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Ribarova I, Vasilaki V, Katsou E. Review of linear and circular approaches to on-site domestic wastewater treatment: Analysis of research achievements, trends and distance to target. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 367:121951. [PMID: 39079496 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.121951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2024] [Revised: 07/22/2024] [Accepted: 07/23/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024]
Abstract
This comprehensive review critically assesses traditional and emerging technologies for domestic wastewater treatment and reuse, focusing on the transition from conventional centralised systems to innovative decentralised approaches. Through an extensive literature search on domestic wastewater systems serving a population equivalent of less than or equal to 10, the study juxtaposes linear and circular methods and highlights their impact on urban water management and the environment. The papers reviewed were classified into five categories: Environmental studies, economic studies, social studies, technological studies, and reviews and policy papers. The analysis was carried out separately for linear and circular approaches within each category. In addition, the maturity of the technology (lab/pilot or full-scale application) was taken into account in the analysis. The research landscape is shown to be evolving towards circular methods that promise sustainability through resource recovery, despite the dominance of linear perspectives. The lack of clear progress in decentralised technologies, the scarcity of circularity assessments and the challenges of urban integration are highlighted. Operational reliability, regulatory compliance and policy support are identified as key barriers to the adoption of decentralised systems. While conventional pollutants and their environmental impacts are well addressed for linear systems, the study of emerging pollutants is in its infancy. Conclusions on the impact of these hazardous pollutants are tentative and cautious. Social and economic studies are mainly based on virtual scenarios, which are useful research tools for achieving sustainability goals. The conceptual frameworks for assessing the social dimension need further refinement to be effective. The paper argues for a balanced integration of centralisation and decentralisation, proposing a dual strategy that emphasizes the development of interoperable technologies. It calls for further research, policy development and widespread implementation to promote decentralised solutions in urban water management and pave the way for sustainable urban ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina Ribarova
- University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodezy, 1 Chr. Smirnensku Blvd., 1046, Sofia, Centre of Competence "Clean&Circle", Bulgaria.
| | - Vasileia Vasilaki
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Imperial College London, Skempton Building, South Kensington, London, SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom.
| | - Evina Katsou
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Imperial College London, Skempton Building, South Kensington, London, SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom.
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Jiao F, Zhang X, Zhang T, Hu Y, Lu R, Ma G, Chen T, Guo H, Li D, Pan Y, Li YY, Kong Z. Insights into carbon-neutral treatment of rural wastewater by constructed wetlands: A review of current development and future direction. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024:119796. [PMID: 39147183 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.119796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2024] [Revised: 07/27/2024] [Accepted: 08/12/2024] [Indexed: 08/17/2024]
Abstract
In recent years, with the global rise in awareness regarding carbon neutrality, the treatment of wastewater in rural areas is increasingly oriented towards energy conservation, emission reduction, low-carbon output, and resource utilization. This paper provides an analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of the current low-carbon treatment process of low-carbon treatment for rural wastewater. Constructed wetlands (CWs) are increasingly being considered as a viable option for treating wastewater in rural regions. In pursuit of carbon neutrality, advanced carbon-neutral bioprocesses are regarded as the prospective trajectory for achieving carbon-neutral treatment of rural wastewater. The incorporation of CWs with emerging biotechnologies such as sulfur-based autotrophic denitrification (SAD), pyrite-based autotrophic denitrification (PAD), and anaerobic ammonia oxidation (anammox) enables efficient removal of nitrogen and phosphorus from rural wastewater. The advancement of CWs towards improved removal of organic and inorganic pollutants, sustainability, minimal energy consumption, and low carbon emissions is widely recognized as a viable low-carbon approach for achieving carbon-neutral treatment of rural wastewater. This study offers novel perspectives on the sustainable development of wastewater treatment in rural areas within the framework of achieving carbon neutrality in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feifei Jiao
- Suzhou National Joint Laboratory of Green and Low-carbon Wastewater Treatment and Resource Utilization, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China; National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Municipal Sewage Resource Utilization Technology, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China
| | - Xinzheng Zhang
- Suzhou National Joint Laboratory of Green and Low-carbon Wastewater Treatment and Resource Utilization, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China; National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Municipal Sewage Resource Utilization Technology, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China
| | - Tao Zhang
- College of Design and Innovation, Shanghai International College of Design & Innovation, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Yong Hu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, 211816, China
| | - Rui Lu
- School of Environmental and Biological Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210094, China
| | - Guangyi Ma
- Suzhou National Joint Laboratory of Green and Low-carbon Wastewater Treatment and Resource Utilization, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China; National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Municipal Sewage Resource Utilization Technology, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China
| | - Tao Chen
- Suzhou National Joint Laboratory of Green and Low-carbon Wastewater Treatment and Resource Utilization, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China; National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Municipal Sewage Resource Utilization Technology, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China
| | - Hongbo Guo
- Suzhou National Joint Laboratory of Green and Low-carbon Wastewater Treatment and Resource Utilization, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China; National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Municipal Sewage Resource Utilization Technology, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China
| | - Dapeng Li
- Suzhou National Joint Laboratory of Green and Low-carbon Wastewater Treatment and Resource Utilization, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China; National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Municipal Sewage Resource Utilization Technology, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China
| | - Yang Pan
- Suzhou National Joint Laboratory of Green and Low-carbon Wastewater Treatment and Resource Utilization, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China; National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Municipal Sewage Resource Utilization Technology, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China
| | - Yu-You Li
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, 6-6-06 Aza-Aoba, Aramaki, Aoba Ward, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8579, Japan
| | - Zhe Kong
- Suzhou National Joint Laboratory of Green and Low-carbon Wastewater Treatment and Resource Utilization, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China; National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Municipal Sewage Resource Utilization Technology, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China.
