IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v11y2019i15p4130-d253299.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Water Degradation by China’s Fossil Fuels Production: A Life Cycle Assessment Based on an Input–Output Model

Author

Listed:
  • Yuqi Su

    (College of Economics and Management, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China)

  • Yi Liang

    (College of Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China)

  • Li Chai

    (International College Beijing, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
    Chinese-Israeli International Center for Research and Training in Agriculture, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China)

  • Zixuan Han

    (International College Beijing, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China)

  • Sai Ma

    (International College Beijing, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China)

  • Jiaxuan Lyu

    (International College Beijing, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China)

  • Zhiping Li

    (International College Beijing, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China)

  • Liu Yang

    (International College Beijing, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China)

Abstract

Fossil energy production not only aggravates water depletion but also severely contaminates water resources. This study employed a mixed-unit input–output model to give a life cycle assessment of national average water degradation in production of common types of fossil fuels in China. The results show that the amount of grey water generated is much more than that of consumptive and withdrawn water in all cases. Although there is a high discharge amount of chemical oxygen demand (COD) in fossil fuel production, the pollutants of petroleum (PE) and volatile phenols (VP) require more dilution water than COD. PE is the greatest contributor to water degradation caused by primary fossil fuels, while VP pollution is prominent in production of upgraded fossil fuels. Basically, the main causes of water degradation, PE and VP discharge, occurs at coal mines, oil fields, refinery plants, and coking factories, rather than in the upstream sectors. A scenario analysis showed that water pollution can be significantly reduced if VP discharge in the coking process is controlled to be at the standard concentration. PE requires a standard withalower discharge concentration in order to further mitigate water pollution in production of fossil fuels. The coal production industry has a much lower pollutant removal rate but spends more on wastewater treatment, up to 12% of its profit. The other fossil fuel industries have high removal rates of PE and VP (97%–99%) and thus demand technological renovation to further remove those pollutants at a low concentration.

