Sustainability assessment of tertiary wastewater treatment technologies: a multi-criteria analysis

2015 ◽  
Vol 73 (7) ◽  
pp. 1532-1540 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. V. Plakas ◽  
A. A. Georgiadis ◽  
A. J. Karabelas
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Sustainability Assessment ◽  
Membrane Separation ◽  
Composite Index ◽  
Appropriate Technology ◽  
Activated Carbon Adsorption ◽  
Bottom Line ◽  
Sustainability Performance ◽  
Assessment Approach ◽  
Multi Criteria Analysis

The multi-criteria analysis gives the opportunity to researchers, designers and decision-makers to examine decision options in a multi-dimensional fashion. On this basis, four tertiary wastewater treatment (WWT) technologies were assessed regarding their sustainability performance in producing recycled wastewater, considering a ‘triple bottom line’ approach (i.e. economic, environmental, and social). These are powdered activated carbon adsorption coupled with ultrafiltration membrane separation (PAC-UF), reverse osmosis, ozone/ultraviolet-light oxidation and heterogeneous photo-catalysis coupled with low-pressure membrane separation (photocatalytic membrane reactor, PMR). The participatory method called simple multi-attribute rating technique exploiting ranks was employed for assigning weights to selected sustainability indicators. This sustainability assessment approach resulted in the development of a composite index as a final metric, for each WWT technology evaluated. The PAC-UF technology appears to be the most appropriate technology, attaining the highest composite value regarding the sustainability performance. A scenario analysis confirmed the results of the original scenario in five out of seven cases. In parallel, the PMR was highlighted as the technology with the least variability in its performance. Nevertheless, additional actions and approaches are proposed to strengthen the objectivity of the final results.

scholarly journals Sustainability Performance in Food Supply Networks: Insights from the UK Industry

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 3148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naoum Tsolakis ◽  
Foivos Anastasiadis ◽  
Jagjit Srai
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Performance Assessment ◽  
Food Supply ◽  
Food Industry ◽  
Sustainability Assessment ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Bottom Line ◽  
Supply Networks ◽  
Sustainability Performance ◽  
The Uk

The purpose of this research is to introduce a qualitative sustainability performance assessment framework for food supply networks, based on the perception of their key stakeholders’ upper management. Moreover, the paper provides industry insights by exemplifying the value of the proposed framework for the UK food industry. A critical review on the most acknowledged sustainability assessment methodologies and tools resulted in the synthesis of the proposed framework. An illustrative application follows, based on data from semi-structured interviews with C-level executives from key players of the UK poultry sector. The results demonstrate an easy-to-use approach, with a comprehensive and sharp outcome on supply chain sustainability performance assessment. Industry insights demonstrate an adequate sustainability performance with respect to the entire supply chain. A detailed view on different echelons reveals specific areas that could be improved, such as the environmental performance at both farming (production) and processing levels. This work extends the scope of current sustainability performance assessment tools by providing a tangible triple bottom-line overview, as well as echelon-specific and indicator-specific details, in a user-friendly, yet straightforward, way. UK food industry insights are valuable for practitioners and academics. The illustration is based exclusively on C-level executives’ viewpoint; thus, any generalization of the results should be considered to this effect. Supply chain stakeholders, policy-makers, and researchers could perform a quick and reliable supply network sustainability performance assessment.

Sustainability indicators for wastewater reuse systems and their application to two small systems in rural Victoria, Australia

2012 ◽  
Vol 39 (6) ◽  
pp. 674-688 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jyoti Kumari Upadhyaya ◽  
Graham Moore
Keyword(s):  
System Approach ◽  
Sustainability Assessment ◽  
Wastewater Reuse ◽  
Environmental Flow ◽  
Sustainability Indicators ◽  
Tree Plantation ◽  
Bottom Line ◽  
Sustainability Performance ◽  
Institutional Issues ◽  
Reuse System

Currently there is no tool to assess the sustainability performance of reuse systems in Australia. This research fulfills that gap by developing a set of sustainability indicators (SIs). A unique methodology was developed based on understanding of the reuse systems, reviewing and examining the issues related to reuse, and Australian policy and guidelines in terms of sustainability. It was established that a sustainable reuse system should be based beyond the triple bottom line approach, and involve consumers in decision making, address institutional issues, and focus on the outcomes rather than the output, with a system approach. Twenty seven SIs were identified under five categories: environmental, technical, social, economical, and institutional. The case studies demonstrated the application of the SIs in sustainability assessment of two reuse systems: (1) tree plantation and (2) lake discharge for augmenting environmental flow. The evaluation was done based on multi criteria decision assessment.

scholarly journals Sustainability Assessment in Soy, Family and Agroforestry Farms: Application of the Rise Tool to the Cerrado

2020 ◽  
pp. 57-86
Author(s):  
Mark L. Miller ◽  
Markus Schermer ◽  
Michael Löbmann ◽  
Veronika S. Zbinden ◽  
Stefan Zerbe
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Sustainability Assessment ◽  
Working Hours ◽  
Family Farms ◽  
Bottom Line ◽  
Moderate Amount ◽  
Sustainability Performance ◽  
Farm Types

