Impacts of Technology on the Environment pot

ImpactsofTechnologyontheEnvironment|Page1
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Impacts of Technology on the Environment
Resources for Decision Making




Thisresourcepacketemploysalifecycle
approachtobuildthetechnology
assessmentskillsof9‐12
th
grade
technologystudents.
Theactivitiesofthispacketaddressasingle
question:Whataretheenvironmental,social,and
healthimpactsofreplacingincandescentlampswith
compactfluorescentlamps(CFL)?


Prepared by…
Mary Annette Rose




ImpactsofTechnologyontheEnvironment|Page2

Althoughtheinformationinthisdocumenthasbeenfundedwhollyorin
partbytheUnitedStatesEnvironmentalProtectionAgencyunder
assistanceagreement#NE00E48901‐0
toBALLSTATEUNIVERSITYitmay
notnecessarilyreflecttheviewsoftheAgencyandnoofficialendorsement
shouldbeinferred.

April 2009

MaryAnnetteRose,Director,EnviroTech
DepartmentofTechnology
BallStateUniversity
AppliedTechnologyBuilding
Muncie,Indiana47306
ImpactsofTechnologyontheEnvironment|Page3

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Theconsequencesofourtechnologicalchoices—products,processes,andsystems—are
comingintofocus.Thehistoricalrecorddemonstratesthattechnologicaldecisionshaveboth
desirableandunpredictableimpactsuponhumanhealthandthevitalityoftheenvironment.
Morerecentscientificevidenceexaminingcarbonandmercurycyclesindicatesthatthe
consequencesof
ourenergyandpowertechnologiesareglobalinscale.
Asdedicatedteachers,westrivetohelpstudentsdev elop
theanalyticalanddecision‐makingskillstheywillneedto
makewiser,environmentally–soundchoices regarding
thedesign,adoption,use,anddisposalofthese
technologies.TheStandardsforTechnologicalLiteracy
(2000,Standard5&
13),theNationalScienceEducation
Standardsandtheguidelinesforenvironmental
education(NAAEE,2004 )echoaresponsibilityfor
buildingstudents’understandingaboutthe
interconnectednessoftechnologyandtheenvironment
andtheirassessmentanddecision‐makingskills.This
instructionalresourcepacketprovidesonemodel for
addressingthesestandards.
Similartousing
processesassociatedwithengineeringdesignorproblemsolving,themodel
describedhereinemployslifecycleassessmentasaframeworkforteachingandlearning.

Takenasawhole,thestudent‐centeredresourcesinthispacketguidestudentsthroughalife
cycleassessmentprocess.Alternatively,theseindividualactivitiesmayserveasexamples
that
canthenbea ppliedtootherenvironmentalissuesandtechnologicalchoices.
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Attheheartofourmoderntechnologicalsocietyliesan
unacknowledgedparadox.AlthoughtheUnitedStatesis
increasinglydefinedbyanddependentontechnologyand
isadoptingnewtechnologiesatabreathtakingpace,its
citizensarenotequippedtomakewell‐considered
decisionsortothinkcriticallyabouttechnology.
National
AcademyofEngineering&
NationalResearchCouncil(2002,p.1)
Standards for Technological Literacy (ITEA, 2000)
5. Students will develop an understanding of the effects of
technology on the environment.
13. Students will develop the abilities to assess the impact
of products and systems.
National Science Education Standards (NRC, 1996)
As a result of the activities in grades 9-12, all students
should develop:
• decision-making skills.
• understandings of population growth, environmental
quality, natural and human induced hazards, and
science and technology in local, national and global
challenges.
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ImpactsofTechnologyontheEnvironment|Page4
Table1.LearningGoals

