es9b03334_si_002.xlsx (1.04 MB)
Download fileA Regionalised Life Cycle Assessment Model to Globally Assess the Environmental Implications of Soil Salinization in Irrigated Agriculture
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posted on 2020-03-02, 19:36 authored by Montserrat Núñez, Matthias FinkbeinerWe present a global, locally resolved
life cycle assessment (LCA)
model to assess the potential effects on soil quality due to the accumulation
of water-soluble salts in the agricultural soil profile, allowing
differentiation between agricultural practices. Using globally available
soil and climate information and crop specific salt tolerances, the
model quantifies the negative implications that salts in irrigation
water have on soil quality, in terms of change in the soil electrical
conductivity and the corresponding change in the amount of crops that
can be grown at increasing soil salinity levels. To facilitate the
use of the model, we provide a life cycle inventory tool with information
on salts emitted with irrigation water per country and 160 crops.
Global average soil susceptibility is 0.19 dS/m per grams of salt
in 1 m3 of soil, and the average resulting relative crop
diversity loss is 5.7 × 10–2 per grams of salt
in 1 m3 of soil. These average values vary tangibly as
a function of the location. In most humid regions worldwide, the characterization
factor is null, showing that in these cases soil salinization due
to irrigation does not contribute to soil degradation. We displayed
how to apply the model with a case study. The model serves for guiding
decision-making processes toward improving the sustainability of irrigated
agriculture.