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Many industrial processes routinely release radionuclides into the environment. Such emissions maybe recognised in the inventory phase of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), but they are rarely carried forward to the Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) phase because a standard approach for assessing their impact is still lacking. The aim of this article is to collect and critically analyse radiological impact assessment methodologies to establish a basis for developing a standard approach. Seven methodologies are reviewed. Amongst these, the human health damages approach is the only methodology to date to be included in LCIA methodologies. Furthermore, five of the reviewed methodologies are concerned with impacts on humans, whilst the remaining two address effects on the environment. The article concludes that even though a number of methodologies are currently available, none is suitable as the basis for a standard procedure in LCIA. Two main features have been identified as crucial: the ability to treat all types of waste forms by which radionuclides can be released and the use of a fate analysis that returns average (rather than worst case) estimates of impacts. In light of the findings of this review, a novel framework for radiological impact assessment on humans has been devised; its development is being pursued by the authors. Key words: radiological impact assessment, Life Cycle Impact Assessment, ionising radiation, radionuclides, nuclear waste, risk assessment. Resume : Bon nombre de processus industriels rejettent couramment des radionucleides dans l'environnement. De telles emissions peuvent etre reconnues dans la phase d'inventaire de l'analyse du cycle de vie (ACV), mais sont rarement reportees a la phase d'analyse des incidences de cycle de vie (AICV) parce qu'il n'y a toujours pas une approche normalisee pour evaluer leur impact. Le but de cet article est de rassembler et d'analyser de facon critique les methodologies d'evaluation des effets radiologiques afin d'etablir une base pour developper une approche normalisee. Sept methodologies ont ete passees en revue. L'une de celles-ci, l'approche de dommages pour la sante humaine represente la seule methodologie a date comprise parmi les methodologies d'impact d'ACV. En outre, cinq des methodologies passees en revue prennent en compte les impacts sur les etres humains, tandis que les deux autres traitent des effets sur l'environnement. Dans l'article, on conclut que bien qu'un certain nombre de methodologies soient actuellement disponibles, aucune n'est appropriee comme base pour une procedure normalisee de l'AICV. Deux caracteristiques principales ont ete identifiees comme essentielles : la capacite de traiter tous les types de formes de dechets par lesquelles les radionucleides peuvent etre rejetes et l'utilisation d'une analyse du devenir qui rend des estimations moyennes (plutot que le pire cas) des impacts. A la lumiere des resultats de cette revue, un nouveau cadre pour l'evaluation des effets radiologiques sur les humains a ete defini; les auteurs poursuivent son developpement. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles : evaluation des effets radiologiques, analyse des incidences de cycle de vie, rayonnement ionisant, radionucleides, dechet nucleaire, evaluation du risque., 1. Introduction During routine operations, many industrial processes release radionuclides into the environment in the form of air- or water-borne materials or solid wastes (UNSCEAR 2008). The nuclear (Dreicer et [...]

Paper recycling may not be as good for the environment as is generally perceived. Recycling mills must be in constant operation and waste paper is being imported to meet growing demand. Recycling is effective economically, allowing paper imports to be reduced while increasing the recycler's economic activity, but environmental emissions rise and imports are transported by road which increases air pollution. Life-cycle assessments can be applied to analyse the environmental impact of paper recycling.

The life cycle approach is used to explore the links between environmental impact and added economic value within the supply chain.