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Environmental profile analysis of particleboard production: a study in a Pakistani technological condition

  • EXERGY AND LCA
  • Published:
The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Particleboard is a composite panel comprising small pieces of wood bonded by adhesives. The particleboard industry is growing in Pakistan, but there is little information on the environmental impacts associated with this product. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop a life cycle assessment of particleboard manufactured in Pakistan and to provide suggestions to improve its environmental profile. The study covers energy use and associated environmental impacts of raw materials and processes during particleboard manufacture in the year 2015–2016.

Methods

The study uses a cradle-to-gate (distribution center) life cycle assessment approach. The reference unit for this study was 1.0 m3 of finished, uncoated particleboard. Primary data from the particleboard mill surveys were combined with secondary database information and modeled using CML 2000 v.2.05 methodology and a cumulative exergy demand indicator present in the SimaPro v.8.3 software.

Results and discussion

The results reveal that urea formaldehyde resin, transportation of raw materials, and finished product distribution had the highest contribution to all the environmental impact categories evaluated. Heavy fuel oil and natural gas consumption was responsible for abiotic depletion, photochemical oxidation, ozone layer depletion, and marine aquatic ecotoxicity impacts. The rotary dryer and hot press were the most important sectors in terms of emissions from the manufacturing process. The total cumulative exergy demand required for manufacturing of 1.0 m3 particleboard was 15,632 MJ-eq, with most of the energy usage associated with non-renewable, fossil fuel sources. A sensitivity analysis was conducted for a reduction in the quantity of urea formaldehyde resin consumed and freight transport distances.

Conclusions

The results indicated that reducing the urea formaldehyde resin use and freight distances could greatly decrease environmental impacts. Most of the surveyed mills did not have emissions control systems, and most of the mills exceed the limits set by the National Environmental Quality Standards of Pakistan. Environmental impact improvements might be attained by reducing quantity of urea formaldehyde resin and transportation freight distances and by installing pollution control devices.

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Abbreviations

AD:

Abiotic depletion

AP:

Acidification potential

CExD:

Cumulative exergy demand

CORRIM:

Consortium for Research on Renewable Industrial Materials

EP:

Eutrophication potential

FAE:

Freshwater aquatic ecotoxicity

FSMP:

Forestry sector master plan

GDP:

Gross domestic product

GWP:

Global warming potential

HAPs:

Hazardous air pollutants

HFO:

Heavy fuel oil

HT:

Human toxicity

kgCO2e:

Kilogram carbon dioxide equivalents

LCA:

Life cycle assessment

LCIA:

Life cycle impact assessment

LCI:

Life cycle inventory

LPG:

Liquefied petrol gas

MAE:

Marine-water aquatic ecotoxicity

MJ-eq:

Mega Joule-equivalents

OLD:

Ozone layer depletion

PM:

Particulate matter

PO:

Photochemical oxidation

RCOs:

Regenerative catalytic oxidizers

RTOs:

Regenerative thermal oxidizers

TE:

Terrestrial ecotoxicity

UF resin:

Urea formaldehyde resin

VOCs:

Volatile organic hydrocarbons

PB:

Particleboard

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the responding particleboard mills and their workers from the different industrial zones of Pakistan for their participation in the questionnaire survey and energy audit program. The principal author also pays special thanks to Higher Education Commission, Pakistan for granting scholarship for 6 months research visit under the International Research Support Initiative Programme (IRSIP) to the Center for Renewable Carbon, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Environmental Protection Agency, Pakistan is highly obliged for providing air emission data for particleboard industries. We also gratefully acknowledge three anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments and suggestions. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the contributing entities.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental Biology and Ecotoxicology Laboratory, Department of Environmental Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, 45320, Pakistan

    Majid Hussain

  2. Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, University of Haripur, Hattar Road Haripur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 22620, Pakistan

    Majid Hussain & Riffat Naseem Malik

  3. Center for Renewable Carbon, Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996-4570, USA

    Adam Taylor

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  1. Majid Hussain
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  2. Riffat Naseem Malik
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Correspondence to Riffat Naseem Malik.

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Hussain, M., Malik, R.N. & Taylor, A. Environmental profile analysis of particleboard production: a study in a Pakistani technological condition. Int J Life Cycle Assess 23, 1542–1561 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-017-1385-9

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