Identification and assessment of environmental burdens of Chinese copper production from a life cycle perspective

doi:10.1007/s11783-013-0599-8

Front.Environ.Sci.Eng.

2014, Vol. 8

Issue (4) : 580-588 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11783-013-0599-8

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Identification and assessment of environmental burdens of Chinese copper production from a life cycle perspective

Xiaolong SONG^1,²,Jianxin YANG^1,^*(

),Bin LU¹,Bo LI¹,Guangyuan ZENG¹

1. State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
2. Shanghai Cooperative Centre for WEEE Recycling, Shanghai Second Polytechnic University, Shanghai 201209, China

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Abstract

The environmental burdens of Chinese copper production have been identified and quantified in the context of typical technologies, materials supplies and environmental emissions by a life cycle approach. Primary and secondary copper production using copper ores and scraps, respectively, were analyzed in detail. The flash and bath smelting approaches and the recycling of copper scraps were selected as representative copper production processes. A quantitative analysis was also conducted to assess the influence of material transport distance in copper production. Life cycle assessment (LCA) results showed that resources depletion and human health contribute significantly to environmental burdens in Chinese copper production. In addition, the secondary copper production has dramatically lower environmental burdens than the primary production. There is no obvious distinction in overall environmental burdens in primary copper production by flash or bath smelting approach. However, resources depletion is lower and the damage to human health is higher for flash smelting approach. Ecosystem quality damage is slight for both approaches. Environmental burdens from the mining stage contribute most in all life cycle stages in primary copper production. In secondary copper production, the electrolytic refining stage dominates. Based on the life cycle assessment results, some suggestions for improving environmental performance were proposed to meet the sustainable development of Chinese copper industry.

Keywords copper production environmental burden life cycle assessment refined copper

Corresponding Author(s): Jianxin YANG

Issue Date: 11 June 2014

Cite this article:

Guangyuan ZENG,Xiaolong SONG,Jianxin YANG, et al. Identification and assessment of environmental burdens of Chinese copper production from a life cycle perspective[J]. Front.Environ.Sci.Eng., 2014, 8(4): 580-588.

URL:

https://academic.hep.com.cn/fese/EN/10.1007/s11783-013-0599-8
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fese/EN/Y2014/V8/I4/580

Tab.1 Description of copper production processes

Fig.1 Copper production flowsheets: (a) primary production by flash smelting approach; (b) primary production by bath smelting approach; (c) secondary production by two-stage approach

Tab.2 Data sources of life cycle inventory

Tab.3 Selected parameters of input and output data for 1 ton of refined copper production

Fig.2 Results of environmental impact categories in Chinese copper production

Fig.3 Environmental burdens of Chinese copper production

Fig.4 Environmental burdens of Chinese copper production in each life cycle stage: (a) primary production by flash smelting approach; (b) primary production by bath smelting approach; (c) secondary production by two-stage approach

Fig.5 Variation in environmental burdens with transport distance: (a) transport by truck; (b) transport by ship

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