Dabulca

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The Life Cycle Assessment
Of Three Music Mediums
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By: Amie Jane Dabu
Fall 2011

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Phase 1: Assessment Goal and Scope
The goal of the assessment is to model and compare the environmental impacts of a 12 vinyl record, standard compact disk (CD), and
standard 2-gigabyte secure digital (SD) card over their life cycles. The study is an exercise for a graduate level course in LCA and is not intended
for public distribution.
The functional unit for the study is per one 5-minute song, or as an individual listens to one 5-minute song. The location the study is
intended for is the United States. The time period the study is intended for is 2000-2020. This time frame was chosen because the SD card was
not introduced to the market until 1994. Several changes have been made to its aesthetics, overall design, and standardization to have the look
and specifications of the SD cards purchasable today (SanDisk, 2011).
In this assessment, the SD Card was manufactured in Shanghai, China (Manibo, 2007). The standard blank CD was manufactured in Terre
Haute, Indiana (Mitchell & Fairbanks). The 12 vinyl record was manufactured in Diepholz, Germany (Pallas Group Worldwide, 2011). All three
products will be purchased and used by a consumer located in Phoenix, Arizona. At the end phases of each products life, the method of disposal
will be at the municipal landfill located 50 miles away from the consumer.
It is assumed that the SD card is used for 3 years, 100 days a year, 1 hour each day. This means that it has a total of 3,600 plays of one 5-
minute song in its lifetime. (3 years x 100 days/year x 1 hour/day x 12 5-minute songs/hour = 3,600 5-minute songs)
The CD is used for 5 years, 100 days a year, 1 hour each day. This means that it has a total of 6,000 plays of one 5-minute song in its
lifetime. (5 years x 100 days/year x 1 hour/day x 12 5-minute songs/hour = 6,000 5-minute songs)
The record vinyl is used for 10 years, 100 days a year, and for 5 minutes (one song) each day. This means that it has a total of 1,000 plays
of one 5-minute song in its lifetime. (10 years x 100 days/year x 1 5-minute song/hour = 1,000 5-minute songs)
Due to the fact the vinyl record plays music with crisp quality, the functional unit had to be translated that it would also be compatible with
the CD and SD card. In regards to a digital format for music, .wav form was used (Nale, 2008). It is estimated that a 5-minute song is
approximately 11 megabytes. Throughout the development of this study, it was assumed that the CD could not be re-burned after songs were
burned on it once because the use of the rewritable CDs are uncommon. It is also assumed that the polyvinylchloride used for the vinyl record was
made of virgin material, and that it provided service on only one side, which is common on disc jockey cut LP vinyl disks.
Process inventory data was selected based on the following criteria:
First: from North America
Second: if no North American data is available, eco-invent data has been used.
! 3!
Material & Processes Quantity Unit
Microchip inside of card 0.063 lb
Plastic exterior: Polypropylene 0.063 lb
Injection moulding of plastic exterior 0.063 lb
Protective carrying case: Polypropylene 0.1 lb
Injection moulding of carrying case 0.1 lb
Packaging envelope 0.031 lb
Air Transport: Shanghai to Long Beach 1.686 ton-mile
Truck Transport: Long Beach to Phoenix 0.104 ton-mile
Electricity: CDJ 2000 to play music (Pioneer, 2011) 7.8 kWh
Truck transport: User to municipal landfill 0.013 ton-mile
Landfilling of carrying case & plastic 0.163 lb
Landfilling of packaging 0.031 lb
Landfilling of microchip 0.063 lb
Polycarbonate (Nale, 2008) 0.363 lb
Injection moulding of CD 0.363 lb
Jewel case: Polypropylene (Nale, 2008) 0.156 lb
Injection moulding of case 0.156 lb
Packaging envelope 0.031 lb
Truck Transport: Terre Haute to Phoenix 0.163 ton-mile
Electricity: CDJ 2000 to play music (Pioneer, 2011) 13 kWh
Truck transport: User to municipal landfill 0.005 ton-mile
Landfilling of packaging 0.031 lb
Landfilling of CD & case 0.193 lb
The impact assessment method in this exercise was CML 2 Baseline 2000 v 2.05 (excluding marine ecotoxicity), 1995 Global normalization
with freshwater ecotoxicity adjusted to 10%, and no weighting. Contribution analysis and sensitivity analysis have been applied to the assessment
results to better understand the meaning of the results.

Phase 2: Life Cycle Inventory Analysis!
In order to better observe the several system elements for each product, tables of the materials and processes for each product are provided
below.
Table 2.1: Materials and Processes for Standard 2GB SD
Card
Table 2.2: Materials and Processes for Standard Blank
CD

Table 2.3: Materials and Processes for 12 Vinyl Record

Air transport was selected for the vinyl record because it was
assumed that the consumer ordered the item online with rush
shipping. Electricity to play music for all products was found by
utilizing consumption of the playing device and total hours of use.
Example: 26 W x 500 hrs x 1 kW/1000W = 13 kWh
In the process inventory of all products, data was collected through
weighing items, estimates, information from manufacturers, websites,
and specification sheets. In addition to these tables, a simple flow
diagram has been made to get a better understanding of the system
Polyvinylchloride (PVC) (Pallas Group Worldwide, 2011) 0.264 lb
Injection moulding 0.264 lb
Paper sleeve 0.001 lb
Label on the vinyl 0.03 lb
Packaging box 0.688 lb
Truck Transport: Diepholz to Frankfurt 0.111 ton-mile
Air transport: Frankfurt to New York 1.783 ton-mile
Truck Transport: New York to Phoenix 1.115 ton-mile
Electricity: Technic turntable to play music (Video Direct Electronics, 2011) 1.08 kWh
Truck Transport: User to municipal landfill 0.222 ton-mile
Landfilling of label & paper sleeve 0.031 lb
Landfilling of packaging box 0.688 lb
Landfilling of PVC 0.264 lb
! 4!
boundaries as well as the individual steps and components.

