Life cycle assessment of medium density particleboard (MDP) produced in Brazil

PurposeThe wood panel industry is one of the most important forest-based industries in Brazil. The medium density particleboard (MDP) is currently produced and consumed worldwide and represents about 50 % of the wood panel industry in Brazil. Unlike other regions, Brazilian MDP is produced from dedicated eucalyptus plantations and heavy fuel oil is an important energy source in MDP manufacture, which may result in a different environmental profile. This paper presents a life cycle assessment of MDP panel produced in Brazil and suggests improvement opportunities by assessing alternative production scenarios.MethodsThe cradle-to-gate assessment of 1 m3 of MDP produced in Brazil considered two main subsystems: forest and industrial production. Detailed inventories for Brazilian eucalyptus production and MDP industrial production were collected as a result of technical visits to Brazilian MDP producers (foreground systems) as well as literature review (mainly background systems). The potential environmental impacts of MDP were assessed in terms of seven impact categories using CML (abiotic depletion, acidification, global warming, eutrophication, and photochemical oxidation) and USEtox (ecotoxicity and human toxicity) impact assessment methods in order to identify the main hotspots.Results and discussionThe industrial production was responsible for most of the impacts in all impact categories, except ecotoxicity (EC). The main hotspots identified were the use of heavy fuel oil (HFO) as a thermal energy source in MDP manufacture and the production of urea–formaldehyde (UF) resin used as synthetic adhesive. Glyphosate herbicide application in soil in forestry operations was the main responsible for the impacts in EC. Scenarios for HFO substitution were assessed and results showed that substituting HFO for in-mill wood residues or diesel leads to reduced environmental impacts.ConclusionsThe identification of the main hotspots in the MDP life cycle can assist the wood panel industry to improve their environmental profile. Further research should focus on UF resin production in order to reduce its environmental impacts as well as the possibility of using alternatives resins. Other sources of wood for MDP production could also be investigated (e.g., pine wood and wood residues) to assess potential improvements.

[1]  Mark A. J. Huijbregts,et al.  USEtox—the UNEP-SETAC toxicity model: recommended characterisation factors for human toxicity and freshwater ecotoxicity in life cycle impact assessment , 2008 .

[2]  Almudena Hospido,et al.  Life Cycle Inventory of Particleboard: A Case Study in the Wood Sector (8 pp) , 2006 .

[3]  Olivier Jolliet,et al.  Building a model based on scientific consensus for Life Cycle Impact Assessment of chemicals: the search for harmony and parsimony. , 2008, Environmental science & technology.

[4]  A. Ometto,et al.  Avaliação do ciclo de vida do álcool etílico hidratado combustível pelos métodos EDIP, exergia e emergia , 2005 .

[5]  T. Nemecek,et al.  Life Cycle Inventories of Agricultural Production Systems , 2007 .

[6]  M. Hauschild,et al.  PestLCI—A model for estimating field emissions of pesticides in agricultural LCA , 2006 .

[7]  Henrikke Baumann,et al.  The hitch hiker's guide to LCA : an orientation in life cycle assessment methodology and application , 2004 .

[8]  Francirose Shigaki.  Transporte de fósforo na enxurrada superficial em função do tipo de fonte de P e intensidade das chuvas: Relevância à gerência ambiental em sistemas de produção brasileiros , 2006 .

[9]  A. A. Jensen,et al.  Life Cycle Management: A Business Guide to Sustainability , 2007 .

[10]  James B. Wilson.  LIFE-CYCLE INVENTORY OF MEDIUM DENSITY FIBERBOARD IN TERMS OF RESOURCES, EMISSIONS, ENERGY AND CARBON , 2009 .

[11]  André Luis Christoforo,et al.  Addition of Impregnated Paper Residue to Produce MDP Wood Panel: example of solid waste recycling , 2013 .

[12]  James B. Wilson.  Life-Cycle Inventory of Particleboard in Terms of Resources, Emissions, Energy and Carbon , 2010 .

[13]  Gumersindo Feijoo,et al.  Life cycle inventory of medium density fibreboard , 2006 .

[14]  Jeroen B. Guinee,et al.  Handbook on life cycle assessment operational guide to the ISO standards , 2002 .

[15]  Lourival Marin Mendes,et al.  Hybrid chipboard panels based on sugarcane bagasse, urea formaldehyde and melamine formaldehyde resin , 2011 .

[16]  André Moreira de Camargo.  Inventário do ciclo de vida do metanol para as condições brasileiras. , 2007 .

[17]  R. Heijungs,et al.  Life cycle assessment An operational guide to the ISO standards , 2001 .

[18]  Edielma do Rocio Chipanski.  Proposiçao para melhoria do desempenho ambiental da indústria de aglomerado no Brasil , 2013 .

[19]  Paulo Henrique Ribeiro.  Contribuição ao banco de dados brasileiro para apoio à avaliação do ciclo de vida: fertilizantes nitrogenados. , 2009 .

[20]  André Biazus,et al.  Panorama de mercado: painéis de madeira , 2010 .