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3
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Reynaert E, Sylvestre É, Morgenroth E, Julian TR. Greywater recycling for diverse collection scales and appliances: Enteric pathogen log-removal targets and treatment trains. WATER RESEARCH 2024; 264:122216. [PMID: 39146850 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.122216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2024] [Revised: 07/29/2024] [Accepted: 08/03/2024] [Indexed: 08/17/2024]
Abstract
In light of increasingly diverse greywater reuse applications, this study proposes risk-based log-removal targets (LRTs) to aid the selection of treatment trains for greywater recycling at different collection scales, including appliance-scale reuse of individual greywater streams. An epidemiology-based model was used to simulate the concentrations of prevalent and treatment-resistant reference pathogens (protozoa: Giardia and Cryptosporidium spp., bacteria: Salmonella and Campylobacter spp., viruses: rotavirus, norovirus, adenovirus, and Coxsackievirus B5) in the greywater streams for collection scales of 5-, 100-, and a 1000-people. Using quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA), we calculated LRTs to meet a health benchmark of 10-4 infections per person per year over 10'000 Monte Carlo iterations. LRTs were highest for norovirus at the 5-people scale and for adenovirus at the 100- and 1000-people scales. Example treatment trains were designed to meet the 95 % quantiles of LRTs. Treatment trains consisted of an aerated membrane bioreactor, chlorination, and, if required, UV disinfection. In most cases, rotavirus, norovirus, adenovirus and Cryptosporidium spp. determined the overall treatment train requirements. Norovirus was most often critical to dimension the chlorination (concentration × time values) and adenovirus determined the required UV dose. Smaller collection scales did not generally allow for simpler treatment trains due to the high LRTs associated with viruses, with the exception of recirculating washing machines and handwashing stations. Similarly, treating greywater sources individually resulted in lower LRTs, but the lower required LRTs nevertheless did not generally allow for simpler treatment trains. For instance, LRTs for a recirculating washing machine were around 3-log units lower compared to LRTs for indoor reuse of combined greywater (1000-people scale), but both scenarios necessitated treatment with a membrane bioreactor, chlorination and UV disinfection. However, simpler treatment trains may be feasible for small-scale and application-scale reuse if: (i) less conservative health benchmarks are used for household-based systems, considering the reduced relative importance of treated greywater in pathogen transmission in households, and (ii) higher log-removal values (LRVs) can be validated for unit processes, enabling simpler treatment trains for a larger number of appliance-scale reuse systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Reynaert
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland; ETH Zürich, Institute of Environmental Engineering, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Émile Sylvestre
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Eberhard Morgenroth
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland; ETH Zürich, Institute of Environmental Engineering, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Timothy R Julian
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland; Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland; University of Basel, 4055 Basel, Switzerland.
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Mohit A, Remya N. Low-Cost Greywater Treatment Using Polyculture Microalgae-Microalgal Growth, Organics, and Nutrient Removal Subject to pH and Temperature Variations During the Treatment. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 2024; 196:2728-2740. [PMID: 36692649 DOI: 10.1007/s12010-023-04371-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Organics and nutrient removal studies are rarely done using polyculture microalgae, and that too in outdoor conditions, as they are often not deemed effective for wastewater treatment purposes. This study examined the organics and nutrient removal efficiency of polyculture microalgae cultivated in greywater. The reactor was operated in outdoor conditions. Hence, it was subjected to natural pH and temperature variations. A growth rate of 0.05 g L-1 day-1 was observed for temperatures up to 37 °C, beyond which the growth rate declined by 0.07 g L-1 day-1. During the treatment, the pH of the system was observed to be between 7.4 and 8.4. However, the growth rate would again pick up (0.05 g L-1 day-1) when the pH and temperature moved towards the optimum range, indicating that the polycultures adapt very quickly to their environment. The maximum biomass concentration reached 0.82 gL-1. The highest removal efficiency of organic carbon, ammonia, and phosphate was 80.7, 61.9, and 58.4%, respectively. Nitrate and nitrite concentrations remained ≤ 1.3 mgL-1 and ≤ 2 mgL-1, respectively, indicating the absence of nitrification/denitrification and ammonia volatilization. The mass balance of microalgae indicated that the primary removal mechanism of nitrogen and phosphorus removal was assimilation by the microalgae. The study proved polyculture microalgae to be as effective as some monoculture species in wastewater treatment, which require costlier controlled growth conditions. The high organics and nutrient removal by polycultures in outdoor conditions could pave the way to reducing wastewater treatment costs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aggarwal Mohit
- School of Infrastructure, Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, 752050, India
| | - Neelancherry Remya
- School of Infrastructure, Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, 752050, India.
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5
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Hube S, Zaqout T, Ögmundarson Ó, Andradóttir HÓ, Wu B. Constructed wetlands with recycled concrete for wastewater treatment in cold climate: Performance and life cycle assessment. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 904:166778. [PMID: 37660828 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated the technical, environmental, and economic feasibility of using recycled construction material (concrete) as substrate in constructed wetlands for cold climate decentralized domestic wastewater treatment. The wastewater treatment efficiency was examined, and life cycle assessment (LCA) and cost benefit analysis were performed. The technical feasibility was assessed in lab-scale two-stage wetland systems with recycled concrete or lava stone as substrates, which were operated at 22 °C and 5 °C with local wild plants and vegetables. The wetlands removed ∼85 % and ∼51 % of organics and ∼67 % and ∼34 % TN at 22 °C and 5 °C, respectively; no significant difference was found between concrete and lava stone. The heavy metal contents in the cultivated vegetables met WHO standards for human consumption, showing the feasibility of nutrient recovery from the treated wastewater. A comparative LCA of septic tank standalone, septic tank + constructed wetland (with recycled concrete), and gravity-driven ceramic membrane (GDCM) system was performed. This aims to illustrate the benefits of intensifying the existing treatment process (i.e., septic tank) with the constructed wetland, with an alternative membrane-based treatment technique as benchmark. The LCA results revealed that using waste materials as the substrate in constructed wetlands could reduce the environmental impact of wetlands. Installation of the wetland as posttreatment of the septic tank (1) could reduce ∼50 % of eutrophication potential without increasing global warming impact compared to the septic tank alone; (2) had ∼90 % higher global warming impact and ∼40 % lower eutrophication impact compared to GDCM. Economic analysis revealed that the total cost of septic tank + constructed wetland (0.143 €/m3) was comparable to the septic tank alone (merely 3.5 % difference), and 49 % lower than that of GDCM (with recycled membranes). Therefore, the septic tank + constructed wetland scenario could be favorable for sensitive areas with eutrophication potential regarding its technical, economical, and environmental feasibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selina Hube
- Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Iceland, Hjardarhagi 2-6, IS-107 Reykjavík, Iceland.
| | - Tarek Zaqout
- Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Iceland, Hjardarhagi 2-6, IS-107 Reykjavík, Iceland
| | - Ólafur Ögmundarson
- Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Iceland, Aragata 14, 102 Reykjavík, Iceland
| | - Hrund Ólöf Andradóttir
- Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Iceland, Hjardarhagi 2-6, IS-107 Reykjavík, Iceland
| | - Bing Wu
- Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Iceland, Hjardarhagi 2-6, IS-107 Reykjavík, Iceland
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6
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Pasciucco F, Pecorini I, Iannelli R. Centralization of wastewater treatment in a tourist area: A comparative LCA considering the impact of seasonal changes. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 897:165390. [PMID: 37423286 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Revised: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Nowadays, environmental protection has become a topic of primary importance, and the interest in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) has increased due to the need for a paradigm shift from linear to circular economy. The centralization level of wastewater infrastructure is the basis for a successful system. The aim of this study was to investigate the environmental impacts generated from the centralized treatment of wastewater in a tourist area in central Italy. The combined use of BioWin 6.2 simulation software and life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology was implemented to evaluate the potential connection of a small decentralized WWTP to a medium-size centralized facility. Two different scenarios (decentralized system, corresponding to the current situation, and centralized) were evaluated in two separate periods: high season (HS), corresponding to the main tourist season, and low season (LS), which is the period before the main tourist season. Two sensitivity analyses were conducted, assuming different N2O emission factors, and considering the period at the end of tourist season, respectively. Although with modest advantages (up to -6 % in pollutant emissions), WWTP connection was the best management option in 10 out of 11 indicators in HS, and 6 out of 11 categories in LS. The study showed that wastewater centralization was promoted by scale factors in HS, as the most impactful consumptions decreased as the degree of centralization increased; on the other hand, the decentralized system was less penalized in LS, as small WWTP was less stressed and energy consuming in this period. Sensitivity analysis confirmed the results obtained. Site-specific conditions can lead to conflicting circumstances, as key parameters may have different behaviors depending on seasonal variations, and the degree of centralization in tourist areas should be addressed by distinguishing separate periods, based on changes in tourist flows and pollution loads.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Pasciucco
- Department of Energy, Systems, Territory and Construction Engineering (DESTEC), University of Pisa, 56122 Pisa, Italy.
| | - Isabella Pecorini
- Department of Energy, Systems, Territory and Construction Engineering (DESTEC), University of Pisa, 56122 Pisa, Italy.
| | - Renato Iannelli
- Department of Energy, Systems, Territory and Construction Engineering (DESTEC), University of Pisa, 56122 Pisa, Italy.
