Life Cycle Assessment Applications in Wastewater Treatment

Abstract

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a technique to assess all potential environmental impacts of any action and covers the entire life of the product; the study begins with raw material acquisition through production, use, and disposal [1]. A life-cycle uses the “cradle-tograve” approach, and identifies energy use, material input, and waste generated from the acquisition of raw materials to the final disposal of the product. The facility at which this is conducted will benefit from the identification of the areas where environmental improvements can be made. Its principles and requirements are defined by ISO 14000 series standards [2,3] and consist of four main activities: goal and scope (ISO 14040), inventory analysis (ISO 14044), impact assessment (ISO 14044), and interpretation (ISO 14044).