Assessment of the Environmental Sustainability of a Treatment Aimed at Soil Reuse in a Brownfield Regeneration Context

Abstract

A combined stabilization/solidification (S/S) and granulation treatment was shown to be effective, at lab scale, to produce secondary aggregates from a Brownfield soil slightly contaminated by metals. This treatment, as opposed to the frequently adopted "dig and dump" option, allows to combine soil management with site regeneration, minimizing landfill disposal. But is this treatment actually more environmentally sustainable than excavated soil management by dig and dump? To answer this question, we analyzed and compared by life cycle assessment the environmental impacts resulting from the application of the above-mentioned treatment versus dig and dump on the basis of the results of lab tests performed on a Brownfield soil sample, including leaching test results. The impacts related to the production of all the reagents used in the on-site treatment, as well as the avoided impacts due to the replacement of raw aggregates with recycled ones, were included. Results showed that the proposed S/S-granulation process may allow a drastic decrease of the impacts related to land use and resource depletion in comparison to dig and dump, with beneficial effects also with regard to toxicity-related impact categories. Conversely, the proposed treatment yielded higher impacts, in terms of acidification, water resource depletion, and, in particular, climate change, almost entirely related to the manufacturing of the cement employed for stabilization. However, an average 40% reduction of overall impacts was noted when fly ash cement was assumed to be used as binder instead of Portland cement.Volume 22, Number 5 new commercial and residential construction projects (Urban Soil Management Strategy 2012). Indeed, the high costs and long time frames required to solve contamination problems may significantly interfere with Brownfield regeneration. In fact, due to the absence of explicit regulations in most European countries, redevelopment is typically postponed after clean-up activities. Traditional remediation strategies are

Life Cycle Assessment of Waste Management: Are We Addressing the Key Challenges Ahead of Us?

“…). Application of experimental data as the basis for environmental assessment of waste management (Capobianco et al. ). Selection of technology data for appropriate representation of goal and scope of LCA studies (Henriksen et al. ). Quantification and communication of environmental benefits from waste prevention (Hutner et al.…”

“…Application of experimental data as the basis for environmental assessment of waste management (Capobianco et al. ).…”

“…With an example of soil utilization for regeneration of brownfield sites (e.g., urban and abandoned areas characterized by debris and various levels of contamination from previous activities), Capobianco and colleagues () illustrate how analytical data from lab experiments are applied to estimate environmental emissions within an LCA. Based on leaching data for selected brownfield soils and stabilization/solidification processes, the performance of soil regeneration is evaluated relative to traditional landfilling of the soils.…”

Triple-Binder-Stabilized Marine Deposit Clay for Better Sustainability

“…Furthermore, Magnusson et al [3] reported that reusing excavated soil could save as much as 14 kg of carbon dioxide per ton. Additionally, Capobianco et al [4] stated that the treatment of such soils is more beneficial than digging and dumping.…”

Durability and Microstructural Properties of Triple-Binder-Stabilized Marine Deposit Clay

“…The previous studies suggested alternative managing strategies for quarried soils, including using them on-site, reusing excavated materials, pre-treating before use in construction, storing them for future consideration, and using them as landfill cover applications [1,2] Furthermore, Magnusson et al [3] reported that reusing excavated soil could save as much as 14 kg of carbon dioxide per ton. Additionally, the study by Capobianco et al [4] stated that the treatment of such soils is more beneficial than digging and dumping.…”