Eco-Efficiency of End-of-Pipe Systems: An Extended Environmental Cost Efficiency Framework for Wastewater Treatment

Abstract

As a method for eco-efficiency analysis, environmental cost efficiency (ECE) indicators have been proposed for the end-of-pipe (EOP) systems that referred to the techniques achieving environmental benefit under economic cost. The wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) belongs to the EOP systems; however, few studies used the ECE indicators for the sustainability evaluation. Here, this study first proposed the following processes that had been excluded in the current ECE framework and thus limited the potential application in WWTP: (1) the direct impact of wastewater on receiving water, (2) the migration and transformation of water pollutants affected by the self-purification mechanisms of receiving water. To address the aforementioned processes, this study extended the framework of ECE indicators by means of incorporating the potential growth of microorganisms as the characterization state and integrating the water quality models with the characterization models. To investigate the applicability, a full-scale WWTP was selected as the study case and the eco-efficiency of the increasing levels of sewage treatment was evaluated. The case outcome showed that, with the extended ECE indicators, the analysis of eco-efficiency could be directly related to the specific locations and could determine the specific distance ranges within which the scenarios changing were considered efficient. Moreover, the eco-efficiency could be investigated under more concrete and flexible situations because the extended framework of ECE indicators was able to include more information, such as different types of receiving water or different environmental conditions of certain water body.

The evaluation of potentially toxic elements using artificial neural networks and fuzzy linear regression analysis methods in cappadocian volcanic ash soils of Turkey

“…The PTE are predominantly controlled by lithological properties, weathering of mineral, evaporations, atmospheric deposition, and agricultural runoff as well as urban and industrial effluents, and also sources of Zn Cu, Pb and Cd as domestic and industrial waste especially from paint industries, cement and thermal power plants as well as excess application of phosphatic fertilizers [ 19 ]. The high values of Cu, Ni and Zn are strongly related to the mines activity and fertilizer application [ 5 ]. In our study, the sources of PTE are not of human origin but rather natural origin and originate from volcanic parent materials containing high amounts of heavy metals.…”

“…There are also natural sources of PTE in the soil. The high values of heavy metals in the soil are mainly related to the closest locations to the mining area and mining activities [ 5 ]. Natural resources of heavy metals in soils are soil parent materials [ 6 ].…”

Correction: Zhao, X. et al. Eco-Efficiency of End-of-Pipe Systems: An Extended Environmental Cost Efficiency Framework for Wastewater Treatment. Water 2020, 12, 454

“…There are 2 mistakes in this article [1]. On page 1, line 2 of the Abstract, "end-of-pie" should be "end-of-pipe".…”