Increasing resource circularity in wastewater treatment

A paradigm shift is needed in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) to progress from traditional pollutant removal to resource recovery. However, whether this transformation produces overall environmental benefits will depend on the efficient and sustainable use of resources by emerging technologies....

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Autores: Rufí Salís, Martí|||0000-0003-3696-1033, Petit-Boix, Anna|||0000-0003-2048-2708, Leipold, Sina|||0000-0001-5245-183X, Villalba, Gara|||0000-0001-6392-0902, Rieradevall, Joan|||0000-0003-3360-6829, Moliné, Eduard, Gabarrell Durany, Xavier|||0000-0003-1730-4337, Carrera, Julian|||0000-0002-2599-2312, Suárez Ojeda, María Eugenia|||0000-0003-2520-2701
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2022
País:España
Institución:Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Repositorio:Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:ddd.uab.cat:264414
Acceso en línea:https://ddd.uab.cat/record/264414
https://dx.doi.org/urn:doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156422
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Life cycle assessment
Emergent technologies
Circular economy
Resource recovery
Industrial ecology
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spelling Increasing resource circularity in wastewater treatmentEnvironmental implications of technological upgradesRufí Salís, Martí|||0000-0003-3696-1033Petit-Boix, Anna|||0000-0003-2048-2708Leipold, Sina|||0000-0001-5245-183XVillalba, Gara|||0000-0001-6392-0902Rieradevall, Joan|||0000-0003-3360-6829Moliné, EduardGabarrell Durany, Xavier|||0000-0003-1730-4337Carrera, Julian|||0000-0002-2599-2312Suárez Ojeda, María Eugenia|||0000-0003-2520-2701Life cycle assessmentEmergent technologiesCircular economyResource recoveryIndustrial ecologyA paradigm shift is needed in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) to progress from traditional pollutant removal to resource recovery. However, whether this transformation produces overall environmental benefits will depend on the efficient and sustainable use of resources by emerging technologies. Given that many of these technologies are still being tested at the pilot scale, there is a lack of environmental assessments quantifying their impacts and benefits. In particular, an integrated approach to energy and nutrient recovery can elucidate the potential configurations for WWTPs. In this study, we conduct a life cycle assessment (LCA) of emergent wastewater treatment technologies aimed at increasing resource circularity in WWTPs. We focus on increasing energy self-sufficiency through biogas upgrades and a more radical circular approach aimed at nutrient recovery. Based on a case-study WWTP, we compare its current configuration with (1) implementing autotrophic nitrogen removal in the mainstream and deriving most of the organic matter for biogas production, which increases the quality and quantity of biogas available for energy production; (2) implementing struvite recovery through enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) as a radical approach to phosphorus management, offering an alternative to mineral fertilizer; and (3) a combination of both approaches. The results show that incremental changes in biogas production are insufficient for compensating for the environmental investment in infrastructure, although autotrophic nitrogen removal is beneficial for increasing the quality of the effluent. Combined phosphorus and energy recovery reduce the environmental impacts from the avoided use of fertilizers and phosphorus and the nitrogen release into water bodies. An integrated approach to resource management in WWTPs is thus desirable and creates new opportunities toward the implementation of circular strategies with low environmental impact in cities. 22022-01-0120222022-01-01Articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501VoRhttp://purl.org/coar/version/c_970fb48d4fbd8a85info:eu-repo/semantics/articleapplication/pdfhttps://ddd.uab.cat/record/264414https://dx.doi.org/urn:doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156422reponame:Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UABinstname:Universitat Autònoma de BarcelonaInglésengAgencia Estatal de Investigación https://doi.org/10.13039/501100011033 CTQ2017-82404-RMinisterio de Economía y Competitividad https://doi.org/10.13039/501100003329 MDM-2015-0552Agència de Gestió d'Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca https://doi.org/10.13039/501100003030 2020/PANDE-00021open accesshttp://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, sempre que no sigui amb finalitats comercials, i sempre que es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:ddd.uab.cat:2644142026-06-06T12:50:31Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Increasing resource circularity in wastewater treatment
Environmental implications of technological upgrades
title Increasing resource circularity in wastewater treatment
spellingShingle Increasing resource circularity in wastewater treatment
Rufí Salís, Martí|||0000-0003-3696-1033
Life cycle assessment
Emergent technologies
Circular economy
Resource recovery
Industrial ecology
title_short Increasing resource circularity in wastewater treatment
title_full Increasing resource circularity in wastewater treatment