The following materials and processes were excluded
because they were assumed to have negligible effect
on the outcome of the study:
The master record created to mass-produce
the vinyl record and the CD (Optical Storage
Technology Association, 2002)
Washing and cleaning steps of the CD and the
vinyl
The electricity utilized by the manufacturing
plants for all three products
The electricity use of the speakers (also
assuming these would be equal in all cases)
The lacquer coating of the CD
The test pressing steps for the vinyl record
and CD, because this step is used to complete
the master record
The primary differences between the three data sets:
The vinyl record requires a different device to
function and arrives to the consumer with the
data/music already on it.
The SD card is able to hold the most
music/data out of the three mediums and
contains a microchip. The CD can hold the
second most, and the vinyl record can hold
the least.
The CD is the only product in the study that was manufactured in the United States.
The CD and the SD card can be shipped in a paper envelope, but the vinyl record requires a cardboard box.

Phase 3: Life Cycle Impact Assessment

Extraction of Raw Materials
Manufacturing of Products
Packaging
Consumer
Usage
Disposal/Landfill
SD Card & CD
Vinyl Record
Transfer/Burning
of Music to
medium
Speakers
Turntable
CDJ
Flowchart 2.1: System Elements and Flows
System
Boundary
(Included)
(Excluded)
! 5!
Table 3.1: 2GB SD Card characterized impacts prior to adjusting to per one 5-minute song (CML 2 Baseline 2000 v 2.05 excluding
marine ecotoxicity)

Table 3.2: CD characterized impacts prior to adjusting to per one 5-minute song (CML 2 Baseline 2000 v 2.05 excluding marine
ecotoxicity)

Impact category
A
b
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d
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p
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A
c
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G
l
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w
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O
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d
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H
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Unit kg Sb eq kg SO2 eq kg PO4--- eq kg CO2 eq kg CFC-11 eq kg 1,4-DB eq kg 1,4-DB eq kg 1,4-DB eq kg C2H4
Microchip inside of card 3.4E-02 3.2E-02 5.3E-02 4.6E+00 5.3E-07 1.9E+01 1.2E+01 4.9E-02 1.9E-03
Plastic exterior: Polypropylene 9.3E-04 1.8E-04 1.9E-05 5.6E-02 1.5E-11 1.8E-03 7.3E-04 3.1E-06 1.2E-05
Injection moulding of plastic exterior 3.1E-04 1.4E-04 8.2E-05 3.8E-02 1.8E-08 1.9E-02 1.4E-02 1.3E-04 7.0E-06
Protective carrying case: Polypropylene 1.5E-03 2.8E-04 3.0E-05 8.9E-02 2.4E-11 2.9E-03 1.2E-03 4.9E-06 1.9E-05
Injection moulding of case 4.9E-04 2.3E-04 1.3E-04 6.0E-02 2.8E-08 3.0E-02 2.2E-02 2.1E-04 1.1E-05
Packaging envelope 8.1E-05 8.3E-05 3.4E-05 1.2E-02 1.1E-09 9.5E-03 3.8E-03 1.1E-04 3.9E-06
Air Transport: Shanghai to Long Beach 1.7E-02 1.0E-02 1.9E-03 2.6E+00 3.3E-07 2.2E+00 6.5E-02 1.8E-03 4.3E-04
Truck Transport: Long Beach to Phoenix 2.8E-04 2.0E-04 5.5E-05 3.9E-02 6.1E-09 1.0E-02 3.8E-03 9.0E-05 6.4E-06
Electricity to play music 4.4E-02 4.4E-02 1.1E-02 6.0E+00 1.6E-07 2.9E+00 2.0E+00 1.8E-02 1.7E-03
Truck transport: User to municipal landfill 1.6E-04 1.1E-04 2.5E-05 2.5E-02 3.7E-09 5.2E-03 7.3E-04 2.0E-05 4.3E-06
Landfilling of carrying case & plastic 1.0E-05 5.5E-06 3.5E-04 6.3E-03 2.3E-10 3.9E-02 1.1E-01 5.8E-05 1.3E-06
Landfilling of packaging 2.1E-06 2.2E-06 4.1E-05 1.2E-02 4.8E-11 7.6E-03 3.5E-03 4.5E-06 3.6E-06
Landfilling of microchip 1.8E-05 1.3E-05 4.8E-06 2.5E-03 3.3E-10 7.9E-04 5.1E-04 6.9E-06 4.2E-07
Impact category
A
b
i
o
t
i
c

