A Global Consensus Life Cycle Impact Assessment Method (GLAM): impacts on human health

Peter Fantke; Anne Marie Boulay; Renée Cardinaals; Laura Debarre; Lei Huang; Kamrul Islam; Gaël Kijko; Annie Levasseur; Dingsheng Li; Shaobin Li; Shannon Lloyd; Manuele Margni; Masaharu Motoshita; Jacob Namovich; Christopher Oberschelp; Andrea Paulillo; Stephan Pfister; Lea Rupcic; Laura Scherer; Marko Tainio; Eliseu Verly; Bo P. Weidema; Olivier Jolliet; Thomas McKone

doi:10.1007/s11367-026-02742-w

A Global Consensus Life Cycle Impact Assessment Method (GLAM): impacts on human health

Peter Fantke
, Anne Marie Boulay
, Renée Cardinaals
, Laura Debarre
, Lei Huang
, Kamrul Islam
, Gaël Kijko
, Annie Levasseur
, Dingsheng Li
, Shaobin Li
, Shannon Lloyd
, Manuele Margni
, Masaharu Motoshita
, Jacob Namovich
, Christopher Oberschelp
, Andrea Paulillo
, Stephan Pfister
, Lea Rupcic
, Laura Scherer
, Marko Tainio

Eliseu Verly, Bo P. Weidema, Olivier Jolliet, Thomas McKone

Goethe University Frankfurt
University of South Africa
Substitute ApS
Polytechnique Montréal
Wageningen University & Research
California Department of Toxic Substances Control
National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
University of Nevada, Reno
Xiamen University
Concordia University
University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland
Eastern Research Group Inc.
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich
University College London
Technical University of Denmark
Leiden University
Finnish Environment Institute
Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro
Aalborg University
University of California at Berkeley

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal Article › peer-review

Abstract

Purpose: Millions of humans worldwide die prematurely or live with reduced quality of life, partly attributable to pollutant emissions along product, service and technology life cycles, including greenhouse gas emissions, and exposure to air pollutants and toxic chemicals. However, while many of these factors are considered in currently available life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) methods, other aspects affecting human health as a central area of protection in LCIA are currently incomplete or missing. This includes impacts in occupational environments and nutrition-related impacts. Methods: The Global Life Cycle Impact Assessment Method (GLAM) was developed as a comprehensive and consensus-driven LCIA method, with methodological documentation and guidance on GLAM human health impact categories provided in the present study. For human health, GLAM proposes indicators for climate change, fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) impacts, human toxicity and ionizing radiation that are also available in other LCIA methods as well as for work environment impacts, water scarcity impacts, and lifestyle impacts related to nutrition and physical activity as novel impact categories. Results: Beyond the introduction of new impact categories, GLAM provides innovation related to differentiating short- and long-term climate change impacts, exposure to indoor and spatialized outdoor PM_2.5 sources, coupling exposure from chemical life cycle emissions and chemicals in products and introducing reproductive/developmental effects for human toxicity, and building on the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study series for the exposure-response and severity assessment across most considered impact categories. GLAM version 1 was released publicly end of 2024. Conclusions: While GLAM impact characterization factors can be used in life cycle assessment and environmental footprinting, they still require extensive testing in practical studies. GLAM ultimately contributes to achieving health-related targets set in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals as well as in the Global Framework on Chemicals.

Original language	English
Article number	171
Journal	International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment
Volume	31
Issue number	9
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-026-02742-w
Publication status	Published - Sept 2026

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being
SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation
SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth
SDG 9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production
SDG 13 Climate Action
SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals

!!!Keywords

Air pollution
Climate change
Footprinting
Global disease burden
Human toxicity
LCA
Nutrition

Access to Document

10.1007/s11367-026-02742-w

Cite this

Fantke, P., Boulay, A. M., Cardinaals, R., Debarre, L., Huang, L., Islam, K., Kijko, G., Levasseur, A., Li, D., Li, S., Lloyd, S., Margni, M., Motoshita, M., Namovich, J., Oberschelp, C., Paulillo, A., Pfister, S., Rupcic, L., Scherer, L., ... McKone, T. (2026). A Global Consensus Life Cycle Impact Assessment Method (GLAM): impacts on human health. International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 31(9), Article 171. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-026-02742-w