title_fullStr Increasing resource circularity in wastewater treatment
title_full_unstemmed Increasing resource circularity in wastewater treatment
title_sort Increasing resource circularity in wastewater treatment
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Rufí Salís, Martí|||0000-0003-3696-1033
Petit-Boix, Anna|||0000-0003-2048-2708
Leipold, Sina|||0000-0001-5245-183X
Villalba, Gara|||0000-0001-6392-0902
Rieradevall, Joan|||0000-0003-3360-6829
Moliné, Eduard
Gabarrell Durany, Xavier|||0000-0003-1730-4337
Carrera, Julian|||0000-0002-2599-2312
Suárez Ojeda, María Eugenia|||0000-0003-2520-2701
author Rufí Salís, Martí|||0000-0003-3696-1033
author_facet Rufí Salís, Martí|||0000-0003-3696-1033
Petit-Boix, Anna|||0000-0003-2048-2708
Leipold, Sina|||0000-0001-5245-183X
Villalba, Gara|||0000-0001-6392-0902
Rieradevall, Joan|||0000-0003-3360-6829
Moliné, Eduard
Gabarrell Durany, Xavier|||0000-0003-1730-4337
Carrera, Julian|||0000-0002-2599-2312
Suárez Ojeda, María Eugenia|||0000-0003-2520-2701
author_role author
author2 Petit-Boix, Anna|||0000-0003-2048-2708
Leipold, Sina|||0000-0001-5245-183X
Villalba, Gara|||0000-0001-6392-0902
Rieradevall, Joan|||0000-0003-3360-6829
Moliné, Eduard
Gabarrell Durany, Xavier|||0000-0003-1730-4337
Carrera, Julian|||0000-0002-2599-2312
Suárez Ojeda, María Eugenia|||0000-0003-2520-2701
author2_role author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Life cycle assessment
Emergent technologies
Circular economy
Resource recovery
Industrial ecology
topic Life cycle assessment
Emergent technologies
Circular economy
Resource recovery
Industrial ecology
description A paradigm shift is needed in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) to progress from traditional pollutant removal to resource recovery. However, whether this transformation produces overall environmental benefits will depend on the efficient and sustainable use of resources by emerging technologies. Given that many of these technologies are still being tested at the pilot scale, there is a lack of environmental assessments quantifying their impacts and benefits. In particular, an integrated approach to energy and nutrient recovery can elucidate the potential configurations for WWTPs. In this study, we conduct a life cycle assessment (LCA) of emergent wastewater treatment technologies aimed at increasing resource circularity in WWTPs. We focus on increasing energy self-sufficiency through biogas upgrades and a more radical circular approach aimed at nutrient recovery. Based on a case-study WWTP, we compare its current configuration with (1) implementing autotrophic nitrogen removal in the mainstream and deriving most of the organic matter for biogas production, which increases the quality and quantity of biogas available for energy production; (2) implementing struvite recovery through enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) as a radical approach to phosphorus management, offering an alternative to mineral fertilizer; and (3) a combination of both approaches. The results show that incremental changes in biogas production are insufficient for compensating for the environmental investment in infrastructure, although autotrophic nitrogen removal is beneficial for increasing the quality of the effluent. Combined phosphorus and energy recovery reduce the environmental impacts from the avoided use of fertilizers and phosphorus and the nitrogen release into water bodies. An integrated approach to resource management in WWTPs is thus desirable and creates new opportunities toward the implementation of circular strategies with low environmental impact in cities.
publishDate 2022
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2
2022-01-01
2022
2022-01-01
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv Article
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
VoR
http://purl.org/coar/version/c_970fb48d4fbd8a85
dc.type.openaire.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
format article
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv https://ddd.uab.cat/record/264414
https://dx.doi.org/urn:doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156422
url https://ddd.uab.cat/record/264414
https://dx.doi.org/urn:doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156422
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
eng
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
language eng
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv Agencia Estatal de Investigación https://doi.org/10.13039/501100011033 CTQ2017-82404-R
Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad https://doi.org/10.13039/501100003329 MDM-2015-0552
Agència de Gestió d'Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca https://doi.org/10.13039/501100003030 2020/PANDE-00021
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv open access
http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
dc.rights.openaire.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv open access
http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB
instname:Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
instname_str Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
reponame_str Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB
collection Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
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