Comprehensive model of environmental degradation assessment

Abstract

This study explores the development of a comprehensive techno-economic model of environmental degradation based on the ReCiPe2016 approach named Financial Developed ReCiPe (FDR). The FDR considers cause-and-effect pathways of environmental degradation by ocean acidification, floods, acid rain, malnutrition, forest destruction, and waste more than the ReCiPe2016 in the midpoint and the environmental properties in the endpoint by considering tourism potential and intergenerational benefits. This model quantifies environmental degradation by the functions of fate factors (FF), effect factors (EF), exposure factors (XF), and economic impacts. These functions are developed for added cause-and-effect pathways, and the results were verified based on real studies. The uncertainties are considered by Individualist, Hierarchist, and Egalitarian perspectives, and the Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS) method is used to estimate the uncertainty level of variables. The results indicate the acceptability of the findings for the 20–1000-year infinite time horizon is about 13–38% variation. The FDR reveals significant deviations in the Hierarchist perspective compared to the ReCiPe2016; non-cancer diseases due to stratospheric ozone depletion and malnutrition by global warming are increased by approximately 17% and 13%, respectively. Each hectare of forest destruction’s impact on global warming, tourism, and timber resources equates to annual emission of 86 tons of CO₂, 426 tons of PM2.5, and 1540 tons of crude oil, respectively. The ocean acidification effects from CO₂ emissions compared to SO₂ and terrestrial acidification, contributing about 0.03% in the Hierarchist perspective. Finally, the FDR model bridges the existing gap in lifecycle impact assessment (LCIA) in energy-intensive industries such as petrochemical industries.

Graphical abstract