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Gong Y, Zheng X, Liu G, Lam KL. Compiling life cycle inventories for wastewater-derived products. WATER RESEARCH 2024; 255:121439. [PMID: 38520775 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
With the paradigm shift in wastewater management from pollutant removal to resource recovery, more wastewater-derived products are emerging from different recovery pathways. It is becoming increasingly important to understand the potential environmental impacts of these products through life cycle assessment (LCA). This study aims to compile life cycle inventories of wastewater-derived products from the perspective of the product end users (e.g., agricultural sector, packaging industry), and to explore the challenges of their compilation. Using inventories from wastewater resource recovery LCA literature, we compiled an attributional inventory (88 sets) and a consequential inventory (33 sets) of three categories of wastewater-derived products - phosphorus compounds, nitrogen compounds, and biopolymers. The two inventories differ by the choices of system boundary, how foreground systems are being modelled, and how co-products are being handled. We found that while there is a large body of literature related to wastewater resource recovery LCA, very few studies (29 out of 174 for the three categories of products) are suitable for end users to successfully compile inventories of derived products. The inventories were assessed by the technology readiness level assessment, the data quality assessment, and the cumulative energy demand indicator. The inventories can be used directly by end users or served as "screening" inventories for end users to prioritize data collection effort. The identified challenges of inventory compilation include diverse recovery settings, the absence of baseline scenarios, the multifunctional nature of wastewater treatment plants, the lack of inventory transparency and completeness, and low technology readiness level for some recovery pathways. While established or emerging approaches exist to address most of these challenges for end users, wastewater resource recovery LCA practitioners can enhance their assessments to be more end-user-oriented. This can be achieved by including baseline non-recovery scenarios, disclosing detailed life cycle inventory by system components, and assessing a wide variety of operating scenarios. Addressing some of these compilation challenges would enhance the comprehensiveness and quality of wastewater-derived product inventories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxian Gong
- Division of Natural and Applied Sciences, Duke Kunshan University, Kunshan, Jiangsu, 215316, China; Research Centre for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China
| | - Xinyu Zheng
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215009, China
| | - Gang Liu
- Research Centre for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China.
| | - Ka Leung Lam
- Division of Natural and Applied Sciences, Duke Kunshan University, Kunshan, Jiangsu, 215316, China.
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2
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Singh BJ, Chakraborty A, Sehgal R. A systematic review of industrial wastewater management: Evaluating challenges and enablers. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 348:119230. [PMID: 37832302 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.119230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023]
Abstract
The study provides a systematic literature review (SLR) encompassing industrial wastewater management research from the past decade, examining enablers, challenges, and prevailing practices. Originating from manufacturing, energy production, and diverse industrial processes, industrial wastewater's handling is critical due to its potential to impact the environment and public health. The research aims to comprehend the current state of industrial wastewater management, pinpoint gaps, and outline future research prospects. The SLR methodology involves scouring the Scopus database, yielding an initial pool of 253 articles. Refinement via search code leaves 101 articles, followed by abstract screening that reduces articles to 79, and finally 66 well-focused articles left for thorough full-text examination. Results underscore the significance of regulatory frameworks, technological innovation, and sustainability considerations as cornerstones for effective wastewater management. However, substantial impediments like; inadequate infrastructure, resource constraints and the necessity for stakeholder collaboration still exist. The study highlights emerging research domains, exemplified by advanced technologies like nanotechnology and bioremediation, alongside the pivotal role of circular economy principles in wastewater management. The SLR offers an exhaustive view of contemporary industrial wastewater management, accentuating the imperative of an all-encompassing approach that integrates regulatory, technological, and sustainability facets. Notably, the research identifies gaps and opportunities for forthcoming exploration, advocating for interdisciplinary research and intensified stakeholder collaboration. The study's insights cater to policymakers, practitioners, and researchers, equipping them to address the challenges and capitalize on prospects in industrial wastewater management effectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bikram Jit Singh
- Mechanical Engineering Dept., MM Engineering College, Maharishi Markandeshwar Deemed to be University, Mullana, 133207, Ambala, Haryana, India
| | | | - Rippin Sehgal
- Department of Biotechnology Engineering, Ambala College of Engineering and Applied Research, Devsthali, Ambala-133101, Haryana, India
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Zhou X, Bai S, Zhao X, Yang J. From full life cycle assessment to simplified life cycle assessment: A generic methodology applied to sludge treatment. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 904:167149. [PMID: 37739077 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167149] [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: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023]
Abstract
Life cycle assessment is widely used to evaluate sludge treatment methods. However, detailed life cycle assessment is time-consuming and resource-intensive. In addition, the complex characteristics of sludge and the variety of treatment methods increase the difficulty of sludge treatment life cycle assessment. There is an urgent need to develop simplified life cycle assessment models to allow rapid decision-making. This study proposes a simplified method of sludge treatment life cycle assessment based on logistic regression analysis. The simplified model relies on the total environmental impact and very few or even a single input parameters. Contribution and data quality analysis were introduced to identify key input parameters and to obtain model training data. The method was eventually applied to traditional sludge treatment methods, showing that it can quickly and accurately predict environmental impact. Representative analysis showed that the model would be affected by technology and energy structure modification. It is hoped that this study will provide a reference and new perspectives for a simplified life cycle assessment of sludge treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, 150090 Harbin, China
| | - Shunwen Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, 150090 Harbin, China
| | - Xinyue Zhao
- College of Resource and Environment, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Jixian Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, 150090 Harbin, China.
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Mishima I, Yoshikawa N, Asakawa S, Noguchi Y, Amano K. Life-cycle analysis of environmental loads from household septic systems in Japan focusing on effluent water discharge. WATER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY : A JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION ON WATER POLLUTION RESEARCH 2023; 88:2719-2732. [PMID: 38096064 PMCID: wst_2023_370 DOI: 10.2166/wst.2023.370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
Various types of small-scale wastewater treatment systems are widely used in rural areas, and life-cycle assessment (LCA) should be performed to evaluate their environmental performance. In this study, septic systems were first classified into five categories based on their wastewater treatment performance. Effluent samples from actual systems were collected, and their water qualities were determined. A model to evaluate the environmental load from the septic systems using LCA methods was then established. The water-quality values obtained were input to the model, and the life-cycle environmental costs of the classified septic systems were calculated. The mean environmental load of the effluent during the operation stage was 37.6%, confirming that evaluation of an effluent discharge inventory using LCA, inspection, and water-quality monitoring to improve operations is critical for reducing the environmental load. The operation stage accounts for over 99% of the involved eutrophication, biological toxicity, and toxic chemicals, which are strongly related to the quality of the effluent. Evaluation of the effluent discharge inventory using LCA is of great significance, even for small-scale wastewater treatment systems. The set of procedures developed in this study can be used to calculate comprehensive environmental impacts at wastewater treatment plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iori Mishima
- Center for Environmental Science in Saitama, 914 Kamitanadare, Kazo 347-0115, Japan; Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, 255 Shimo-Okubo Sakura, Saitama 338-8570, Japan E-mail:
| | - Naoki Yoshikawa
- School of Environmental Science, The University of Shiga Prefecture, 2500 Hassaka-cho, Hikone 522-8533, Japan; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Ritsumeikan University, 1-1-1 Nojihigashi, Kusatsu 525-8577, Japan
| | - Susumu Asakawa
- Saitama-ken Environmental Analysis and Research Association, 1450-11 Kamiko Omiya, Saitama 330-0855, Japan
| | - Yuji Noguchi
- Saitama-ken Environmental Analysis and Research Association, 1450-11 Kamiko Omiya, Saitama 330-0855, Japan
| | - Koji Amano
- College of Gastronomy Management, Ritsumeikan University, 1-1-1 Nojihigashi, Kusatsu 525-8577, Japan
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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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Razman KK, Hanafiah MM, Mohammad AW, Agashichev S, Sgouridis S, AlMarzooqi F. Environmental performance of a photovoltaic brackish water reverse osmosis for a cleaner desalination process: A case study. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 896:165244. [PMID: 37394066 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Reverse osmosis (RO) membrane-based desalination system with various configurations has emerged as a critical option for reclaiming brackish water. This study aims to evaluate the environmental performance of the combination of photovoltaic-reverse osmosis (PVRO) membrane treatment system via life cycle assessment (LCA). The LCA was calculated using SimaPro v9 software with ReCiPe 2016 methodology and EcoInvent 3.8 database following the ISO 14040/44 series. The findings identified the chemical and electricity consumption at both the midpoint and endpoint level across all impact categories with terrestrial ecotoxicity (27.59 kg 1,4-DCB), human non-carcinogenic toxicity potential (8.06 kg 1,4-DCB) and GWP (4.33 kg CO2 eq) as the highest impacts for the PVRO treatment. As for the endpoint level, the desalination system affected human health, ecosystems and resources at 1.39 × 10-5 DALY, 1.49 × 10-7 species·year and 0.25 USD2013 respectively. The construction phase for the overall PVRO treatment plant was also assessed and impacted less significantly compared to the operational phase. Three different scenarios (i.e. S1: Grid input (Baseline); S2: Photovoltaic (PV)/Battery; S3: PV/Grid) based on different sources of electricity used were also compared as electricity consumption is one of the significant impacts in the operational phase. The study found that S2 had the lowest environmental impact, while S1 contributed the highest when both midpoint and endpoint approaches are considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khalisah Khairina Razman
- Department of Earth Sciences and Environment, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Marlia M Hanafiah
- Department of Earth Sciences and Environment, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia; Centre for Tropical Climate Change System, Institute of Climate Change, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia.
| | - Abdul Wahab Mohammad
- Chemical and Water Desalination Engineering Program, College of Engineering, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Sergey Agashichev
- Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) Research & Development Centre, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Sgouris Sgouridis
- Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) Research & Development Centre, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Faisal AlMarzooqi
- Centre for Membranes and Advanced Water Technology, Department of Chemical Engineering, Masdar Institute, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; Department of Chemical Engineering, Masdar Institute, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
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7
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Guo X, Guo F, Chen J, Xu C, Wu F, Bryan BA. Optimal pathways for upgrading China's wastewater treatment plants for achieving water quality standards at least economic and environmental cost. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 344:118397. [PMID: 37331313 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118397] [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: 04/02/2023] [Revised: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in China must be upgraded to meet new discharge standards, but this incurs both economic and environmental costs and benefits. To select the optimal upgrade pathway, we developed ten upgrade paths based on two common decision-making scenarios for WWTP upgrade in developing countries. Using model simulation, life-cycle assessment, life-cycle cost, and multiple-attribute decision-making, we incorporated the full costs and benefits associated with the construction and operation into the decision-making process. We used a weighting scheme of attributes for the three regions and ranked the upgrade paths using the technique for order preference by similarity to an ideal solution (TOPSIS). The results showed that constructed wetlands and sand filtration were advantageous in terms of lower economic costs and environmental impacts, while the denitrification filter pathways required less land. Optimal pathways differed by region, highlighting the importance of a detailed and integrated assessment of the costs and benefits of WWTP upgrade options over the full life cycle. Our findings can inform decision-making on upgrading China's WWTPs to meet stringent discharge standards and protect inland water and coastal environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100012, China; School of Environment, Liaoning University, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110036, China
| | - Fei Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100012, China; School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, Vic, 3125, Australia.
