Journal of Shandong University(Engineering Science) ›› 2026, Vol. 56 ›› Issue (2): 189-196.doi: 10.6040/j.issn.1672-3961.0.2025.050

• Environment Engineering • Previous Articles    

Water footprint of major red meat products from a life cycle assessment perspective

LI Mengqing1, ZHANG Tianzuo1, MA Xiaotian2, HONG Jinglan1*   

  1. LI Mengqing1, ZHANG Tianzuo1, MA Xiaotian2, HONG Jinglan1*(1. School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, Shandong, China;
    2. Weihai Institute for Interdisciplinary Research, Shandong University, Weihai 264209, Shandong, China
  • Published:2026-04-13

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Abstract: To address the issues of water consumption and pollution caused by large-scale red meat production, an indigenized water footprint model based on life cycle assessment theory was adopted to systematically quantify and analyze the water footprints of three red meat products: pork, beef, and mutton. The results indicated that, within the “cradle-to-gate” system boundary, pork production had the highest water footprint across most midpoint and endpoint impact categories, followed by beef, while mutton had the lowest. The water footprints of the three types of meat production showed similar patterns in the analysis of key processes, mainly driven by feed production and direct emissions. Directly consumed water and copper discharged to soil were identified as key substances contributing to impacts on human health and ecosystem quality, respectively. The spatiotemporal analysis suggested that restructuring livestock systems, adopting site-specific strategies, and improving feed use efficiency are essential measures to reduce the sector's water footprint.

Key words: water footprint, life cycle assessment, red meat production, environmental impact, spatiotemporal analysis

CLC Number: 

  • X828
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