Negative effect land use due to occupation, dump site flow

Question

For various LCAs (coal mining, ceramic, aluminium and some others) I've found a negative value for land use (m2a crop eq) caused by the elementary flow Occupation, dump site. Does anyone have an explanation of why this process would result in positive effects of land use/occupation? I've added a screenshot from hard coal mining. 

Many thanks!

Answer 1

Hello Marijke,

Strictly speaking it depends on the impact category you are looking at. For example, "occupation, dump site" has a negative factor for erosion potential in the LANCA model. But yes, in nearly all cases "occupation, dump site" has a positive factor (damage), for example in the soil quality index (EF) or the agricultural land occupation potential (ReCiPe). From your factor of 0.73 I guess that you are looking at the land use impact category from ReCiPe. Indeed this characterization factor should be positive and the sign for "dump site" was corrected from negative to positive in the openLCA LCIA Method Package 2.2.1. See point 3 here https://www.openlca.org/release-of-new-update-of-openlca-lcia-method-package-v-2-2-1/. You also find this point in the changelog on Nexus and I recommend to always use the latest methods package available.

Best,

Conrad