Life cycle assessment of sandstone aggregate quarry activities—a case study in Istanbul, Türkiye

Abstract

Purpose: In this study, a life cycle assessment (LCA) of aggregate quarry activities in Istanbul, Türkiye, based on energy and raw material consumption was carried out. The Cebeci quarry plays a vital role in Istanbul’s aggregate production, contributing significantly to economic development and infrastructure projects. Methods: LCA methodology was applied using GaBi Education software. An analysis from cradle-to-gate analysis was performed. EN 15804 + A2 impact assessment method was used to evaluate twelve impact categories including climate change, acidification, and eutrophication potential. Results and discussion: Results show that the main contributor to all impact categories is the crushing and sieving plant. Electricity consumption is the major factor in the crushing and sieving process. The calculated climate change potential was about 2.30 kg CO2 eq/ton sandstone aggregate product. The alternative scenarios demonstrate the potential environmental improvements, with the use of wind energy in crushing-sieving plants showing a substantial improvement in many impact categories compared to the use of conveyor belts in transportation. Integrating wind energy into the conveyor belt system as a third scenario reveals the lowest environmental load, with climate change and acidification potential values of 0.146 kg CO2 equivalent and 3.20E-04 mol of H + equivalent, respectively. Conclusions: This LCA study provides valuable insights into the environmental footprint of sandstone aggregate production and suggests alternative scenarios for mitigating its impacts. The findings can inform decision-making processes in the mining industry and contribute to the development of more sustainable practices in aggregate production. Renewable energy is the best option to mitigate the environmental burden. The main novelty of this study is that it is the first initiative to apply LCA in the Turkish aggregate mining industry.