Date of Graduation
5-2023
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering
Degree Level
Undergraduate
Department
Chemical Engineering
Advisor/Mentor
Kim, Daesoo
Abstract
Life cycle assessment is performed to determine the environmental impacts of the life cycle of a product. In this study, the greenhouse gas emissions from milk production in the United States were calculated using a cradle-to-gate analysis. The dairy industry has a noticeable impact on the total greenhouse gas emissions in the US. Performing life cycle assessment provides information about the main emission sources in the life cycle which can spark innovative changes to reduce these emissions. The life cycle assessment was performed using the openLCA software and ReCiPe impact assessment methodology. The results indicated that 1.28 kg of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2eq) per kg of fat and protein corrected milk (4% fat, 3.3% protein). Enteric and manure management emissions contribute the largest impact (45% and 24%, respectively) on the total emissions from the life cycle. The results from this study are comparable to other life cycle assessments of milk production. Opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on the dairy farm are present but further research must be conducted to make sure that there are not environmental burden shifts or trade-offs occurring when changes are made to the system.
Keywords
Life cycle assessment; milk production; environmental impact; dairy industry
Citation
Cooper, C. (2023). Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Milk Production in the US. Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/cheguht/195