d
e
p
l
e
t
i
o
n
A
c
i
d
i
f
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c
a
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n
E
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H
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Polycarbonate 8.2E-03 4.1E-03 3.9E-04 1.3E+00 3.3E-10 5.8E-02 2.2E-02 4.5E-03 2.2E-04
Injection moulding 1.8E-03 8.2E-04 4.7E-04 2.2E-01 1.0E-07 1.1E-01 7.8E-02 7.8E-04 4.1E-05
Jewel case: Polypropylene 2.3E-03 4.4E-04 4.8E-05 1.4E-01 3.8E-11 4.5E-03 1.8E-03 7.7E-06 3.0E-05
Truck transport: Terre Haute to Phx 4.3E-04 3.2E-04 8.6E-05 6.1E-02 9.6E-09 1.6E-02 6.0E-03 1.4E-04 1.0E-05
Electricity to play music 7.4E-02 7.3E-02 1.8E-02 1.0E+01 2.6E-07 4.8E+00 3.4E+00 3.0E-02 2.8E-03
Truck transport: User to landfill 6.1E-05 4.2E-05 9.6E-06 9.6E-03 1.4E-09 2.0E-03 2.8E-04 7.6E-06 1.6E-06
Landfilling of CD & case 1.2E-05 6.5E-06 4.2E-04 7.4E-03 2.7E-10 4.6E-02 1.3E-01 6.8E-05 1.5E-06
! 6!
Table 3.3: 12 Vinyl Record characterized impacts prior to adjusting to per one 5-minute song (CML 2 Baseline 2000 v 2.05 excluding
marine ecotoxicity)

Table 3.4: 2GB SD Card characterized impacts after adjusting to per one 5-minute song (CML 2 Baseline 2000 v 2.05 excluding marine
ecotoxicity)

Impact category
A
b
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t
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c

d
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p
l
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o
n
A
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d
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H
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m
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l

o
x
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d
a
t
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n
Polyvinylchloride (PVC) 2.8E-03 6.4E-04 1.1E-04 2.4E-01 4.1E-10 3.3E-02 9.2E-03 8.6E-04 3.8E-05
Paper sleeve 5.0E-06 3.2E-06 1.4E-06 6.3E-04 4.8E-11 3.3E-04 2.0E-04 3.4E-06 1.4E-07
Label on vinyl 1.1E-04 8.1E-05 4.6E-05 1.6E-02 1.2E-09 9.1E-03 5.8E-03 8.6E-05 4.0E-06
Packaging box 2.2E-03 1.7E-03 1.0E-03 3.2E-01 2.3E-08 2.0E-01 1.1E-01 2.3E-03 1.1E-04
Truck Transport: Diepholz to Frankfurt 3.0E-04 2.2E-04 5.9E-05 4.2E-02 6.5E-09 1.1E-02 4.1E-03 9.6E-05 6.9E-06
Air Transport: Frankfurt to NY 1.8E-02 1.1E-02 2.1E-03 2.8E+00 3.5E-07 2.3E+00 6.9E-02 1.9E-03 4.5E-04
Truck Transport: NY to Phx 3.0E-03 2.2E-03 5.9E-04 4.2E-01 6.5E-08 1.1E-01 4.1E-02 9.7E-04 6.9E-05
Electricity to play music 6.1E-03 6.0E-03 1.5E-03 8.3E-01 2.2E-08 4.0E-01 2.8E-01 2.5E-03 2.4E-04
Truck Transport: User to landfill 2.7E-03 1.9E-03 4.3E-04 4.2E-01 6.4E-08 9.0E-02 1.2E-02 3.4E-04 7.3E-05
Landfilling of label & paper sleeve 2.1E-06 2.2E-06 4.1E-05 1.2E-02 4.8E-11 7.6E-03 3.5E-03 4.5E-06 3.6E-06
Landfilling of packaging box 4.6E-05 5.7E-05 8.4E-04 3.4E-01 1.0E-09 3.7E-02 6.5E-02 1.5E-04 1.0E-04
Landfilling of PVC 1.6E-05 8.7E-06 3.4E-04 7.5E-03 3.7E-10 7.0E-02 1.3E-01 1.0E-04 1.5E-06
Impact category
A
b
i
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t
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c

d
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p
l
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n
A
c
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d
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Microchip inside of card 9.4E-06 8.9E-06 1.5E-05 1.3E-03 1.5E-10 5.3E-03 3.5E-03 1.4E-05 5.1E-07
Air Transport: Shanghai to Long Beach 4.7E-06 2.8E-06 5.4E-07 7.3E-04 9.2E-11 6.1E-04 1.8E-05 4.9E-07 1.2E-07
! 6!
Table 3.3: 12 Vinyl Record characterized impacts prior to adjusting to per one 5-minute song (CML 2 Baseline 2000 v 2.05 excluding
marine ecotoxicity)

Table 3.4: 2GB SD Card characterized impacts after adjusting to per one 5-minute song (CML 2 Baseline 2000 v 2.05 excluding marine
ecotoxicity)

Impact category
A
b
i
o
t
i
c

d
e
p
l
e
t
i
o
n
A
c
i
d
i
f
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a
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n
E
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p
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Air Transport: Frankfurt to NY 1.8E-02 1.1E-02 2.1E-03 2.8E+00 3.5E-07 2.3E+00 6.9E-02 1.9E-03 4.5E-04
Impact category
A
b
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t
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c

d
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p
l
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t
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o
n
A
c
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! 7!
Table 3.5: CD characterized impacts after adjusting to per one 5-minute song (CML 2 Baseline 2000 v 2.05 excluding marine
ecotoxicity)
Table 3.6: 12 Vinyl Record characterized impacts after adjusting to per one 5-minute song (CML 2 Baseline 2000 v 2.05 excluding
marine ecotoxicity)
Impact category
A
b
i
o
t
i
c

d
e
p
l
e
t
i
o
n
A
c
i
d
i
f
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c
a
t
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n
E
u
t
r
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p
h
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a
t
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n
G
l
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l

w
a
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g

O
z
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l
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d
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H
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t
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F
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w
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T
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m
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l

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x
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d
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n
Polycarbonate 1.4E-06 6.8E-07 6.5E-08 2.1E-04 5.5E-14 9.6E-06 3.6E-06 7.5E-07 3.7E-08
Impact category
A
b
i
o
t
i
c

d
e
p
l
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t
i
o
n
A
c
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d
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f
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E
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t
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n
G
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l

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g

O
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H
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t
o
x
i
c
i
t
y
P
h
o
t
o
c
h
e
m
i
c
a
l

o
x
i
d
a
t
i
o
n
Air Transport: Frankfurt to NY 1.8E-05 1.1E-05 2.1E-06 2.8E-03 3.5E-10 2.3E-03 6.9E-05 1.9E-06 4.5E-07
! 8!

