Comparison study of environmental impacts between mid (CML)‎ and end point (Eco 95)‎ methods for babel lead acid battery production processes

Abstract EN

In this research, quantitative analysis, comparison of the environmental impacts for Iraqi Babel Lead acid battery (capacity of 135 Amps/hr) throughout the production processes is conducted for 2012 year, according to the ISO (14040-14043) series of standards.

Two impact assessment methods employed are; Centre of Environmental Studies (CML–midpoint) and (Eco 95-endpoint).

Chain Management Life Cycle Analysis [CMLCA] software is used to process and generate the collected data.

In CML (mid-point) method four potential environmental impact categories are; [Global Warming Potential (GWP), Acidification, Eutrophication, and Human toxicity], while Eco 95 (endpoint) method evaluates six categories of environmental impact are; [Global Warming Potential (GWP), Acidification, Eutrophication, Heavy metals, Summer, and Winter Smog].

Results generated according to CML method reveal that formation process as the highest contributor to GWP by (26%), Eco 95 declared contribution to the GWP of the same process by (4%).

Through CML (mid-point) the assembly process is identified as having the most significant impact on acidification by (50%), while Eco 95 method quantify acidification for the same process by (4%).

Human toxicity is allocated by (60%) contribution in the assembly process by CML method, whereas the same process is identified as the most hazardous process of (93%) contribution heavy metals impact is, and winter smog (3%) according to Eco 95 method.

Formation process is the highest contributor to Eutrophication according CML method, while Eutiphication is not of concern, according to (Eco 95) for this process.

It is concluded that the environmental impacts of Babel battery spread over the production processes and every process have certain environmental impact category (nerveless the quantifying method).

Therefore, it is recommended using both methods to expose all the environmental categories, and to control the environmental aspects of the company, also it is recommended to use new technologies for battery production that have less impact on the environment.