Title: Assessment of environmental impacts in travertine mining with life cycle approach

Authors: Beyzanur Uzuntaş; Burcu Onat; Murat Yılmaz

Addresses: Environmental Engineering Department, Engineering Faculty, Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa, Istanbul, Türkiye ' Environmental Engineering Department, Engineering Faculty, Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa, Istanbul, Türkiye ' Geological Engineering Department, Engineering Faculty, Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa, Istanbul, Türkiye

Abstract: Natural stones like travertine play a vital role in construction, cladding, and architecture, contributing to both economic development and sustainability. This study evaluates the environmental impacts of producing 1 m³ of travertine blocks using life cycle assessment (LCA) at a quarry in Denizli, western Türkiye. The system boundary was defined from cradle to gate, including extraction, cutting, and transportation stages. The LCA was conducted using GaBi Education 8.0 and the CML-2001 method, covering eleven impact categories, including global warming potential (GWP), acidification potential (AP), and eutrophication potential (EP). The GWP for producing 1 m³ of travertine was 32.6 kg CO₂ eq, primarily due to electricity use during cutting and diesel consumption in transport. Scenarios using solar and wind energy reduced the GWP to 7.18 and 6.03 kg CO₂ eq, respectively, demonstrating the strong potential of renewable energy to minimise environmental impacts in the natural stone industry.

Keywords: natural stone mining; travertine; life cycle assessment; LCA; environmental impact.

DOI: 10.1504/IJGW.2026.155093

International Journal of Global Warming, 2026 Vol.39 No.3, pp.256 - 272

Received: 18 Oct 2025
Accepted: 30 Jan 2026
Published online: 27 Jul 2026 *

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