Table 3.7: 2GB SD Card normalized impacts after adjusting to per one 5-minute song (CML 2 Baseline 2000 v 2.05 excluding marine
ecotoxicity, 1995 Global normalization with freshwater ecotoxicity adjusted to 10%, and no weighting)

Table 3.8: CD normalized impacts after adjusting to per one 5-minute song (CML 2 Baseline 2000 v 2.05 excluding marine ecotoxicity,
1995 Global normalization with freshwater ecotoxicity adjusted to 10%, and no weighting)

Impact category
A
b
i
o
t
i
c

d
e
p
l
e
t
i
o
n
A
c
i
d
i
f
i
c
a
t
i
o
n
E
u
t
r
o
p
h
i
c
a
t
i
o
n
G
l
o
b
a
l

w
a
r
m
i
n
g
O
z
o
n
e

l
a
y
e
r

d
e
p
l
e
t
i
o
n
H
u
m
a
n

t
o
x
i
c
i
t
y
F
r
e
s
h

w
a
t
e
r

e
c
o
t
o
x
.
T
e
r
r
e
s
t
r
i
a
l

e
c
o
t
o
x
i
c
i
t
y
P
h
o
t
o
c
h
e
m
i
c
a
l

o
x
i
d
a
t
i
o
n
Impact category
A
b
i
o
t
i
c

d
e
p
l
e
t
i
o
n
A
c
i
d
i
f
i
c
a
t
i
o
n
E
u
t
r
o
p
h
i
c
a
t
i
o
n
G
l
o
b
a
l

w
a
r
m
i
n
g

O
z
o
n
e

l
a
y
e
r

d
e
p
l
e
t
i
o
n

H
u
m
a
n

t
o
x
i
c
i
t
y
F
r
e
s
h

w
a
t
e
r

e
c
o
t
o
x
.
T
e
r
r
e
s
t
r
i
a
l

e
c
o
t
o
x
i
c
i
t
y
P
h
o
t
o
c
h
e
m
i
c
a
l

o
x
i
d
a
t
i
o
n
Polycarbonate 8.7E-18 2.1E-18 4.9E-19 5.1E-18 1.1E-22 1.7E-19 1.8E-19 2.8E-18 3.9E-19
Injection moulding for case 8.2E-19 1.8E-19 2.6E-19 3.8E-19 1.4E-20 1.4E-19 2.7E-19 2.1E-19 3.0E-20
! 9!
Table 3.9: 12 Vinyl Record normalized impacts after adjusting to per one 5-minute song (CML 2 Baseline 2000 v 2.05 excluding
marine ecotoxicity, 1995 Global normalization with freshwater ecotoxicity adjusted to 10%, and no weighting)

Impact category
A
b
i
o
t
i
c

d
e
p
l
e
t
i
o
n
A
c
i
d
i
f
i
c
a
t
i
o
n
E
u
t
r
o
p
h
i
c
a
t
i
o
n
G
l
o
b
a
l

w
a
r
m
i
n
g

O
z
o
n
e

l
a
y
e
r

d
e
p
l
e
t
i
o
n

H
u
m
a
n

t
o
x
i
c
i
t
y
F
r
e
s
h

w
a
t
e
r

e
c
o
t
o
x
.
T
e
r
r
e
s
t
r
i
a
l

e
c
o
t
o
x
i
c
i
t
y
P
h
o
t
o
c
h
e
m
i
c
a
l

o
x
i
d
a
t
i
o
n
Air Transport: Frankfurt to NY 1.2E-16 3.3E-17 1.6E-17 6.7E-17 6.8E-19 4.1E-17 3.4E-18 7.0E-18 4.7E-18
! 10!
0.0E+00
5.0E-11
1.0E-10
1.5E-10
2.0E-10
2.5E-10
A
b
i
o
t
i
c

d
e
p
l
e
t
i
o
n

A
c
i
d
i
f
i
c
a
t
i
o
n

E
u
t
r
o
p
h
i
c
a
t
i
o
n

G
l
o
b
a
l

w
a
r
m
i
n
g

O
z
o
n
e

l
a
y
e
r

d
e
p
l
e
t
i
o
n

H
u
m
a
n

t
o
x
i
c
i
t
y

F
r
e
s
h

w
a
t
e
r

e
c
o
t
o
x
.

T
e
r
r
e
s
t
r
i
a
l

e
c
o
t
o
x
i
c
i
t
y

P
h
o
t
o
c
h
e
m
i
c
a
l

o
x
i
d
a
t
i
o
n

CD
Landfilling of CD &
case
Landfilling of
packaging
Truck transport: User
to landfill
Electricity to play
music
Truck transport: Terre
Haute to Phx
Packaging envelope
Injection moulding for
case
Jewel case:
Polypropylene
Injection moulding
Polycarbonate
0.0E+00
5.0E-11
1.0E-10
1.5E-10
2.0E-10
2.5E-10
A
b
i
o
t
i
c

d
e
p
l
e
t
i
o
n

A
c
i
d
i
f
i
c
a
t
i
o
n

E
u
t
r
o
p
h
i
c
a
t
i
o
n

G
l
o
b
a
l

w
a
r
m
i
n
g

O
z
o
n
e

l
a
y
e
r

d
e
p
l
e
t
i
o
n

H
u
m
a
n

t
o
x
i
c
i
t
y

F
r
e
s
h

w
a
t
e
r

e
c
o
t
o
x
.

