An elementary exchange is an Exchange between an Activity and the natural, social or economic Environment. Elementary exchanges include what ISO 14040/44 defines as elementary flows but go beyond this definition to cover not only flows with mass or energy properties (examples: unprocessed inputs from nature, emissions to air, water and soil, etc.) but also other exchanges such as working hours.
These exchanges form the basis of the Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) phase of an LCA study. During impact assessment, characterisation factors are applied to elementary exchanges to calculate their contribution to various impact categories. Documenting all elementary exchanges associated with a product system allows practitioners to evaluate the full environmental burden across natural, social and economic dimensions of the environment.
As Chief Operating Officer, Iris leads our organisational development and oversees day-to-day operations. Before joining 2-0, she worked in the biotechnology sector. As an LCA consultant, Iris has devoted her expertise primarily to the domains of sustainable agriculture and food production. She is dedicated to teaching LCA and is responsible for our educational efforts. Iris holds an M.Sc. in Biology – Biotechnology from the University of Copenhagen.
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Glossary terms are clearer once you have seen them applied. Our guide to what LCA is and how it works walks through the complete methodology: goal and scope, inventory modelling, impact assessment, and interpretation.
If you are working on an LCA study and want it done properly, see how we approach life cycle assessment.
