Life Cycle Assessment Of Wastewater Treatment

Life Cycle Assessment of Wastewater Treatment addresses in detail the required in-depth life cycle assessment of wastewater treatment. This is to meet the special demands placed upon wastewater treatment processes, due to both the limited quantity and often low quality of water supplies. Wastewater management clearly plays a central role in achieving future water security in a world where water stress is expected to increase. Life cycle assessment (LCA) can be used as a tool to evaluate the environmental impacts associated with wastewater treatment and potential improvement options. This unique volume will focus on the analysis of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), using a life cycle assessment (LCA) approach. Key Features: Focuses on the analysis of wastewater treatment plants using a life cycle assessment (LCA) approach Discusses unconventional water sources such as recycled wastewater, brackish groundwater and desalinated seawater Explains life cycle assessment in detail, which has become one of the reference methods used to assess the environmental performance of processes over their complete life cycle, from raw material extraction, infrastructure construction and operation to final dismantling Explores a technique (LCA) that is becoming increasingly popular amongst researchers in the water treatment field nowadays because of its holistic approach Based on the real life experiences, the subject of wastewater is presented in simple terms and made accessible to anyone willing to learn and experiment

This book introduces the 3R concept applied to wastewater treatment and resource recovery under a double perspective. Firstly, it deals with innovative technologies leading to: Reducing energy requirements, space and impacts; Reusing water and sludge of sufficient quality; and Recovering resources such as energy, nutrients, metals and chemicals, including biopolymers. Besides targeting effective C,N&P removal, other issues such as organic micropollutants, gases and odours emissions are considered. Most of the technologies analysed have been tested at pilot- or at full-scale. Tools and methods for their Economic, Environmental, Legal and Social impact assessment are described. The 3R concept is also applied to Innovative Processes design, considering different levels of innovation: Retrofitting, where novel units are included in more conventional processes; Re-Thinking, which implies a substantial flowsheet modification; and Re-Imagining, with completely new conceptions. Tools are presented for Modelling, Optimising and Selecting the most suitable plant layout for each particular scenario from a holistic technical, economic and environmental point of view.

Although green innovation and technology is not new, so far very limited information is available regarding the diversified approaches for green technologies and engineering. This book highlights the challenges and opportunities, offering a roadmap for using various approaches in the most cost effective way. The book discusses the interrelationship between a circular economy and green technologies. It presents the dimensions of green innovations and illustrates the challenges of industrialization, especially in terms of material synthesis and utilized processes. It covers the current environmental and health challenges of societies and describes the role of stakeholders in developing sustainable societies and industries. This book provides a line of approach to core and interdisciplinary students, academicians, research scientists, and various industry personnel to present their ideas of green innovations with a common vision of sustainable development of community and industries in mind. Features Discusses the interrelationship between a circular economy and green technologies Presents the dimensions of green innovations Illustrates the challenges of industrialization, especially in terms of material synthesis and utilized processes Covers the current environmental and health challenges of societies Offers the identification and role of stakeholders in the sustainable development of societies and industries

Creating decent living conditions for all people while decoupling economic growth from the increasing use of virgin resources and environmental impacts is the major challenge of this millennium. There are many approaches suggested for solving these problems, including changing consumption behavior from material products to services, finding technological solutions to create more closed loops for materials, and using fewer virgin resources and energy obtained from clean renewable sources. A main issue to address is sludge formation during wastewater treatment. As such, this book, over seven chapters divided into two sections, investigates the application of biosolids or sewage sludge together with possible resources for sustainable development. It also presents information on resource efficiency from a more complex perspective, looking at several resources and the causal links between them in order to point out new pathways towards a more sustainable use of resources.

The wide adoption of wastewater treatment processes and use of novel technologies for improvement of nitrogen and phosphorus removals from wastewater have been introduced to meet stringent discharge standards. Municipal wastewater treatment plants (MWWTPs) are one of major contributors to the increase in the global GHG emissions and therefore it is necessary to carry out intensive studies on quantification, assessment and characterization of GHG emissions in wastewater treatment plants, on the life cycle assessment from GHG emission prospective, and on the GHG mitigation strategies. Greenhouse Gas Emission and Mitigation in Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants summarizes the recent development in studies of greenhouse gas emissions (N2O, CH4 and CO2) in MWWTPs. It also summarizes the development in life cycle assessment on GHG emissions in consideration of the energy usage in MWWTPs. The strategies in mitigating GHG emissions are discussed and the book provides an overview for researchers, students, water professionals and policy makers on GHG emission and mitigation in MWWTPS and industrial wastewater treatment processes. The book is a valuable resource for undergraduate and postgraduate students in the water, climate, and energy areas of research. It is also a useful reference source for water professionals, government policy makers, and research institutes.

This book provides insight into the Life Cycle Management (LCM) concept and the progress in its implementation. LCM is a management concept applied in industrial and service sectors to improve products and services, while enhancing the overall sustainability performance of business and its value chains. In this regard, LCM is an opportunity to differentiate through sustainability performance on the market place, working with all departments of a company such as research and development, procurement and marketing, and to enhance the collaboration with stakeholders along a company’s value chain. LCM is used beyond short-term business success and aims at long-term achievements by minimizing environmental and socio-economic burden, while maximizing economic and social value.

This book describes the importance of the goal and scope phase for the entire LCA study. In this first phase of the LCA framework (ISO standardized), the purpose of the assessment is defined and decisions are made about the details of the industrial system being studied and how the study will be conducted. Selecting impact categories, category indicators, characterization models, and peer review is decided during goal and scope definition. The book provides practical guidance and an overview of LCIA methods available in LCA software. Although not specified in the ISO standards, Attributional LCA and Consequential LCA are presented in order to appropriately determine the goal and scope of an assessment. The book closes with the interconnection between goal and scope definition and the interpretation phase. Example goal and scope documents for attributional and consequential LCAs are provided in the annexes.