Laboratory of Chemical Engineering and Engineering Sustainability, Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences, Open University of Cyprus, Giannou Kranidioti 89, 2231, Latsia, Nicosia, Cyprus.
International Hellenic University, Department of Food Science and Technology, Laboratory of Technologies of Environmental Protection and Utilization of Food By-Products, 57400, Sindos, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Chemosphere. 2023 Nov;341:139952. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.139952. Epub 2023 Aug 23.
Wastewater treatment plants play a significant role in minimizing environmental pollution by treating wastewater and reducing the release of contaminants into the environment. However, their operation can still have an environmental footprint. Therefore, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of wastewater treatment provides a comprehensive framework to quantify the environmental impact of plants across various categories. By conducting LCA assessments, the environmental impacts of different scenarios or treatment technologies can be compared, enabling decision-makers to identify the most environmentally friendly options. This information helps in optimizing the plant's design, operation, and resource allocation to minimize their environmental burden. The current research hypothesis was to conduct an LCA of a typical activated sludge plant in Greece, considering three different scenarios in order to provide an innovative take on wastewater treatment plant foam waste and utilize them for the production of biogas through anaerobic digestion. The assessment was carried out using OpenLCA software as well as EcoInvent v3.3. database. The study focused on the impact assessment of five categories (eutrophication potential, acidification potential, global warming potential, ozone depletion, and photochemical ozone creation). The results indicated that the baseline scenario had the highest impact on these categories, followed by Scenario I, while Scenario II had the least impact. Additionally, the cumulative energy demand assessment showed that the baseline scenario required significantly more energy compared to Scenarios I and II. However, Scenario II, which involved fine screens and utilization of biogas, exhibited the highest energy production, thereby reducing the overall energy demands for the system. Based on these findings, it is crucial for wastewater treatment facilities to actively pursue energy demand mitigation strategies by implementing energy-efficient technologies and utilizing biogas. These measures not only contribute to environmental protection but also promote a greener and more sustainable future for WWTP operations.
污水处理厂在减少环境污染方面发挥着重要作用，它们可以处理废水并减少污染物向环境中的排放。然而，它们的运行仍然会对环境造成影响。因此，对污水处理厂进行生命周期评估（LCA）可以提供一个全面的框架，用于量化各种类别下的工厂的环境影响。通过进行 LCA 评估，可以比较不同情景或处理技术的环境影响，从而使决策者能够确定最环保的选择。这些信息有助于优化工厂的设计、运行和资源分配，以最小化其环境负担。目前的研究假设是对希腊的一个典型活性污泥厂进行 LCA，考虑三种不同的情景，以便为污水处理厂泡沫废物的处理提供一种创新方法，并利用它们通过厌氧消化来生产沼气。评估使用 OpenLCA 软件和 EcoInvent v3.3 数据库进行。该研究集中在五个类别（富营养化潜力、酸化潜力、全球变暖潜力、臭氧消耗和光化学臭氧形成）的影响评估上。结果表明，基线情景对这些类别造成的影响最大，其次是情景 I，而情景 II 的影响最小。此外，累计能源需求评估表明，与情景 I 和 II 相比，基线情景对能源的需求明显更高。然而，涉及细格栅和沼气利用的情景 II 表现出了最高的能源产量，从而降低了系统的整体能源需求。基于这些发现，污水处理设施积极采取措施来减轻能源需求至关重要，例如实施节能技术和利用沼气。这些措施不仅有助于环境保护，还有助于推动 WWTP 运营的绿色和可持续未来。
