Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of Gasoline Production Process in Khuzestan Using an Ecosystem Approach in Environmental Planning
Keywords:
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Gasoline, Ecosystem approach, Environment, KhuzestanAbstract
In the present study, a comprehensive investigation and analysis of the environmental impacts of the gasoline production process in Khuzestan province were conducted using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method and an ecosystem approach. The system boundary included all stages from exploration and drilling to refining and transportation, and the analyses were performed utilizing SimaPro software and the Ecoinvent database. In the Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) phase, data concerning resource consumption and pollutant emissions for each stage were collected. Subsequently, in the Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) phase, indicators such as Global Warming Potential (GWP), human toxicity, acidification, ozone layer depletion, water pollution, and photochemical air pollution were examined. The results indicated that the refining and drilling stages account for the largest share in creating negative environmental impacts. The GWP indicator, with a value of 3.62kg 〖"CO" 〗_2equivalent per liter of gasoline, assigned the highest weight to itself. Furthermore, the weighting and normalization phase was carried out using the EPM method, which determined the priority of the indicators with an emphasis on ecosystem importance. Sensitivity analysis also revealed that substituting the refinery’s fossil-fuel electricity with solar energy, utilizing recycled drilling mud, and monitoring methane leakage can significantly reduce the total environmental burden.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Eghbal Sekhavati (Author); Mehdi Esmaeili Bidhendi; Reza Jalilzadeh-Yengejeh , Farhad Baqi-Asl (Author)
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