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Aftercompletionofthisunit,studentsshouldbeableto:
1. Describethepurpose,principles,andmethodsoflife
cycleassessment.
2. Explaintheadvantagesofreplacingincandescentlamps
withCFLsintermsoftheirrelativeenergyefficiency,
wasteheatgeneration,andexpectedlife‐time.
3.
ExplaindisadvantagesofadoptingCFLsintermsofthe
disposalandrecyclingpracticesfortoxicmaterialsand
thereleaseofmercuryintotheenvironment.
4. Describephysical,chemical,andbiologicalprocesses
involvedwiththetransmissionanddispersionofmercury
throughtheenvironment,e.g.,mercurydeposition.
5. Describequalitiesofhealthyecosystems
andrecognize
technologicalthreatstotheintegrityofthesesystems.
6. Describeimpactsofmercuryupontheenvironment,
especiallythebioaccumulationofmercurywithinfish.
7. Explaincommonroutesofmercuryexposure,especially
inhalationandfishconsumption,andtheriskstohuman
health.
8. Explainappropriateproceduresforcleaningup
broken
CFLsanddisposingofspentCFLs.
9. Applymethodsforassessingtheimpactoftechnology
upontheenvironment,theeconomy,andhumanhealth.
10. Synthesizeandevaluatecontradictoryinformation.
11. Proposealternativedecisionsorpoliciesandpredict
potentialimpactsofthosedecisions.

12. Plananexperiment,systematicallycollect,analyze,and

interpretdatatoinformpersonaldecision‐makingand
communityaction.
13. Developpredispositionstoresponsiblyreduce
environmentalimpactsrelatedtotechnologicalchoices.
Allresourcesinthispacketrelatetoasingledecisioncharacterizedbythreeessential
questions:
Shouldwereplaceincandescentlampswithcompactfluorescentlamps(CFL)?
Whatareenvironmental,social,andhumanhealthimpactsofthisdecision?
Whatstrategiesmightindividualsandcommunitiesusetoreducethenegative
impactsofthisdecision
ontheenvironmentandhumanhealth?
Inadditiontobuildingstudents’assessmentanddecisionmakingskills,thelearning
experiencesdescribedherehelpstudentsmeetavarietyoflearninggoals(Table1).
Thisdocumentisarrangedintothreesections.Thisintroductorysectionprovidesbackground
informationfortheteacher.Thesecond
section
includesactivitysheetsthatmaybe
photocopiedanddistributedtostude nts.
Workedexamplesareprovidedinsection
three.
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ImpactsofTechnologyontheEnvironment|Page5
Life Cycle Assessment
Lifecycleassessment(LCA)isatoolforidentifyingandanalyzingtheimpacts—influences,
costs,orbenefits—oftechnologyupontheenvironment.Policymakersusetheinformation
generatedbyanLCAtocomparethetradeoffsofalternativeproducts,processes,and
servicesandtobetterinformtheirpolicy,adoption,andmanagementdecisions.Business

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andindustryleadersusethisinformationtoimprovetheenvironmentalperformanceoftheir
productsandoperations,e.g.,pollutionpreventionandrecyclability,andinformstrategic
decisions.
Systems and Sustainability
LCAisbuiltuponprinciplesofsystemsthinking,sustainability,andlifecyclethinking.A
systemisagroupofinterdependentcomponentswhichacttogetherinaunifiedway.All
technologicalsystemsareembeddedwithinlargersocial,economic,andenvironmental
systemswhichinteractthroughtheexchangeofmaterials,energy,andinformation.
These
inputsandoutputsindicatepointsofimpactanddependencebetweensystems.
Forasystemtobesustainable(i.e.,continue tofunction),theinputsconsumedbyone
systemmustnotexceedthestoredorregenerativecapacityoftheenvironmentfromwhich
thoseinputsoriginate.Thus,apapermillwhichdemands
treesasasourceofpulpmustnot
exceedthesupplyofanexistingforestorthegrowthrateofthatforest.Inaddition,the
outputsofasystem—theproducts,wastes,andemissions—mustbebenignordegradableby
theenvironmentalsystem,orthoseundesirableelementsmustbemanaged andstoredto

protectthehealthoftheenvironment.Lifecyclethinkingisapowerfuldecision‐makingtool
whenstrivingforsustainability.
Lifecyclethinkingislookingupstreamanddownstreamatthephasesofaproductslifecycle.
This“cradle‐to‐grave”perspectiveemphasizesthataproducthasenvironmental,social,and
humanhealth
impactsateachstageofitslifecycle,includingtheextractionofrawmaterials,
designandproduction,packaginganddistribution,useandmaintenance,anddisposal.This
comprehensiveviewcompelsthedecision‐makertoconsiderafullrangeofimpactindicators
associatedwiththeinputsandoutputsofeachsystem,especiallyenergy
consumption,water
requirements,solidwastes,atmosphericemissions,humanhealtheffects,andother

cumulativeimpactstothebiosphere.
ImpactsofTechnologyontheEnvironment|Page6
Figure 1. Life cycle of products. 
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Source:UnitedNationsEnvironmentProgramme(2007).Lifecyclemanagement:

