Wang, L; Lv, Y; Wang, T; Wan, S and Ye, Y (2025) Assessment of the impacts of the life cycle of construction waste on human health: Lessons from developing countries. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 32(2), pp. 1348-1369. ISSN 0969-9988
Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this research is to address the existing gap in the study of construction and demolition waste (C&DW) by focusing on its impact on human health throughout the entire life cycle. And this research provides a comprehensive assessment model that incorporates the release of gaseous pollutants and particulate matter during the whole life cycle of C&DW, thereby contributing to a more holistic understanding of its impact on human health. Design/methodology/approach: The research was conducted in two stages. Firstly, the quantitative model framework of pollutants emitted by C&DW was established. Three types of pollutants were considered, namely nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2) and inhalable particulate matter (PM10). Second, disability-adjusted life year (DALY) and willingness to pay (WTP) assessments were used to provide a monetary quantified health impact for pollutants released by C&DW. Findings: The results show that the WTP value of PM10 is the highest among all pollutants and 8.68E+07 dollars/a, while the WTP value in the disposal stage accounts for the largest proportion compared to the generation and transportation stage. These findings emphasize the importance of PM10 and C&DW treatment stage for pollutant treatment. Originality/value: The results of this study are of great significance for the management department to optimize the construction management scheme to reduce the total amount of pollutants produced by C&DW and its harm to human health. Meanwhile, this study fills the gap in existing research on the impact assessment of C&DW on human health throughout the whole life cycle, and provides reference and basis for future research and policy formulation.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | construction and demolition waste; gaseous pollutant; human health; life cycle assessment; particle matter |
| Index terms: | whole life cycle, life cycle, construction waste, willingness to pay, developing country, human health, life cycle assessment, construction and demolition, particulate, methodology, impact assessment, pollutant, disability |
| Subjects: | environmental health, price determination, health conditions and diseases, public and environmental health, value management, development economics, research methods, sustainability assessment, environmental impact, waste management |
| Topics: | Sustainability, Procurement, Project Management, Health and Safety, Research Practice, International Construction |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCT |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here