Aluminium & Human Toxicity Study

Introduction

Life Cycle Assessments of aluminium products based on the University of Leiden Institute of Environmental Sciences method (CML, 2001) have previously identified primary aluminium outdoor emissions of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) as the single most significant contributor to the environmental impact of aluminium products in the category “human toxicity”. However, the CML method has been superseded by ReCiPe, which is based on more up-to-date scientific knowledge. The study reported here compares the contribution of emissions of PAH on the human toxicity impact category predicted by these methods. It shows that both total human toxicity and the contribution of PAH exposure to this impact category are far lower than previously predicted by CML.

The study was sponsored by the International Aluminium Institute (IAI). CAB has been instrumental in communicating the results within the UK to bodies such as the Building Research Establishment (BRE).

Download: Executive Summary Impact on Human Toxicity