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Van de Walle A, Kim M, Alam MK, Wang X, Wu D, Dash SR, Rabaey K, Kim J. Greywater reuse as a key enabler for improving urban wastewater management. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND ECOTECHNOLOGY 2023; 16:100277. [PMID: 37206314 PMCID: PMC10188637 DOI: 10.1016/j.ese.2023.100277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Sustainable water management is essential to guaranteeing access to safe water and addressing the challenges posed by climate change, urbanization, and population growth. In a typical household, greywater, which includes everything but toilet waste, constitutes 50-80% of daily wastewater generation and is characterized by low organic strength and high volume. This can be an issue for large urban wastewater treatment plants designed for high-strength operations. Segregation of greywater at the source for decentralized wastewater treatment is therefore necessary for its proper management using separate treatment strategies. Greywater reuse may thus lead to increased resilience and adaptability of local water systems, reduction in transport costs, and achievement of fit-for-purpose reuse. After covering greywater characteristics, we present an overview of existing and upcoming technologies for greywater treatment. Biological treatment technologies, such as nature-based technologies, biofilm technologies, and membrane bioreactors (MBR), conjugate with physicochemical treatment methods, such as membrane filtration, sorption and ion exchange technologies, and ultraviolet (UV) disinfection, may be able to produce treated water within the allowable parameters for reuse. We also provide a novel way to tackle challenges like the demographic variance of greywater quality, lack of a legal framework for greywater management, monitoring and control systems, and the consumer perspective on greywater reuse. Finally, benefits, such as the potential water and energy savings and sustainable future of greywater reuse in an urban context, are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arjen Van de Walle
- Center for Microbial Ecology and Technology, Ghent University, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Minseok Kim
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Program of Environmental and Polymeric Engineering, Inha University, 22212, Incheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Md Kawser Alam
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Program of Environmental and Polymeric Engineering, Inha University, 22212, Incheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Xiaofei Wang
- Center for Microbial Ecology and Technology, Ghent University, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Di Wu
- Center for Environmental and Energy Research, Ghent University Global Campus, 119-5, Incheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Smruti Ranjan Dash
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Program of Environmental and Polymeric Engineering, Inha University, 22212, Incheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Korneel Rabaey
- Center for Microbial Ecology and Technology, Ghent University, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
- Corresponding author.
| | - Jeonghwan Kim
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Program of Environmental and Polymeric Engineering, Inha University, 22212, Incheon, Republic of Korea
- Corresponding author.
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8
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Oviedo-Ocaña ER, Abendroth C, Domínguez IC, Sánchez A, Dornack C. Life cycle assessment of biowaste and green waste composting systems: A review of applications and implementation challenges. WASTE MANAGEMENT (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2023; 171:350-364. [PMID: 37708800 DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2023.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Revised: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
Composting is one of the most widely applied methods for recycling organic waste. This process has been proposed as one option that facilitates the reincorporation of materials into the production cycle. However, composting also generates environmental impacts. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is the most common approach to evaluate the environmental impacts of a process at different system stages. Nevertheless, applying LCA in composting facilities is challenging due to the extensive information required, the lack of standardization on the initial assumptions, the definition of system boundaries, and the high diversity of existing composting technologies. This paper systematically reviews LCA studies in biowaste and/or green waste composting. The study highlights the challenges that should be met in order to improving the application of LCA to evaluate the environmental impacts of this type or waste treatment strategy. The review protocol used identified 456 papers published between 2010 and 2022. After the screening, 56 papers were selected, read, and thoroughly analyzed. The results show that: i) about 68% of the studies aimed to compare composting with other solid waste management options; ii) there was a wide diversity among the impact categories considered, which predominantly included climate change and ozone depletion; iii) there was no consensus on the functional unit or the system boundaries; iv) the main gaseous emissions studied were ammonia, methane, and nitrogen oxide, which were generally determined by emission factors; v) the avoided environmental impacts associated with the end-product quality and its application as an organic amendment or soil improver were ignored. This work demonstrates the complexity of conducting credible and valid composting LCA studies and proposes seven recommendations for improving the application of this assessment methodology to analyze this waste management alternative.
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Affiliation(s)
- E R Oviedo-Ocaña
- Universidad Industrial de Santander, Facultad de Ingenierías Fisicomecánicas, Grupo de Investigación en Recurso Hídrico y Saneamiento Ambiental - GPH, Carrera 27 Calle 9 Ciudad Universitaria Bucaramanga, Colombia
| | - C Abendroth
- Technische Universität Dresden, Institute of Waste Management and Circular Economy, Pratzschwitzer Str. 15. 01796 Pirna, Germany; Brandenburg Technical University Cottbus-Senftenberg, Faculty of Environment and Natural Sciences, Lehrgebäude 4 A R2.25, Siemens-Halske-Ring 8 03046 Cottbus, Germany
| | - I C Domínguez
- Universidad Industrial de Santander, Facultad de Ingenierías Fisicomecánicas, Grupo de Investigación en Recurso Hídrico y Saneamiento Ambiental - GPH, Carrera 27 Calle 9 Ciudad Universitaria Bucaramanga, Colombia
| | - A Sánchez
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Department of Chemical Engineering, Composting Research Group, 08193, Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain.
