Eco-Balance Sheets (or “Life-Cycle Assessments”) are recognized as an instrument for making judgments about potential environmental impacts of a product or service. In the issuance of such assessments, background data (Life-Cycle Inventory databanks) are often accessed. For numerous materials, however, no such data is available – and this is especially true in the case of chemicals. The company ifu Hamburg GmbH has set itself the goal of making available indicator values for chemicals in a simple manner: the Carbon Footprint (GWP100a), the Cumulative Energy Demand (KEA) and the 'Eco-Indicator 99' have been rendered easily accessible and searchable on an internet website. This is based on the 'FineChem-Tools' methodology, which takes advantage of the fact that distinct relationships exist between molecular structure and the indicators calculated in a life-cycle assessment.
Cost-free databank
The expertise which was previously required for use of the tool, and the accompanying required knowledge of chemical structures, therefore no longer represent obstacles. With a text search or with the CAS number, substances can be searched out. As results, to the extent that they are available, the Carbon Footprint, the Cumulative Energy Demand and the 'Eco-Indicator 99' for the substance sought are given.
The project results have now also been published on the website “EstiMol” (http://www.umberto.de/de/estimol). Following a brief registration, visitors may use the databank at no cost. This data contributes to the closing of “data gaps”, and permits the continuation of the process of creating a complete Eco-Balance Sheet.
