Risk and Impact Modeling: IMPACT 2002

Introduction

This page provides introductory information on the Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) toxicity model, IMPACT 2002. The IMPACT 2002 model provides close to 1,000 characterization factors for the midpoint categories: human toxicity, aquatic ecotoxicity and terrestrial ecotoxicity for the LCIA methodology IMPACT 2002+. You can download public non-spatial, spatial European, and world versions of the environmental multimedia model IMPACT 2002 for toxicity assessment in the context of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA).

Providing a clear divergence from methods based on conventional regulatory-orientated risk assessments for screening chemicals, this model presents a modular approach to help estimate the cumulative chronic toxicological risks and, as far as currently feasible, the potential impacts associated with chemical emissions for use in comparative applications such as life cycle assessment (LCA). The framework and associated methodology are encoded for Western Europe and the world in the tool IMPACT 2002 - IMPact Assessment of Chemical Toxics, version 2002. This model introduces the concept of production versus subsistence-based exposure scenarios and comprises spatial and non-spatial resolutions. A default database currently enables estimation of characterisation factors (cumulative risk and potential impact per kg emission) for 1,000’s of chemicals on a regional and global scale.

Model Facts

  • Geographical area covered:
    • Western Europe - 15 countries (entirely), 10 countries (partly), size of 6,400,000 km2 (USA 9,629,091 km2)
    • World entirely
  • Population:
    • Europe: 420 Million (USA 280 Million)
    • World: 6.05 Billion
  • Spatial resolution:
    • Europe: non-spatial version as well as spatial version comprising 135 land zones (water sheds), 124 oceanic zones, 2 x 2.5 degree air grid, nested in a non-spatial global model
    • World: spatial version comprising 13 continental zones, 8 oceanic zones, 21 atmospheric zones
  • Food production: statistics on national scale
  • Compartments: air, fresh water, fresh water sediment, 2 soil layers, 2 oceanic layers, oceanic sediment, 4 plant compartments
  • Substances covered: organic and inorganic substances including metals
  • Final characterisation factors (CFs): cumulative risk and potential impact per kg emission for human health and aquatic ecotoxicological effects
  • Overall uncertainty estimates are provided for every CF
  • Provides best estimates as appropriate for LCIA

Downloads

* In order to access the IMPACT 2002 model we ask that you provide us with your name, affiliation and email address at the bottom of this page. You do not have to be affiliated with the Center for Risk Science and Communication or the University of Michigan to access the IMPACT 2002 model. Your information will only be used to notify you of any updates concerning the model. Your data will be kept strictly confidential.

