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Environmental Footprint IndicatorsIn an LCA study, a Functional Unit has to be defined; this is the unit to

which the results are related. In the present case, the functional unit is:

1 m² of organic coated coil having

a mean surface mass of 4.7 kg.

The results are representative of cradle-to-gate production plus

the end-of-life of the product, taking into account a typical 90%

recycling rateb.

Common Environmental Indicators

Unitc  /kg /m²

Primary energy demand MJ 19.64 92.32

Global warming contribution kg CO2 equivalent 1.55 7.30

Air acidification g SO2 equivalent 4.58 21.51

Water eutrophication g Phosphate equivalent 0.34 1.59

Photochemical ozone g Ethene equivalent 0.46 2.18

Primary energy demand accounts for the total amount ofenergy drawn directly from nature, used in all the processes.

Global warming potential represents the contribution of the

product to the increase in the temperature of the atmosphere

due to human activities.

Acidification occurs when the product contributes to the

acidification of rain, causing damage to vegetation and forests.

Eutrophication occurs when surface waters are artificially

enriched with pollutants such as phosphate compounds,

creating disturbances in the biological balance.

Photochemical ozone formation at low altitude is better

known as summer smog and has consequences in terms ofrespiratory diseases. Expressed as C

2H

4 (ethene) equivalent.

References

[1] ISO 14040:2006 Environmental management -

Life cycle assessment - Principles and framework.

[2] ISO 14044:2006 Environmental management -

Life cycle assessment - Requirements and guidelines.

[3] The World Steel Association Life Cycle Inventory for

Steel Products report, July 2011.

Credits

Images: Philippe Vandenameele

Copyright

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be

reproduced in any form or by any means whatsoever,

without prior written permission from ArcelorMittal.

Care has been taken to ensure that the information in

this publication is accurate, but this information is not

contractual. Therefore ArcelorMittal and any otherArcelorMittal Group company do not accept any liability

for errors or omissions or any information that is found

to be misleading.

As this document may be subject to change at any time,

please consult the latest information on

www.arcelormittal.com/industry/Nature

Flat Carbon Europe

19, avenue de la Liberté

L-2930 Luxembourg

fce.technical.assistance@arcelormittal.com

www.arcelormittal.com/industry/Nature

Specic ows

Some more specific and significant flows are given below.

Emissions to air Unit /kg /m²

CO2

kg 1.49 6.99

Total particulates g 0.22 1.05

Nitrogen oxides g 2.43 11.42

Sulphur oxides g 3.29 15.44

• CO2

 is by far the main greenhouse gas emitted.

• Total particulates is the total amount of solid particles, including

PM10 and PM2.5, emitted into the air. Almost half of these are

emitted in blast furnace upstream processes.

• Nitrogen oxides are mainly emitted during transportation (bulk

materials transported by sea), followed by blast furnace upstream

processes.

• Sulphur oxides: electricity production is the major contributor.

Emission levels are improved by recycling process gases on site and

by exporting the surplus to power plants replacing fossil fuel demand.

Substances of Very High ConcernArcelorMittal’s organic coated steel is produced in full compliance

with the European REACH regulation (Registration, Evaluation,

Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals). In line with its proactive

policy, ArcelorMittal R&D continuously investigates alternatives to

any substance of concern while maintaining product performance

and durability. In particular, all coatings and surface treatments

used for the Nature product line are free of hexavalent chromium 

compounds, which are substances of very high concern included in

the REACH candidate list, and heavy metals (Pb, Hg and Cd).

Indirect benets

Using organic coated steel products for construction has indirect

environmental benefits, among which:

• Storage on the construction site is minimised because coated

sheets can be sized to the right dimensions in the forming plant and

only the exact quantities needed are delivered, thus reducing the

need for transportation.

• Assembling steel parts is quick and is done “dry”; no dust is emitted

and no water is used on site.

• At the end of a building’s life, steel parts are easily dismantled

and can then be either reused or recycled, thus reducing steel’s

environmental footprint.

a www.worldsteel.com

b Steel is a highly recycled material. The benefit of steel recycling in the electric arc furnace mainly

corresponds to the avoidance of the need for raw materials; it is taken into account by means

of a credit. The World Steel Association provides a methodology for this [3]. To properly make

fair comparative studies, it is important to include the recycling of materials in the indicator

calculations.

c The units for which the term “equivalent” is used concern indicators calculated from several

contributors: for example, the global warming contribution takes into account CO2 (the main

contributor) and all the other contributory gases (methane, N2O etc) whose warming potential has

a CO2-equivalent value.