Emergy Analysis for the Sustainable Utilization of Biosolids Generated in a Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant
| Autor: | Darío Gallego Suárez, Gerardo J. Ruiz-Mercado, Natalia A. Cano Londoño, Hector Ivan Velásquez |
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| Rok vydání: | 2018 |
| Předmět: |
Biosolids
Waste management Renewable Energy Sustainability and the Environment 020209 energy Strategy and Management Environmental engineering 02 engineering and technology 010501 environmental sciences engineering.material 01 natural sciences Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering Article Emergy Wastewater Sustainability 0202 electrical engineering electronic engineering information engineering engineering Production (economics) Environmental science Environmental impact assessment Sewage treatment Fertilizer 0105 earth and related environmental sciences General Environmental Science |
| Zdroj: | Journal of cleaner production. 141 |
| ISSN: | 0959-6526 |
| Popis: | This contribution describes the application of an emergy-based methodology for comparing two management alternatives of biosolids produced in a wastewater treatment plant. The current management practice of using biosolids as soil fertilizers was evaluated and compared to another alternative, the recovery of energy from the biosolid gasification process. This emergy assessment and comparison approach identifies more sustainable processes which achieve economic and social benefits with a minimal environmental impact. In addition, emergy-based sustainability indicators and the GREENSCOPE methodology were used to compare the two biosolid management alternatives. According to the sustainability assessment results, the energy production from biosolid gasification is energetically profitable, economically viable, and environmentally suitable. Furthermore, it was found that the current use of biosolids as soil fertilizer does not generate any considerable environmental stress, has the potential to achieve more economic benefits, and a post-processing of biosolids prior to its use as soil fertilizer improves its sustainability performance. In conclusion, this emergy analysis provides a sustainability assessment of both alternatives of biosolid management and helps decision-makers to identify opportunities for improvement during the current process of biosolid management. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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