T
e
r
r
e
s
t
r
i
a
l

e
c
o
t
o
x
i
c
i
t
y

P
h
o
t
o
c
h
e
m
i
c
a
l

o
x
i
d
a
t
i
o
n

SD Card
Landfilling of microchip
Landfilling of packaging
Landfilling of carrying
case & plastic
Truck transport: User to
municipal landfill
Electricity to play music
Truck Transport: Long
Beach to Phoenix
Air Transport: Shanghai
to Long Beach
Packaging envelope
Injection moulding of
case
Protective carrying case:
Polypropylene
Injection moulding of
plastic exterior
0.0E+00
5.0E-11
1.0E-10
1.5E-10
2.0E-10
2.5E-10
A
b
i
o
t
i
c

d
e
p
l
e
t
i
o
n

A
c
i
d
i
f
i
c
a
t
i
o
n

E
u
t
r
o
p
h
i
c
a
t
i
o
n

G
l
o
b
a
l

w
a
r
m
i
n
g

O
z
o
n
e

l
a
y
e
r

d
e
p
l
e
t
i
o
n

H
u
m
a
n

t
o
x
i
c
i
t
y

F
r
e
s
h

w
a
t
e
r

e
c
o
t
o
x
.

T
e
r
r
e
s
t
r
i
a
l

e
c
o
t
o
x
i
c
i
t
y

P
h
o
t
o
c
h
e
m
i
c
a
l

o
x
i
d
a
t
i
o
n

Vinyl Record
Landfilling of PVC
box
Landfilling of label &
paper sleeve
Truck Transport: User to
landfill
Electricity to play music
Truck Transport: NY to
Phx
Air Transport: Frankfurt
to NY
Truck Transport:
Diepholz to Frankfurt
Packaging box
Label on vinyl
Paper sleeve
Phase 4: Assessment Interpretation
Contribution Analysis
Graph 4.1, 4.2, & 4.3: Contribution of normalized impacts for each product after adjusting to per one 5-minute song (CML 2 Baseline
2000 v 2.05 excluding marine ecotoxicity, 1995 Global normalization with freshwater ecotoxicity adjusted to 10%, and no weighting)

All values were multiplied by 1,000,000 on the graphs to better observe impacts of all three products. The impact category of Ozone layer
depletion and several individual product elements were unable to be illustrated due to the small values.

! 11!
0.0E+00
5.0E-11
1.0E-10
1.5E-10
2.0E-10
2.5E-10
A
b
i
o
t
i
c

d
e
p
l
e
t
i
o
n

A
c
i
d
i
f
i
c
a
t
i
o
n

E
u
t
r
o
p
h
i
c
a
t
i
o
n

G
l
o
b
a
l

w
a
r
m
i
n
g

O
z
o
n
e

l
a
y
e
r

d
e
p
l
e
t
i
o
n

H
u
m
a
n

t
o
x
i
c
i
t
y

F
r
e
s
h

w
a
t
e
r

e
c
o
t
o
x
.

T
e
r
r
e
s
t
r
i
a
l

e
c
o
t
o
x
i
c
i
t
y

P
h
o
t
o
c
h
e
m
i
c
a
l

o
x
i
d
a
t
i
o
n

CD
Disposal
Use
Distribution
Manufacturing
Material production
0.0E+00
5.0E-11
1.0E-10
1.5E-10
2.0E-10
2.5E-10
A
b
i
o
t
i
c

d
e
p
l
e
t
i
o
n

A
c
i
d
i
f
i
c
a
t
i
o
n

E
u
t
r
o
p
h
i
c
a
t
i
o
n

G
l
o
b
a
l

w
a
r
m
i
n
g

O
z
o
n
e

l
a
y
e
r

d
e
p
l
e
t
i
o
n

H
u
m
a
n

t
o
x
i
c
i
t
y

F
r
e
s
h

w
a
t
e
r

e
c
o
t
o
x
.

T
e
r
r
e
s
t
r
i
a
l

e
c
o
t
o
x
i
c
i
t
y

P
h
o
t
o
c
h
e
m
i
c
a
l

o
x
i
d
a
t
i
o
n

SD Card
Disposal
Use
Distribution
Manufacturing
Material Production
0.0E+00
5.0E-11
1.0E-10
1.5E-10
2.0E-10
2.5E-10
A
b
i
o
t
i
c

d
e
p
l
e
t
i
o
n

A
c
i
d
i
f
i
c
a
t
i
o
n

E
u
t
r
o
p
h
i
c
a
t
i
o
n

G
l
o
b
a
l

w
a
r
m
i
n
g

O
z
o
n
e

l
a
y
e
r

d
e
p
l
e
t
i
o
n

H
u
m
a
n

t
o
x
i
c
i
t
y

F
r
e
s
h

w
a
t
e
r

e
c
o
t
o
x
.

