ABSTRACT
The concept of life-cycle assessment is to evaluate the environmental effects associated with any given activity from the initial gathering of raw material from the earth until the point at which all residuals are returned to the earth. The purpose of this United States Environmental Protection Agency inventory guidelines and principles document is to provide guidance on the specific details involved in the conduct of life-cycle studies. The Environmental Protection Agency’s life-cycle assessment project includes using a consensus-building approach and working in close coordination with Society for Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. Near-term efforts include the preparation of documents that provide guidance on the impact analysis component, on data availability, and on data quality issues for life-cycle assessments. Improvement analysis and guidance for streamlining life-cycle studies are potential future products of this core group.
