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Multi-criteria methodology for selection of wastewater treatment systems with economic, social, technical and environmental aspects

Author

Listed:
  • Mauro Lizot

    (Federal University of Technology)

  • Andreia S. Goffi

    (Federal University of Technology)

  • Shirley S. Thesari

    (Federal University of Technology)

  • Flavio Trojan

    (Federal University of Technology)

  • Paulo S. L. P. Afonso

    (ALGORITMI Centre at University of Minho)

  • Paula F. V. Ferreira

    (ALGORITMI Centre at University of Minho)

Abstract

The design, implementation and use of wastewater treatment systems (WTS) are fundamental to mitigate hydrological and environmental problems, and to improve population health. Furthermore, the significant advances in treatment systems technology offer, nowadays, several alternatives and provide many combinations of WTS which must be correctly evaluated and constitute a decision problem for public and private investors and decision makers. Thus, this article presents a multi-criteria methodology based on six steps for the evaluation of WTS considering relevant economic, social, technical and environmental criteria. Particularly, forty-eight main criteria were identified and ranked considering their importance based on the previous literature. This methodology was applied in a Brazilian sanitation company in a specific treatment area of approximately five thousand inhabitants and with recurrent environmental problems, such as the contamination and low efficiency of wastewater treatment. Twenty available alternatives were considered and twelve criteria were selected for this application. The AHP and ELECTRE II methods were combined to weight the different criteria and to rank the most suitable WTS. This methodology can be extended and applied in different scenarios to improve the decision-making process.

Suggested Citation

  • Mauro Lizot & Andreia S. Goffi & Shirley S. Thesari & Flavio Trojan & Paulo S. L. P. Afonso & Paula F. V. Ferreira, 2021. "Multi-criteria methodology for selection of wastewater treatment systems with economic, social, technical and environmental aspects," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(7), pages 9827-9851, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:endesu:v:23:y:2021:i:7:d:10.1007_s10668-020-00906-8
    DOI: 10.1007/s10668-020-00906-8
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. R. Srinivas & Ajit Pratap Singh, 2018. "Impact assessment of industrial wastewater discharge in a river basin using interval-valued fuzzy group decision-making and spatial approach," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 20(5), pages 2373-2397, October.
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    5. Ren, Jingzheng & Liang, Hanwei & Chan, Felix T.S., 2017. "Urban sewage sludge, sustainability, and transition for Eco-City: Multi-criteria sustainability assessment of technologies based on best-worst method," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 116(C), pages 29-39.
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    Cited by:

    1. Maiquiel Schmidt de Oliveira & Mauro Lizot & Hugo Siqueira & Paulo Afonso & Flavio Trojan, 2023. "Efficiency Analysis of Oil Refineries Using DEA Window Analysis, Cluster Analysis, and Malmquist Productivity Index," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(18), pages 1-19, September.
    2. Ria Ranjan Srivastava & Prabhat Kumar Singh, 2023. "Selection of factors affecting integrated municipal wastewater treatment and reuse network: an interpretive structural modelling (ISM) approach," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 25(9), pages 9137-9161, September.

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