Study of Environmental Impacts for Tea Production System in Chaboksar Region of Guilan Province Through Life Cycle Assessment

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a methodology for assessing the environmental impacts associated with a product, process or activity, by identifying, quantifying and evaluating the resources consumed and all emissions and wastes released into the environment. This study examined the environmental impacts for tea production under Guilan climatic conditions by using LCA methodology. For this purpose, a functional unit equal to one ton tea leaf was assumed based on ISO 14040 methods. In the first step, all emissions and the consumption of resources connected to the different processes were listed in a life cycle inventory and related to a functional unit. Then, a life cycle impact assessment was done, in which the inventory data were aggregated into indicators for environmental effects, which included global warming, acidification, eutrophication for terrestrial ecosystems, land use, depletion of fossil sources, depletion of phosphate sources and depletion of potassium sources. Finally, the values were normalized and weighted and indicator values for these impact categories were calculated 0.05, 0.32, 0.56, 0.04, 2.31, 0.42 and 0.08. The highest potential for environmental impact of tea production was calculated for depletion of fossil resources category. Environmental index (Ecox) and resource depletion index were recorded as 0.97 and 2.62, respectively. It seems that management systems based on low input system including organic fertilizers, crop rotation and minimum tillage could be regarded as alternative management strategies to reduce problematic environmental impacts of tea production system.