Abusinessguidetosustainability[Image].p.12.RetrievedJanuary8,2009,from
/>
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Conducting a Life Cycle Assessment
TheInternationalStandardsOrganization(ISO)hasoutlinedstandardsofLifeCycle
Assessment(LCA)initsISO14040Standard.Thisinvo lvesfourphases,including:
(1)GoalandScopeDefinition
(2)InventoryAnalysis
(3)ImpactAssessment
(4)Interpretation.
AsexplainedbytheScientificApplicationsInternationalCorporation(2006)andsummarized
inTable2,each
phaseconsistsofseveraltasks.Aswithmostresearchassessmentactivities,
theinitialphaseofLCAbeginsbyclarifyingthegoalsoftheassessment,boundingthestudy,
describingthetechnologyintermsofitslifecycle,selectinganalyticalmethods,and
planning.
ImpactsofTechnologyontheEnvironment|Page7
Table 2. Process of life cycle assessment.
Phases EssentialQuestions KeySteps
1 GoalDefinition
andScoping
Whatarethegoalsandboundariesofthe
study?
Whatenvironmentalimpactsandindicators
willbeconsidered?
Whatmethodsandreportingrequirements
willbeused?
Whataretheassumptionsandlimitationsof
thestudy?

1.Definethegoal(s)andessentialquestionsofthestudy.
2.Describetheproduct,process,orserviceintermsofits
lifecycle.
3.Selectthephasesofthelifecyclethatwillbeexamined.
4.Identifyanddefinetheenvironmentaleffectsand
indicators(andunitsofmeasurement)thatwillbe
examinedinthestudy.
5.Identifythedatagathering,analyticalandreporting
methods?
6.Listany
assumptionslimitationsofthestudy.
2
InventoryAnalysis Whatarethemajorprocessesofeachphase
ofthelifecycle?
Whatarethemajorinputs(water,energy,
materials)andoutputs(e.g.,airemissions,
waste)ofeachprocess?
Whatsourcesofinformationandmethods
willbeusedtoquantifytheinputsand
outputs?
Foreachlifecyclephase…
1. Identifyanddescribethemajorprocesses.
2. Developaflowdiagramfortheprocessesbeing
evaluated.
3. Foreachprocess,identifyandquantifytheinputs
(water,energy,materials)andoutputs(e.g.,air
emissionsandsolidwaste).
4. Recorddatainadatacollectionspreadsheet.
3 Impact
Assessment

Whichimpactcategoriesarerelevant?
Doestheinput/outputfactoractasastressor
tothisimpactcategory?
Whatisthepotentialimpactofthisstressor?
Howdoesthisimpactcomparetoothers?

1.Selectanddefineimpactcategories,e.g.,potential
mercurytoxicityinfish.
2.ClassifyLCIresultsintoimpactcategories.
3.Modelthepotentialimpacts.
4.Standardizepotentialimpactstoallowcomparison.
5.Groupandweightthepotentialimpacts.

4 Interpretation
Basedontheevidenceandanalyses,whatare
thesignificantissues?
Istheanalysiscomplete,sensitive,and
consistent?
Relativetothegoalandscopeofthe
assessmentandevidence,whatconclusions
andrecommendationsarereasonable?
1. Identifysignificantissues.
2. Evaluatethecompleteness,sensitivity,andconsistency
ofthedata.
3. Draw
conclusionsandrecommendations.