| | - C Dornack
- Technische Universität Dresden, Institute of Waste Management and Circular Economy, Pratzschwitzer Str. 15. 01796 Pirna, Germany
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Tian H, Liu J, Zhang Y, Liu Q. Stress response and signalling of a low-temperature bioaugmentation system in decentralized wastewater treatment: Degradation characteristics, community structure, and bioaugmented mechanisms. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 342:118257. [PMID: 37290305 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Low temperatures present challenges for stable wastewater treatment operations in cold regions. Low-temperature effective microorganisms (LTEM) were added as a bioaugmentation strategy at a decentralized treatment facility to improve performance. The effects of a low-temperature bioaugmentation system (LTBS) with LTEM at low temperatures (4 °C) on organic pollutant performance, microbial community changes, and the metabolic pathways of functional genes and functional enzymes were studied. To explore the bioaugmentation mechanism of LTBS based on stress response and signalling. The results showed that the start-up time of the LTBS (S2) with LTEM was shorter (8 days) and that it removed COD and NH4+-N at higher rates (87 % and 72 %, respectively) at 4 °C. LTEM effectively degraded complex macromolecular organics into small molecular organics, and decomposing sludge flocs and the changing the extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) structure removed more organics and nitrogen. LTEM and local microbial communities (nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria) improved the ability of organic matter degradation and denitrification of the LTBS and formed a core microbial community dominated by LTEM (Bacillus and Pseudomonas). Finally, based on the functional enzymes and metabolic pathways of the LTBS, a low-temperature strengthening mechanism consisting of 6 cold stress responses and signal pathways under low temperatures was formed. This study demonstrated that the LTEM-dominated LTBS could provide an engineering alternative for future decentralized wastewater treatment in cold regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongyu Tian
- School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Beijing, 100083, China; Key Laboratory of Urban Stormwater System and Water Environment (Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture), Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100044, China
| | - Jianwei Liu
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Sustainable Urban Sewage System Construction and Risk Control, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing, 100044, China; Key Laboratory of Urban Stormwater System and Water Environment (Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture), Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100044, China.
| | - Yuxiu Zhang
- School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Beijing, 100083, China.
| | - Qianqian Liu
- School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Beijing, 100083, China
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10
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Pasciucco F, Pecorini I, Iannelli R. A comparative LCA of three WWTPs in a tourist area: Effects of seasonal loading rate variations. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 863:160841. [PMID: 36526170 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Although the wastewater treatment is a fundamental utility for the protection of human health and the environment, non-evident drawbacks are associated with it. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) located in tourist areas generally suffer from the seasonal increase in wastewater flow-rate and associated pollution loads. In this study, a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of three medium-size urban WWTPs, located in a tourist area in central Italy, was carried out. The study compared the environmental impacts generated by 1 m3 of treated wastewater in low season (LS) and high season (HS). All the material and energy flows involved in the operational phase of wastewater treatment were considered within the system boundaries, including the disposal or recovery treatment of the waste streams generated by the WWTPs, namely screenings, waste from grit removal and wastewater sludge. The analysis was conducted using almost only real data from full-scale plants. In each WWTP, the environmental impacts produced in HS were higher than those generated in LS; therefore, the environmental impacts increased as the loading rate increased. Furthermore, a correlation between WWTP size and environmental performance was observed. Indeed, in 8 out of 11 environmental indicators, the percentage increase in pollutant emissions due to wastewater treatment in HS decreased as the WWTP size increased. Results revealed that larger WWTPs suffered less from seasonal loading rate variations, showing greater flexibility. The existence of a scale factor suggests that the centralization of WWTPs in tourist areas can be an option to enable better treatment performance in terms of environmental impacts. A sensitivity analysis was performed, increasing N2O emission factors from wastewater treatment in LS: considering a 75 % increase, the outcomes found in default LCA were not confirmed. Future research should investigate the operational factors and biological mechanisms that most affect wastewater treatment when significant seasonal variations are present.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Pasciucco
- Department of Energy, Systems, Territory and Construction Engineering (DESTEC), University of Pisa, 56122 Pisa, Italy.
| | - Isabella Pecorini
- Department of Energy, Systems, Territory and Construction Engineering (DESTEC), University of Pisa, 56122 Pisa, Italy.
| | - Renato Iannelli
- Department of Energy, Systems, Territory and Construction Engineering (DESTEC), University of Pisa, 56122 Pisa, Italy.
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11
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Ultrasonication-assisted Fouling Control during Ceramic Membrane Filtration of Primary Wastewater under Gravity-driven and Constant Flux Conditions. Sep Purif Technol 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2022.123083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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12
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Hu Z, Zheng M, Hu S, Hong PY, Zhang X, Prodanovic V, Zhang K, Pikaar I, Ye L, Deletic A, Yuan Z. Electrochemical iron production to enhance anaerobic membrane treatment of wastewater. WATER RESEARCH 2022; 225:119202. [PMID: 36215837 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.119202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 10/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Although iron salts such as iron(III) chloride (FeCl3) have widespread application in wastewater treatment, safety concerns limit their use, due to the corrosive nature of concentrated solutions. This study demonstrates that local, electrochemical generation of iron is a viable alternative to the use of iron salts. Three laboratory systems with anaerobic membrane processes were set up to treat real wastewater; two systems used the production of either in-situ or ex-situ electrochemical iron (as Fe2+ and Fe2+(Fe3+)2O4, respectively), while the other system served as a control. These systems were operated for over one year to assess the impact of electrochemically produced iron on system performance. The results showed that dosing of electrochemical iron significantly reduced sulfide concentration in effluent and hydrogen sulfide content in biogas, and mitigated organics-based membrane fouling, all of which are critical issues inherently related to sustainability of anaerobic wastewater treatment. The electrochemical iron strategy can generate multiple benefits for wastewater management including increased removal efficiencies for total and volatile suspended solids, chemical oxygen demand and phosphorus. The rate of methane production also increased with electrochemically produced iron. Economic analysis revealed the viability of electrochemical iron with total cost reduced by one quarter to a third compared with using FeCl3. These benefits indicate that electrochemical iron dosing can greatly enhance the overall operation and performance of anaerobic membrane processes, and this particularly facilitates wastewater management in a decentralized scenario.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhetai Hu
- Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Min Zheng
- Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
| | - Shihu Hu
- Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Pei-Ying Hong
- Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, SA 23955, Saudi Arabia
| | - Xueqing Zhang
- Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Veljko Prodanovic
- Water Research Centre, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Kefeng Zhang
- Water Research Centre, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Ilje Pikaar
- School of Civil Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Liu Ye
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Ana Deletic
- Water Research Centre, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Engineering Faculty, Queensland University of Technology, QLD 4001, Australia
| | - Zhiguo Yuan
- Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
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13
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Lima PDM, Lopes TADS, Queiroz LM, McConville JR. Resource-oriented sanitation: Identifying appropriate technologies and environmental gains by coupling Santiago software and life cycle assessment in a Brazilian case study. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 837:155777. [PMID: 35545164 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Implementation of resource recovery technologies is becoming increasingly important, as humans are exhausting the world's natural resources. Recovering nutrients and water from wastewater treatment systems will play an important role in changing the current trends towards a circular economy. However, guidance is still needed to determine the most appropriate way to do this. In this study two decision-support tools, sanitation planning software (Santiago) and life cycle assessment (LCA), were applied to identify appropriate technologies and their environmental impacts. As a case study, current and alternative scenarios for a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in Campo Grande, west-central Brazil, were used. Among 12 scenarios provided by Santiago for efficient nutrient recovery, eight were selected for further assessment. The current WWTP system (UASB reactors) resulted in the highest negative impacts in two of nine assessment categories (freshwater and marine eutrophication), due to nutrient discharge to water. A source separation scenario with urine stored in a urine bank and co-composting of feces showed best overall performance. Electricity consumption played a crucial role for impacts in several categories, while water consumption was not significantly affected by choice of toilet. One Santiago scenario matched the most appropriate scenario with the best environmental performance, but the other seven scenarios were not as beneficial, indicating a need for some adjustments in the software. These results highlight the importance of performing LCA to compare alternative scenarios, even when using a tool designed to identify locally appropriate technologies. The results also indicate that the current wastewater treatment system has reasonable environmental performance, but could be improved if measures were taken to recover energy and reuse water.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priscila de Morais Lima
- Department of Energy and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Almas Allé 8, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden.
