Chapter 6 “Life Cycle Inventory Data and Databases“ follows up on the topic of LCI data and provides a state-of-the-art description of LCI databases. It describes differences between foreground and background data, recommendations for starting a database, data exchange and quality assurance concepts for databases, as well as the scientific basis of LCI databases. Chapter 7 “Algorithms of Life Cycle Inventory Analysis“ provides the mathematical models underpinning the LCI. It is a theoretical contribution where the algorithms of LCI analysis are described. Since Heijungs and Suh (2002), this is the first time that this aspect of LCA has been fundamentally presented, with distinct extensions. Chapter 9 “The Link Between Life Cycle Inventory Analysis and Life Cycle Impact Assessment” uses four examples to discuss the link between LCI analysis and LCIA. A clear and relevant link between these phases is crucial, since LCI data that does not fit into existing LCIA models will remain unused, and similarly, if no LCIA models exist which fit the LCI data gathered, it too will remain unused. Only with a clear link between them, an LCA study can make use of all the gathered data. weiterlesen