Outwitting the Uncertainty of Nanotechnology Risks Through Environmental Life Cycle Assessment

摘要

Life cycle thinking, in the context of risk assessment and management, is a “cradle-to-grave” approach for comprehensively accounting for the total cost of a product or technology. The goal of this study was to evaluate a carbon nanotube (CNT) product in terms of life cycle phases representing points where resources are expended and emissions are created. The study described here is important and unique because it is an example of a real commercialized CNT technology where environmental risks are evaluated and process engineering solutions identified to manage risks.