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Environmental performance of wastewater treatment plants for small populations

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  • Gallego, Alejandro
  • Hospido, Almudena
  • Moreira, Maria Teresa
  • Feijoo, Gumersindo

Abstract

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is an environmental tool which allows the calculation of all the environmental loads related to a process/product/service. In the present work, LCA was applied to analyze the environmental impact of different technologies for wastewater treatment in small populations. In this study, 13 wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) of less than 20,000 population equivalent (p.e.) located in Galicia (NW Spain) were inventoried. The results of the evaluation of the environmental impact are expressed in terms of diverse impact categories. Normalization identified eutrophication, mainly as P-PO43−, N-NH4+ and organic load as chemical oxygen demand (COD) in the treated effluent, and terrestrial ecotoxicity, due to the heavy metals content in the sludge, as the most significant categories for all WWTPs. Electricity use plays an important role in five of seven impact categories and presents the highest importance in four of them. When comparing technologies, secondary treatment technologies such as biodenipho and aerobic–anoxic treatment resulted in a lesser environmental impact than extended aeration. The operation of the plants has large contribution on the impact, especially for those that make use of extended aeration.

Suggested Citation

  • Gallego, Alejandro & Hospido, Almudena & Moreira, Maria Teresa & Feijoo, Gumersindo, 2008. "Environmental performance of wastewater treatment plants for small populations," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 52(6), pages 931-940.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:recore:v:52:y:2008:i:6:p:931-940
    DOI: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2008.02.001
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Palme, Ulrika & Lundin, Margareta & Tillman, Anne-Marie & Molander, Sverker, 2005. "Sustainable development indicators for wastewater systems – researchers and indicator users in a co-operative case study," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 43(3), pages 293-311.
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    Cited by:

    1. Zhang, XiaoHong & Wei, Ye & Li, Min & Deng, ShiHuai & Wu, Jun & Zhang, YanZong & Xiao, Hong, 2014. "Emergy evaluation of an integrated livestock wastewater treatment system," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 95-107.
    2. Morten W. Ryberg & Troels K. Bjerre & Per Henrik Nielsen & Michael Hauschild, 2021. "Absolute environmental sustainability assessment of a Danish utility company relative to the Planetary Boundaries," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 25(3), pages 765-777, June.

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