| | - Jialin Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100012, China
| | - Chengbin Xu
- School of Environment, Liaoning University, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110036, China
| | - Fengchang Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100012, China
| | - Brett A Bryan
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, Vic, 3125, Australia
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8
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Iqbal A, Zan F, Liu X, Chen G. Net zero greenhouse emissions and energy recovery from food waste: manifestation from modelling a city-wide food waste management plan. WATER RESEARCH 2023; 244:120481. [PMID: 37634458 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.120481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 07/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023]
Abstract
Food waste (FW) being a major solid waste component and of degradable nature is the most challenging to manage and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions (GHEs). Policymakers seek innovative approaches to achieve net zero objectives and recover resources from the FW which requires a comparative and holistic investigation of contemporary treatment methods. This study assessed the lifecycle of six alternative scenarios for reducing net GHEs and energy use potential from FW management in a metropolis, taking Hong Kong as a reference. In both impact categories, the business-as-usual (landfilling) was the worst-case scenario. The combined anaerobic digestion and composting (ADC) technique was ranked best in the global warming impact but was more energy intensive than anaerobic digestion with sludge landfilling (ADL). Incineration ranked second in net GHEs but less favourable for energy recovery from FW alone. The proposed integration of FW and biological wastewater treatment represented an enticing alternative. Integration by co-disposal and treatment with wastewater (CoDT-WW) performed above average in both categories, while anaerobic co-digestion with sewage sludge (AnCoD-SS) ranked fourth. The sensitivity analysis further identified critical parameters inherent to individual scenarios along with biogenic carbon emission and sequestration, revealing their significance on the magnitude of GHEs and scenarios' ranking. Capacity assessment of the studied treatment facilities showed a FW diversion potential of ∼60% while reducing the net GHEs by ∼70% compared to the base-case, indicating potential of net zero carbon emissions and energy footprint by increasing treatment capacity. From this study, policymakers can gain insights and guidelines for low-carbon urban infrastructure development worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asad Iqbal
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Water Technology Centre, Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Centre for Control & Treatment of Heavy Metal Pollution, The Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
| | - Feixiang Zan
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, MOHURD, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), Key Laboratory of Water and Wastewater Treatment (HUST), Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Xiaoming Liu
- School of Materials and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen Polytechnic, Guangdong, China
| | - Guanghao Chen
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Water Technology Centre, Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Centre for Control & Treatment of Heavy Metal Pollution, The Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China.
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Sharma A, Bhardwaj SK, Aggarwal RK, Sharma R, Agrawal G. Greenhouse gas emission potential of sewage treatment plants in Himachal Pradesh. Sci Rep 2023; 13:9675. [PMID: 37316643 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-36825-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent times, waste management has emerged as a significant environmental challenge, and sewage is among the major contributors due to the rapidly increasing population. Despite sewage treatment plants (STPs) being the solution for the treatment of sewage, they have been identified as sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This study aimed to estimate the contribution of STPs to GHG emissions in the state. This was achieved by visiting the sites, filling scientifically designed questionnaires, sample collection as well as computational methods by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The assessment of direct and indirect emissions from the STPs revealed that emissions were caused by the activated sludge process, electricity consumption, transportation, and sludge storage. Electricity consumption by STPs was responsible for the highest emissions, accounting for 43% of the total emissions, equivalent to 20,823 tCO2 eq. The activated sludge process contributed 31% (14,934 tCO2 eq) of the emissions, while storage of sludge in landfills accounted for 24% (11,359 tCO2 eq). Additionally, transportation contributed 2% (1121 tCO2 eq) of the emissions. In total, the STPs in Himachal Pradesh had the potential to contribute 48,237 tCO2 eq GHG emissions annually. Thus, the study suggests process-level modifications in STPs of Himachal Pradesh to mitigate GHG emissions. This research provides insight into the GHG emissions from STPs and highlights the need for their management to reduce environmental impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Apurva Sharma
- Department of Environmental Science, College of Forestry, Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan, India.
| | - Satish Kumar Bhardwaj
- Department of Environmental Science, College of Forestry, Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan, India
| | - R K Aggarwal
- Department of Environmental Science, College of Forestry, Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan, India
| | - Ravinder Sharma
- Department of Environmental Science, College of Forestry, Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan, India
| | - Ghanshyam Agrawal
- Department of Environmental Science, College of Forestry, Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan, India
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Conde JJ, Abelleira S, Estévez S, González-Rodríguez J, Feijoo G, Moreira MT. Improving the sustainability of heterogeneous Fenton-based methods for micropollutant abatement by electrochemical coupling. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 332:117308. [PMID: 36731404 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.117308] [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: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 01/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Advanced oxidation processes such as Fenton reaction-based processes have attracted great interest in recent years as a promising alternative for the removal of persistent pollutants in wastewater. The use of nanocatalysts in advanced oxidation processes overcomes the limitations of homogeneous Fenton processes, where acidic pH values are required, and a large amount of sludge is generated after treatment. Aiming at maximizing the catalytic potential of the process, different configurations include coupling photocatalysis or electrochemistry to Fenton reactions. This manuscript presents a comparative environmental and economic analysis of different heterogeneous Fenton-based process using magnetic nanoparticles: Fenton, photo-Fenton, electro-Fenton and photoelectron-Fenton. These alternatives encompass not only different reaction conditions but also varying degradation kinetics, which control the treatment capability in each specific case. It is not only important to determine the technological feasibility of the proposal based on the removal performance of the target compounds, but also to identify the environmental profile of each configuration. In this regard, the Life Cycle Assessment methodology was applied considering a combination of primary and secondary data from process modeling. Moreover, and aiming towards the future large-scale implementation of the technology, an economic analysis of each configuration was also performed to provide a better understanding about the costs associated to the operation of Fenton-based wastewater treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julio J Conde
- CRETUS, Department of Chemical Engineering, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
| | - Santiago Abelleira
- CRETUS, Department of Chemical Engineering, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Sofia Estévez
- CRETUS, Department of Chemical Engineering, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Jorge González-Rodríguez
- CRETUS, Department of Chemical Engineering, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Gumersindo Feijoo
- CRETUS, Department of Chemical Engineering, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Maria Teresa Moreira
- CRETUS, Department of Chemical Engineering, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
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11
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Zhang Y, Ni X, Wang H. Visual analysis of greenhouse gas emissions from sewage treatment plants based on CiteSpace: from the perspective of bibliometrics. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:45555-45569. [PMID: 36807038 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-25582-9] [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: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
With the global reduction actions of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, environmental facilities, including sewage treatment plants (STPs), need to reduce pollutants while minimizing GHG emissions. Therefore, more and more publications revealed the formation mechanism of GHGs in STPs and committed to finding better reduction schemes. From the perspective of bibliometrics, this study used CiteSpace to conduct quantitative and visual analysis based on 1,543 publications retrieved from Web of Science between 2000 and 2021 around the world. We have systematically evaluated the structure, development trend, hot spots, and research frontier in the field of GHG emissions from STPs and compared with the contents of top journals to verify the scientificity of the analysis. The results show that the number of publications has increased year by year, and the networks of authors and institutions show a strong correlation. Among them, the clusters of nitrous oxide, anaerobic digestion, and life cycle assessment (LCA) started earlier and received extensive attention, which derived other clusters in the research process. With the development of the field, researchers have gradually changed from single water treatment facilities to multi-carriers that can realize energy regeneration and utilization simultaneously. Accordingly, the GHG reduction of STPs through energy regeneration and resource recovery has become a hot point and frontier direction, which also challenges the breakthroughs in relevant technologies. Furthermore, it provides scientific support for the formulation of relevant incentive policies and economic subsidy systems, so as to alleviate the pressure of global warming and realize the sustainable development of STPs concurrently.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yidi Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, 1239 Siping Rd, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Xiaohang Ni
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, 1239 Siping Rd, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Hongtao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, 1239 Siping Rd, Shanghai, 200092, China.
- Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Rd, Shanghai, 200092, China.
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Lugo A, Bandara GLCL, Xu X, Penteado de Almeida J, Abeysiriwardana-Arachchige ISA, Nirmalakhandan N, Xu P. Life cycle energy use and greenhouse gas emissions for a novel algal-osmosis membrane system versus conventional advanced potable water reuse processes: Part I. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 331:117293. [PMID: 36657205 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.117293] [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: 07/17/2022] [Revised: 01/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
This study applied a life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology for a comparative environmental analysis between an innovative algae resource recovery and near zero-liquid discharge potable reuse system (i.e., the main system) versus a conventional potable reuse system (i.e., the benchmark system) through energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The objective of this study is to demonstrate that pilot-scale data coupled with LCA would provide valuable information for system optimization, integration, and improvements for the design of environmentally sustainable full-scale systems. This study also provides decision-makers valuable information regarding the energy demand and environmental impact of this innovative main system compared to a typical tried-and-true system for potable water reuse. The main system consists of a novel algal-based wastewater treatment coupled with a dual forward osmosis and seawater reverse osmosis (Algal FO-SWRO) membranes system for potable water recovery and hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) to recover biofuels and valuable nutrients from the harvested algal biomass. The benchmark system refers to the current industry standard technologies for potable water reuse and waste management including a secondary biological treatment, microfiltration (MF), brackish water reverse osmosis (BWRO), ultraviolet/advanced oxidation process (UV-AOP), and granular activated carbon (GAC), as well as anaerobic digestion for sludge treatment. Respective energy and GHG emissions of both systems were normalized and compared considering 1 m3 of water recovered. Based on an overall water recovery of 76% designed for the benchmark system, the energy consumption totaled 4.83 kWh/m3, and the system was estimated to generate 2.42 kg of CO2 equivalent/m3 with most of the emissions coming from the biological treatment. The main system, based on an overall water recovery of 88%, was estimated to consume 4.76 kWh/m3 and emit 1.49 kg of CO2 eq/m3. The main system has high environmental resilience and can recover bioenergy and nutrients from wastewater with zero waste disposal. With the application of energy recovery devices for the HTL and the SWRO, increase in water recovery of the FO membrane, and replacement of the SWRO membrane with BWRO, the main system provides an energy-competitive and environmentally positive alternative with an energy demand of 2.57 kWh/m3 and low GHG emissions of 0.94 kg CO2 eq/m3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdiel Lugo
- Civil Engineering Department, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, 88003, United States
| | | | - Xuesong Xu
- Civil Engineering Department, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, 88003, United States
| | | | | | - Nagamany Nirmalakhandan
- Civil Engineering Department, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, 88003, United States
| | - Pei Xu
- Civil Engineering Department, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, 88003, United States.
