LIFE CYCLE IMPACT ASSESSMENT

The inventory table is the most objective result of a LCA study.However, a list of substances is difficult to interpret. To make this task easier, life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) is used for evaluation of the impacts.

Two problems exist in impact assessment:

1. Sufficient data isn’t available to calculate the damage to ecosystems by an impact.
2. Absence of generally accepted ways of assessing the value of the damage to ecosystems if this damage can be calculated.

One of the oldest impact assessment methods is the EPS (Environmental Priority Strategy) system as developed by the IVL in Sweden. In this method, the complete chain of cause and effect from each impact on a human equivalent is calculated.