80
5 Life Cycle Assessment of Chemical Products and Processes
Fig. 5.10 Setup of the biosphere matrix (B) and calculation of the total elementary flow vector
(y) using the biosphere matrix (B), the technosphere matrix (A), the identity matrix (I), and the
final product demand vector (f) for the production of 1 kg of chlorine gas
life cycle perspective before making a decision, additional aspects such as the energy
required for the production of the agents should also be compared.
While the direct interpretation of LCI results can sometimes be helpful and
point toward improvements, the next phase of LCA is still needed to calculate the
associated health and environmental impacts caused.
5.5
Impact Assessment (Phase 3)
In the third LCA phase of life cycle impact assessment (LCIA), the cumulative
amounts of material and energy calculated during the previous LCI phase are
placed within impact categories, and their impacts are calculated. Through this
process, the diverse and often copious information from the LCI is translated
into just a few indicators. Often, these indicators are relatively simple to identify
and can communicate representative information to effectively illustrate health and
5 Life Cycle Assessment of Chemical Products and Processes
Fig. 5.10 Setup of the biosphere matrix (B) and calculation of the total elementary flow vector
(y) using the biosphere matrix (B), the technosphere matrix (A), the identity matrix (I), and the
final product demand vector (f) for the production of 1 kg of chlorine gas
life cycle perspective before making a decision, additional aspects such as the energy
required for the production of the agents should also be compared.
While the direct interpretation of LCI results can sometimes be helpful and
point toward improvements, the next phase of LCA is still needed to calculate the
associated health and environmental impacts caused.
5.5
Impact Assessment (Phase 3)
In the third LCA phase of life cycle impact assessment (LCIA), the cumulative
amounts of material and energy calculated during the previous LCI phase are
placed within impact categories, and their impacts are calculated. Through this
process, the diverse and often copious information from the LCI is translated
into just a few indicators. Often, these indicators are relatively simple to identify
and can communicate representative information to effectively illustrate health and