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title = "A Global Consensus Life Cycle Impact Assessment Method (GLAM): impacts on human health",

abstract = "Purpose: Millions of humans worldwide die prematurely or live with reduced quality of life, partly attributable to pollutant emissions along product, service and technology life cycles, including greenhouse gas emissions, and exposure to air pollutants and toxic chemicals. However, while many of these factors are considered in currently available life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) methods, other aspects affecting human health as a central area of protection in LCIA are currently incomplete or missing. This includes impacts in occupational environments and nutrition-related impacts. Methods: The Global Life Cycle Impact Assessment Method (GLAM) was developed as a comprehensive and consensus-driven LCIA method, with methodological documentation and guidance on GLAM human health impact categories provided in the present study. For human health, GLAM proposes indicators for climate change, fine particulate matter (PM2.5) impacts, human toxicity and ionizing radiation that are also available in other LCIA methods as well as for work environment impacts, water scarcity impacts, and lifestyle impacts related to nutrition and physical activity as novel impact categories. Results: Beyond the introduction of new impact categories, GLAM provides innovation related to differentiating short- and long-term climate change impacts, exposure to indoor and spatialized outdoor PM2.5 sources, coupling exposure from chemical life cycle emissions and chemicals in products and introducing reproductive/developmental effects for human toxicity, and building on the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study series for the exposure-response and severity assessment across most considered impact categories. GLAM version 1 was released publicly end of 2024. Conclusions: While GLAM impact characterization factors can be used in life cycle assessment and environmental footprinting, they still require extensive testing in practical studies. GLAM ultimately contributes to achieving health-related targets set in the United Nations{\textquoteright} Sustainable Development Goals as well as in the Global Framework on Chemicals.",

keywords = "Air pollution, Climate change, Footprinting, Global disease burden, Human toxicity, LCA, Nutrition",

author = "Peter Fantke and Boulay, \{Anne Marie\} and Ren{\'e}e Cardinaals and Laura Debarre and Lei Huang and Kamrul Islam and Ga{\"e}l Kijko and Annie Levasseur and Dingsheng Li and Shaobin Li and Shannon Lloyd and Manuele Margni and Masaharu Motoshita and Jacob Namovich and Christopher Oberschelp and Andrea Paulillo and Stephan Pfister and Lea Rupcic and Laura Scherer and Marko Tainio and Eliseu Verly and Weidema, \{Bo P.\} and Olivier Jolliet and Thomas McKone",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2026.",

year = "2026",

month = sep,

doi = "10.1007/s11367-026-02742-w",

language = "English",

volume = "31",

journal = "International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment",

issn = "0948-3349",

publisher = "Springer",

number = "9",

}

Fantke, P, Boulay, AM, Cardinaals, R, Debarre, L, Huang, L, Islam, K, Kijko, G, Levasseur, A, Li, D, Li, S, Lloyd, S, Margni, M, Motoshita, M, Namovich, J, Oberschelp, C, Paulillo, A, Pfister, S, Rupcic, L, Scherer, L, Tainio, M, Verly, E, Weidema, BP, Jolliet, O & McKone, T 2026, 'A Global Consensus Life Cycle Impact Assessment Method (GLAM): impacts on human health', International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, vol. 31, no. 9, 171. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-026-02742-w

TY - JOUR

T1 - A Global Consensus Life Cycle Impact Assessment Method (GLAM)

T2 - impacts on human health

AU - Fantke, Peter

AU - Boulay, Anne Marie

AU - Cardinaals, Renée

AU - Debarre, Laura

AU - Huang, Lei

AU - Islam, Kamrul

AU - Kijko, Gaël

AU - Levasseur, Annie

AU - Li, Dingsheng

AU - Li, Shaobin

AU - Lloyd, Shannon

AU - Margni, Manuele

AU - Motoshita, Masaharu

AU - Namovich, Jacob

AU - Oberschelp, Christopher

AU - Paulillo, Andrea

AU - Pfister, Stephan

AU - Rupcic, Lea

AU - Scherer, Laura

AU - Tainio, Marko

AU - Verly, Eliseu

AU - Weidema, Bo P.

