Life cycle assessment of nano-sized titanium dioxide coating on residential windows

The use of nano-sized titanium dioxide (TiO2) as coating in buildings has received considerable interests in recent years due to its excellent ability to purify the environment by capturing some of the pollutants in the air and by using its inherent photocatalytic properties to its advantage. This study employs Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to evaluate the use of nano-sized titanium dioxide coating on residential window glass. To achieve this objective, this study compiled a Life-Cycle Inventory (LCI) for quantifying the energy and emissions of the coating during the manufacturing process and in-service. The Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability (BEES) model was employed to develop the life cycle inventory of titanium dioxide coating on windows. The LCA framework used in this study was based on a life cycle methodology that follows the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14040 standard for life cycle assessment and the ASTM standard for Multi-attribute Decision Analysis. Based on the analysis conducted, it may be concluded that the use of TiO2 coating on window panes carries a positive effect on acidification potential, eutrophication potential, criteria air pollutants and smog formation potential, while it increases environmental loads in global warming, fossil fuel depletion, water intake, human health, and ecological toxicity. However, the overall normalized performance on the environment and air purification is positive. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.