Life cycle assessment and costing of wastewater treatment systems coupled to constructed wetlands

Resende, Juliana Dalia; Nolasco, Marcelo Antunes; Pacca, Sérgio Almeida

doi:10.1016/j.resconrec.2019.04.034

Cited by 97 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…Otherwise, previous LCA studies on CWs pointed out the capacity of the system to couple with different flow mode and loadings rates with low energy and no chemical requirements (Lutterbeck et al, 2017;Flores et al, 2019). Additionally, some alternatives to the conventional CW had included artificial aeration (Resende et al, 2019). An LCA of a variety of CW integrating single electrodes for harvesting energy was studied by Corbella et al (2017), revealing lower environmental impact than a conventional CW with a notably reduction of volume but a higher construction cost.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing METland® Design and Performance Through LCA: Techno-Environmental Study With Multifunctional Unit Perspective

Peñacoba-Antona¹,

Senán-Salinas²,

Aguirre-Sierra³

et al. 2021

Front. Microbiol.

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Conventional wastewater treatment technologies are costly and energy demanding; such issues are especially remarkable when small communities have to clean up their pollutants. In response to these requirements, a new variety of nature-based solution, so-called METland®, has been recently develop by using concepts from Microbial Electrochemical Technologies (MET) to outperform classical constructed wetland regarding wastewater treatment. Thus, the current study evaluates two operation modes (aerobic and aerobic–anoxic) of a full-scale METland®, including a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) conducted under a Net Environmental Balance perspective. Moreover, a combined technical and environmental analysis using a Net Eutrophication Balance (NEuB) focus concluded that the downflow (aerobic) mode achieved the highest removal rates for both organic pollutant and nitrogen, and it was revealed as the most environmentally friendly design. Actually, aerobic configuration outperformed anaero/aero-mixed mode in a fold-range from 9 to 30%. LCA was indeed recalculated under diverse Functional Units (FU) to determine the influence of each FU in the impacts. Furthermore, in comparison with constructed wetland, METland® showed a remarkable increase in wastewater treatment capacity per surface area (0.6 m2/pe) without using external energy. Specifically, these results suggest that aerobic–anoxic configuration could be more environmentally friendly under specific situations where high N removal is required. The removal rates achieved demonstrated a robust adaptation to influent variations, revealing a removal average of 92% of Biology Oxygen Demand (BOD), 90% of Total Suspended Solids (TSS), 40% of total nitrogen (TN), and 30% of total phosphorus (TP). Moreover, regarding the global warming category, the overall impact was 75% lower compared to other conventional treatments like activated sludge. In conclusion, the LCA revealed that METland® appears as ideal solution for rural areas, considering the low energy requirements and high efficiency to remove organic pollutants, nitrogen, and phosphates from urban wastewater.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing METland® Design and Performance Through LCA: Techno-Environmental Study With Multifunctional Unit Perspective

Peñacoba-Antona¹,

Senán-Salinas²,

Aguirre-Sierra³

et al. 2021

Front. Microbiol.

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“…In recent decades, it has been recognized that wetlands, both natural or constructed (CWs), are an attractive wastewater treatment alternative to conventional treatment systems [31]. As nature-based solutions or green infrastructures for water pollution control based on processes observed in the natural environment [32], CWs can manage the great variety in wastewater origins in terms of organic and inorganic constituents, considering different treatments and recycling methods [33]. The pollution removal efficiency of CWs for wastewater treatment relies on microbial-mediated processes, such as the transformation and mineralization of organic matter and/or the degradation of pollutants [34].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Constructed Wetlands to Face Water Scarcity and Water Pollution Risks: Learning from Farmers’ Perception in Alicante, Spain

Ricart

Amorós

2021

Water

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Treated wastewater is constantly produced and relatively unaffected by climatic conditions, while Constructed Wetlands (CWs) are recognized as green technology and a cost-effective alternative to improve treated wastewater quality standards. This paper analyses how farmers consider (1) treated wastewater to face water scarcity risk and (2) CW as mechanisms to face agricultural water pollution in a climate change adaptation context. A survey about climate change perception and adaptation measures was answered by 177 farmers from two irrigation communities near El Hondo coastal wetland and the Santa Pola saltmarshes, both perceived as natural-constructed systems in Alicante, southern Spain. Results highlighted how, even with poor-quality standards, treated wastewater is considered a non-riskier measure and more reliable option when addressing climate change impacts. Overall, physical water harvesting (such as CWs) is the favorite choice when investing in water technologies, being perceived as the best option for users of treated wastewater and those concerned about water quality standards. Consequently, CWs were recognized as mechanisms to increase water supply and reduce water pollution. Policy-makers and water managers can use these learnings from farmers’ experience to identify the main barriers and benefits of using treated wastewater and CWs to address water scarcity and water pollution risks.

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“…It was found in a study for winery wastewater treatment that CWs were 1-10 times lower in environmental impact when compared to the activated sludge process and a third-party process (Flores, García, Pena, & Garfí, 2019). Although they have been proven to cause fewer emissions, aerated CW was found to have the greatest impact on the environment (Resende, Nolasco, & Pacca, 2019). While the life cycle cost per cubic meter was around 2 times smaller than the system without aeration, findings from the analysis of aerated CWs included 64% for human toxicity and 100% for freshwater eutrophication.…”

Section: Other Areas Of Considerationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wetlands for environmental protection

Martinez‐Guerra

Ghimire

Nandimandalam

et al. 2020

Water Environment Research

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This article presents an update on the research and practical demonstration of wetland-based treatment technologies for protecting water resources and environment covering papers published in 2019. Wetland applications in wastewater treatment, stormwater management, and removal of nutrients, metals, and emerging pollutants including pathogens are highlighted. A summary of studies focusing on the effects of vegetation, wetland design and operation strategies, and process configurations and modeling, for efficient treatment of various municipal and industrial wastewaters, is included. In addition, hybrid and innovative processes with wetlands as a platform treatment technology are presented.

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Life cycle assessment and costing of wastewater treatment systems coupled to constructed wetlands

Cited by 97 publications

References 43 publications

Assessing METland® Design and Performance Through LCA: Techno-Environmental Study With Multifunctional Unit Perspective

Assessing METland® Design and Performance Through LCA: Techno-Environmental Study With Multifunctional Unit Perspective

Constructed Wetlands to Face Water Scarcity and Water Pollution Risks: Learning from Farmers’ Perception in Alicante, Spain

Wetlands for environmental protection

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