AdaptedfromScientificApplicationsInternationalCorporation.(2006,May).Lifecycleassessment:Principlesand
practice.U.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency(ContractEPA/600/R‐06/060).RetrievedJanuary8,2009,from
/>DuringPhase2,eachofthemajorprocessesofthesystemisexamined,inventoried,

quantified,anddepictedinasystemflowdiagram(Figure2).Thechallengeofthisphaseis
toselectreliabledatasourcesormethodswhichyieldthedesiredtypeandaccuracyofdata
foreachoftheinputs
(materialsandenergy)andoutputs(e.g.,airemissions,solidwaste,
water,effluents,productsandby‐products).Commondatasourcesincludeactual
performancemeasurements,manufacturerspecifications, governmentreports,orindustry‐
averagedreports.Thedataforthelifecycleinventory(LCI)arecompiledintoanelectronic
spreadsheetordatabaseforfurtheranalysis
andpresentationofresults.Theexample
providedinFigure3showsaflowdiagramofmercuryusedinfluorescentlamps(Cain,Disch, 
Twarski,Reindl,andCase,2007).
ImpactsofTechnologyontheEnvironment|Page8
Figure 2. Generic system flow diagram for a single process.

InPhase3,thegoalistoevaluatethelinkagesbe tweenthetechnologyunderstudyandits
potentialimpactupontheenvironmentandhumanhealth.Majoractivitiesofthisphase
includeselectingimpactcategories(e.g.,mercurytoxicityoffish,globalwarming,orhuman
health)andthenclassifyingtheLCIresults
intothesecategories.Toallowcomparisonof
results,theindicatorswithincategoriesarethencharacterizedincommonterms.For
example,allemissionscontributingtoglobalwarmingmightberepresentedinCO
2

equivalents.Then,finallyeachoftheimpactcategoriesisassignedarankbasedontheir
perceivedimportance.
ImpactsofTechnologyontheEnvironment|Page9
Figure 3. Flow diagram of mercury used in fluorescent lamps in the United States in 2005.

Source: Cain, A., Disch, S., Twarski, C., Reindl, J.& Case, C.R. (2007). Substance flow analysis of mercury
intentionally used in products in the United States. Journal of Industrial Ecology, 11(3). Retrieved December 7,

2007, from />

InthefinalphaseofLCA,theassessorreviewsthegoalsandresultsoftheassessmentand
identifiesthesignificantissues.Becauseestimatesandassumptionsmustbemadeduring
Phase2and3oftheLCA,anotherimportanttaskistorecheckandevaluatethedatabefore
drawingconclusions,making
recommendations,andformallyreportingthestudytoothers.
ImpactsofTechnologyontheEnvironment|Page10









Section 2. Student Handouts
ImpactsofTechnologyontheEnvironment|Page11
Life Cycle Thinking
Whenyouuseaproduct,youareparticipatinginonephaseofaproduct’slife.Beforethe
productmakesittoyou,rawmaterialsaretaken(extracted)fromtheenvironmentand
manufacturedintoaproduct.Then,thefinishedproductistransportedtoadis tributor
whereyoumakeadecisionaboutwhether
topurchaseit.Manyproducts,suchasalight
bulb,alsoconsumeenergyasyouusethem.Aftertheproductis spentandnolongeruseful,
youdisposeofitorrecycleit.Thiscircleiscalledaproductlifecycle.Alifecycleshowsthat
everyproductisconnected
totheenvironment.
Doyouthinkabouthowyourdecisionsto

purchaseanduseaproductcreatesademand
forplants,animals,minerals,andenergy?Do
youconsiderhowthetechnologiesusedto
extract,produce,transport,anddisposeof
productsmightaffect(impact)theenvironment
andyourhealth?
Inthis
lesson,wewilluselifecycleassessment
(LCA)tohelpusidentifyandassesshowour
choicesimpacttheenvironment.Todoso,we
willexploreonecommondecision…


Decision
:
Shouldyou and your family purchase and install
compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) in your house or
apartment?
Howmightthisdecisionimpactthehealthofhumans
andtheenvironment?
Source:UnitedNationsEnvironmentProgramme(2007).Lifecycle
management:Abusinessguidetosustainability[Image].p.12.
RetrievedJanuary8,2009,from
/>

Source:UnitedNationsEnvironmentProgramme. (2007).Lifecycle
management:Abusinessguidetosustainability [Image]. p.12.
ImpactsofTechnologyontheEnvironment|Page12
Life Cycle Assessment(LCA) Name ___________________________ 
TeamsofbusinessandindustryleadersuseLifeCycleAssessment(LCA)tohelpthemmakedecisions.

