ecoinvent has informed us that an issue has been identified in version 3.7 of the ecoinvent database. Specifically, the iron sinter production dataset includes an error in the order of magnitude of the estimated emissions for dioxins and particulate matter (PM) – please find more details here: Known Data Issues | ecoinvent 3.7 – ecoinvent. This error distorts the results of the database calculated using human health and ecotoxicity indicators from most methods. All other impact categories are not impacted by this issue.
ecoinvent is now working on an update, version 3.7.1., which we will also implement in openLCA as soon as available (we expect the update to be available in January 2021).
ecoinvent 3.7.1 strictly focuses on the correction of the iron sinter production dataset. With this opportunity, the zinc mining dataset is also updated with newer data recently submitted by the International Zinc Association. Although the data were submitted outside of the review process of ecoinvent version 3.7, they are expected to significantly improve quality of the database. The newer data address the high extraction of gold modelled in the dataset until now and affect the results of the ecoinvent database calculated using mineral resource depletion indicators from most methods.
Suggestions to users
… who already work with ecoinvent 3.7.
• Users that do not engage with the affected indicators of the database, can continue using ecoinvent
v3.7.
• Users that engage with the affected indicators of the database, are advised to continue with
ecoinvent v3.7.1.
From the release of ecoinvent version 3.7.1 onwards, it is strongly recommended to users to switch to
ecoinvent v3.7.1.
…who not yet work with ecoinvent 3.7
The update from v3.7 to v3.7.1. is included in your maintenance license. If possible, before starting to work with the database, we recommend to wait until the release of version v3.7.1. or make sure that you don´t engage with the above mentioned indicators.