Quantifying Environmental Burdens of Plasters Based on Natural vs. Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) Gypsum

Edyta Baran, Sebastian Czernik, Mariusz Hynowski, Bartosz Michałowski, Michał Piasecki, Justyna Tomaszewska and Jacek Michalak
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Edyta Baran: Research and Development Center, Atlas sp. z o.o., 2, Kilinskiego St., 91-421 Lodz, Poland
Sebastian Czernik: Research and Development Center, Atlas sp. z o.o., 2, Kilinskiego St., 91-421 Lodz, Poland
Mariusz Hynowski: Research and Development Center, Atlas sp. z o.o., 2, Kilinskiego St., 91-421 Lodz, Poland
Bartosz Michałowski: Research and Development Center, Atlas sp. z o.o., 2, Kilinskiego St., 91-421 Lodz, Poland
Michał Piasecki: Building Research Institute, 1, Filtrowa St., 00-611 Warsaw, Poland
Justyna Tomaszewska: Building Research Institute, 1, Filtrowa St., 00-611 Warsaw, Poland
Jacek Michalak: Research and Development Center, Atlas sp. z o.o., 2, Kilinskiego St., 91-421 Lodz, Poland

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 8, 1-14

Abstract: The ongoing global climate change and the associated environmental degradation pose a threat to Europe and the rest of the world. Raw materials and energy are required to produce building materials, which are used for construction purposes. Resulting buildings and structures generate waste during construction, operation, and demolition, and they emit potentially harmful substances. Thus, the key to achieving climate goals is to support low-emission materials and technologies in the construction sector, significantly impacting the environment. In the European Union, building materials are not yet subject to mandatory sustainability assessment during the assessment and verification of constancy of performance (AVCP). Objective evaluation of construction materials’ environmental impact requires it to be carried out based on production data on an industrial scale. This article presents the environmental impact of premixed gypsum-based plasters, commonly used in modern construction. Nine environmental indicators (global warming potential (GWP), depletion potential of the stratospheric ozone layer (ODP), acidification potential (AP), eutrophication potential (EP), formation potential of tropospheric ozone (POCP), abiotic depletion potential (ADP)-elements, ADP-fossil fuels, renewable primary energy resources (PERT), and nonrenewable primary energy resources (PERNT)) of premixed gypsum plasters based on natural and flue gas desulfurization (FGD) gypsum were estimated and discussed. Knowledge of the construction products’ environmental impact is fundamental for creating reliable databases. AVCP of construction materials in the future will use the data collected during the voluntary environmental impact evaluation.

Keywords: construction products assessment; environmental impact; environmental product declaration (EPD); life cycle assessment (LCA); gypsum plasters; natural gypsum; flue gas desulfurization (FGD) gypsum; global warming potential (GWP); sustainable building materials (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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