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13
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Chen R, Kong Y. A comprehensive review of greenhouse gas based on subject categories. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 866:161314. [PMID: 36603628 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.161314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations have continued to increase in the atmosphere and unequivocally warmed the climate system, and human activities contribute significantly to the growth impact. Various research puzzles and potential mitigation evidence involving GHG related research (GRR) need to be explored and deciphered from large-scale literature records to provide a whole picture and clear scientific view on the current state of GRR to promoting action on climate change. By combining Bibexcel-based bibliometrics with Pajek's social network analysis, we explore the literature statistics and interdisciplinary characteristics of GRR, and identify frequently debated topics in interdisciplinary by going deep into the texts of those classical literature. We found the trend of GRR's publications in the Environmental/Ecology group increased exponentially with an annual growth rate of 47.3 % and continue to expand in 13 subject categories. There are four types of relationships in the author cooperation, which gradually promote the cross-study of GHG in different subject categories, and the regional cooperation relations are relatively stable involving North America, Asia, Europe, Oceania, and South America. Those classical literature are widely distributed in six interdisciplinary categories, specifically 'Agronomy, Forestry and Zoology', 'Biodiversity Conservation and Ecology', 'Engineering, Environmental and Green & Sustainable Science & Technology', 'Geography and Remote Sensing', 'Limnology, Marine & Freshwater Biology and Water Resources', and 'Public, Environmental & Occupational Health'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ru Chen
- Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, China.
| | - Ying Kong
- Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, China
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14
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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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15
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Shiu HY, Lee M, Lin ZE, Chiueh PT. Dynamic life cycle assessment for water treatment implications. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 860:160224. [PMID: 36436640 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160224] [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: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 11/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Long-term impact tracking of urban water services is an important scientific basis for the sustainable development goals of future foreground systems. This study developed a dynamic life cycle assessment (DLCA) method that considers temporal variation and the resulting impacts to address the challenges of water treatment facilities based on the principles of life cycle assessment (LCA) and system dynamics (SD) models. The model was then demonstrated and validated for a water treatment facility in the Kinmen Islands, Taiwan. The SD model simulates long-term water demand in terms of growth in the domestic, agriculture, livestock, and manufacturing sectors, which provides specific inventory data for LCA calculations, with the aim of showing the impact change for future water treatment scenarios. The results showed that using imported water and reclaimed water reduced Kinmen's reliance on groundwater from 77 % to 43 % and reduced the vulnerability of urban water services. The environmental impact of water treatment plants is determined to be strongly related to the efficiency of water treatment. In the long run, wastewater treatment plants can reduce their impacts with an increase in efficiency (3.7 % impact reduction). Additionally, the development of reclaimed water technology and water savings can reduce the impact by 19 % and 13.7 %, respectively, compared to the implementation of desalination. In terms of energy policy, more profound energy savings were observed when energy saving and structure transformation were simultaneously carried out. On the other hand, desalination poses the most political risk and has energy-associated environmental impacts. The DLCA results from this study showcase the trend of impact variation over time and thus provide valuable insights for future policy-making in mapping out the benefits and priorities of policy promotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huan-Yu Shiu
- Graduate Institute of Environmental Engineering, National Taiwan University, 10617, Taiwan
| | - Mengshan Lee
- Department of safety, health and environmental engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, 824005, Taiwan
| | - Zih-Ee Lin
- Graduate Institute of Environmental Engineering, National Taiwan University, 10617, Taiwan
| | - Pei-Te Chiueh
- Graduate Institute of Environmental Engineering, National Taiwan University, 10617, Taiwan.
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16
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Safwat SM, Mohamed NY, El-Seddik MM. Performance evaluation and life cycle assessment of electrocoagulation process for manganese removal from wastewater using titanium electrodes. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 328:116967. [PMID: 36493542 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.116967] [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: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Excess manganese (Mn) concentrations can pose environmental and health risks. Currently, research on Mn removal by electrocoagulation (EC) using transition metal electrodes and the determination of its potential environmental impacts is limited. This study aims to assess the electrocoagulation process's performance with a titanium electrode as a sacrificial anode while also performing a life cycle assessment (LCA) of the process. The initial pH, current density (CD), electrode spacings, electrolyte types, concentrations, and electrode arrangement were all examined. For synthetic wastewater, most of the experiments used a concentration of Mn of 2 mg/L and sodium chloride as a supporting electrolyte at a concentration of 1 g/L. LCA software (OpenLCA 1.11) was used to assess the potential environmental impacts. Optimal operating conditions within the experimental range were as follows: initial pH = 7, CD = 10 mA/cm2, gap distance = 2 cm, and 1 g/L NaCl. Under these conditions, the maximum Mn removal efficiency was 96.5% after 60 min. There was an improvement of 2% rise after 60 min when the temperature increased from 20 °C to 40 °C. For real wastewater, the highest removal efficiencies for Mn and chemical oxygen demand after 60 min were 91.3% and 92%, respectively. The pseudo second order model provides the highest coefficient of determination for expressing the experimental data. Global warming, human non-carcinogenic toxicity, and terrestrial ecotoxicity were the most important categories of impact examined in this work according to the LCA (0.00064 kg CO2 eq, 0.00018 kg 1,4-DCB, and 0.00028 kg 1,4-DCB, respectively). To effectively remove Mn using EC with Ti electrodes, it appears that a period of electrolysis of 10 min would be sufficient under most of the conditions investigated in this study. The reduction in the electrolysis time will lead to a reduction in the operating costs of the system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Safwat M Safwat
- Sanitary & Environmental Engineering Division, Public Works Department, Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University, Giza, 12316, Egypt.
| | | | - Mostafa M El-Seddik
- Sanitary and Environmental Engineering, Civil Engineering Department, Institute of Aviation Engineering & Technology, Giza, 12815, Egypt
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17
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Life Cycle Assessment and Its Application in Wastewater Treatment: A Brief Overview. Processes (Basel) 2023. [DOI: 10.3390/pr11010208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
This paper provides a brief review on wastewater treatment system and the application of life cycle assessment (LCA) for assessing its environmental performance. An extensive review regarding the geographical relevance of LCA for WWTPs, and the evaluation of sustainable wastewater treatment by LCA in both developed and developing countries are also discussed. The objective of the review is to identify knowledge gap, for the improvement of the LCA application and methodology to WWTPs. A total of 35 published articles related to wastewater treatment (WWT) and LCA from international scientific journals were studied thoroughly and summarised from 2006 to 2022. This review found that there is lack of studies concerning LCA of WWTPs that consider specific local criteria especially in the developing countries. Thus, it is important to: (1) assess the influence of seasonality (i.e., dry and wet seasons) on the environmental impact of WWT, (2) investigate environmental impacts from WWTPs in developing countries focusing on the site-specific inventory data, and (3) evaluate environmental sustainability of different processes for upgrading the wastewater treatment system. The environmental impact and cost assessment aspects are crucial for the sustainable development of WWTP. Therefore, environmental impacts must be thoroughly assessed to provide recommendation for future policy and for the water industry in determining environmental trade-offs toward sustainable development.
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18
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Mathuriya AS, Ibrahim MG, Hosny S, Sonawane JM, Pandit S, Singh A. Life cycle assessment and cost-benefit analysis of internal-stack trickling bio-electrochemical reactor: an evaluation for commercial viability. ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY 2023; 44:1-11. [PMID: 34319858 DOI: 10.1080/09593330.2021.1961872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The present study reports a detailed life cycle assessment and cost-benefit analysis of a commercially viable Internal-Stack-Trickling Bio-Electrochemical Reactor (IS-TrickBER). IS-TrickBER used wastewater as a feedstock and converted that wastewater through electrochemical methods into low-grade fertilizer and produced electricity. IS-TrickBER was observed for its performance in terms of power output and wastewater treatment. IS-TrickBER exhibited up to 4.2 Wh net energy yield while treating 84.84L wastewater per day along with 92.17% COD removal and 38.23% Columbic efficiency during the operational run with real municipal wastewater. Based on daily net energy yield, up to 1457.6Wh yearly net energy yield can be expected. A comprehensive start-to-end life cycle assessment study associated with the manufacturing, and operational phases of IS-TrickBER was also conducted to ascertain its impact on the environment. The environmental impact through air emissions during the manufacturing stage can be minimized by changing the plastic balls used as packing material in the reactor. A detailed cost-benefit analysis was also conducted to understand its economic viability. Cost-benefit analysis of IS-TrickBER, based on net energy yield, shows that IS-TrickBER could compensate its installation cost within a few years. IS-TrickBER performed well in eliminating the chemical load of wastewater and simultaneous electricity generation. Due to its scalability, compactness, and low maintenance, IS-TrickBER can be a suitable candidate in real-time wastewater treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhilasha S Mathuriya
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Basic Sciences and Research, Sharda University, Greater Noida, India
| | - Mona G Ibrahim
- School of Energy Resources, Environment, Chemical and Petrochemical Engineering, Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology, Alexandria, Egypt
- Environmental Health Department, High Institute of Public health, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Sally Hosny
- School of Energy Resources, Environment, Chemical and Petrochemical Engineering, Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology, Alexandria, Egypt
| | | | - Soumya Pandit
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Basic Sciences and Research, Sharda University, Greater Noida, India
| | - Anoop Singh
- Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), Government of India, Technology Bhawan, New Mehrauli Road, New Delhi- India
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19
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Neumann P, Riquelme C, Cartes J, Kuschel-Otárola M, Hospido A, Vidal G. Relevance of sludge management practices and substance modeling in LCA for decision-making: A case study in Chile. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2022; 324:116357. [PMID: 36202036 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.116357] [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: 05/30/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Reducing the costs and environmental impacts of sludge management is currently one of the main challenges faced by the wastewater treatment sector. Anaerobic digestion followed by land application has been widely endorsed as a low-impact approach to sludge management, mainly due to the recovery of biogas and the valorization of digestate. However, the influence that the operational conditions of digestion and the management practices of land application can have over the environmental performance of this strategy has been scarcely studied. Furthermore, most of the previous studies dealing with the environmental assessment of this strategy use simplified methods for estimating emissions after land application of sludge, and the lack of systematic accounting of these environmental flows might significantly affect the validity and comparability of the results. Therefore, this work performed an assessment of the influence that 4 relevant practices can have over the environmental impacts of this approach in the context of south-central Chile, providing a mass-balanced inventory for nitrogen, phosphorus and heavy metals in soil based on the ad hoc implementation of models developed for agricultural Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). A total of 16 scenarios were defined and 10 impact categories were evaluated, with the results showing that the environmental impacts were greatly influenced by the variables under study. Overall, solids retention time and the inclusion of pre-treatment mainly influenced climate change, fossil resource depletion and terrestrial ecotoxicity potential, while sludge application rate influenced the eutrophication, water ecotoxicity and human toxicity categories. The type of crop in the receiving soil was a significant driver behind the differences observed in the human toxicity category, which showed the highest variation and relevance in the final weighted result. The results clearly highlight the relevance of using context specific data as well as of quantifying the fate of nutrients, metals and heavy metals during LCA of sludge management. Based on the results, some policy and decision-making recommendations are formulated to optimize the environmental performance of sludge digestion and land application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricio Neumann
- Basic Sciences Department, Faculty of Sciences, Universidad Del Bío-Bío, Chillán, Chile; Water Research Center for Agriculture and Mining (CRHIAM), ANID/FONDAP/15130015, Chile.
