Life Cycle Approach

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a method for estimating and assessing the resource usage and environmental and health impacts attributable to the entire life cycle of a product, from raw material extraction, through material production and manufacturing, to use and to end-of-life treatment and final disposal. Use of a "Life cycle approach" (not necessarily a full life cycle assessment) in relation to nanotechnology can be used to identify phases in a product's life cycle where the maximum health environmental impact can occur and provides the opportunity for process or design modifications to minimise these impacts.

Applying life cycle approaches to nanomaterials will require special consideration of aspects of data collection and impact modelling, such as improved understanding of the toxicity of nanomaterials and the potential for release. However, carrying this out at the beginning of a technology or product development is the best way to identify the main areas of concern in relation to the potential impacts.