Life Cycle Assessment and Cost Benefit Analysis for the integrated assessment of an innovative Mn-TiO2 nanoparticle photocatalytic paint

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) are applied in combination in the frame of an integrated assessment of a new photocatalytic paint product developed within the LIFE VISIONS project. The Mn-TiO2 nanoparticle photocatalytic paint has been demonstrated to efficiently remove NOx and VOCs, thus contributing to improved indoor air quality with substantial related human health benefits. The LCA study was conducted using the openLCA software with the PEF database and its respective PEF Life Cycle Impact Assessment methodology. A cradle-to-grave approach was followed, taking into account all life cycle processes related to the production, application and disposal of the new product, in order to examine the potential environmental benefit compared to conventional paint. The findings of the LCA comparative study are also used as input in the LIFE VISIONS decision support tool. For this purpose, several simulations were performed, considering different building types and energy consumption needs, to evaluate the sustainability advantage of the photocatalytic product under different application conditions. A number of numerical CFD simulations were also deployed to reveal the efficiency of the proposed photocatalytic product in terms of indoor air quality improvement under different scenarios of application. The results are used to evaluate the health benefits for the CBA, on the basis of a DPSIR methodology. Indoor pollutant concentration levels from the CFD simulations were used as input to estimate the dose-response functions for quantifying health impacts. The resulting health impact indicators will be translated into monetary terms during the final stage of the CBA.