TheLCAprocesshelpstheteamidentifytheenvironmentalandsocialimpactsofaproduct.An
impactisachangeorconsequencethatresultsafterachoicehasbeenmade.Let’susethefour

phasesoftheLCAprocesstohelpusmakeadecision…
PHASE #1 Goal and Scope
OneofthefirsttasksofaLCAistodefineyourgoalsandboundyourassessment.Boundingmeans
settinglimits,suchassettinglimitsontime,place,sourcesofinformation,andimpactareas.The
impactareasofinterestcouldincludeimpactstothebiosphere(humans,animals,andplants),orthe

hydrosphere(water),cryosphere(ice),atmosphere(air),orlithosphere(land).
Directions:DiscussthegoalsandboundariesofyourLCAwithyourteacherandteammates.Then,
recordthesegoalsandboundariesbelow:
●●Goal & Scope ● ●
Goal:


TimeLimits
:
SettingoftheStudy:
SourcesofInformation
:



ImpactAreas
:

●●●

ImpactsofTechnologyontheEnvironment|Page13

PHASE #2A Inventory Analysis Name _______________________________
InthisphaseoftheLCA,theteamtakesaninventoryofthemajorsystemsusedduringaproducts’
lifecycle.Asystemisasetoftoolsandprocesses(e.g.,miningandmanufacturing)whichwork
togetherinaunifiedway.Asystemrequiresmaterialsandenergytofunction;these
elementsare
calledinputs.Processestransformtheseinputsintodesirableproductsandundesirableoutputs
(e.g.,wastesandemissions).Acompleteinventorywouldidentifyandquantifytheinputs,processes,
andoutputsfortheentirelifecycleofaproduct.

Directions:Thelistbelowidentifiessomeofthemajorinputs,processes,andoutputsofthelife
cycleofaCFL.AfterconductingaWebsearchandreviewingtheinf ormationprovidedbythe
instructor,categorizetheseprocesses,materials,energysources,intotheInventoryofCFL’s.
Remembertokeeptrackofyour
sourcesofinformationbyrecordingthembelow.
 Majorinputs,processes,andoutputsinthelifecycleofaCFL.
Materials

Processes

Energy

Glass
Sand
Silica
Bauxite
Cinnabar
Mercury
Phosphor
CFL
Paper

Aluminum
Carbondioxide
Printedcircuitboard

Retorting
Undergroundmining
CrushingspentCFL
InstallingnewCFL
CollectingspentCFL
Packaging
Shipping(cargoship) 
Selling
Repackaging
Buryinginalandfill
Shapingglasstubes
CleaningupbrokenCFLs
Recycling
Refiningore
Sources
Coal
Petroleum
Naturalgas
EnergyForm
Electricity
Heat
Light
Resources:





ImpactsofTechnologyontheEnvironment|Page14
●●Inventory of CFL’s ● ●

INPUTS→→→→→→PROCESSES→→→→→→OUTPUTS
Energy:

Materials:
Extracting&Refining

Energy:

Materials:
Production

Energy:

Materials:
Packaging&Distribution

Energy:

Materials:
Use&Maintenance

Energy:

Materials:
Disposal


ImpactsofTechnologyontheEnvironment|Page15
PHASE #2B Inventory Analysis Name _______________________
ThepurposeofyourLifeCycleAssessmentistohelpyoumakeadecisionaboutwhethertoadopt
compactfluorescentlamps.YourLifeCycleInventory(LCI)wouldnotbecompl e tewithoutcounting
thenumber,type,andpowerratingsoflampsyouhaveinyourhomeorapartment.Theunitof
power
forabulbistheWatt(W).CommonpowerratingsforCFLsare23Wand14W.Thisdata
wouldhelpdescribethe“UseandMaintenance”sectionoftheLCI.FortheDisposalsection,youwill
alsoneedinformationabouthowyouandyourparentsdisposeofspentbulbs.
 Directions:Workingwithteammates,developaninventorysheetthatcouldbeusedtorecordthe
numberandtypesoflightbulbsinyourhomeorapartment.Onthissheet,youmightprovidea
columntorecordthetype,quantity,powerratingoflampsandinitialcostoflamps.After
yourteam
finalizestheinventorysheet,takethesheethomeandconductaninventoryofworkingbulbsinyour
homeorapartment.


