LA CATEGORIA DE IMPACTO DE RUIDO EN LOS ANALISIS DE CICLO DE VIDA

Abstract

The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology is used to evaluate environmental impacts by grouping the negative effects upon the environment of a given product or process into a reduced set of impact categories. Global warming, ozone layer depletion, fossil fuel depletion and acidification are the most typical of these categories. Unfortunately, reliable methodologies are lacking for the assessment of some categories, as is the case of noise. Considering that transport and housing are cornerstones of the world production system, traffic noise is one of the categories that is likely to gain relevance in the near future, given its effects upon human health. In our work, several studies about noise in the LCA methodology are analysed. Also, the guidelines to include noise in the environmental assessment of products and processes within the LCA methodology are presented. Finally, the DALY (Disability Adjusted Life Year) is supported as the best unit to measure the negative impacts of noise upon human health. Keywords: Noise, Life Cycle Assessment, Impact Category, DALY