Evaluating the impact of fires on the environment
(2011) 10th International Symposium on Fire Safety Science In Fire Safety Science p.43-59- Abstract
The impact of fires on humans and the environment has been the subject of investigation for decades. We have a variety of more or less well developed models to study the impact of fires on humans and even have several international standards categorising standardised approaches to quantifying the toxic potency of fire gas exposure. However, there is currently no standardised approach available to evaluate the environmental impact of fires and their countermeasures. This paper will provide a summary of the work that the authors have conducted over the past 15 years on the development of different tools to investigate the environmental impact of fires, including Fire-LCA (life-cycle assessment) and Fire-CBA (cost benefit assessment). The... (More)
The impact of fires on humans and the environment has been the subject of investigation for decades. We have a variety of more or less well developed models to study the impact of fires on humans and even have several international standards categorising standardised approaches to quantifying the toxic potency of fire gas exposure. However, there is currently no standardised approach available to evaluate the environmental impact of fires and their countermeasures. This paper will provide a summary of the work that the authors have conducted over the past 15 years on the development of different tools to investigate the environmental impact of fires, including Fire-LCA (life-cycle assessment) and Fire-CBA (cost benefit assessment). The benefit of a holistic approach will be discussed but also its limitations in light of data availability and quality, and the difficulties associated with interpreting the results. In particular, the development of a truly global approach to the modelling of the environmental impact of fires, incorporating such issues as toxicity, eco-toxicity and cost-benefit analysis into a traditional LCA model will be discussed. It is only through the development of such a tool that one can hope to be able to provide sound input to legislation in support of the development of environmentally sustainable fire safety. This work will be presented against a backdrop of data concerning toxic and eco-toxic emissions from fires. Such data are a pre-requisite for modelling the environmental impact of fires and while much detailed data are now publicly available much still remains to be found - gaps in data will be identified and discussed.
(Less)
- author
- Mcnamee, Margaret Simonson LU ; Blomqvist, Per LU and Andersson, Petra LU
- publishing date
- 2011
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Cost benefit assessment, Environmental impact, Life-cycle assessment, Toxicity
- in
- Fire Safety Science
- pages
- 17 pages
- publisher
- International Association for Fire Safety Science
- conference name
- 10th International Symposium on Fire Safety Science
- conference location
- College Park, MD, United States
- conference dates
- 2011-06-19 - 2011-06-24
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:84856637340
- ISSN
- 1817-4299
- DOI
- 10.3801/IAFSS.FSS.10-43
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- no
- additional info
- Copyright: Copyright 2012 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
- id
- 0eff1264-5363-4ed1-9119-75501b677bb5
- date added to LUP
- 2021-09-29 14:22:17
- date last changed
- 2024-01-05 17:07:47
@article{0eff1264-5363-4ed1-9119-75501b677bb5,
abstract = {{<p>The impact of fires on humans and the environment has been the subject of investigation for decades. We have a variety of more or less well developed models to study the impact of fires on humans and even have several international standards categorising standardised approaches to quantifying the toxic potency of fire gas exposure. However, there is currently no standardised approach available to evaluate the environmental impact of fires and their countermeasures. This paper will provide a summary of the work that the authors have conducted over the past 15 years on the development of different tools to investigate the environmental impact of fires, including Fire-LCA (life-cycle assessment) and Fire-CBA (cost benefit assessment). The benefit of a holistic approach will be discussed but also its limitations in light of data availability and quality, and the difficulties associated with interpreting the results. In particular, the development of a truly global approach to the modelling of the environmental impact of fires, incorporating such issues as toxicity, eco-toxicity and cost-benefit analysis into a traditional LCA model will be discussed. It is only through the development of such a tool that one can hope to be able to provide sound input to legislation in support of the development of environmentally sustainable fire safety. This work will be presented against a backdrop of data concerning toxic and eco-toxic emissions from fires. Such data are a pre-requisite for modelling the environmental impact of fires and while much detailed data are now publicly available much still remains to be found - gaps in data will be identified and discussed.</p>}},
author = {{Mcnamee, Margaret Simonson and Blomqvist, Per and Andersson, Petra}},
issn = {{1817-4299}},
keywords = {{Cost benefit assessment; Environmental impact; Life-cycle assessment; Toxicity}},
language = {{eng}},
pages = {{43--59}},
publisher = {{International Association for Fire Safety Science}},
series = {{Fire Safety Science}},
title = {{Evaluating the impact of fires on the environment}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3801/IAFSS.FSS.10-43}},
doi = {{10.3801/IAFSS.FSS.10-43}},
year = {{2011}},
}