| | | | | | - Jennifer Rae McConville
- Department of Energy and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Almas Allé 8, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
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14
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Hube S, Lee S, Chong TH, Brynjólfsson S, Wu B. Biocarriers facilitated gravity-driven membrane filtration of domestic wastewater in cold climate: Combined effect of temperature and periodic cleaning. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 833:155248. [PMID: 35427614 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Revised: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
In this study, two lava stone biocarrier facilitated gravity-driven membrane (GDM) reactors were operated at ~8 °C and ~22 °C in parallel for treating primary wastewater effluent. Although the biocarrier reactor at 8 °C displayed less efficient removals of biodegradable organics than that at 22 °C, both GDM systems (without cleaning) showed comparable fouling resistance distribution patterns, accompanying with similar cake filtration constants and pore constriction constants by modelling simulation. Compared to the GDM at 8 °C, more foulants were accumulated on the GDM at 22 °C, but they presented similar soluble organics/inorganics contents and specific cake resistances. This indicated the cake layers at 22 °C may contain greater-sized foulants due to proliferation of both prokaryotes and eukaryotes, leading to a relatively less-porous nature. In the presence of periodic cleaning (at 50 °C), the cleaning effectiveness followed a sequence as ultrasonication-enhanced physical cleaning > two-phase flow cleaning > chemical-enhanced physical cleaning > physical cleaning, regardless of GDM operation temperature. However, significantly higher cake resistances were observed in the GDM system at 22 °C than those at 8 °C, because shear force tended to remove loosely-attached foulant layers and may compress the residual dense cake layer. The presence of periodic cleaning led to dissimilar dominant prokaryotic and eukaryotic communities in the cake layers as those without cleaning and in the lava stone biocarriers. Nevertheless, operation temperature did not influence GDM permeate quality, which met EU discharge standards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selina Hube
- Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Iceland, Hjardarhagi 2-6, IS-107 Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Seonki Lee
- Singapore Membrane Technology Centre, Nanyang Environment and Water Research Institute, Nanyang Technological University, 1 Cleantech Loop, Clean Tech One 06-08, S637141, Singapore; Department of Environmental Engineering, Korea Maritime & Ocean University, Busan 49112, Republic of Korea
| | - Tzyy Haur Chong
- Singapore Membrane Technology Centre, Nanyang Environment and Water Research Institute, Nanyang Technological University, 1 Cleantech Loop, Clean Tech One 06-08, S637141, Singapore; School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, S639798, Singapore
| | - Sigurður Brynjólfsson
- Faculty of Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Iceland, Hjardarhagi 2-6, IS-107 Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Bing Wu
- Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Iceland, Hjardarhagi 2-6, IS-107 Reykjavik, Iceland.
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15
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Cheng P, Jin Q. Performance evaluation of the emerging rural sewage treatment facilities in China. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:51623-51634. [PMID: 35247171 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-19467-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Urban water pollution has been well controlled by strict management in the past few decades in China. Thus, the central government started to place emphasis on rural water pollution, and increasing number of sewage treatment facilities have been constructed, and currently, they are operating in China. Therefore, thoroughly assessing the operating conditions and the performance of these facilities is important. This article analyzes life cycle assessment and life cycle cost to evaluate the environmental and economic performance of four common technologies to determine how the emerging rural sewage treatment facilities in China are running. The results showed that the plant-adopted anaerobic-anoxic-oxic process was an optimal scheme for lower environmental impact that was also cost-effective. All technologies had similar impacts on eleven environmental categories. Due to cement consumption during the construction phase and electricity consumption during the operation phase, the marine aquatic ecotoxicity potential was the greatest contributor, accounting for approximately 90% of the total potential impact. In addition, this research revealed that electricity consumption during the operation phase was responsible for almost all environmental impact categories, except for eutrophication potential and ozone layer depletion potential categories. Lastly, scenario analysis indicated that reusing treated water and adjusting power structure could be useful measures to promote the sustainable development of rural water environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panpan Cheng
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Qiang Jin
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Solid Waste Treatment and Resource Recovery, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
- China Institute for Urban Governance, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
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16
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Estévez S, González-García S, Feijoo G, Moreira MT. How decentralized treatment can contribute to the symbiosis between environmental protection and resource recovery. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 812:151485. [PMID: 34742805 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Challenges associated with the sustainability of the water cycle pose new opportunities for resource recovery and greater environmental protection. While centralized wastewater treatment plants must evolve in their design and operation to adapt to a scenario of increasing demand for water, resources and energy, the decentralized approach emerges as an option to be considered in small communities or developing residential areas where bioenergy production can be improved through the recovery of organic matter in segregated streams or where the investment in the sewer network for connection to a centralized facility may be technologically or economically unfeasible. The main objective of this work is to evaluate the environmental and economic profile of a hybrid-decentralized configuration for the purpose of efficient wastewater management and resource recovery and its comparative evaluation with the centralized treatment scenario. Beyond water reclamation, decentralized treatment offers the possibility of valorization of digestate streams as nutrient sources for horticultural or ornamental crops in the vicinity of the plant. Based on the results of the environmental profile, this manuscript shows that the decentralized treatment approach is in line with the philosophy and guidelines of the circular economy, as it allows the use of reclaimed water and biofertilizers under safe and environmental-friendly conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofía Estévez
- Department of Chemical Engineering, CRETUS, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
| | - Sara González-García
- Department of Chemical Engineering, CRETUS, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Gumersindo Feijoo
- Department of Chemical Engineering, CRETUS, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - María Teresa Moreira
- Department of Chemical Engineering, CRETUS, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
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17
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Athullya MK, Dineep D, Mathew ML, Aravindakumar CT, Aravind UK. Identification of micropollutants from graywater of different complexity and remediation using multilayered membranes. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:4206-4218. [PMID: 34405325 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-15516-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Graywater reuse is one of the important concepts in attaining water sustainability. A major challenge in this area is to realize various components present in graywater. The present study involves the identification of the chemical components of graywater collected from three different environments and to investigate the efficiency of removal of some of these chemical components using ultrafiltration membranes (polyelectrolyte multilayer (PEM) membranes). The chemical components were analyzed using liquid chromatography connected with quadrupole time-of-flight (UPLC-Q-ToF-MS). A number of micropollutants including surfactants and certain contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) were identified from these samples. Out of 16 compounds identified, 13 were surfactants and the remaining were caffeine, oxybenzone, and benzophenone. These surfactants are mostly the ingredients of various detergents. Low-pressure filtration studies of the collected samples were carried out utilizing chitosan/polyacrylic acid (CHI/PAA) multilayer membranes. A 5.5 bilayer membrane showed more than 95% rejection of the identified compounds in the selected samples and significant improvement in the water quality parameters. This demonstrates that the membrane used in this work is effective in the removal of various chemicals from graywater as well as enhancing the water quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manappillil K Athullya
- School of Environmental Sciences, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala, 686560, India
| | - Devadasan Dineep
- Inter University Instrumentation Centre, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala, 686560, India
| | - Mary L Mathew
- School of Environmental Sciences, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala, 686560, India
| | - Charuvila T Aravindakumar
- School of Environmental Sciences, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala, 686560, India.
