Abstract
Development of biofuels to replace fossil fuels by bioenergy systems has been attracting attention as an environmental-friendly process. Dealing with biowaste by anaerobic digestion not only disposes of wastes but also producing biogas during the treatment processes for providing the renewable energy source at low-cost while conserving fossil fuel. This study aims to use life cycle assessment and cost-benefit analysis tools in evaluating and comparing the potential environmental impacts and cost benefits for the swine farm operation with and without a rapid-build anaerobic fermentor module installed into the original three-stage wastewater treatment system, which module helps biogas production as energy recovery in swine farms. The results indicate that the module could help reduce carbon footprint by 22.6%, methane by 51.8%, sulfur oxides by 92.6%, nitrogen oxides by 74.2%, carbon monoxide by 54.7%, nitrous oxide by 28.6%, suspended particulate by 95.4%, and non-methane volatile organic compounds by 80%. Using this module made the reductions of damage impacts were human health 82%, ecosystem quality 59%, and resource scarcity 87%. The daily average biogas production was 46.38 m3 and its annual electricity generation income was 6,091 USD. This study allows identifying the lowest environmental impact to support the adoption of sustainable waste treatment and the opportunity for converting waste to be energy and utilization with economic benefits for small-scale swine farms.
Life Cycle Assessment of Bioplastics and Food Waste Disposal Methods