Related Publications

  • Pennington, D.W., Margni, M., Payet, J., and Jolliet, O., 2006. Risk and Regulatory Hazard-Based Toxicological Effect Indicators in Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA). Human and Ecological Risk Assessment, Vol. 12, No. 3. (June 2006), pp. 450-475.
  • Humbert, S., Margni, M., Charles, R., Torres Salazar, O.M., Quirós, A.L. and Jolliet,O., 2006. Toxicity Assessment of the most used Pesticides in Costa Rica. Agriculture, Environment and Ecosystems, accepted 8 May 2006.
  • Rochat, D., Margni, M. and Jolliet, O., 2006. Continent-Specific Characterization Factors and Intake Fractions for Toxic Emissions: Does it make a Difference? Int. J. of LCA, on-line first.
  • Pennington, D.W., Margni, M., Amman, C. and Jolliet, O., 2005. Multimedia Fate and Human Intake Modeling: Spatial versus Non-Spatial Insights for Chemical Emissions in Western Europe. Environmental Science & Technology, 39, (4), 1119-1128.
  • Jolliet, O. and Hauschild, M., 2005. The influence of the intermittent character of rain on fate and long range transport of air organic pollutants. Environmental Science &Technology, 39 (12), 4513-4522.
  • Rosenbaum R., Pennington D. W., Jolliet O., 2004. An implemented approach for estimating uncertainties for toxicological impact characterisation. In Pahl-Wostl, C., Schmidt, S., Rizzoli, A.E. and Jakeman, A.J. (eds), Complexity and Integrated Resources Management, Transactions of the 2nd Biennial Meeting of the International Environmental Modelling and Software Society, iEMSs: Manno, Switzerland, 2004. ISBN 88-900787-1-5. Article
  • Charles R., 2004. Modelling pesticides residues. PhD Thesis: Section Science et Ingénierie de l'Environnement, EPFL.
  • Payet J., 2004. Assessing Toxic Impacts on Aquatic Ecosystems in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). PhD Thesis: Section Science et Ingénierie de l'Environnement, EPFL.
  • Margni M (2003): Source to Intake Modeling in Life Cycle Impact Assessment. PhD. Thesis: Section Science et Ingénierie de l'Environnement, EPFL. 111 p.
  • Crettaz P, Pennington DW, Rhomberg L, Brand K, Jolliet O (2002): Assessing Human Health Response in Life Cycle Assessment using ED10s and DALYs - Part 1: Cancer Effects. Risk Analysis, vol. 22 (5), 931-946.
  • Pennington DW, Crettaz P, Tauxe A, Rhomberg L, Brand K, Jolliet O (2002): Assessing Human Health Response in Life Cycle Assessment using ED10s and DALYs - Part 2: Non-Cancer Effects. Risk Analysis, vol. 22 (5), 947-963.
  • Payet J & Jolliet O (2003): Comparative Assessment of the Toxic Impact of metals on aquatic ecosystems: the AMI method. In Life Cycle Assessment of Metals: Issues and research directions, A. Dubreuil Ed., SETAC Book.
  • Charles R & Jolliet O (2003): Processes governing fate of pesticides in plant, un-published manuscript.
  • Ammann C (2002): Development of a spatial multimedia model of chemical fate and human exposure for Europe. Diploma Thesis: Section Science et Ingénierie de l'Environnement, EPFL.
  • Pelichet T (2003): Development of a spatial multimedia chemical fate and human exposure model for Europe, with a focus on air advection. Diploma Thesis: Section Science et Ingénierie de l'Environnement, EPFL. 81 p.
  • "Construction of a Chemical Fate & Human Exposure Model of Toxic Substances for Japan – Chemical data collection for Japan’s National Life Cycle Assessment Initiative, 20th February 2001, DW Pennington, A Tauxe, & O. Jolliet., Japan Environmental Management Association For Industry (JEMAI)"

Access the IMPACT 2002 Model

In order to access the IMPACT 2002 model we ask that you provide us with your name, affiliation and email address at the bottom of this page. You do not have to be affiliated with the Center for Risk Science and Commnication or the University of Michigan to access the IMPACT 2002 model. Your information will only be used to notify you of any updates concerning the model. Your data will be kept strictly confidential.

Please fill out the following form:

First Name:

Last Name:

Affiliation:

E-mail Address:

Contact: Ralph Rosenbaum

Development Team and Associated Projects

The initial development was carried out at the EPFL (Ecole Polytechnique de Lausanne) by a multidisciplinary team of the Life Cycle Systems at the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology, including Dr. David Pennington, Dr. Manuele Margni, Dr. Ralph Rosenbaum, Christoph Ammann, Thierry Pelichet, Dr. Jerome Payet, Dr. Pierre Crettaz, Dr. Raphael Charles and Prof. Olivier Jolliet.

The present development of this model is carried out by the University of Michigan under the supervision of Dr. Olivier Jolliet and the CIRAIG in Montreal, under the coordination of Manuele Margni (e-mail: Manuele Margni <manuele.margni@polymtl.ca>). These developments are carried out in collaboration with Sébastien Humbert, University of California, Berkeley, Jérôme Payet, SETEMIP, France, Raphael Charles, Agroscope, Switzerland and Ralph Rosenbaum, EPFL, Switzerland and in interaction with the Ecointesys-Life Cycle Systems, a spin-off company from EPFL.

Different project have been or are presently associated with the development of different components of the IMPACT model that is presently used in three Life Cycle Impact Assessment methods (LIME, LUCAS and IMPACT 2002+), among them:

- The Japanese JEMAI/AIST project in collaboration with Norihiro Itsubo and the team of the LIME LCIA method

- The OMNIITOX European project (2001-2005)

- The ADEME in France that supported the development of the AMI method for assessing the effect on aquatic ecosystems

- The NEEDS European project, that contributed to further develop the food chain component leading to improved Bioconcentration factors

- The NOMIRACLE European project that enables to further develop the damage elements for combined stressors in the ecosystem (collaborator Jerome Payet)

- The MULTIMPACT project, a three party collaboration between the Great Lakes Air Deposition (GLAD), the CIRAIG and University of Michigan (in collaboration with Jon Detling, Gabrielle Soucy)

- Development of regional characterization factors for toxic emissions occurring in Canada, D. Rima Manneh