Suggested Citation

  • Yuqi Su & Yi Liang & Li Chai & Zixuan Han & Sai Ma & Jiaxuan Lyu & Zhiping Li & Liu Yang, 2019. "Water Degradation by China’s Fossil Fuels Production: A Life Cycle Assessment Based on an Input–Output Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(15), pages 1-12, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:15:p:4130-:d:253299
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/15/4130/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/15/4130/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Chai, Li & Liao, Xiawei & Yang, Liu & Yan, Xianglin, 2018. "Assessing life cycle water use and pollution of coal-fired power generation in China using input-output analysis," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 231(C), pages 951-958.
    2. Shang, Yizi & Hei, Pengfei & Lu, Shibao & Shang, Ling & Li, Xiaofei & Wei, Yongping & Jia, Dongdong & Jiang, Dong & Ye, Yuntao & Gong, Jiaguo & Lei, Xiaohui & Hao, Mengmeng & Qiu, Yaqin & Liu, Jiahong, 2018. "China’s energy-water nexus: Assessing water conservation synergies of the total coal consumption cap strategy until 2050," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 210(C), pages 643-660.
    3. Wang, Chunyan & Li, Yaqing & Liu, Yi, 2018. "Investigation of water-energy-emission nexus of air pollution control of the coal-fired power industry: A case study of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 291-301.
    4. Fthenakis, Vasilis & Kim, Hyung Chul, 2010. "Life-cycle uses of water in U.S. electricity generation," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 14(7), pages 2039-2048, September.
    5. Zhang, Chao & Zhong, Lijin & Liang, Sai & Sanders, Kelly T. & Wang, Jiao & Xu, Ming, 2017. "Virtual scarce water embodied in inter-provincial electricity transmission in China," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 187(C), pages 438-448.
    6. DeNooyer, Tyler A. & Peschel, Joshua M. & Zhang, Zhenxing & Stillwell, Ashlynn S., 2016. "Integrating water resources and power generation: The energy–water nexus in Illinois," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 162(C), pages 363-371.
    7. Pan, Lingying & Liu, Pei & Ma, Linwei & Li, Zheng, 2012. "A supply chain based assessment of water issues in the coal industry in China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 93-102.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Liu, Yitong & Chen, Bin & Wei, Wendong & Shao, Ling & Li, Zhi & Jiang, Weizhong & Chen, Guoqian, 2020. "Global water use associated with energy supply, demand and international trade of China," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 257(C).
    2. Chai, Li & Liao, Xiawei & Yang, Liu & Yan, Xianglin, 2018. "Assessing life cycle water use and pollution of coal-fired power generation in China using input-output analysis," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 231(C), pages 951-958.
    3. Meng, Fanxin & Liu, Gengyuan & Liang, Sai & Su, Meirong & Yang, Zhifeng, 2019. "Critical review of the energy-water-carbon nexus in cities," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 171(C), pages 1017-1032.
    4. Cui, Qi & He, Ling & Han, Guoyi & Chen, Hao & Cao, Juanjuan, 2020. "Review on climate and water resource implications of reducing renewable power curtailment in China: A nexus perspective," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 267(C).
    5. Fan, Jing-Li & Kong, Ling-Si & Zhang, Xian, 2018. "Synergetic effects of water and climate policy on energy-water nexus in China: A computable general equilibrium analysis," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 308-317.
    6. Jin, Yi & Behrens, Paul & Tukker, Arnold & Scherer, Laura, 2019. "Water use of electricity technologies: A global meta-analysis," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    7. Li, Junjie & Yan, Yulong & Wang, Yirong & Zhang, Yifu & Shao, Lianwei & Li, Menggang, 2024. "Spatial-successive transfer of virtual scarcity water along China's coal-based electric chain," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 288(C).
    8. Srinivasan, Shweta & Kholod, Nazar & Chaturvedi, Vaibhav & Ghosh, Probal Pratap & Mathur, Ritu & Clarke, Leon & Evans, Meredydd & Hejazi, Mohamad & Kanudia, Amit & Koti, Poonam Nagar & Liu, Bo & Parik, 2018. "Water for electricity in India: A multi-model study of future challenges and linkages to climate change mitigation," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 210(C), pages 673-684.
    9. Hao Li & Yuhuan Zhao & Jiang Lin, 2020. "A review of the energy–carbon–water nexus: Concepts, research focuses, mechanisms, and methodologies," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Energy and Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 9(1), January.
    10. Zhou, Yuanchun & Ma, Mengdie & Gao, Peiqi & Xu, Qiming & Bi, Jun & Naren, Tuya, 2019. "Managing water resources from the energy - water nexus perspective under a changing climate: A case study of Jiangsu province, China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 380-390.
    11. Yang, Lin & Lv, Haodong & Jiang, Dalin & Fan, Jingli & Zhang, Xian & He, Weijun & Zhou, Jinsheng & Wu, Wenjing, 2020. "Whether CCS technologies will exacerbate the water crisis in China? —A full life-cycle analysis," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    12. Ana Luiza Fontenelle & Erik Nilsson & Ieda Geriberto Hidalgo & Cintia B. Uvo & Drielli Peyerl, 2022. "Temporal Understanding of the Water–Energy Nexus: A Literature Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-21, April.
    13. Wu, X.D. & Chen, G.Q., 2017. "Energy and water nexus in power generation: The surprisingly high amount of industrial water use induced by solar power infrastructure in China," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 195(C), pages 125-136.
    14. Bouckaert, Stéphanie & Assoumou, Edi & Selosse, Sandrine & Maïzi, Nadia, 2014. "A prospective analysis of waste heat management at power plants and water conservation issues using a global TIMES model," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 80-91.
    15. Ahmad, Shakeel & Jia, Haifeng & Chen, Zhengxia & Li, Qian & Xu, Changqing, 2020. "Water-energy nexus and energy efficiency: A systematic analysis of urban water systems," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    16. Wang, Sicong & Wang, Shifeng, 2017. "Implications of improving energy efficiency for water resources," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 140(P1), pages 922-928.
    17. Ding, Tao & Liang, Liang & Zhou, Kaile & Yang, Min & Wei, Yuqi, 2020. "Water-energy nexus: The origin, development and prospect," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 419(C).
    18. Zhu, Yongnan & Ke, Jing & Wang, Jianhua & Liu, He & Jiang, Shan & Blum, Helcio & Zhao, Yong & He, Guohua & Meng, Yuan & Su, Jian, 2020. "Water transfer and losses embodied in the West–East electricity transmission project in China," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 275(C).
    19. Logan, Lauren H. & Stillwell, Ashlynn S., 2018. "Probabilistic assessment of aquatic species risk from thermoelectric power plant effluent: Incorporating biology into the energy-water nexus," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 210(C), pages 434-450.
    20. Huang, Weilong & Ma, Ding & Chen, Wenying, 2017. "Connecting water and energy: Assessing the impacts of carbon and water constraints on China’s power sector," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 185(P2), pages 1497-1505.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:15:p:4130-:d:253299. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.