● ● Inventory of Bulbs in a House ● ●
Address: Name:
TypeofBulb
(CFL,Fluorescent,
Incandescent)
PowerRating
(Watt)
NumberofBulbs InitialCost









TOTALNumberofBulbs

How does your family dispose of spent CFL and fluorescent lamps?
What does your family do if a CFL or fluorescent lamp breaks?
ImpactsofTechnologyontheEnvironment|Page16
PHASE #2C Inventory Analysis Name _______________________
Anecessarypartofalifecycleinventory(LCI)istoquantifytheenergyused duringeachpartofthe
lifecycle.Forthe“UseandMaintenance”partofthelifecycle,wecanuseyourhomeinventoryto
estimatethequantityofenergyconsumed.Beforewebegin,youshouldknow
that:
• a25‐WattCFLcreatesaboutthesamelightintensityasa100‐Wattincandescentlamp;
• 1000WattsusedinasinglehouriscalledakiloWatthour(kWh);
• MostoftheelectricitygeneratedintheU.S.isgeneratedthroughcoalcombustion;
• OnePoundofcoal
canproduceabout1.2kiloWatthours(kWh)ofelectricity.
Directions:Usingtheworksheetbelow,estimatethecoalrequiredtolightyourhouseforayear.
Let’sassumethat(1)allthebulbsinyourhouseareeither25‐WCFLsor100‐Wincandescent
lampsand(2)theyoperateforthesamenumberofhoursperday.Beginbyestimatingthe
numberofhoursyourlightsstayonasingleday.Then,recordthetotalnumberofbulbsinyour
houseorapartment.Usingtheformulasbelow,calculatetheelectricalpower,cost,andquantity
ofcoalthatisburnedtogenerateelectricity.
● ● Inventory Analysis: Energy Consumption ● ● 
 A B C D E F

TypeofBulb


Power
Rating
(Watt)
TimeBulbs
On
(Hoursper
year)
Total
Bulbsin
House
(#)
Power
Usedper
Year
(kWh)
Costof
Electricity
peryear
($)
Coal
Burned
peryear
(lb)
CFL
25W
Incandescent
100W
Difference   

FormulasforCalculatingEnergyConsumption:

B=Hoursperyear=Hoursperdayx365daysperyear
D=ElectricalPowerusedperyear(kWh)=(AxBxC)÷1000
E=Costofelectricitytolightbulbsperyear=CostperkWhxD
F=Coal(lb)burnedtolightbulbsforoneyear=D÷1.2

ImpactsofTechnologyontheEnvironment|Page17
PHASE #2D Inventory Analysis Name _______________________
WhenreportingtheresultsofanInventoryAnalysis,assessorsmakeaflowdiagramwhichgraphically
showswhereinputsandoutputsflowinandoutofprocesses.
Directions:Workingwithateam,prepareaflowdiagramforonepartofthelifecycleofaCFL,i.e.,
extractingrawmaterials,producing,
transporting,usingandmaintainingordisposing.Asshownin
themodelbelow,showtheinputs,processes,andoutputsassociatedwiththispartthelifecycle.
Whenyouarefinished,connectyourflowdiagramtootherteamsintheclasstoformacomplete
flowdiagramofthelifecycleofa
CFL.


●●Inventory Analysis: Flow Diagram ● ●
Part of the CFL life cycle:

List information sources here.


●●●

ImpactsofTechnologyontheEnvironment|Page18
PHASE #2E Inventory Analysis Name ________________________
Alifecycleinventory(LCI)oftheinputsandoutputsofaproductalsoincludesinformationaboutthe
quantityorvolumeofenergy,materials,wastes,andemissions.Thesequantitiesmaybeperformance

measurements,manufacturerstandards,orgovernmentorindustry‐averagedreports.Thechallengeis
toselectthemostreliabledatasources
andmethodsthatwillyieldthebestestimateofthe
inputs/outputsofasystem.Thisdataiseventuallycompiledintoaspreadsheet ordatabaseand
representedinaflowdiagram.
Directions:Workingwithyourteam,examinetheflowdiagramofthemercuryreleasesfrom
fluorescentlamps(Figure4).Afterdiscussing
thefollowingquestionswithyourteam,recordyour
responsesbelow.
●●Inventory Analysis: Quantifying ● ●
Question Response
1. Whatunitisusedtoquantifymercuryreleases?