| | - Cristian Riquelme
- Basic Sciences Department, Faculty of Sciences, Universidad Del Bío-Bío, Chillán, Chile
| | - Javier Cartes
- Environmental Engineering & Biotechnology Group, Environmental Sciences Faculty & EULA-CHILE Center, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Mathias Kuschel-Otárola
- Department of Soils and Natural Resources, Faculty of Agronomy, Universidad de Concepción, Chillán, Chile
| | - Almudena Hospido
- CRETUS, Department of Chemical Engineering, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782, Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain
| | - Gladys Vidal
- Water Research Center for Agriculture and Mining (CRHIAM), ANID/FONDAP/15130015, Chile; Environmental Engineering & Biotechnology Group, Environmental Sciences Faculty & EULA-CHILE Center, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
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20
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Arashiro LT, Josa I, Ferrer I, Van Hulle SWH, Rousseau DPL, Garfí M. Life cycle assessment of microalgae systems for wastewater treatment and bioproducts recovery: Natural pigments, biofertilizer and biogas. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 847:157615. [PMID: 35901897 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to assess the potential environmental impacts associated with microalgae systems for wastewater treatment and bioproducts recovery. In this sense, a Life Cycle Assessment was carried out evaluating two systems treating i) urban wastewater and ii) industrial wastewater (from a food industry), with the recovery of bioproducts (i.e. natural pigments and biofertilizer) and bioenergy (i.e. biogas). Additionally, both alternatives were compared to iii) a conventional system using a standard growth medium for microalgae cultivation in order to show the potential benefits of using wastewater compared to typical cultivation approaches. The results indicated that the system treating industrial wastewater with unialgal culture had lower environmental impacts than the system treating urban wastewater with mixed cultures. Bioproducts recovery from microalgae wastewater treatment systems can reduce the environmental impacts up to 5 times compared to a conventional system using a standard growth medium. This was mainly due to the lower chemicals consumption for microalgae cultivation. Food-industry effluent showed to be the most promising scenario for bioproducts recovery from microalgae treating wastewater, because of its better quality compared to urban wastewater which also allows the cultivation of a single microalgae species. In conclusion, microalgae wastewater treatment systems are a promising solution not only for wastewater treatment but also to boost the circular bioeconomy in the water sector through microalgae-based product recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Larissa T Arashiro
- GEMMA - Group of Environmental Engineering and Microbiology, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya · BarcelonaTech, c/ Jordi Girona 1-3, Building D1, 08034 Barcelona, Spain; LIWET - Laboratory of Industrial Water and Ecotechnology, Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Ghent University Campus Kortrijk, Sint-Martens Latemlaan 2B, 8500 Kortrijk, Belgium
| | - Irene Josa
- GEMMA - Group of Environmental Engineering and Microbiology, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya · BarcelonaTech, c/ Jordi Girona 1-3, Building D1, 08034 Barcelona, Spain; C3S - Concrete Sustainability and Smart Structures, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya · BarcelonaTech, c/ Jordi Girona 1-3, Building D1, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ivet Ferrer
- GEMMA - Group of Environmental Engineering and Microbiology, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya · BarcelonaTech, c/ Jordi Girona 1-3, Building D1, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Stijn W H Van Hulle
- LIWET - Laboratory of Industrial Water and Ecotechnology, Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Ghent University Campus Kortrijk, Sint-Martens Latemlaan 2B, 8500 Kortrijk, Belgium
| | - Diederik P L Rousseau
- LIWET - Laboratory of Industrial Water and Ecotechnology, Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Ghent University Campus Kortrijk, Sint-Martens Latemlaan 2B, 8500 Kortrijk, Belgium
| | - Marianna Garfí
- GEMMA - Group of Environmental Engineering and Microbiology, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya · BarcelonaTech, c/ Jordi Girona 1-3, Building D1, 08034 Barcelona, Spain.
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21
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Amann A, Weber N, Krampe J, Rechberger H, Peer S, Zessner M, Zoboli O. Systematic data-driven exploration of Austrian wastewater and sludge treatment - implications for phosphorus governance, costs and environment. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 846:157401. [PMID: 35872185 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157401] [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: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Within the new policy framework shaped by the EU Green Deal and the Circular Economy Action Plans, the field of wastewater and sludge treatment in Europe is subject to high expectations and new challenges related to mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions, micropollutant removal and resource recovery. With respect to phosphorus recovery, several technologies and processes have been thoroughly investigated. Nevertheless, a systemic and detailed understanding of the existing infrastructure and of the related environmental and economic implications is missing. Such basis is essential to avoid unwanted consequences in designing new strategies, given the long lifespan of any infrastructural change. This study couples a newly collected and highly detailed database for all wastewater treatment plants in Austria bigger than 2000 population equivalent with a combination of analyses, namely Substance Flow Analysis with focus on nutrient and metal distribution in different environmental and anthropogenic compartments, Energy Flow Analysis, Life Cycle Assessment and cost estimation. The case study of Austria is of special interest, given its highly autonomous administration in federal states and its contrasting traits, ranging from flat metropolitan areas like Vienna to low-populated alpine areas. The significant impact of electricity demand of wastewater treatment on the overall Cumulative Energy Demand (CED) shows the importance of optimization measures. Further, the current system of wastewater and sludge disposal have a low efficiency in recovering nutrients and in directing pollutants as heavy metals into final sinks. Sludge composting with subsequent use in landscaping does not only show an unfavorable environmental balance, but it is the only relevant route leading to additional CED and Global Warming Potential emissions and to the highest transport volume. Altogether, the outcomes of this study provide a sound basis to further develop national strategies for resource recovery aimed to optimize trade-offs between different economic and environmental objectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arabel Amann
- Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management, Research Unit of Water Quality Management, Karlsplatz 13/E226-1, Vienna, 1040 Vienna, Austria
| | - Nikolaus Weber
- Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management, Research Unit of Water Quality Management, Karlsplatz 13/E226-1, Vienna, 1040 Vienna, Austria
| | - Jörg Krampe
- Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management, Research Unit of Water Quality Management, Karlsplatz 13/E226-1, Vienna, 1040 Vienna, Austria
| | - Helmut Rechberger
- Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management, Research Unit of Waste and Resource Management, Karlsplatz 13/E226-2, Vienna 1040, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sandra Peer
- Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management, Research Unit of Water Quality Management, Karlsplatz 13/E226-1, Vienna, 1040 Vienna, Austria
| | - Matthias Zessner
- Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management, Research Unit of Water Quality Management, Karlsplatz 13/E226-1, Vienna, 1040 Vienna, Austria
| | - Ottavia Zoboli
- Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management, Research Unit of Water Quality Management, Karlsplatz 13/E226-1, Vienna, 1040 Vienna, Austria.
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22
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Liu X, Huang H, Iqbal A, Chen J, Zan F, Jiang C, Chen G. Sustainability analysis of implementing sludge reduction in overall sludge management process: Where do we stand? WASTE MANAGEMENT (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2022; 152:80-93. [PMID: 35998439 DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2022.08.013] [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: 04/28/2022] [Revised: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Sustainable sludge management has significance due to the great potential of recovering energy and resources, potentially achieving carbon neutrality and energy positivity in the process. However, whether the sludge reduction strategy really benefits the aim of a sustainable sludge management process requires a holistic analysis. In this study, nine scenarios involving different sludge management strategies with or without sludge reduction methods were environmentally and economically assessed to clarify the necessity of adopting a sludge reduction or not. Results reveal that direct sludge incineration without prior in-plant sludge reduction generates the least environmental impacts (less than 25-120 %), but it increases operation costs by 103-110 % compared to landfilling with prior in-plant sludge reduction. Chemical Oxygen Demand flows indicate that direct sludge incineration is superior in converting organic matter into energy compared to employing sludge reduction followed by landfilling or land application. This converted energy offsets environmental impacts from electricity consumption, but these electricity benefits are insignificant in the overall cost. Case studies suggest that direct sludge incineration could facilitate potential nutrient and energy recovery, especially for metropolis. While sludge reduction strategies are more suited for developing regions relying on landfills or land application, to lower the economic burdens. The findings of this study tend to shed light on the decision-making of adopting sludge reduction strategies and sustainable sludge management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoming Liu
- School of Materials and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen Polytechnic, Guangdong, China; School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Water Technology Center, Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Control & Treatment of Heavy Metal Pollution, The Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, Hong Kong, China
| | - Hao Huang
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Water Technology Center, Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Control & Treatment of Heavy Metal Pollution, The Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, Hong Kong, China
| | - Asad Iqbal
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Water Technology Center, Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Control & Treatment of Heavy Metal Pollution, The Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jing Chen
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Low-Carbon Water Environment Technology Center (HUST-SUKE), Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Feixiang Zan
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Low-Carbon Water Environment Technology Center (HUST-SUKE), Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
| | - Chengchun Jiang
- School of Materials and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen Polytechnic, Guangdong, China
| | - Guanghao Chen
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Water Technology Center, Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Control & Treatment of Heavy Metal Pollution, The Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, Hong Kong, China
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23
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Rufí-Salís M, Petit-Boix A, Leipold S, Villalba G, Rieradevall J, Moliné E, Gabarrell X, Carrera J, Suárez-Ojeda ME. Increasing resource circularity in wastewater treatment: Environmental implications of technological upgrades. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 838:156422. [PMID: 35662600 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156422] [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: 03/09/2022] [Revised: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
A paradigm shift is needed in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) to progress from traditional pollutant removal to resource recovery. However, whether this transformation produces overall environmental benefits will depend on the efficient and sustainable use of resources by emerging technologies. Given that many of these technologies are still being tested at the pilot scale, there is a lack of environmental assessments quantifying their impacts and benefits. In particular, an integrated approach to energy and nutrient recovery can elucidate the potential configurations for WWTPs. In this study, we conduct a life cycle assessment (LCA) of emergent wastewater treatment technologies aimed at increasing resource circularity in WWTPs. We focus on increasing energy self-sufficiency through biogas upgrades and a more radical circular approach aimed at nutrient recovery. Based on a case-study WWTP, we compare its current configuration with (1) implementing autotrophic nitrogen removal in the mainstream and deriving most of the organic matter for biogas production, which increases the quality and quantity of biogas available for energy production; (2) implementing struvite recovery through enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) as a radical approach to phosphorus management, offering an alternative to mineral fertilizer; and (3) a combination of both approaches. The results show that incremental changes in biogas production are insufficient for compensating for the environmental investment in infrastructure, although autotrophic nitrogen removal is beneficial for increasing the quality of the effluent. Combined phosphorus and energy recovery reduce the environmental impacts from the avoided use of fertilizers and phosphorus and the nitrogen release into water bodies. An integrated approach to resource management in WWTPs is thus desirable and creates new opportunities toward the implementation of circular strategies with low environmental impact in cities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martí Rufí-Salís
- Sostenipra, Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA), Unidad de excelencia "María de Maeztu" (MDM-2015-0552), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Escola d'Enginyeria, c/de les Sitges s/n, Edifici Q, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anna Petit-Boix
- Sostenipra, Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA), Unidad de excelencia "María de Maeztu" (MDM-2015-0552), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sina Leipold
- Department of Environmental Politics, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; Chair of Environmental Politics, University of Jena, Bachstr. 18k, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Gara Villalba
- Sostenipra, Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA), Unidad de excelencia "María de Maeztu" (MDM-2015-0552), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Escola d'Enginyeria, c/de les Sitges s/n, Edifici Q, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Joan Rieradevall
- Sostenipra, Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA), Unidad de excelencia "María de Maeztu" (MDM-2015-0552), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Escola d'Enginyeria, c/de les Sitges s/n, Edifici Q, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Eduard Moliné
- Depuración de Aguas del Mediterráneo (DAM), Guglielmo Marconi, 11 piso 2°, 10 despacho 19, Parque Tecnológico, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - Xavier Gabarrell
- Sostenipra, Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA), Unidad de excelencia "María de Maeztu" (MDM-2015-0552), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Escola d'Enginyeria, c/de les Sitges s/n, Edifici Q, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Julián Carrera
- GENOCOV Research Group, Department of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Escola d'Enginyeria, c/de les Sitges s/n, Edifici Q, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - María Eugenia Suárez-Ojeda
- GENOCOV Research Group, Department of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Escola d'Enginyeria, c/de les Sitges s/n, Edifici Q, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
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24
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Kalboussi N, Biard Y, Pradeleix L, Rapaport A, Sinfort C, Ait-Mouheb N. Life cycle assessment as decision support tool for water reuse in agriculture irrigation. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 836:155486. [PMID: 35476952 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 04/03/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
This study presents a decision support tool that evaluates the environmental efficiency of water reclamation for agricultural irrigation, among other options. The developed tool is published as open source at https://doi.org/10.18167/DVN1/YLP1BA. The objective of this decision support tool is to facilitate the interpretation of the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) results. This framework was applied to a representative case of reuse of reclaimed water for vine irrigation at the Murviel-Les-Montpellier experimental site (Hérault, France). It was then generalized through modeling assumptions to consider different reuse scenarios. To highlight situations in which the supply of recycled water for irrigation may or may not provide significant environmental benefits, three main parameters were varied: (i) tertiary treatment technologies, (ii) availability of conventional water sources, (iii) energy mix composition. The results show that the environmental impact of reclaimed water depends directly on the type of tertiary treatment technology and the location of the treatment plant in relation to the field and other water sources. The decision support tool has identified where wastewater reuse is clearly an environmentally beneficial source of irrigation among surface and groundwater sources (e.g., WWTP closer to field than river, groundwater too deep, tertiary treatment environmentally beneficial). However, there are many situations where the decision support process cannot distinguish between water reuse for agricultural irrigation and conventional water sources, especially when the nutrient content of treated municipal wastewater is insufficient to offset the negative effects of high energy requirements and chemicals of tertiary treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nesrine Kalboussi
- Laboratory of Desalination and Nature Water Valorization, Centre of Water Researches and Technologies (CERTE), B.P. 273, Soliman 8020, Tunisia.