- Inter University Instrumentation Centre, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala, 686560, India.
| | - Usha K Aravind
- School of Environmental Studies, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kochi, Kerala, 682022, India.
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18
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Rodríguez C, Sánchez R, Rebolledo N, Schneider N, Serrano J, Leiva E. Life cycle assessment of greywater treatment systems for water-reuse management in rural areas. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 795:148687. [PMID: 34328912 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Revised: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Water scarcity is a major concern worldwide. Population growth, as well as the intensive use of water resources for industrial and agricultural activities, among others, have caused water stress in various regions of the world. Rural areas are usually more affected due to water scarcity and a lack of sanitary infrastructure. The current practices associated with urban water management have been considered inefficient to respond to these problems. In recent years, the reuse of greywater has emerged as a promising and sustainable alternative. Several pilot greywater treatment systems have been implemented in rural areas of different countries, however, studies about the environmental impacts of these decentralized systems under different scenarios are lacking. In this work, the life cycle assessment of greywater treatment systems considering several scenarios was studied. Our results showed that the decrease in environmental impacts due to the saving of drinking water is more evident when the water supply is carried out through cistern trucks. This occurs because the environmental impact of land transport of water is extremely high and represents over 89% of the global warming indicator [kg CO2 eq] and 96% ozone depletion [kg CFC-11 eq] contributions of the system. Greywater treatment systems with backwashing and solar panels as a source of energy have lower environmental impacts, reducing CO2 and CFC emissions by 50% for the maintenance phase and by 85% (CO2) and 47% (CFC) for the operation phase. Furthermore, the acquisition of solar panels was economically feasible, with a payback of 19.7 years. This analysis showed the environmental feasibility of small-scale greywater treatment systems in rural areas affected by water scarcity. Furthermore, the proposed approach has contributed to understand the impact of greywater treatment systems in rural areas, which could become a support tool to integrate greywater reuse practices in different communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Rodríguez
- Departamento de Ingeniería Hidráulica y Ambiental, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Avenida Vicuña Mackenna 4860, Macul 7820436, Santiago, Chile; Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Facultad de Química y de Farmacia, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Avenida Vicuña Mackenna 4860, Macul 7820436, Santiago, Chile.
| | - Rafael Sánchez
- Instituto de Geografía, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Avenida Vicuña Mackenna 4860, Santiago 7820436, Chile.
| | - Natalia Rebolledo
- Fundación un Alto en el Desierto, Omar Elorza 704, Ovalle 1842274, Chile.
| | - Nicolás Schneider
- Fundación un Alto en el Desierto, Omar Elorza 704, Ovalle 1842274, Chile.
| | - Jennyfer Serrano
- Escuela de Biotecnología, Universidad Mayor, Camino La Pirámide 5750, Huechuraba, Santiago 8580745, Chile.
| | - Eduardo Leiva
- Departamento de Ingeniería Hidráulica y Ambiental, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Avenida Vicuña Mackenna 4860, Macul 7820436, Santiago, Chile; Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Facultad de Química y de Farmacia, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Avenida Vicuña Mackenna 4860, Macul 7820436, Santiago, Chile.
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19
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Shaikh IN, Ahammed MM. Effect of operating mode on the performance of sand filters treating greywater. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 28:38209-38223. [PMID: 33728602 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-13413-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
A long-duration laboratory study spanning more than 6 months was conducted to evaluate the effect of operating mode on the performance of sand filters for greywater treatment. Performance of saturated and unsaturated filters operated in continuous or intermittent mode was evaluated using settled real greywater. Effects of pause period and higher loading rate on their performance were also evaluated. Furthermore, the effect of the depth of the filter medium on the performance of the filters was also assessed. The saturated filters operated continuously or intermittently performed significantly better than the respective unsaturated filters. Saturated continuous (SC) and unsaturated intermittent (UI) filters were the best and worst performers amongst the different filters. SC filter removed on an average 98% turbidity, 76% BOD, 88% COD, 84% ammonia-N (NH4-N) and 95% phosphate (PO4-P). Up to 99.68% (2.40 log) removal of faecal coliforms was also achieved by this filter. SC filter showed stable and reliable performance as its effluent quality was insensitive to fluctuations in influent quality. The pause period significantly affected the removal of some of the parameters. Doubling the hydraulic loading rate significantly affected the performance of continuous filters. Though most of the pollutant removal occurred in the top 10 cm in all the filters, a depth of 50 cm was found optimum for the removal of different pollutants. Whilst all the filters produced effluent conforming to different reuse standards except microbial standards, saturated continuous filter (SC) could also meet the faecal coliform standards towards the end of the filter operation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irshad N Shaikh
- Civil Engineering Department, Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology, Surat, 395007, India
| | - M Mansoor Ahammed
- Civil Engineering Department, Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology, Surat, 395007, India.
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20
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Kumar A, Thanki A, Padhiyar H, Singh NK, Pandey S, Yadav M, Yu ZG. Greenhouse gases emission control in WWTS via potential operational strategies: A critical review. CHEMOSPHERE 2021; 273:129694. [PMID: 33524744 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.129694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2020] [Revised: 01/16/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Greenhouse gases (GHGs; particularly, CO2, CH4, and N2O) emission from wastewater treatment systems (WWTS) is one of the inevitable concerns for sustainable development. This indicator is directly linked with the carbon footprint and potential impacts of WWTS on climate change. In this view, various modeling, design, and operational tools have been introduced to mitigate the WWTS associated GHGs, at regional and global scales. In this study, authors have critically reviewed the selected potential operational control strategies for GHGs emission, particularly emitted from the operational stages of biological WWTS. The investigated operational control strategies and/or treatment configurations included intermittent aeration, varying dissolved oxygen, enhanced sludge retention time, coupled aerobic-anoxic nitrous decomposition operation, and microalgae integrated treatment process. Based on this analysis and considering the trade-off between treatment performance of WWTS and GHGs control, an integrated framework is also proposed for existing and upcoming WWTS. The findings of this study and proposed framework will play an instrumental role in mitigating the GHGs at various operational stages of WWTS. Future research works in this direction can lead to a better understanding of investigated operational GHGs emission control strategies in WWTS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit Kumar
- Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, School of Hydrology and Water Resources, Nanjing, 210044, China.
| | | | - Hirendrasinh Padhiyar
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Marwadi Education Foundation Group of Institutions, Rajkot, India.
| | - Nitin Kumar Singh
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Marwadi Education Foundation Group of Institutions, Rajkot, India.
| | - Siddhartha Pandey
- Department of Civil Engineering, GH Raisoni University, Amravati, Maharashtra, 444701, India.
| | - Manish Yadav
- Central Mine Planning and Design Institute, India.
| | - Zhi-Guo Yu
- Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, School of Hydrology and Water Resources, Nanjing, 210044, China.
