TY  - JOUR
AU  - Xiang, Jianming
AU  - He, Zhengxing
AU  - Lei, Guangzhou
AU  - Chen, Chao
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/10/04
TI  - Life Cycle Assessment of Iridium Production: Environmental Impact Analysis Based on Brightway2
JO  - Journal of Geo-Energy and Environment
T2  - Journal of Geo-Energy and Environment
JF  - Journal of Geo-Energy and Environment
VL  - 1
IS  - 2
SP  - 70
EP  - 75
DO  - 10.62762/JGEE.2025.365181
UR  - https://www.icck.org/article/abs/JGEE.2025.365181
KW  - iridium production
KW  - life cycle assessment
KW  - environmental impact
KW  - carbon footprint
KW  - ecotoxicity
KW  - sensitivity analysis
AB  - This study aimed to quantify the comprehensive environmental footprint of primary iridium production, a critical yet exceptionally scarce metal, to inform more sustainable practices in its supply chain. The research method employed a cradle-to-gate Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) using the Brightway2 framework, establishing a detailed inventory model for iridium production. The environmental impacts for the functional unit of 1 kg of refined iridium were evaluated using multiple impact assessment methods. Furthermore, sensitivity analysis and Monte Carlo simulations were conducted to assess parameter uncertainties. The results conclude that iridium production imposes a substantial environmental burden, particularly on climate change, with a Global Warming Potential (GWP100) of 12,009 kg CO$_2$-equivalent per kilogram. Significant impacts were also identified in the categories of ecotoxicity and human health. This study provides the first robust, probabilistic LCA of iridium, thereby offering crucial insights and a data-driven reference for producers and technology industries to mitigate the environmental impacts associated with this critical material.
SN  - 3069-3268
PB  - Institute of Central Computation and Knowledge
LA  - English
ER  - 

@article{Xiang2025Life,
  author = {Jianming Xiang and Zhengxing He and Guangzhou Lei and Chao Chen},
  title = {Life Cycle Assessment of Iridium Production: Environmental Impact Analysis Based on Brightway2},
  journal = {Journal of Geo-Energy and Environment},
  year = {2025},
  volume = {1},
  number = {2},
  pages = {70-75},
  doi = {10.62762/JGEE.2025.365181},
  url = {https://www.icck.org/article/abs/JGEE.2025.365181},
  abstract = {This study aimed to quantify the comprehensive environmental footprint of primary iridium production, a critical yet exceptionally scarce metal, to inform more sustainable practices in its supply chain. The research method employed a cradle-to-gate Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) using the Brightway2 framework, establishing a detailed inventory model for iridium production. The environmental impacts for the functional unit of 1 kg of refined iridium were evaluated using multiple impact assessment methods. Furthermore, sensitivity analysis and Monte Carlo simulations were conducted to assess parameter uncertainties. The results conclude that iridium production imposes a substantial environmental burden, particularly on climate change, with a Global Warming Potential (GWP100) of 12,009 kg CO\$\_2\$-equivalent per kilogram. Significant impacts were also identified in the categories of ecotoxicity and human health. This study provides the first robust, probabilistic LCA of iridium, thereby offering crucial insights and a data-driven reference for producers and technology industries to mitigate the environmental impacts associated with this critical material.},
  keywords = {iridium production, life cycle assessment, environmental impact, carbon footprint, ecotoxicity, sensitivity analysis},
  issn = {3069-3268},
  publisher = {Institute of Central Computation and Knowledge}
}