| | - Yannick Biard
- CIRAD, UPR HortSys, F-34398 Montpellier, France; HortSys, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, Montpellier, France; ELSA, Research group for environmental life cycle sustainability assessment, 2 place Pierre Viala, 34060 Montpellier, France
| | - Ludivine Pradeleix
- G-EAU, AgroParisTech, Cirad, IRD, Irstea, Montpellier SupAgro, University of Montpellier, ELSA Research Group, Montpellier, France
| | - Alain Rapaport
- MISTEA, Univ. Montpellier, INRAE, Institut Agro, Montpellier, France
| | - Carole Sinfort
- ITAP, Univ. Montpellier, INRAE, Institut Agro, Montpellier, France
| | - Nassim Ait-Mouheb
- INRAE, UMR G-Eau, University of Montpellier, Avenue Jean-François Breton, 34000 Montpellier, France.
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25
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Balasundaram G, Vidyarthi PK, Gahlot P, Arora P, Kumar V, Kumar M, Kazmi AA, Tyagi VK. Energy feasibility and life cycle assessment of sludge pretreatment methods for advanced anaerobic digestion. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2022; 357:127345. [PMID: 35609752 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2022.127345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Revised: 05/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Energy sustainability is one of the critical parameters to be studied for the successful application of pretreatment processes. This study critically analyzes the energy efficiency of different energy-demanding sludge pretreatment techniques. Conventional thermal pretreatment of sludge (∼5% total solids, TS) produced 244 mL CH4/gTS, which could result in a positive energy balance of 2.6 kJ/kg TS. However, microwave pretreatment could generate only 178 mL CH4/gTS with a negative energy balance of -15.62 kJ/kg TS. In CAMBI process, the heat requirements can be compensated using exhaust gases and hot water from combined heat and power, and electricity requirements are managed by the use of cogeneration. The study concluded that <100 ℃ pretreatment effectively enhances the efficiency of anaerobic digestion and shows positive energy balance over microwave and ultrasonication. Moreover, microwave pretreatment has the highest global warming potential than thermal and ultrasonic pretreatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gowtham Balasundaram
- Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee 247667, India
| | - Praveen Kumar Vidyarthi
- Department of Hydro and Renewable Energy, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee 247667, India
| | - Pallavi Gahlot
- Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee 247667, India
| | - Pratham Arora
- Department of Hydro and Renewable Energy, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee 247667, India
| | - Vinod Kumar
- School of Water, Energy and Environment, Cranfield University, Cranfield MK43 0AL, UK
| | - Manish Kumar
- Sustainability Cluster, School of Engineering, University of Petroleum & Energy Studies, Dehradun 248007, India
| | - A A Kazmi
- Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee 247667, India
| | - Vinay Kumar Tyagi
- Environmental Hydrology Division, National Institute of Hydrology, Roorkee 247667, India.
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26
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Taslakyan L, Baker MC, Shrestha DS, Strawn DG, Möller G. CO 2 e footprint and eco-impact of ultralow phosphorus removal by hydrous ferric oxide reactive filtration: A municipal wastewater LCA case study. WATER ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH : A RESEARCH PUBLICATION OF THE WATER ENVIRONMENT FEDERATION 2022; 94:e10777. [PMID: 36004674 PMCID: PMC9540262 DOI: 10.1002/wer.10777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Revised: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Dual upflow reactive filtration by a slowly moving sand bed with continuously renewed, hydrous ferric oxide-coated sand is used for removing polluting substances and for meeting the ultralow 0.05 mg/l total phosphorus discharge permit limits at a 1.2 million liters per day (0.32 million gallons per day) water resource recovery facility in Plummer, Idaho, in the United States. A life cycle assessment (LCA) of this reactive filtration installation was carried out to assess the environmental hotspots in the system and analyze alternative system configurations with a focus on CO2 equivalent (CO2 e) global warming potential, freshwater and marine eutrophication, and mineral resource scarcity. "What if" scenarios with alternative inputs for the energy, metal salts, and air compressor optimization show trade-offs between the impact categories. Key results that show a comparative reduction of global warming potential include the use of Fe versus Al metal salts, the use of renewable energy, and the energy efficiency benefit of optimizing process inputs, such as compressor air pressure, to match operational demand. The LCA shows a 2 × 10-2 kg CO2 e footprint per cubic meter of water, with 47% from housing concrete, and an overall freshwater eutrophication impact reduced by 99% versus no treatment. The use of renewable hydropower energy at this site isolates construction concrete as a target for lowering the CO2 e footprint. PRACTITIONER POINTS: The main LCA eco-impact hotspots in this dual reactive filtration tertiary treatment are construction concrete and the ferric sulfate used. Iron salts show smaller impact in global warming, freshwater eutrophication, and mineral resource scarcity than "what if scenario" aluminum salts. The energy mix for this site is predominantly hydropower; other energy mix "what if" scenarios show larger impacts. Operational energy efficiency and thermodynamic analysis show that fine tuning the air compressor helps reduce carbon footprint and energy use. LCA shows a favorable 2 x 10-2 kg CO2e/m3 water impact with 99% reduction of freshwater eutrophication potential versus no treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lusine Taslakyan
- Department of Soil and Water SystemsUniversity of IdahoMoscowIdahoUSA
- Water Resources ProgramUniversity of IdahoMoscowIdahoUSA
| | - Martin C. Baker
- Department of Soil and Water SystemsUniversity of IdahoMoscowIdahoUSA
| | - Dev S. Shrestha
- Department of Chemical and Biological EngineeringUniversity of IdahoMoscowIdahoUSA
| | - Daniel G. Strawn
- Department of Soil and Water SystemsUniversity of IdahoMoscowIdahoUSA
- Water Resources ProgramUniversity of IdahoMoscowIdahoUSA
| | - Gregory Möller
- Department of Soil and Water SystemsUniversity of IdahoMoscowIdahoUSA
- Department of Chemical and Biological EngineeringUniversity of IdahoMoscowIdahoUSA
- Water Resources ProgramUniversity of IdahoMoscowIdahoUSA
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27
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Resource recovery from food-processing wastewaters in a circular economy: a methodology for the future. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2022; 76:102735. [DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2022.102735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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28
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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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29
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Makisha N. Advanced Research on Polymer Floating Carrier Application in Activated Sludge Reactors. Polymers (Basel) 2022; 14:polym14132604. [PMID: 35808651 PMCID: PMC9269137 DOI: 10.3390/polym14132604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
This research estimates the efficiency of domestic wastewater treatment in the removal of organic pollutants and nitrogen compounds with a two-stage treatment sequence (an activated sludge reactor in the first stage, and a trickling filter in the second stage), and with the application of floating carriers in the activated sludge reactor. The materials “Polyvom”, “Polystyrene” and “Bioballs” were adopted as floating carriers with previously determined filling ratios in the reactor volume of 10%, 20% and 20%, respectively. After the first stage of the study, it was found that the most effective treatment was achieved using the “Polyvom” material. Therefore, only this floating carrier was considered in the second and third stages of the study. Within the stages of the research, lab-scale benches operated under different operation modes of the treatment sequence. At the end of the study, it was possible to achieve the following levels of purification: BOD5 (2.1 mg/L), NH4 (0.4 mg/L), NO2 (1.0 mg/L), and NO3 (25 mg/L). The mean values of the concentrations of BOD, NH4, and NO3 met the requirements, but the concentration of NO2 exceeded the requirements (1.0 mg/L vs. 0.08 mg/L). These results were achieved under a hydraulic retention time in the activated sludge reactor of 8 h, and the MLSS for the free-floating and immobilized activated sludge was 0.2 and 0.9 g/L, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolay Makisha
- Research and Education Centre "Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment", Moscow State University of Civil Engineering, 26, Yaroslaskoye Highway, 129337 Moscow, Russia
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30
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Thompson M, Moussavi S, Li S, Barutha P, Dvorak B. Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of small water resource recovery facilities: Comparison of mechanical and lagoon systems. WATER RESEARCH 2022; 215:118234. [PMID: 35272226 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.118234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Revised: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Small water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs) serving communities with populations of less than 10,000 people account for 70% of centralized wastewater treatment systems in the United States. With growing interest globally in improving the sustainability of these systems, this study evaluated the environmental life cycle impact and land use tradeoffs of different lagoon and mechanical WRRFs across the diverse climate of Nebraska. Life cycle inventory including construction and operations was collected for 35 existing systems representing a range of commonly used mechanical WRRFs: oxidation ditch, extended aeration, and sequencing batch reactors, and lagoon treatment systems: complete retention, irrigation, and controlled discharge lagoons. Lagoons exhibit a significantly smaller environmental impact relative to mechanical WRRFs in all impact categories with exception of the smog category based on a 20-year design lifespan provided land is available for use; in contrast, on-site land use of lagoons was significantly higher than mechanical WRRFs, 73.7 ± 35.9 m2/capita and 2.4 ± 1.9 m2/capita, respectively. Lagoons on average exhibited significantly more impact associated with the construction phase in most impact categories (up to 80% in case of smog impacts) relative to mechanical WRRFs (<25%). The differences in contribution of the construction leads to the environmental impacts and comparisons between the technologies being sensitive to system lifespan and type of electric grid mix. Irrigation lagoon per capita excavation and cast-iron resource use was observed to decrease with increasing differences between evaporation and precipitation rates. Uncertainty of the environmental impacts within sites is primarily driven by variations in energy intensity within mechanical WRRFs and volumes of treated water within lagoons. Variability between facilities of similar technology groups is largely driven by a combination of site-specific factors including climate, design, and operations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Thompson
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, NH W150C, City Campus (Lincoln), NE 68588, United States
| | - Sussan Moussavi
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, NH W150C, City Campus (Lincoln), NE 68588, United States
| | - Shaobin Li
- College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Philip Barutha
- Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, NE 68588, United States
| | - Bruce Dvorak
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, NH W150C, City Campus (Lincoln), NE 68588, United States; Department of Biological Systems Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, NE 68588, United States.
