research & development
Comparative life cycle assessment of LNs
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LifeNet : The environmentally preferred option Early in 2011, Bayer CropScience Environmental Science Division (BCS-ES) launched a 9-month work program to perform comparative life cycle assess ment (LCA) of polypropylene, polyethylene, and polyester based long-lasting insecticidal bednets (LNs). BCS-ES recently developed a LN with deltamethrin® based insecticide incorporated into polypropylene fibers, called LifeNet . This report compares various environmental indicators, wash resistance, and human ® health impacts, between LifeNet and two other LN types.
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alaria kills about one million people each year, most of them in sub-Saharan Africa, where malaria is the leading cause of death of children under five. Management of mosquitoes (vector control) or personal protection (e.g. a mosquito net) against biting remains a key intervention in the management of malaria. Life cycle assessment
polyethylene net (Sumitomo Chemical’s Olyset® net) and a polyester net (Vestergaard Frandsen’s PermaNet® 2.0 net) as current market references.
The author: LAURENT DINI Sustainable Development Manager, Environmental Science Division, Bayer CropScience, Lyon, France
BCS-ES set up a specific sustainable development strategy in 2007, which encourages the implementation of eco-design and optimizes the environmental profile of its innovations. To reach this goal the only tool that can fully evaluate all sources and types of impacts over the entire life cycle of a product is life cycle assessment (LCA), a methodology defined by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 1404014044 standards (ISO 14040 2006; ISO 14044 2006).
The overall objectives of this study were to calculate and compare the environmental profile of the systems defined for the entire life cycle of the three LNs, identify the key contributor parameters, and assess their influence through a sensitivity analysis. Finally, this study also aimed at defining the overall human health benefit linked to the use of LNs.
The main conclusions of the ISO 14040-44 certified report1 are discussed here, with a focus on the methodology and scope of the study. The results are presented as end point environmental indicators, such as global warming potential, resource consumption, water withdrawal, human health, and ecosystem quality. The scope of the study
BCS-ES, with the support of Quantis – an environmental consultancy group – launched early in 2011 a 9-month work program to perform LCA of LifeNet®, as well as two other LN types, a PUBLIC HEALTH JOURNAL 23/2012
The three LNs evaluated in this investigation were made from different materials, and treated with different active ingredients (insecticides): 41