T
e
r
r
e
s
t
r
i
a
l

e
c
o
t
o
x
i
c
i
t
y

P
h
o
t
o
c
h
e
m
i
c
a
l

o
x
i
d
a
t
i
o
n

Vinyl
Disposal
Use
Distribution
Manufacturing
Material Production
Polycarbonate
Jewel case: Polypropylene
Injection moulding for CD
Injection moulding for case
Packaging envelope
Truck Transport: Terre Haute to Phoenix
Use Electricity (Pioneer CDJ 2000) to play music
Truck transport: User to municipal landfill
Landfilling of CD & case
Material Production
Distribution
Disposal
Manufacturing
Microchip inside of card
Plastic exterior: Polypropylene
Protective carrying case: Polypropylene
Injection moulding of case
Injection moulding of plastic exterior
Packaging envelope
Air Transport: Shanghai to Long Beach
Truck Transport: Long Beach to Phoenix
Use Electricity (Pioneer CDJ 2000) to play music
Truck transport: User to municipal landfill
Landfilling of carrying case & plastic
Landfilling of microchip
Material Production
Distribution
Disposal
Manufacturing
Polyvinylchloride (PVC)
Paper sleeve
Label on the vinyl
Manufacturing Injection moulding
Packaging box
Truck Transport: Diepholz to Frankfurt
Air transport: Frankfurt to New York
Truck Transport: New York to Phoenix
Use Electricity (Technic turntable) to play music
Truck Transport: User to municipal landfill
Landfilling of label & paper sleeve
Landfilling of packaging box
Landfilling of PVC
Material Production
Distribution
Disposal
Graph 4.4, 4.5, & 4.6: Contribution of categorized normalized impacts for each product after adjusting to per one 5-minute
song (CML 2 Baseline 2000 v 2.05 excluding marine ecotoxicity, 1995 Global normalization with freshwater ecotoxicity adjusted to 10%,
and no weighting)

Keys:

! 12!
All values were multiplied by 1,000,000 on the graphs to better observe impacts of all three products. The impact category of Ozone layer
depletion was unable to be illustrated due to the small values.

Graph 4.7: Contribution of total normalized impacts for all products after adjusting to per one 5-minute song (CML 2 Baseline
2000 v 2.05 excluding marine ecotoxicity, 1995 Global normalization with freshwater ecotoxicity adjusted to 10%, and no
weighting)!

All values were multiplied by 1,000,000 on the graph to better observe impacts of all three products

-1.0E-10
5.0E-25
1.0E-10
2.0E-10
3.0E-10
4.0E-10
5.0E-10
6.0E-10
7.0E-10
8.0E-10
9.0E-10
Compact
Disk
SD Card 12" Vinyl
Record
Product Totals
Disposal
Use
Distribution
Manufacturing
Material Production
! 13!
Highest Impact Categories Material & Processes Emissions (in order of quantity) Reason
Coal, hard, in ground
Gas, natural, in ground
Oil, crude, in ground
Carbon dioxide, fossil
Methane, fossil
Nitrogen monoxide
Methane, fossil
Carbon monoxide
Global Warming
1) Electricity rquired to play
music
The energy required for this process are
from fossil fuels, resulting in emissions
contributing to global warming
2) Polycarbonate
Creating and molding polycarbonate, from
material extraction to injection requires the
burning of fossil fuels
Abiotic Depletion
music
Coal, natural gas, and oil are the three
predominant resources needed to generate
electricity
2) Polycarbonate
Creating and molding polycarbonate, from
material extraction to injection requires a
significant amount of energy
Beryllium
Cobalt
Copper
Nickel
Beryllium
Vanadium
Coal, hard, unspecified, in ground
Abiotic Depletion
music
electricity
2) Microchip inside of SD
card
Many components that make up microchip
are energy intensive, resulting in the large
consumption of fossil fuels
Fresh Water Ecotoxicity
1) Microchip inside of SD
card
Considering the manufacturing in China,
byproducts and runoff from manufacturing
are found in water ecosystems
music
Emissions and byproducts from electricity
plant are found in nearby water ecosystems
Coal, hard, unspecified, in ground
Methane, fossil
Dinotrogen Monoxide
Methane, fossil
Dinotrogen Monoxide
The airplane going across the Atlantic
Ocean required many available fuel/energy
resources
electricity
Airplane going across the Atlantic Ocean
burned through fossil fuels, resulting in
emissions of Greenhouse gases
The energy required for this process are
from fossil fuels, resulting in emissions
contributing to global warming
1) Air transport: Frankfurt to
New York
music
Abiotic Depletion
Global Warming
1) Air transport: Frankfurt to
New York
music
Table 4.1: Largest impacting
elements of the CD

elements of the SD Card

elements of the vinyl record

! 14!
-7.0E-11
3.0E-11
1.3E-10
2.3E-10
3.3E-10
4.3E-10
5.3E-10
A
b
i
o
t
i
c

d
e
p
l
e
t
i
o
n

A
c
i
d
i
f
i
c
a
t
i
o
n

E
u
t
r
o
p
h
i
c
a
t
i
o
n

G
l
o
b
a
l

w
a
r
m
i
n
g

O
z
o
n
e

l
a
y
e
r

d
e
p
l
e
t
i
o
n

H
u
m
a
n

t
o
x
i
c
i
t
y

F
r
e
s
h

w
a
t
e
r

e
c
o
t
o
x
.

T
e
r
r
e
s
t
r
i
a
l

e
c
o
t
o
x
i
c
i
t
y

P
h
o
t
o
c
h
e
m
i
c
a
l

o
x
i
d
a
t
i
o
n

1 year
Disposal
Use
Distribution
Manufacturing
Material Production
-7.0E-11
3.0E-11
1.3E-10
2.3E-10
3.3E-10
4.3E-10
5.3E-10
A
b
i
o
t
i
c

d
e
p
l
e
t
i
o
n

A
c
i
d
i
f
i
c
a
t
i
o
n

E
u
t
r
o
p
h
i
c
a
t
i
o
n

G
l
o
b
a
l

w
a
r
m
i
n
g

O
z
o
n
e

l
a
y
e
r

d
e
p
l
e
t
i
o
n

H
u
m
a
n

t
o
x
i
c
i
t
y

F
r
e
s
h

w
a
t
e
r

e
c
o
t
o
x
.

