Unravelling the environmental and economic impacts of innovative technologies for the enhancement of biogas production and sludge management in wastewater systems

Arias, Ana; Behera, Chitta Ranjan; Feijoo, Gumersindo; Sin, Gürkan

doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.110965

Cited by 22 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 60 publications

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“…LCA allows us to compare different systems, products, and processes regarding the production and self-usage of energy and the extraction of the raw materials included in various treatment unit combinations [4] to find the best process scenario available [5]. Since the 1990s, different WWT topics have been examined in several previous LCA studies [6]: plant modifications and operations [7][8][9][10][11][12], modeling [13][14][15][16][17][18][19], sludge processes [11,[20][21][22], greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions [4,23,24], rainfall impact [6,25], and uncertainty [5,[26][27][28].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Life Cycle Assessment of Municipal Wastewater Treatment Processes Regarding Energy Production from the Sludge Line

et al. 2021

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The efficient and timely removal of organic matter and nutrients from water used in normal municipal functions is considered to be the main task of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Therefore, these facilities are considered to be essential units that are required to avoid pollution of the water environment and decrease the possibility of triggering eutrophication. Even though these benefits are undeniable, they remain at odds with the high energy demand of wastewater treatment and sludge processes. As a consequence, WWTPs have various environmental impacts, which can be estimated and categorized using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) analysis. In this study, a municipal WWTP based in Poznań, Poland, was examined using the method defined in ISO 14040. ReCiPe Endpoint and Midpoint (v1.11), in a hierarchical approach, were used to evaluate the environmental impacts regarding 18 different categories. All calculations were conducted using a detailed database from 2019, which describes each chosen facility. It was found that the energy component, related to the wastewater treatment process demand and electricity production, is the main determinant of the sum of the environmental impact indicators in light of the modelled energy mix. Therefore, it determines the entire process as an environmentally friendly activity.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Life Cycle Assessment of Municipal Wastewater Treatment Processes Regarding Energy Production from the Sludge Line

et al. 2021

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“…The environmental and economic benefits of retrofitting are noted in a several sectors such as first-generation biofuels, pulp and paper, fossil power and combined heat and power. Biogas retrofitting studies are diverse and numerous, some examples are: using of lignocellulosic biomass in biogas production [9], the development of energy storage technologies using compressed air energy storage [10], biogas production in water treatment systems [11,12] and, using calcium looping reforming of biogas [13,14].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of Synergies of a Biomass Power Plant and a Biogas Station with a Carbon Capture System

2021

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The global carbon emissions from the tertiary sector have increased during the last years, becoming a target sector for carbon capture technologies. This study analyzes the potential application of a carbon capture system (CCS) to the usage of biogas from a livestock waste treatment plant (LWTP) and solid biomass. The proposed BECCS system fulfils the requirement of energy demands of the LWTP and generates electricity. The CCS is sized to consume the biogas produced and the selected operation parameters ensure a high capture efficiency. The BECCS is completed by a Rankine cycle fed by solid biomass and waste heat from the capture process is sized and implemented to produce electricity and steam. The proposed concept handles 1534 kW of solid biomass and 1398 kW of biogas to produce 746.20 kWe and cover the heat demand of a LWTP, 597 kWth. The avoided CO2 emissions sum up to 1620 ton CO2/year. The economic calculations show the limitation of this concept deployment under current prices of electricity and CO2 allowances. Results show the potential feasibility under future scenarios with 5 to 6 payback periods whenever public policies support the use of CCS and EU ETS evolves towards higher prices of carbon allowances.

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“…It has been projected that by 2050 the global population will reach 9.7 billion people [ 2 ] and this will require an estimated 50% increase in agricultural production. Agriculture accounts for the use of 70% of the world’s freshwater use [ 3 ]; hence, increases in food production would also increase water usage. Water usage in agriculture generates wastewater, which if untreated contributes to water pollution.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Water usage in agriculture generates wastewater, which if untreated contributes to water pollution. It is estimated that 80% of all untreated wastewater is discharged into the world’s waterways [ 3 ], and the discharge of inadequately treated wastewater has an adverse impact on the environment and human health. The degradation of water quality of surface and groundwater due to pollution gravely affects water availability.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Improper wastewater management also has a direct impact on ecosystems and the services they provide [ 4 ]. Nutrients (most importantly nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) and agrochemicals released from intensive agriculture and animal waste can further accelerate the eutrophication of freshwater and coastal marine ecosystems, which can lead to potentially toxic algal blooms and declines in biodiversity [ 3 ]. Thus, proper treatment of agriculture wastewater could mitigate these issues while providing alternative water resources.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Evaluating Fertilizer-Drawn Forward Osmosis Performance in Treating Anaerobic Palm Oil Mill Effluent

et al. 2021

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Fertilizer-drawn forward osmosis (FDFO) is a potential alternative to recover and reuse water and nutrients from agricultural wastewater, such as palm oil mill effluent that consists of 95% water and is rich in nutrients. This study investigated the potential of commercial fertilizers as draw solution (DS) in FDFO to treat anaerobic palm oil mill effluent (An-POME). The process parameters affecting FO were studied and optimized, which were then applied to fertilizer selection based on FO performance and fouling propensity. Six commonly used fertilizers were screened and assessed in terms of pure water flux (Jw) and reverse salt flux (JS). Ammonium sulfate ((NH4)2SO4), mono-ammonium phosphate (MAP), and potassium chloride (KCl) were further evaluated with An-POME. MAP showed the best performance against An-POME, with a high average water flux, low flux decline, the highest performance ratio (PR), and highest water recovery of 5.9% for a 4-h operation. In a 24-h fouling run, the average flux decline and water recovered were 84% and 15%, respectively. Both hydraulic flushing and osmotic backwashing cleaning were able to effectively restore the water flux. The results demonstrated that FDFO using commercial fertilizers has the potential for the treatment of An-POME for water recovery. Nevertheless, further investigation is needed to address challenges such as JS and the dilution factor of DS for direct use of fertigation.

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Unravelling the environmental and economic impacts of innovative technologies for the enhancement of biogas production and sludge management in wastewater systems

Cited by 22 publications

References 60 publications

Life Cycle Assessment of Municipal Wastewater Treatment Processes Regarding Energy Production from the Sludge Line

Life Cycle Assessment of Municipal Wastewater Treatment Processes Regarding Energy Production from the Sludge Line

Evaluation of Synergies of a Biomass Power Plant and a Biogas Station with a Carbon Capture System

Evaluating Fertilizer-Drawn Forward Osmosis Performance in Treating Anaerobic Palm Oil Mill Effluent

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