Study of Rice Processing System Life Cycle

This study attempts to evaluate the environmental impact of rice processing system (raw materials acquisition, paddy processing, packaging, transportation and by-product recycle) with the application of GaBi6.0 software and CML2001-Jan.2016 model, primary data were collected from an agricultural group in the northeast China. The results that the life cycle total environmental impact is 4.35×10-6, and Global Warming Potential causes the largest damage on environment with the contribution of 66.58% of the total environmental impact potential. Followed by Freshwater Aquatic Ecotoxicity Potential, with the contribution proportion of 18.68%. The rice planting stage is the main steps of an impact on the environment, with the contribution proportion of 88.4%. Improving the way of irrigation, regulating fertilizers and pesticides can diminish the environmental impact of the whole system.