Life Cycle Environmental Implications of Wastewater Treatment at an Academic Institution

Abstract

This study performs a life cycle assessment (LCA) on the wastewater treatment operations at Sebelas Maret University in Surakarta, Indonesia, with the goal of systematically evaluating the environmental impacts associated with its processes. LCA serves as a comprehensive method for assessing environmental impacts across all stages of a product's life cycle, which includes goal and scope definition, life cycle inventory (LCI), life cycle impact assessment (LCIA), and interpretation. Utilizing this methodology, our analysis categorizes environmental impacts into three significant domains: human health, ecosystem quality, and resource depletion. The findings indicate that human health is the most impacted category, showing an effect of 0.275 disability-adjusted life years (DALY) -equivalent units. Resource depletion follows, measured at 0.193 DALY-equivalent units, and non-renewable energy consumption is quantified at 0.0214 DALY-equivalent units. To address these impacts, the study proposes several improvement strategies, such as adopting more sustainable clean water treatment technologies, capturing and utilizing methane gas through anaerobic digestion, and establishing green spaces for CO 2 sequestration. These strategies aim to reduce the environmental footprint of the wastewater treatment process, moving towards more sustainable management practices.