impacts that inputs and releases have on specific impact categories in common equivalence units.

[edit] Background

TRACI was developed for sustainability metrics, life cycle impact assessment, industrial ecology, and process design impact assessment for developing increasingly sustainable products, processes, facilities, companies, and communities. TRACI 2.1 allows an expanded quantification of stressors that have potential effects, including ozone depletion, global warming, acidification, eutrophication, photochemical smog formation, human health particulate effects, human health cancer, human health noncancer, ecotoxicity, and fossil fuel depletion effects. Research is ongoing to quantify the use of land and water in a future version of TRACI.

Impact categories include:

• ozone depletion,
• climate change,
• acidification,
• eutrophication,
• smog formation,
• human health impacts,
• ecotoxicity.

Resource uses of fossil fuels are also characterised.

For further information, excel file and updated manual downloads visit the US EPA website page here.

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings

• Circular economy.
• Cradle-to-grave.
• Design for Deconstruction.
• Design life.
• Integrated Material Profile and Costing Tool.
• Life cycle assessment.
• Life cycle inventory.
• Life-cycle plan.
• Life cycle in the built environment.
• The sustainability of construction works.
• The Value Toolkit.
• Whole life costs.
• Whole life solution
• Why we need to grasp the whole life cycle.
• Wood, embodied carbon and operational carbon.

[edit] Relevant standards

[edit] UK standards

PAS 2050 UK was one of the first standards for calculating carbon footprints, applied in different countries. It provides a method and guidelines for calculating greenhouse gas emissions within the life cycle of goods and services.

The International Reference Life Cycle Data System (ILCD) handbook, developed by the European Commission Joint Research Centre, offers technical guidelines on conducting detailed LCA studies, consistent with the ISO 14040 and 14044 LCA standards.

[edit] International standards

ISO 14040:2006 Environmental management — Life cycle assessment — Principles and framework. - principles and framework for LCA.

ISO 14044:2006 Environmental management — Life cycle assessment — Principles and framework - specific requirements and guidelines for LCA.

(previously ISO 14042:2000 Environmental management — Life cycle assessment — Life cycle impact assessment )

ISO 14067 on the carbon footprint of products - principles, requirements and guidelines for the quantification and reporting of the carbon footprint of a product

ISO 14020, ISO 14021, ISO 14024, ISO 14025, and ISO 14026; environmental labels, set out principles, requirements and guidelines for the development and use of environmental labels and declarations, and communication of footprints.

[edit] Relevant Country standards

France BP X30-323 environmental footprinting method for to assess life cycle impact of various products, including guidelines for product-specific communication and environmental labelling.

Japan EcoLeaf Environmental Labeling Program, for assessing environmental life cycle impact of products. Combined two frameworks, EcoLeaf and Carbon Footprint of Products (CFP) consistent with the LCA ISO 14040 series.

Korea Carbon Footprint of Products and Environmental Product Declaration guidelines for assessing the life cycle carbon footprint of products. Phase 1. Certification of Carbon Emissions , Pase 2: Certification of Low Carbon Products and Phase 3 Certification of Carbon Neutral Products.