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31
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Integrated Carbon Footprint and Economic Performance of Five Types of Dominant Cropping Systems in China’s Semiarid Zone. SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14105844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Crop production requires large areas of land and makes an important contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. Cleaner production of all crop types could be of great significance to realizing carbon neutrality as soon as possible. The present study adopted life cycle assessment (LCA) combined with the profit accounting method of input-output to compare the differences in greenhouse gas emissions in the entire life cycle of apple (Malus pumila Mill.), grain maize (Zea mays L.), wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), silage maize (Zea mays L.), and alfalfa (Medicago sativa Linn.) production in eastern Gansu Province with three functional units, including per ha of land, per ton of product, and per 10,000 yuan of output value. The results showed that apple had the largest carbon footprint per ha. Wheat had the largest carbon footprint per ton of product and per 10,000 yuan output. The results of LCA inventory sensitivity analysis showed that the main sources of greenhouse gas emissions for all crops were the production process of agricultural materials such as chemical fertilizer, machinery, and agricultural film. In particular, the excessive input of chemical fertilizer was the driving factor resulting in greenhouse gas emissions. Based on the study results, this paper also puts forward certain suggestions on the future land use of the cropping systems in the study area.
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32
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Witek-Krowiak A, Gorazda K, Szopa D, Trzaska K, Moustakas K, Chojnacka K. Phosphorus recovery from wastewater and bio-based waste: an overview. Bioengineered 2022; 13:13474-13506. [PMID: 36700471 PMCID: PMC9275867 DOI: 10.1080/21655979.2022.2077894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Phosphorus is one of the most important macronutrients needed for the growth of plants. The fertilizer production market uses 80% of natural, non-renewable phosphorus resources in the form of phosphate rock. The depletion of those deposits forces a search for other alternatives, including biological waste. This review aims to indicate the most important ways to recover phosphorus from biowaste, with particular emphasis on wastewater, sewage sludge, manure, slaughter or food waste. A comparison of utilized methods and directions for future research based on the latest research is presented. Combining biological, chemical, and physical methods with thermal treatment appears to be the most effective way for the treatment of wastewater sludge in terms of phosphorus recovery. Hydrothermal, thermochemical, and adsorption on thermally treated adsorbents are characterized by a high phosphorus recovery rate (over 95%). For animal by-products and other biological waste, chemical methods seems to be the most optimal solution with a recovery rate over 96%. Due to its large volume and relatively low phosphorus content, wastewater is a resource that requires additional treatment to recover the highest possible amount of phosphorus. Pretreatment of wastewater with combined methods seems to be a possible way to improve phosphorus recovery. A compressive evaluation of combined methods is crucial for future research in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Witek-Krowiak
- Department of Advanced Material Technologies, Faculty of Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Gorazda
- Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Cracow University of Technology, Cracow, Poland
| | - Daniel Szopa
- Department of Advanced Material Technologies, Faculty of Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wrocław, Poland,CONTACT Daniel Szopa Department of Advanced Material Technologies, Faculty of Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Smoluchowskiego 25, Wrocław50-372, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Trzaska
- Department of Advanced Material Technologies, Faculty of Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wrocław, Poland
| | | | - Katarzyna Chojnacka
- Department of Advanced Material Technologies, Faculty of Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wrocław, Poland
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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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34
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Greening Urban Areas with Decentralized Wastewater Treatment and Reuse: A Case Study of Ecoparque in Tijuana, Mexico. WATER 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/w14040596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
In rapidly growing urban areas, such as Tijuana, Mexico, the presence of urban green spaces (UGSs) can help stem soil erosion, improve infiltration, slow runoff, decrease flooding, reduce air pollution, and mitigate climate change. In many water-scarce parts of the world, where centralized wastewater treatment is not accessible or practical, decentralized wastewater treatment systems (DEWATSs) have the potential to supply the water needed for irrigating UGSs. Here, we first review UGS systems supported by DEWATSs and the water quality guidelines and challenges associated with implementing DEWATSs for urban greening in different countries, including Mexico. We also critically examine the linkages between the lack of UGSs in Tijuana, Mexico, extensive soil erosion, and failing sanitation infrastructure that has led to the infamously poor water quality in the Tijuana River. Tijuana’s Ecoparque Wastewater Treatment Facility, a low-energy, aerobic DEWATS, which collects, treats, and discharges residential sewage for localized landscape irrigation, demonstrates how DEWATSs can meet the water demands for urban greening in rapidly urbanizing cities. The aerobic decentralized treatment using a gravity-fed trickling biofilter resulted in a >85% removal of chemical oxygen demand and dissolved organic carbon. Prior to treatment facility upgrades, there was a ~2 log reduction in total coliform and Escherichia coli and a <20% decrease in ammonia from the influent to final effluent. After the addition of a maturation pond in 2020, the effluent met Mexico standards for irrigation reuse, with a ~4 log reduction in fecal coliforms from the influent to final effluent. Case study results demonstrated the potential for decentralized wastewater treatment to meet effluent standards for landscape irrigation, provide water for urban greening, and prevent pollution in the Tijuana River and other urban waterways.
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Zhou X, Li J, Zhao X, Yang J, Sun H, Yang SS, Bai S. Resource recovery in life cycle assessment of sludge treatment: Contribution, sensitivity, and uncertainty. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 806:150409. [PMID: 34599953 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Revised: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
This study focused on the resource recovery of sludge treatment by quantifying the environmental contributions, identifying the influential factors, and comparing different scenarios. Life cycle assessment (LCA) of sewage sludge treatment was carried out to estimate the environmental impacts of six scenarios: (1) co-digestion of sludge and food waste; (2) co-gasification of sludge and woody waste; (3) co-incineration of sludge and used oil; (4) landfilling; (5) incineration; and (6) anaerobic digestion combined with incineration. Results demonstrate that the resource recovery had a substantial contribution to the environmental performance of the sludge treatment, while the degree of contribution was largely affected by various treatment scenarios and diverse impact categories. To gain deep insight into the parameters related to resource recovery, sensitivity analysis was performed to investigate the influence of the parameters on the LCA results, including the organic content, conversion efficiency of organic matter to methane, and other energy conversion efficiencies. After integrating the inventory variation of those parameters into the decision process via the Monte Carlo simulation, results indicate that no obviously superior scenario could be identified. Conversely, when parameter uncertainty was not considered, co-gasification of sludge and woody waste exhibited the most preferable environmental performance. Overall, this study demonstrates that considering the parameter uncertainty of resource recovery will contribute to a more transparent evaluation process, but will inevitably increase the complexity of the decision-making process based on LCA results because it is difficult to determine a sludge treatment scenario that decisively outperforms the others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, 150090 Harbin, China
| | - Jing Li
- China Academy of Urban Planning and Design, 100044 Beijing, China
| | - Xinyue Zhao
- College of Resource and Environment, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Jixian Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, 150090 Harbin, China
| | - Hongliang Sun
- Changchun Municipal Engineering Design & Research Institute, 130033 Changchun, China
| | - Shan-Shan Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, 150090 Harbin, China
| | - Shunwen Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, 150090 Harbin, China.
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Abstract
Improved Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) analysis requires a broader analytical framework, in order to perceive each project individually from the perspective of potentially measurable and significant effects on the environment and society as a whole. The main goal of our paper is to assess the financial and economic justification for variant V3 (as the most technically optimal) of the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) construction project in Nov Dojran, North Macedonia, with the purpose of advancing municipal infrastructure and environmental benefits from improved water treatment. Based on the economic analysis conducted, we conclude that the investment in the WWTP project is justified, because the economic internal rate of return is higher than the opportunity cost of capital (EIRR = 16.38%), the economic net present value is higher than 0, and EBCR (benefit-cost ratio) is greater than 1 (EBCR = 2.11). The highest environmental benefit of 49.2% in total environmental benefits is associated with nitrogen, while phosphorus is the next pollutant in the structure of environmental benefits at 46.1%. The environmental benefits of removing biological oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) are significantly less important, despite the removal of significant amounts of these pollutants during treatment. The situation is similar with suspended particles.
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Pham A, Moussavi S, Thompson M, Dvorak B. Environmental life cycle impacts of small wastewater treatment plants: Design recommendations for impact mitigation. WATER RESEARCH 2021; 207:117758. [PMID: 34731671 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2021.117758] [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: 07/14/2021] [Revised: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 10/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The objective of this study was to quantify potential mitigation of environmental impacts from the operation and construction of wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) from implementing specific design recommendations. The study investigated small WWTPs, many of which are serving slow growing or declining populations. Life Cycle Assessment methodology was used to evaluate and compare the inventory and environmental impacts of nine small WWTP case studies. Detailed inventory data was collected from the facilities' engineering design plans and utility bills. One recommended practice was to avoid significant overdesign by planning for no lower than a 75% capacity utilization by the facilities' end-of-life. A theoretical correction to a 75% capacity utilization was estimated to mitigate 0.4% of lifetime electricity usage and 1% of secondary process concrete for every 1% reduction in design average flow rate. Relatedly, a 0.4% mitigation in the Carcinogenic and Global Warming impacts could be achieved for every 1% reduction in design average flow toward a 75% capacity utilization. Other suggested practices were focused on conveyance, namely, to minimize non-process facility area and to use polyvinyl chloride pipe instead of ductile iron pipe where possible. The latter practice was estimated to mitigate between 1.1 and 4.8% of the Carcinogenic impact in the nine case studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Pham
- HDR, 1917 S 67th Street, Omaha NE 68106, USA.
| | - Sussan Moussavi
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
| | - Matthew Thompson
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
| | - Bruce Dvorak
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA; Department of Biological Systems Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln NE 68588, USA.