T
e
r
r
e
s
t
r
i
a
l

e
c
o
t
o
x
i
c
i
t
y

P
h
o
t
o
c
h
e
m
i
c
a
l

o
x
i
d
a
t
i
o
n

5 years
Disposal
Use
Distribution
Manufacturing
Material Production
-7.0E-11
3.0E-11
1.3E-10
2.3E-10
3.3E-10
4.3E-10
5.3E-10
A
b
i
o
t
i
c

d
e
p
l
e
t
i
o
n

A
c
i
d
i
f
i
c
a
t
i
o
n

E
u
t
r
o
p
h
i
c
a
t
i
o
n

G
l
o
b
a
l

w
a
r
m
i
n
g

O
z
o
n
e

l
a
y
e
r

d
e
p
l
e
t
i
o
n

H
u
m
a
n

t
o
x
i
c
i
t
y

F
r
e
s
h

w
a
t
e
r

e
c
o
t
o
x
.

T
e
r
r
e
s
t
r
i
a
l

e
c
o
t
o
x
i
c
i
t
y

P
h
o
t
o
c
h
e
m
i
c
a
l

o
x
i
d
a
t
i
o
n

3 years
Disposal
Use
Distribution
Manufacturing
Material Production
Sensitivity Analysis
An element that is suspected to have a large effect on the outcome of two out of the three designs was use, more specifically how long the product
was used by the consumer prior to disposal. The following sensitivity analysis will be conducted on the SD card, illustrating two different situations
of use.
The first analysis will be conducted as if the SD card was used for 1 year, 100 days a year, 1 hour each day. This means that it has a total
of 1,200 plays of one 5-minute song in its lifetime.
(1 years x 100 days/year x 1 hour/day x 12 5-minute songs/hour = 1,200 5-minute songs)
The second analysis will be conducted as if the SD card was used for 5 years, 100 days a year, 1 hour each day. This means that it has a
total of 6,000 plays of one 5-minute song in its lifetime.
(5 years x 100 days/year x 1 hour/day x 12 5-minute songs/hour = 6,000 5-minute songs).
Since the two analyses in this study propose two different times of use, the electricity required is also changed.
Example for 1 year of use: 26 W x 100 hrs x 1 kW/1000W = 2.6 kWh

Graph 4.8 & 4.9: Categorized normalized impacts of SD Card after adjusting to 1 year of use & 5 years of use. (CML 2 Baseline
2000 v 2.05 excluding marine ecotoxicity, 1995 Global normalization with freshwater ecotoxicity adjusted to 10%, and no
weighting) Graph 4.2 is inserted for better comparison.

! 15!
Impact category
A
b
i
o
t
i
c

d
e
p
l
e
t
i
o
n
A
c
i
d
i
f
i
c
a
t
i
o
n
E
u
t
r
o
p
h
i
c
a
t
i
o
n
G
l
o
b
a
l

w
a
r
m
i
n
g

O
z
o
n
e

l
a
y
e
r

d
e
p
l
e
t
i
o
n

H
u
m
a
n

t
o
x
i
c
i
t
y
F
r
e
s
h

w
a
t
e
r

e
c
o
t
o
x
.
T
e
r
r
e
s
t
r
i
a
l

e
c
o
t
o
x
i
c
i
t
y
P
h
o
t
o
c
h
e
m
i
c
a
l

o
x
i
d
a
t
i
o
n
All values were multiplied by 1,000,000 on the graphs to better observe the impacts. All three bar graphs have the same scale for the y-axis to
make observable comparisons. The impact category of Ozone layer depletion was unable to be illustrated due to the small values. In addition, due
to the small figures for the SD Card used in 5 years, the different phases in each impact category are also difficult to see.

Table 4.4: SD Card
normalized impacts after
changing to 1 year of use,
adjusted to per one 5-
minute song (CML 2
Baseline 2000 v 2.05
excluding marine
ecotoxicity, 1995 Global
normalization with
freshwater ecotoxicity
adjusted to 10%, and no
weighting)

Table 4.5: SD Card
normalized impacts after
changing to 5 years of
use, adjusted to per one
5-minute song (CML 2
Baseline 2000 v 2.05
excluding marine
ecotoxicity, 1995 Global
normalization with
freshwater ecotoxicity
adjusted to 10%, and no
weighting)
Impact category
A
b
i
o
t
i
c

d
e
p
l
e
t
i
o
n
A
c
i
d
i
f
i
c
a
t
i
o
n
E
u
t
r
o
p
h
i
c
a
t
i
o
n
G
l
o
b
a
l