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21
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Ho KC, Teow YH, Sum JY, Ng ZJ, Mohammad AW. Water pathways through the ages: Integrated laundry wastewater treatment for pollution prevention. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 760:143966. [PMID: 33341611 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Revised: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Rapid urbanization and the rising global population have led to the generation of substantial volumes of laundry wastewater. Accordingly, treatment of laundry wastewater has been advocated to curb water pollution and achieve water sustainability. However, technological limitations in treating (specifically) laundry wastewater and the lack of regulations governing the levels of contaminants for such discharges have been perennial problems. This review bridges the knowledge gap by delineating the feasibility of current technologies in laundry wastewater treatment and the experiences of various countries in adopting different approaches. Besides, the feasible methods for collecting laundry wastewater are elaborated. The development of the treatment technologies is highlighted, in which the integrated-treatment processes (physicochemical, biological, and combination of both) are critically discussed based on their functions and methods. A judicious selection of the technologies not only improves the energy efficiency and quality of the treated wastewater, but also mitigates capitals and operational costs. This is projected to enhance public acceptance towards the reuse of laundry wastewater. Thus, the comprehensive assessment herein is envisioned to insightfully guide national policymakers in exploring the viability of the technologies and water-recycling projects. Future research should focus on the techno-economic aspects of the treatment processes, especially their industrial scale-up.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kah Chun Ho
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, SEGi University, Kota Damansara, Selangor, Malaysia; Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
| | - Yeit Haan Teow
- Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia; Research Centre for Sustainable Process Technology (CESPRO), Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.
| | - Jing Yao Sum
- Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Technology and Built Environment, UCSI University, 56000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Zhe Jia Ng
- Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
| | - Abdul Wahab Mohammad
- Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia; Research Centre for Sustainable Process Technology (CESPRO), Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
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22
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Dewalkar SV, Shastri SS. Environmental and economic assessment of proposed on-site wastewater management system in multi-storey residential building. WATER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY : A JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION ON WATER POLLUTION RESEARCH 2020; 82:3003-3016. [PMID: 33341788 DOI: 10.2166/wst.2020.548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
In the present study, the concept of 'environmental floors' in the multi-storeyed building is proposed, where separate treatment of greywater by gravity-governed stabilization tank and blackwater by underground Malaprabha digester of the DOSIWAM (Decentralized On-Site Integrated WAste Management) system is carried out. The study evaluates the feasibility of the non-mechanised DOSIWAM system by comparing it with the mechanised activated sludge process (ASP) with the life cycle and cost assessment (LCA and LCCA) method. The LCA was carried out with the SimaPro software using the impact 2002+ method. Both systems served a multi-storeyed (G + 30) building with 890 population equivalent. The LCA results reveal that the non-mechanised DOSIWAM system has three to six times reduced environmental impacts than the ASP system in almost all impact categories. Although DOSIWAMS' weaker removal efficiency dominates in the results of aquatic eutrophication and acidification impact, the latter comparative economical assessment showed to be the most cost-effective alternative due to reduced land use cost, O&M cost, and benefits achieved with energy recovery in the form of biogas. The electricity and chemical consumption in the operation phase caused the highest environmental impact for the ASP system, whereas the production of clinker and steel are responsible for a detrimental impact in the construction phase of the DOSIWAM system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Snehal V Dewalkar
- Department of Civil Engineering, Sinhgad College of Engineering, Vadgaon (Budruk), Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, Maharashtra 411048, India E-mail:
| | - Sameer S Shastri
- Department of Civil Engineering, Sinhgad College of Engineering, Vadgaon (Budruk), Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, Maharashtra 411041, India
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Elhegazy H, Eid MMM. A state-of-the-art-review on grey water management: a survey from 2000 to 2020s. WATER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY : A JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION ON WATER POLLUTION RESEARCH 2020; 82:2786-2797. [PMID: 33341770 DOI: 10.2166/wst.2020.549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Water reuse can contribute to reducing pressures on water resources, as an important approach and practice, reducing the demand for potable water for purposes not requiring high quality water. With water resources being depleted and the demand for water increased, grey water reuse becomes more popular in order to preserve water worldwide. This paper presents a comprehensive review of all significant research and reviews existing case studies to review the present knowledge with respect to the characteristics of grey water. The main summary table covers 63 works that focus on the application of these methods to different fields of sustainable building design. Key fields are reviewed in detail: grey water, including water reuse; grey water recycling; water sustainability; building design optimization; and wastewater of several areas simultaneously, with particular focus on buildings. This research aims to introduce the review of the research that covered the grey water management. Various engineering databases, international journals, and conference proceedings were searched. International journals were searched for relevant research papers. This paper provides perspectives on grey water context in order to frame the breadth and multiple dimensions it encompasses, to summarize recent activities on selected relevant topics, and to highlight possible future directions in research and implementations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hosam Elhegazy
- Department of Structural Engineering and Construction Management, Future University in Egypt, Cairo, Egypt E-mail:
| | - Mohamed M M Eid
- Specialist of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering Department, Agricultural Engineering Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center (ARC), Cairo, Egypt
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Corominas L, Byrne DM, Guest JS, Hospido A, Roux P, Shaw A, Short MD. The application of life cycle assessment (LCA) to wastewater treatment: A best practice guide and critical review. WATER RESEARCH 2020; 184:116058. [PMID: 32771688 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2020.116058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Revised: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 06/13/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Life cycle assessment (LCA) has been widely applied in the wastewater industry, but inconsistencies in assumptions and methods have made it difficult for researchers and practitioners to synthesize results from across studies. This paper presents a critical review of published LCAs related to municipal wastewater management with a focus on developing systematic guidance for researchers and practitioners to conduct LCA studies to inform planning, design, and optimization of wastewater management and infrastructure (wastewater treatment plants, WWTPs; collection and reuse systems; related treatment technologies and policies), and to support the development of new technologies to advance treatment objectives and the sustainability of wastewater management. The paper guides the reader step by step through LCA methodology to make informed decisions on i) the definition of the goal and scope, ii) the selection of the functional unit and system boundaries, iii) the selection of variables to include and their sources to obtain inventories, iv) the selection of impact assessment methods, and v) the selection of an effective approach for data interpretation and communication to decision-makers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lluís Corominas
- Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Emili Grahit 101, 17003, Girona, Spain; Universitat de Girona, Girona, Spain.