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Aleisa E, Alsulaili A, Almuzaini Y. Recirculating treated sewage sludge for agricultural use: Life cycle assessment for a circular economy. WASTE MANAGEMENT (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2021; 135:79-89. [PMID: 34478951 DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2021.08.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Revised: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The objective of this study is to assess the environmental value of recirculating nutrients from treated sewage sludge by application to agricultural soils to grow forage as opposed to landfilling and incineration. The methodological choices are aligned to the circular economy framework using life cycle assessment. Consequential modeling and open loop modeling were adopted and adhere to ISO 14044 and International Reference Life Cycle Data System (ILCD) standards. The functional unit is defined in terms of the amounts of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) recirculated from the treated sewage sludge produced annually in Kuwait. The results indicate a reduction in environmental burden with respect to fossil fuel depletion, metal depletion and climate change. A total of 95% of the reduction is realized by avoiding virgin nitrogen production and instead using its recirculated counterpart. Considerable amounts of natural gas, coal, dinitrogen monoxide (nitrous oxide, N2O) and copper are consumed during virgin N fertilizer production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esra Aleisa
- Industrial and Management Systems Eng, Kuwait University, Safat 13060, Kuwait; Graduate Program for Environmental Sciences, Kuwait University, Safat 13060, Kuwait.
| | - Abdalrahman Alsulaili
- Center of Engineering, Laboratory testing and Calibration, Kuwait University, Safat 13060, Kuwait; Department of Civil Engineering, Kuwait University, Safat 13060, Kuwait.
| | - Yasmeen Almuzaini
- Department of Civil Engineering, Kuwait University, Safat 13060, Kuwait
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Drioli E, Macedonio F, Tocci E. Membrane Science and membrane Engineering for a sustainable industrial development. Sep Purif Technol 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2021.119196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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Chen Z, Wang D, Dao G, Shi Q, Yu T, Guo F, Wu G. Environmental impact of the effluents discharging from full-scale wastewater treatment plants evaluated by a hybrid fuzzy approach. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 790:148212. [PMID: 34380271 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2021] [Revised: 05/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Increasing attention is being paid to the environmental impacts of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent. In this study, comprehensive environmental impact analyses (EIAs) were performed for the secondary treatment processes, tertiary treatment processes, and entire plants at five full-scale WWTPs in Kunming, China. The EIAs took into account greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, potential for the effluent to cause eutrophication, ecological risks posed by endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) in treated effluent, and the risks posed by heavy metals in excess sludge. A comprehensive assessment toward environmental sustainability was performed using a fuzzy approach. The results indicated that the biological treatment process made the largest contribution (>68% of the total) of the secondary treatment processes to GHG emissions and that electricity consumption made the largest contribution (>64% of the total) of the tertiary treatment processes to GHG emissions. Large numbers of EDCs were removed during the secondary treatment processes, but the potential ecological risks posed by EDCs still require attention. High mercury concentrations were found in excess sludge. The plant that removed the largest proportion of pollutants and produced effluent posing the least ecological risks gave the best comprehensive EIA performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuo Chen
- Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control State Key Joint Laboratory, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Microorganism Application and Risk Control (SMARC), Beijing Laboratory for Environmental Frontier Technologies, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, PR China
| | - Dan Wang
- Integrated Research of Energy, Environment and Society (IREES), Energy and Sustainability Research Institute (ESRIG), University of Groningen, Groningen 9747 AG, the Netherlands; Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, PR China.
| | - Guohua Dao
- Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, PR China
| | - Qi Shi
- Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control State Key Joint Laboratory, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Microorganism Application and Risk Control (SMARC), Beijing Laboratory for Environmental Frontier Technologies, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, PR China
| | - Tong Yu
- School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao 266000, PR China
| | - Fang Guo
- Kunming Dianchi Water Treatment Co. Ltd., Kunming 650228, PR China
| | - Guangxue Wu
- Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, PR China; Civil Engineering, College of Science and Engineering, National University of Ireland, Galway, Galway H91 TK33, Ireland.
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Zhang L, Bai H, Zhang Y, Wang Y, Yue D. Life Cycle Assessment of Leachate Treatment Strategies. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:13264-13273. [PMID: 34520663 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c02165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Increasingly stringent regulations for leachate discharge call for leachate treatment plants (LTPs) to increase their treatment capacity by adopting membrane treatment processes to remove nitrogen and organics beyond conventional biological treatment processes. This study developed four common treatment strategies based on the existing operation and construction conditions of seven representative LTPs in China. We evaluated the LTPs' environmental impacts using life cycle assessment (LCA) following the International Organization for Standardization (ISO 14040 and ISO 14044). Compared with conventional secondary treatment processes, implementing high-level technologies to meet the strict standards could reduce an average of 59% of the eutrophication potential while increasing other environmental impacts resulting from both direct and indirect emissions by an average of 146%. We propose advanced technologies that integrate both midpoint and endpoint LCA results to meet stringent standards in areas sensitive to eutrophication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingyue Zhang
- School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Hao Bai
- Symgreen Environmental Technology Co. Ltd., Beijing 100043, China
| | - Yawei Zhang
- Symgreen Environmental Technology Co. Ltd., Beijing 100043, China
| | - Yang Wang
- Chengdu Xingrong Renewable Energy Co. Ltd., Chengdu 610000, China
| | - Dongbei Yue
- School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
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Bryant C, Coats ER. Integrating dairy manure for enhanced resource recovery at a WRRF: Environmental life cycle and pilot-scale analyses. WATER ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH : A RESEARCH PUBLICATION OF THE WATER ENVIRONMENT FEDERATION 2021; 93:2034-2050. [PMID: 33877720 DOI: 10.1002/wer.1574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Revised: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The Twin Falls, Idaho wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), currently operates solely to achieve regulatory permit compliance. Research was conducted to evaluate conversion of the WWTP to a water resource recovery facility (WRRF) and to assess the WRRF environmental sustainability; process configurations were evaluated to produce five resources-reclaimed water, biosolids, struvite, biogas, and bioplastics (polyhydroxyalkanoates, PHA). PHA production occurred using fermented dairy manure. State-of-the-art biokinetic modeling, performed using Dynamita's SUMO process model, was coupled with environmental life cycle assessment to quantify environmental sustainability. Results indicate that electricity production via combined heat and power (CHP) was most important in achieving environmental sustainability; energy offset ranged from 43% to 60%, thereby reducing demand for external fossil fuel-based energy. While struvite production helps maintain a resilient enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) process, MgO2 production exhibits negative environmental impacts; integration with CHP negates the adverse consequences. Integrating dairy manure to produce bioplastics diversifies the resource recovery portfolio while maintaining WRRF environmental sustainability; pilot-scale evaluations demonstrated that WRRF effluent quality was not affected by the addition of effluent from PHA production. Collectively, results show that a WRRF integrating dairy manure can yield a diverse portfolio of products while operating in an environmentally sustainable manner. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Wastewater carbon recovery via anaerobic digestion with combined heat/power production significantly reduces water resource recovery facility (WRRF) environmental emissions. Wastewater phosphorus recovery is of value; however, struvite production exhibits negative environmental impacts due to MgO2 production emissions. Bioplastics production on imported organic-rich agri-food waste can diversify the WRRF portfolio. Dairy manure can be successfully integrated into a WRRF for bioplastics production without compromising WRRF performance. Diversifying the WRRF products portfolio is a strategy to maximize resource recovery from wastewater while concurrently achieving environmental sustainability.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Erik R Coats
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA
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Lourenço N, Nunes LM. Life-cycle assessment of decentralized solutions for wastewater treatment in small communities. WATER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY : A JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION ON WATER POLLUTION RESEARCH 2021; 84:1954-1968. [PMID: 34695023 DOI: 10.2166/wst.2021.379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
This study benchmarks vermifiltration (VF) as secondary wastewater treatment in three nature-based decentralized treatment plants using life-cycle assessment. The comparison is justified by the comparatively easier and cheaper operation of VF when compared to more traditional technologies, including small rate infiltration (SRI), constructed wetlands (CW), and activated sludge (AS). Standard life cycle assessment was used and applied to three case studies located in southern Europe. Material intensity during construction was highest for VF, but impacts during operation were lower, compensating those of the other phases. Impacts during the construction phase far outweigh those of operation and dismantling for facilities using constructed wetlands and activated sludge, when the number of served inhabitants is small, and due to lack of economies of scale. VF used as secondary treatment was shown to contribute to reducing the environmental impacts, mainly in constructed wetlands and activated sludge. The replacement of CW by VF seems to bring important environmental benefits in most impact categories, in particular in the construction phase. The replacement by VF in facilities with SRI seems to result in the improvement of some of the impact categories, in particular in the operation phase. As for dismantling, no conclusive results were obtained.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Lourenço
- FUTURAMB® and Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal E-mail:
| | - L M Nunes
- Faculty of Sciences and Technology, Civil Engineering Research and Innovation for Sustainability Center, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
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Monje V, Nobel P, Junicke H, Kjellberg K, Gernaey KV, Flores-Alsina X. Assessment of alkaline stabilization processes in industrial waste streams using a model-based approach. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2021; 293:112806. [PMID: 34029977 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112806] [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: 03/22/2021] [Revised: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Chemical conditioning prior to disposal is a common practice in biotech companies to stabilize the biological waste generated during production. Nevertheless, the state of the art models used to analyze management strategies in water treatment systems (WTS) do not include the effect of high alkaline conditions during bio-solids processing. In this paper, the prediction capabilities of a novel model-based approach describing the effect of quicklime addition (CaO) on the waste streams of an industrial WTS is assessed. Two measuring campaigns were carried out taking samples of TSS, VSS and total/soluble COD, N, P, S and multiple metals before and after chemical stabilization, and dewatering under and overflow. Mass balances were set up and Sankey diagrams were generated to represent the occurrence, transformation and fate of the major compounds within the studied facility. A simulation model was used to predict plant at different locations. Next, a scenario analysis was carried out in order to assess potential alternatives to the current operational practice. The resulting mass balances show a mismatch between the system's input and output up to 17%. It was also possible to identify different types of compound-behavior depending on the effect that high pH induced on the soluble and particulate fractions: hydrolysis, precipitation and unaltered. Model predictions and measurements differed 9.6% (steady state) and 12.4% (dynamic state) respectively. Finally, in the scenario analysis, the model suggested that the change from quicklime to sodium hydroxide (NaOH) would increase the quantity of organics in the dewatered cake (+23%), but with a considerable increase in chemical consumption (+50%). The selective stabilization of the incoming streams has the lowest use of chemicals (-30%) and reduces the load of CODsol (-13%) and TNsol (-14%) recirculated to the water line of the WWTP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vicente Monje
- Process and Systems Engineering Centre (PROSYS), Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark. Building, 229, DK-2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.
| | - Per Nobel
- Novozymes A/S, Hallas Alle 1, DK-4400, Kalundborg, Denmark.
| | - Helena Junicke
- Process and Systems Engineering Centre (PROSYS), Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark. Building, 229, DK-2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.
| | | | - Krist V Gernaey
- Process and Systems Engineering Centre (PROSYS), Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark. Building, 229, DK-2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.
| | - Xavier Flores-Alsina
- Process and Systems Engineering Centre (PROSYS), Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark. Building, 229, DK-2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.