2. Whatdotherectanglesrepresent?
3. Whatsymbolrepresentsthedesiredflowpathof
mercury?
4. In2005,howmuchmercuryisbeingreleasedby
fluorescentlampsintheU.S.?
5. WhatdoesMSWmean?
6. Whatsingleprocessreleasesthemostmercuryinto
theland?Howmuch?Why?
7. Basedonthisflowdiagram,whatgroupofworkers
maybeexposedtothemostmercuryreleasesinthe
U.S.?
8. Howmuchmercuryisreclaimedfromfluorescent
lampsthroughrecyclingefforts?Ofthetotalmercury
releasesoccurring,whatpercentagedoesthis
represent?
9. Whyisthe“production”stageresponsibleforsuchas
smallpercentageofmercuryreleasesintheU.S.?


ImpactsofTechnologyontheEnvironment|Page19

Source: Cain, A., Disch, S., Twarski, C., Reindl, J.& Case, C.R. (2007). Substance flow analysis of mercury intentionally used in products in the United States.
Journal of Industrial Ecology, 11(3). Retrieved Janury 30, 2009, from />Figure 4. Flow diagram of the mercury releases from fluorescent lamps

in the United States in 2005.

ImpactsofTechnologyontheEnvironment|Page20
PHASE #3A Impact Assessment Name _______________________
ThegoalofImpactAssessmentistoevaluatewhetherthematerialsandenergyidentifiedintheLife
CycleInventorymightimpacttheenvironmentandhumanhealth.Theflowdiagramprovidedin
Figure3indicatesthatmercuryemissionsareacommonoutputofallstagesofthelifecycleofaCFL.

Thecommonnessofmercurysuggestsanimpact.Whatarethecharacteristicsofmercury?What
happenstoitwhenitisreleasedintotheenvironment?
AsshowninFigure4,mercurymovesandchangesformontheearththroughbiological,
geologicalandchemicalprocesses.Forexample,mercuryintheaireventuallyreturnstothe
earthinaprocessknownasmercurydeposition.Bacteriainthesoilandwatertransform
mercuryintomethylmercury.ThemercuryreleasesoccurringduringthelifecycleofaCFL
contributetothismercurycycle.
Figure 4. Mercury cycle.

Source:UniversityofWisconsin‐Extension.MercuryinSchoolsEducationTeam.(2002).Mercurycycle[Image].
Mercuryinschoolsandthecommunity:Anationalissue.UniversityofWisconsinSystemBoardofRegents.p.46.
RetrievedMarch29,2008,from />ImpactsofTechnologyontheEnvironment|Page21
Directions:Conductanimpactassessmentofmercurybyfollowingthesesteps:
1. InFigure4,drawaCFLtoindicateitscontributiontothemercurycycle.
2. Predictwhatorwhomightbeimpacted(harmed)bymercuryemissionstotheair,land,orwater.
RecordyourpredictionsintheImpact

Categorybelow.
3. Interviewaphysician,nurse,toxicologist,industrialhygienist,orecologisttodiscoverhowmercury
mightimpacttheenvironmentandhumanhealth.Or,reviewthefollowingsourcesofinformation:
ToxFAQs™forMercury
,AgencyforToxicSubstances&DiseaseRegistry
ScientificFactsonMercury,GreenFactsDigest
4. Duringyoursearchforinformation,lookforcluesaboutfoodchains,bioaccumulation,andtoxicity.
5. Asyoudiscoverpotentialimpacts,recordthemnexttotheappropriateImpactCategory.
6. TocompletetheImpactAssessmentrelatedtomercuryreleases,rankorderthepotentialimpacts
fromthemost
important(1)totheleast.
●●Impact Assessment: Mercury Releases ● ●
Impact Category Potential Impacts
Rank by
Importance
(1 = most important)








List information sources here.

