A Life Cycle Assessment Approach to Biosolids Management

In the wastewater treatment industry there is a gap between the financial analysis and the environmental impact analysis that municipalities can utilize to make sustainable decisions. A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) provides a holistic, “cradle–to-grave” analysis within the defined system boundaries, allowing decision-makers to meet the “triple bottom line” goals. LCA is a unique tool that provides a means to fill this gap and quantify the environmental impacts, assisting a facility in selecting the appropriate technology to manage its biosolids. In addition to the traditional life cycle cost comparison, an LCA compares carbon footprinting, eco-toxicity, and green-house gas emissions, among other environmental impact categories of importance to a particular facility. It provides an accurate accounting of different, often conflicting, environmental parameters. For example, LCA would be a useful tool to quantify impacts in the case of membrane technology for wastewater treatment, which provides higher effluent quality but consumes significantly more energy than an activated sludge process. Source: WEFTEC Proceedings 2009