w
a
r
m
i
n
g
O
z
o
n
e

l
a
y
e
r

d
e
p
l
e
t
i
o
n
H
u
m
a
n

t
o
x
i
c
i
t
y
F
r
e
s
h

w
a
t
e
r

e
c
o
t
o
x
.
T
e
r
r
e
s
t
r
i
a
l

e
c
o
t
o
x
i
c
i
t
y
P
h
o
t
o
c
h
e
m
i
c
a
l

o
x
i
d
a
t
i
o
n
! 16!
Conclusions

Each product individually represented the different technologies of music playing or sharing throughout the ages. The 2 GB SD card has
the ability to carry more songs and is much more portable than the CD and vinyl record. This kind of transformation is not exclusive to this
particular situation because the rapid growth of electronics has molded designs to be more compact, perform faster, and hold more memory than
its predecessor to be competitive in the market (Daim, Ploykitikoon, Kennedy, & Choothian, 2008).
In evaluation of the LCA results, a look was given at the distribution phase of the products. The process of getting the vinyl from the
manufacturer to the user accounted for over half of the total impacts. If a boat were used for its transportation from one country to the other
instead of an airplane, the outcome of the product would result in smaller impacts, possibly giving it a lower impact than the CD. The vinyls
impacts would decrease significantly if it were manufactured in the United States. In contrast, the CDs results showed that it was the product with
the least amount of impacts on the environment due to its composition of fewer materials.
The use and material production phases for the SD card are greater than its distribution phase, despite its origins from China. This is
caused by the energy and materials required to create the microchip inside of it. However, it is difficult to suggest that the microchip itself should
be redesigned because the environmental impacts of memory per chip have remained horizontal, although these products are consistently being
redesigned (Boyd, Horvath, & Dornfeld, 2011).
The use phase was also a significant contributor for all three music mediums. Since the products required a specific device in order to
provide service, or music, the incorporation of electricity consumption is also put into account. In the study, abiotic depletion was one of the largest
categories for each individual product due to the amount of fossil fuels necessary for electricity generation and transportation. The results for each
products use phase would differ if the consumer were located outside of the country. In the United States, natural gas, oil, and coal are
predominant sources of energy (Spath, Mann, & Kerr, 1999). If this study were to be conducted again, but with the consumer located in a country
that utilizes a significant amount of renewable energy for electricity production, lesser impacts from the use phase would be observed.
When comparing all three products together, it is observed that the most environmentally sensitive option for a music medium is the CD.
Aside from having the overall least impacts, the product is used to the point where it surpasses the affects of manufacturing, raw material
extraction, and disposal. The use phase for SD card and the vinyl only account for 30% of their total impacts, while distribution, material
production, and manufacturing occupies the rest.
Even though a computer contains many more components compared to an SD card, both products share a common ground in being a
part of the electronics consumer industry. A study on personal computers showed that the pre-manufacturing stages had the heaviest burden on
the environment (Boyd, Horvath, & Dornfeld, 2011). Another study on flash memory technology over generations noted that most of the impacts
also came from processes in the manufacturing and pre-manufacturing stages (Boyd, Horvath, & Dornfeld, 2011). To enhance environmental
performance, it is suggested that these stages of the product take place at a facility that uses energy more efficiently, or incorporates renewable
energy. It would also be beneficial to have these products manufactured within the country, so that distribution phases would no longer be
significant contributors.

! 17!
References:
!
Boyd, S., Horvath, A., & Dornfeld, D. (2011). Life-Cycle Assessment of NAND Flash Memory. IEEE Transactions on Semiconductor Manufacturing
, 24 (1), 117-125.
Choi, B.-C., Shin, H.-S., Lee, S.-Y., & Hur, T. (2006). Life Cycle Assessment of a Personal Computer and its Effective Recycling Rate. Korea
Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. Landsberg: Ecomed Publishers.
Daim, T., Ploykitikoon, P., Kennedy, E., & Choothian, W. (2008). Forecasting the future of data storage: case of the hard disk and flash memory.
Foresight, 10 (9), 34-49.
Manibo, M. (2007, October 2). SanDisk marks the opening of its first production plant in China. Retrieved November 8, 2011, from Middle East
business & financial news: http://www.ameinfo.com/133678.html
Mitchell, M., & Fairbanks, S. (n.d.). Sony's Huge CD Plant in Indiana Uses Kaizen To Slash Costs and Boost Production. Retrieved November 7,
2011, from Manufacturing and Technology News: http://www.manufacturingnews.com/news/editorials/mitchell.html
Nale, B. (2008, July 8). Mailing DVDs and CDs. Retrieved November 4, 2011, from Livermore California Community Guide:
http://www.elivermore.com/mailing_dvds.htm#Weight_Summary
Optical Storage Technology Association. (2002). Understanding CD-R & CD-RW. Cupertino: Optical Storage Technology Association.
Pallas Group Worldwide. (2011, June 23). Vinyl Records Specifications/Information for the production. Diepholz, Germany: Pallas Group
Worldwide.
Pioneer. (2011). CDJ-2000 Pioneer - DVD/CD Decks - DJ Equipment. Retrieved November 6, 2011, from Pioneer UK:
http://www.pioneer.eu/uk/products/44/106/462/CDJ-2000/specs.html
SanDisk. (2011). Product Backgrounder. Retrieved November 20, 2011, from SanDisk Official Manufacturer of Flash Memory Cards for Imaging,
Computing, Mobile, Music, and Gaming Devices: http://www.sandisk.com/about-sandisk/media-kit/businessoem-products-
brochures/product-backgrounder.aspx
Spath, P., Mann, M., & Kerr, D. (1999). Life Cycle Assessment of Coal-fired Power Production. U.S. Department of Energy, National Renewable
Energy Laboratory. Golden: U.S. Department of Commerce.
Video Direct Electronics. (2011). Technics SL-1200MK2 Quartz Synthesizer Direct Drive Turntables. Retrieved November 10, 2011, from Canon,
Olympus, Azden, Sony, Panasonic, Bogen Imaging Electronics and more: http://www.video-direct.com/technics/turntables/sl-
1200mk2.html

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