●●●

ImpactsofTechnologyontheEnvironment|Page22
PHASE #3B Impact Assessment Name _______________________

ThepurposeofthisLifeCycleAssessmentistohelpyoumakeadecisionaboutwhethertoreplace
incandescentbulbswithCFLs.Toassesstheimpactofthisdecision,weshouldcomparealifecycle
assessmentofthesetwotypesofbulbsintermsofmercuryreleasesrelatedtotheelectrical
energy
theyconsumeandthemercuryinthebulbthatcouldbereleasedduringdisposal.
Tobegin,let’snotesomeimportantfacts.About50%oftheelectricitygeneratedintheU.S.isfrom
thecombustionofcoal.Coalcombustionreleasesmercuryintotheatmosphere.TheU.S.
DepartmentofEnergyreports
thatthemercuryemissions fromco al ‐firedelectricitygeneration
averagesto0.012milligramsperkiloWa tthour(0.012mg/kWh).
Directions:CalculateandcomparethemercuryemissionsrelatedtopoweringaCFLandan
incandescentbulb.Assumethatthesebulbswillbeusedfor8000hoursperyearandusethe
formulaslocated
below.
● ● Impact Assessment: CFL vs. Incandescent ● ● 
 A B C D E F

TypeofBulb

Power
Rating
(Watt)
Hoursof
Useper
year
(hours)
Power
usedper
year
(kWh)

Average
Mercury
Emissions
(mg/kWh)
Mercuryin
Bulb
(mg)
Mercury
Release
Potential
(mg)
CFL
25W8000
Incandescent
100W8000
Difference  

FormulasforCalculatingtheMercuryReleasePotentialofUseandDisposal:
C=ElectricalPowerusedperyear(kWh)=(AxB)÷1000W/kWh
D=Averagemercuryemissionsfromcoal‐firedelectricitygeneration=0.12mg/kWh
E=Averagemercuryinabulb:CFL=4.0mg;Incandescent=0.00
F=Mercuryreleasepotentialfromuseanddisposalofbulbs(mg)=(CxD)+E

●●●

ImpactsofTechnologyontheEnvironment|Page23
PHASE #3C Impact Assessment Name _______________________
ToassesstheimpactofreplacingincandescentbulbswithCFLs,weshouldalsocomparehowof
thesetwotypesofbulbsaredisposedofwhentheyarenolongeruseful.BecauseCFLscontain
mercury,atoxicsubstance,theyareclassifiedasHouseholdHazardousWaste(HHW).Justasyou

woulddisposeof
batteries,paints,andpesticides,HHWshouldbetakentoahazardouswaste
collectionsite.Incontrast,incandescentbulbsareplacedinthehouseholdtrashandburiedina
landfill.
InFigure5,weseethatmostmaterialsinCFLsandotherfluorescentbulbsarerecyclable,including
themercury.Themercury
isseparatedfromthemetalsandglassthroughaheatinganddistillation
processknownasretorting.
So,ifconsumersresponsiblytaketheirspentCFLstoaHHWcollectionsite,theywillreducemercury
releasestotheenvironment.WhereisyourclosestHHWcollectionsite?Whendotheycollect
HHW?Whatpercent
ofhouseholdsinyourneighborhoodrecycleCFLandfluorescentbulbs?
LearnMore:Working withateam,developasurveythatwillallowyoutoesti matehowlikelyitis
thatspentCFLsandfluorescentbulbswillberecycled.Then,administerthesurveytopeopleinyour
neighborhoodandcompiletheresults.
Figure 5. Fluorescent lamp recycling.

Source:EcoLights.(2008).FluorescentLampRecycling.Retrieved
January16,2009,from />ImpactsofTechnologyontheEnvironment|Page24
PHASE #4 Interpretation Name _______________________
InthefinalphaseofaLifeCycleAssessment,itistimetoreviewyourgoals,combineallthe
information,drawconclusions,makerecommendationsandreportyourresultstoothers.
Directions:Discusstheinformationyouhavegatheredwithyourteammates.Whatconclusionscan
youreachabouttheimpactsof
CFLsontheenvironmentandhumanhealth?What
recommendationswouldyoumaketoyourfamily,neighbors,andgovernmentleaders?Inthespace
below,recordyourconclusionsandrecommenda tions.Then,sharethisinformationwithothers.
●●Interpretation ● ●
Goal:



Conclusions:





Recommendations:
• Mayfamilyshould….
• Peopleinmycommunityshould…
• Governmentleadersshould…


●●●
ImpactsofTechnologyontheEnvironment|Page25









SECTION 3: Worked Examples