AU - Jolliet, Olivier

AU - McKone, Thomas

PY - 2026/9

Y1 - 2026/9

N2 - Purpose: Millions of humans worldwide die prematurely or live with reduced quality of life, partly attributable to pollutant emissions along product, service and technology life cycles, including greenhouse gas emissions, and exposure to air pollutants and toxic chemicals. However, while many of these factors are considered in currently available life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) methods, other aspects affecting human health as a central area of protection in LCIA are currently incomplete or missing. This includes impacts in occupational environments and nutrition-related impacts. Methods: The Global Life Cycle Impact Assessment Method (GLAM) was developed as a comprehensive and consensus-driven LCIA method, with methodological documentation and guidance on GLAM human health impact categories provided in the present study. For human health, GLAM proposes indicators for climate change, fine particulate matter (PM2.5) impacts, human toxicity and ionizing radiation that are also available in other LCIA methods as well as for work environment impacts, water scarcity impacts, and lifestyle impacts related to nutrition and physical activity as novel impact categories. Results: Beyond the introduction of new impact categories, GLAM provides innovation related to differentiating short- and long-term climate change impacts, exposure to indoor and spatialized outdoor PM2.5 sources, coupling exposure from chemical life cycle emissions and chemicals in products and introducing reproductive/developmental effects for human toxicity, and building on the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study series for the exposure-response and severity assessment across most considered impact categories. GLAM version 1 was released publicly end of 2024. Conclusions: While GLAM impact characterization factors can be used in life cycle assessment and environmental footprinting, they still require extensive testing in practical studies. GLAM ultimately contributes to achieving health-related targets set in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals as well as in the Global Framework on Chemicals.

AB - Purpose: Millions of humans worldwide die prematurely or live with reduced quality of life, partly attributable to pollutant emissions along product, service and technology life cycles, including greenhouse gas emissions, and exposure to air pollutants and toxic chemicals. However, while many of these factors are considered in currently available life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) methods, other aspects affecting human health as a central area of protection in LCIA are currently incomplete or missing. This includes impacts in occupational environments and nutrition-related impacts. Methods: The Global Life Cycle Impact Assessment Method (GLAM) was developed as a comprehensive and consensus-driven LCIA method, with methodological documentation and guidance on GLAM human health impact categories provided in the present study. For human health, GLAM proposes indicators for climate change, fine particulate matter (PM2.5) impacts, human toxicity and ionizing radiation that are also available in other LCIA methods as well as for work environment impacts, water scarcity impacts, and lifestyle impacts related to nutrition and physical activity as novel impact categories. Results: Beyond the introduction of new impact categories, GLAM provides innovation related to differentiating short- and long-term climate change impacts, exposure to indoor and spatialized outdoor PM2.5 sources, coupling exposure from chemical life cycle emissions and chemicals in products and introducing reproductive/developmental effects for human toxicity, and building on the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study series for the exposure-response and severity assessment across most considered impact categories. GLAM version 1 was released publicly end of 2024. Conclusions: While GLAM impact characterization factors can be used in life cycle assessment and environmental footprinting, they still require extensive testing in practical studies. GLAM ultimately contributes to achieving health-related targets set in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals as well as in the Global Framework on Chemicals.

KW - Air pollution

KW - Climate change

KW - Footprinting

KW - Global disease burden

KW - Human toxicity

KW - LCA

KW - Nutrition

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105050570093

U2 - 10.1007/s11367-026-02742-w

DO - 10.1007/s11367-026-02742-w

M3 - Journal Article

AN - SCOPUS:105050570093

SN - 0948-3349

VL - 31

JO - International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment

JF - International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment

IS - 9

M1 - 171

ER -

A Global Consensus Life Cycle Impact Assessment Method (GLAM): impacts on human health

Abstract

UN SDGs

!!!Keywords

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