| | - Diana M Byrne
- Department of Civil Engineering, University of Kentucky, 161 Raymond Building, Lexington, KY, 40506, United States
| | - Jeremy S Guest
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2331 Newmark Civil Engineering Laboratory, 205 N. Mathews Avenue, Urbana, IL, 61801, United States
| | - Almudena Hospido
- CRETUS Institute, Department of Chemical Engineering, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Spain, Rúa Lope Gómez de Marzoa, S/n., 15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Philippe Roux
- ITAP, Univ Montpellier, Irstea, Montpellier SupAgro, ELSA Research Group and ELSA-PACT Industrial Chair, Montpellier, France
| | - Andrew Shaw
- Black & Veatch, 4400 Post Oak Parkway, Suite 1200, Houston, TX, 77027, USA
| | - Michael D Short
- Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, South Australia, 5095, Australia
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Arden S, Morelli B, Schoen M, Cashman S, Jahne M, Ma X(C, Garland J. Human Health, Economic and Environmental Assessment of Onsite Non-Potable Water Reuse Systems for a Large, Mixed-Use Urban Building. SUSTAINABILITY 2020; 12:5459. [PMID: 32944297 PMCID: PMC7490829 DOI: 10.3390/su12135459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Onsite non-potable reuse (NPR) is being increasingly considered as a viable option to address water scarcity and infrastructure challenges, particularly at the building scale. However, there are a range of possible treatment technologies, source water options, and treatment system sizes, each with its unique costs and benefits. While demonstration projects are proving that these systems can be technologically feasible and protective of public health, little guidance exists for identifying systems that balance public health protection with environmental and economic performance. This study uses quantitative microbial risk assessment, life cycle assessment and life cycle cost analysis to characterize the human health, environmental and economic aspects of onsite NPR systems. Treatment trains for both mixed wastewater and source-separated graywater were modeled using a core biological process-an aerobic membrane bioreactor (AeMBR), an anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) or recirculating vertical flow wetland (RVFW)-and additional treatment and disinfection unit processes sufficient to meet current health-based NPR guidelines. Results show that the graywater AeMBR system designed to provide 100% of onsite non-potable demand results in the lowest impacts across most environmental and human health metrics considered but costs more than the mixed-wastewater version due to the need for a separate collection system. The use of multiple metrics also allows for identification of weaknesses in systems that lead to burden shifting. For example, although the RVFW process requires less energy than the AeMBR process, the RVFW system is more environmentally impactful and costly when considering the additional unit processes required to protect human health. Similarly, we show that incorporation of thermal recovery units to reduce hot water energy consumption can offset some environmental impacts but result in increases to others, including cumulative energy demand. Results demonstrate the need for additional data on the pathogen treatment performance of NPR systems to inform NPR health guidance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sam Arden
- Eastern Research Group, Lexington, MA 02421, USA
| | - Ben Morelli
- Eastern Research Group, Lexington, MA 02421, USA
| | - Mary Schoen
- Soller Environmental, Berkeley, CA 94703, USA
| | | | - Michael Jahne
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response, Cincinnati, OH 45268, USA
| | - Xin (Cissy) Ma
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response, Cincinnati, OH 45268, USA
| | - Jay Garland
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response, Cincinnati, OH 45268, USA
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Kozak S, Petterson S, McAlister T, Jennison I, Bagraith S, Roiko A. Utility of QMRA to compare health risks associated with alternative urban sewer overflow management strategies. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2020; 262:110309. [PMID: 32250792 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.110309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2019] [Revised: 01/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Wet weather sewer overflows pose potential short-term public health risks. With increasing populations, aging infrastructure and climate change, utilities are challenged with managing sewerage infrastructure to provide optimum outcomes. This study compared how modelled public health risk profiles could change under alternative sewer overflow management strategies during 12 and 24-month rainfall-runoff events. Specifically, existing conditions were compared with both a 'business-as-usual' (BAU) sewer upgrade and a more holistic 'effects-based planning' (EBP) approach based on pumped wet weather sewage overflows directed to a local receiving waterway. Options were compared based on their efficacy to reduce manhole overflows, recreational waterway guideline exceedances and downstream recreational waterway health risks estimated through a screening-level Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment (QMRA). Results indicated that the two management strategies would be equally effective in reducing the frequency, duration and volume of manhole sewer overflows, eliminating them in the 12-month scenarios and reducing them from >5000 m3 for the 24-month baseline scenario, to 23 and 35 m3 for BAU and EBP, respectively. Baseline, BAU and EBP scenarios produced similar hours of enterococci guideline exceedances, ranging from 1 to 4 h difference. The QMRA produced similar health risk profiles for downstream recreational waterway users for all design events, suggesting that sewer overflows are not the primary driver of public health risks during and immediately following high rainfall events. As such, QMRA provided evidence that an EBP strategy may be used to manage wet weather sewer overflows in lieu of an expensive BAU upgrade, without exacerbating the public health of downstream waterway users. Further investigation of the broader environmental health impacts of implementing this type of innovative approach is warranted. Nonetheless, this work highlights the value of integrating QMRA with other modelling approaches to guide and inform sewer overflow management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonya Kozak
- School of Medicine, Griffith University, Parklands Drive, Gold Coast, Australia; Cities Research Institute, Griffith University, Parklands Drive, Gold Coast, Australia.
| | - Susan Petterson
- School of Medicine, Griffith University, Parklands Drive, Gold Coast, Australia; Water & Health Pty Ltd, P.O. 648, Salamander Bay, 2317, Australia.
| | - Tony McAlister
- School of Medicine, Griffith University, Parklands Drive, Gold Coast, Australia; Water Technology, Level 3, 43 Peel Street, South Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
| | - Ian Jennison
- Queensland Urban Utilities, 2/15 Green Square Close, Brisbane, Australia.
| | - Sam Bagraith
- Queensland Urban Utilities, 2/15 Green Square Close, Brisbane, Australia.
| | - Anne Roiko
- School of Medicine, Griffith University, Parklands Drive, Gold Coast, Australia; Cities Research Institute, Griffith University, Parklands Drive, Gold Coast, Australia.
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Life Cycle Assessment of Community-Based Sewer Mining: Integrated Heat Recovery and Fit-For-Purpose Water Reuse. ENVIRONMENTS 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/environments7050036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Municipal sewage contains significant embedded resources in the form of chemical and thermal energy. Recent developments in sustainable technology have pushed for the integration of resource recovery from household wastewater to achieve net zero energy consumption and carbon-neutral communities. Sewage heat recovery and fit-for-purpose water reuse are options to optimize the resource recovery potential of municipal wastewater. This study presents a comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) focused on global warming potential (GWP), eutrophication potential (EUP), and human health carcinogenic potential (HHCP) of an integrated sewage heat recovery and water reuse system for a hypothetical community of 30,000 people. Conventional space and water heating components generally demonstrated the highest GWP contribution between the different system components evaluated. Sewage-heat-recovery-based district heating offered better environmental performance overall. Lower impact contributions were demonstrated by scenarios with a membrane bioreactor (MBR) and chlorination prior to water reuse applications compared to scenarios that use more traditional water and wastewater treatment technologies and discharge. The LCA findings show that integrating MBR wastewater treatment and water reuse into a district heating schema could provide additional environmental savings at a community scale.
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