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Liu X, Iqbal A, Huang H, Zan F, Chen G, Wu D. Life cycle assessment of deploying sludge minimization with (sulfidogenic-)oxic-settling-anaerobic configurations in sewage-sludge management systems. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2021; 335:125266. [PMID: 34020155 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2021.125266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2021] [Revised: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
This study conducted life-cycle evaluation (on the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, energy consumption and economic performance) and sensitivity analysis in nine scenarios considering the deployment of conventional anoxic/oxic (AO) and/or sludge-minimizing (OSA, SOSA) bioprocess for sewage treatment linking with subsequent sludge handling. The analysis results demonstrated that compared with conventional AO-based scenarios, OSA- and SOSA-based scenarios reduced 23-28% GHG emissions (GHGs) and 18-24% cost, despite no significant electricity consumption reduction. The scenario analysis indicates renewable energy and improving energy consumption efficiency benefit the application of OSA and SOSA. The perturbation analysis revealed that the influential factors related to energy consumption were sensitive to GHGs, energy consumption and economic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoming Liu
- School of Construction and Environment Engineering, Shenzhen Polytechnic, Guang Dong, China
| | - Asad Iqbal
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Control & Treatment of Heavy Metal Pollution (Hong Kong Branch) and Water Technology Center, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China
| | - Hao Huang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Control & Treatment of Heavy Metal Pollution (Hong Kong Branch) and Water Technology Center, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China
| | - Feixiang Zan
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Control & Treatment of Heavy Metal Pollution (Hong Kong Branch) and Water Technology Center, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China
| | - Guanghao Chen
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Control & Treatment of Heavy Metal Pollution (Hong Kong Branch) and Water Technology Center, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China; Shenzhen Research Institute, Fok Ying Tung Graduate School, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Guang Dong, China
| | - Di Wu
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Control & Treatment of Heavy Metal Pollution (Hong Kong Branch) and Water Technology Center, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China; Shenzhen Research Institute, Fok Ying Tung Graduate School, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Guang Dong, China.
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Yao X, Zheng G, Cao Y, Yu B. Life cycle and economic assessment of enhanced ecological floating beds applied water purification. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 28:49574-49587. [PMID: 33934304 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-14008-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The ecological floating beds (EFB) are widely used in water quality restoration because of its low cost, high efficiency, and green characteristics. However, there is a potential impact of the EFB on the environment while water purification is not in progress. In this study, the life cycle assessment (LCA) and life cycle cost (LCC) methods were used to evaluate the overall environment of mixed-fill and biofilm enhanced EFB. The results show that the total environmental impact of the mixed-fill ecological floating beds (MEFB) is greater than that of the biofilm ecological floating beds (BEFB). In the raw material acquisition and operational stages, the environmental impact of the MEFB is smaller than that of the BEFB, while the environmental impact of the MEFB during the construction phase is much greater than that of the BEFB. The environmental impact of the construction stage of the MEFB accounts for 98.3% of the environmental impact of the entire life cycle. The operational stage of the MEFB was eco-friendly with regard to eutrophication potential, photochemical oxidation potential, ozone layer depletion potential, human toxicity potential, freshwater aquatic eco-toxicity potential, and terrestrial eco-toxicity potential environmental impact, and these effects of the operational stage of the MEFB account for 45.5% of the total environmental impact. The impact of the BEFB on the environment during raw material acquisition, construction, and operation accounts for 46.7%, 37.7%, and 15.6%, respectively, of the entire life cycle impact. Both two EFB technologies, the capital cost was the main expenditure with LCC, accounting for 60.4% and 52.9% of the MEFB and BEFB, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaochen Yao
- School of Geography and Environment, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, 330022, China
- Center for Environmental Remediation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Guodi Zheng
- Center for Environmental Remediation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yun Cao
- School of Geography and Environment, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, 330022, China.
- Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Wetland and Watershed Research, Ministry of Education, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, 330022, China.
| | - Bao Yu
- Center for Environmental Remediation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
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Gongora GRA, Lu RH, El Hanandeh A. Comparative life cycle assessment of aerobic treatment units and constructed wetlands as onsite wastewater treatment systems in Australia. WATER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY : A JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION ON WATER POLLUTION RESEARCH 2021; 84:1527-1540. [PMID: 34559086 DOI: 10.2166/wst.2021.316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Life Cycle Assessment was used to evaluate onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTS): aerobic treatment unit (ATU) with reinforced concrete (C.ATU) and HDPE (H.ATU) tank; and constructed wetland (CW) with three biochar concentrations in the substrate (0%; 10, and 20% v:v), dubbed CW.BC0, CW.BC10 and CW.BC20, respectively. CML 2001 in SimaPro® was used to evaluate the impacts of the treatment of 1 m3 wastewater. The OWTS were compared on their overall environmental performance scores (OEP). ATUs have higher impacts on human toxicity, eutrophication, freshwater and marine ecotoxicity. The CW.BC20 has the lowest global warming impact (GWP) while CW.BC0 has the highest. Electricity consumption was the largest contributor to the impacts of the ATUs. PVC pipes, coir peat, geomembrane, and electronic devices were the biggest contributors to the impacts of the CWs. The OEP of the CWs were almost a third of the ATUs' (6.07E-03). Changes in electricity sources were tested according to the 2030-Australian targets; increasing renewables share improves the OEP of ATUs by 39%; nevertheless, CWs continue to outperform the ATUs. Variations in biochar biodegradation had a small effect on the OEP of CWs; being relevant only to GWP. This study provides a reference to policy makers for better evaluation of OWTS.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ray Hangyong Lu
- School of Engineering and Built Environment, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD 4111 Australia E-mail:
| | - Ali El Hanandeh
- School of Engineering and Built Environment, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD 4111 Australia E-mail:
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Reclaimed Water for Vineyard Irrigation in a Mediterranean Context: Life Cycle Environmental Impacts, Life Cycle Costs, and Eco-Efficiency. WATER 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/w13162242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
The agricultural sector in the Mediterranean region, is increasingly using reclaimed water as an additional source for irrigation. However, there is a limited number of case studies about product-based life cycle analysis to ensure that the overall benefits of reclaimed water do indeed outweigh the impacts. The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Costing (LCC) methods are used in this study to investigate the environmental impacts and costs of vineyard cropping systems when tertiary reclaimed water is used as a supplementary source of irrigation water (integrated system). The conventional production system utilizing 100% groundwater was used as a reference system. As a proxy for sustainability, eco-efficiency, which combines economic and environmental performance, was assessed. The LCA revealed that the integrated system could reduce the net environmental impact by 23.8% due to lower consumption of irrigation water (−50%), electricity (−27.7%), and chemical fertilizers (−22.6%). Nevertheless, trade-offs between economics and the environment occurred as an integrated system is associated with higher life cycle costs and lower economic returns due to lower crop yield (−9.1%). The combined eco-efficiency assessment (ratio of economic value added to total environmental impact) revealed that the integrated system outperformed in terms of eco-efficiency by 12.6% due to lower environmental impacts. These results confirmed that reclaimed water could help to ensure an economically profitable yield with net environmental benefits. Our results provided an up-to-date and consistent life cycle analysis contributing to the creation of a valuable knowledge base for the associated costs and benefits of vineyard cultivation with treated wastewater.
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Moussavi S, Thompson M, Li S, Dvorak B. Assessment of small mechanical wastewater treatment plants: Relative life cycle environmental impacts of construction and operations. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2021; 292:112802. [PMID: 34023791 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Revised: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Many slow growing and shrinking rural communities struggle with aging or inadequate wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), and face challenges in constructing and operating such facilities. Although existing literature has provided insight into the environmental sustainability of large facilities, including both the construction and operational phases, these studies have not examined small, rural facilities treating less than 7000 m3/d (1.8 MGD) of wastewater in adequate depth and breadth. In this study, a detailed inventory of the construction and operational data for 16 case studies of small WWTPs was developed to elucidate their environmental life cycle impacts. An attributional LCA framework was followed. The results show that the environmental impacts of both the construction and operational phases are considerable. Energy use was the dominant contributor to the operational environmental impact, and improving energy efficiency of a plant may reduce the environmental impacts of a small WWTP. Construction impacts can vary considerably between facilities (e.g., coefficient of variation for the construction impacts ranged from 60% to 78% depending on the impact category). Process-related factors (e.g., concrete and reinforcing steel used in basins) are typically sized using the design flow; thus, much of the variability in construction impacts among plants stems from the non-process related infrastructure. Multiple regression analysis was used as an exploratory tool to identify which non-process related plant aspects contribute to the variable environmental impact of small WWTPs. These factors include aluminum, cast iron, and the capacity utilization ratio (defined as the ratio of average flow to design flow). Thus, industry practitioners should consider these factors when aiming to reduce the environmental impacts of a small WWTP related to construction. Scenario sensitivity analyses found that the environmental impact of construction became smaller with longer design life, and the end-of-life consideration does not heavily influence the environmental sustainability of a WWTP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sussan Moussavi
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, NE, 68588, United States
| | - Matthew Thompson
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, NE, 68588, United States
| | - Shaobin Li
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, United States
| | - Bruce Dvorak
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, NE, 68588, United States; Department of Biological Systems Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, NE, 68588, United States.
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Current Challenges and Advancements on the Management of Water Retreatment in Different Production Operations of Shale Reservoirs. WATER 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/w13152131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Nowadays, water savings on industrial plants have become a significant concern for various plants and sections. It is vitally essential to propose applicable and efficient techniques to retreat produced water from onshore and offshore production units. This paper aimed to implement the PFF (Photo Fenton Flotation) method to optimize the water treatment procedure, as it is a two-stage separation technique. The measurements were recorded for the HF (hydraulic fracturing) and CEOR (chemically enhanced oil recovery) methods separately to compare the results appropriately. To assure the efficiency of this method, we first recorded the measurements for five sequential days. As a result, the total volume of 2372.5 MM m3/year of water can be saved in the HF process during the PFF treatment procedure, and only 20% of this required fresh water should be provided from other resources. On the other hand, the total volume of 7482.5 MM m3/year of water can be saved in CEOR processes during the PFF treatment procedure, and only 38% of this required fresh water should be provided from other resources. Therefore, the total water volume of 9855 MM m3 can be saved each year, indicating the efficiency of this method in supplying and saving the water volume during the production operations from oilfield units.
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