LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT MODEL FOR A MODERN UPPER GREAT PLAINS U.S. CONFINED SWINE PRODUCTION FACILITY

A life cycle assessment (LCA) model was developed for a typical modern upper Great Plains U.S. swine facility to assess the net environmental impacts associated with a normalized unit weight of pork produced at the facility. The SimaPro 7.1 LCA model was developed following a “gate to gate” prospective focusing solely on facility operations and not including feed production and final pork product transportation to the marketplace. Model input data was normalized using a function unit of per head of swine, and categorized into five operation sub-processes, including: feed handling and transport, manure handling, metabolic emissions, power usage, and water. Following EcoIndicator 99 assessment protocol, climate change impacts were found to be largely attributed to swine metabolic emissions (6.91E-05 DALY) and manure emissions (9.56E-06 DALY), with significant reductions occurring when including the use of antimicrobial compound chlortetracycline within the revised facility LCA model. Manure handling resulted in the greatest acidification and eutrophication potential (8.18 PDF m² yr), while facility power resulted in the greatest ecotoxicity impact (2.39 PAF m² yr) and fossil fuel surplus (15.56 MJ) of the facility processes evaluated. Results from this baseline facility LCA model provide the swine producer and environmental practitioner with a powerful management tool for meeting future requirements set forth within a carbon-constrained marketplace.