Over the last 30 years, extensive areas of Cerrado, the Brazilian savannah, have been converted to export-oriented agribusinesses. The social, environmental and economic impact of such large-scale land-use conversion is massive. To understand whether the current farming development in the Cerrado is sustainable, this study analyzes the sustainability performance of single farms applying the triple bottom line approach. Its aim is to assess the sustainability of soy, family and agroforestry farms. Fifteen farms were analyzed through the indicator-based sustainability assessment tool «RISE». The sustainability scores of RISE themes revealed that soy farms are economically sustainable, while their socio-environmental sustainability degree is rather critical. They scored lower than the other two farm types in all RISE themes except in the «economic viability» and «water use». Family farms and agroforestry are environmentally sustainable according to RISE.The sustainability degree of their social themes is either critical or scarcely positive mainly due to the high number of working hours and the low wage and income level. Looking at the economic sustainability, family farms reached a critical degree and agroforestry farms a barely positive degree. While the difference of sustainability performance between soy farms and the two others is large, it is minimal between agroforestry and family farms. RISE was a valid tool to assess with a moderate amount of data the sustainability performance of highly diverse farm types in the Cerrado.

Review on the fate of organic micropollutants in wastewater treatment and water reuse with membranes

2012 ◽  
Vol 66 (6) ◽  
pp. 1369-1376 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Siegrist ◽  
A. Joss
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Activated Carbon ◽  
Water Reuse ◽  
Membrane Separation ◽  
Biological Degradation ◽  
Activated Carbon Adsorption ◽  
Conventional Activated Sludge ◽  
Dense Membrane ◽  
Micropollutant Removal ◽  
Receiving Waters

A brief review of the fate of micropollutants in membrane-based wastewater treatment due to sorption, stripping, biological degradation/transformation and membrane separation is discussed, to give an overview of these technologies due to the growing importance for water reuse purposes. Compared with conventional activated sludge treatment (CAS) micropollutant removal in membrane bioreactor (MBR) is slightly improved due to complete suspended solids removal and increased sludge age. For discharge to sensitive receiving waters advanced treatment, such as post-ozonation or activated carbon adsorption, is recommended. In water reuse plants nanofiltration (NF) and reverse osmosis (RO) efficiently reject micropollutants due to size exclusions as well as electrostatic and hydrophobic effects reaching potable quality. To remove micropollutants fully, additionally post-ozone or the addition of powdered activated carbon (PAC) have to be applied, which in parallel also reduce NDMA precursors. The concentrate has to be treated if disposed to sensitive receiving waters due to its high micropollutant concentration and ecotoxicity potential. The present review summarizes principles and capabilities for the most important membrane-based applications for wastewater treatment, i.e. porous membranes in MBRs (micro- or ultrafiltration) and dense membrane applications (NF and RO) for water reuse.

DESIGN PLANNING WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT OF NATA DE COCO INDUSTRY WITH THE ACTIVATED SLUDGE PROCESS

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dinda Rita K. Hartaja ◽  
Imam Setiadi
Keyword(s):  
Waste Water ◽  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Activated Sludge ◽  
Waste Water Treatment ◽  
Treatment Plant ◽  
Water Treatment Plant ◽  
Appropriate Technology ◽  
Waste Water Treatment Plant ◽  
Activated Sludge Process ◽  
High Level

Generally, wastewater of nata de coco industry contains suspended solids and COD were high, ranging from 90,000 mg / l. The high level of of the wastewater pollutants, resulting in nata de coco industry can not be directly disposed of its wastewater into the environment agency. Appropriate technology required in order to process the waste water so that the treated water can meet the environmental quality standards that are allowed. Designing the waste water treatment plant that is suitable and efficient for treating industrial wastewater nata de coco is the activated sludge process. Wastewater treatment using activated sludge process of conventional (standard) generally consists of initial sedimentation, aeration and final sedimentation.Keywords : Activated Sludge, Design, IPAL

Planning Replicable Small Flow Wastewater Treatment Facilities in Developing Nations

1993 ◽  
Vol 28 (10) ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Gaber ◽  
M. Antill ◽  
W. Kimball ◽  
R. Abdel Wahab
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Local Development ◽  
Treatment Plant ◽  
Development Program ◽  
The United States ◽  
Appropriate Technology ◽  
Funding Agency ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Technology Choice

The implementation of urban village wastewater treatment plants in developing countries has historically been primarily a function of appropriate technology choice and deciding which of the many needy communities should receive the available funding and priority attention. Usually this process is driven by an outside funding agency who views the planning, design, and construction steps as relatively insignificant milestones in the overall effort required to quickly better a community's sanitary drainage problems. With the exception of very small scale type sanitation projects which have relatively simple replication steps, the development emphasis tends to be on the final treatment plant product with little or no attention specifically focused on community participation and institutionalizing national and local policies and procedures needed for future locally sponsored facilities replication. In contrast to this, the Government of Egypt (GOE) enacted a fresh approach through a Local Development Program with the United States AID program. An overview is presented of the guiding principals of the program which produced the first 24 working wastewater systems including gravity sewers, sewage pumping stations and wastewater treatment plants which were designed and constructed by local entities in Egypt. The wastewater projects cover five different treatment technologies implemented in both delta and desert regions.

Floc size distribution and bacterial activities in membrane separation activated sludge processes for small-scale wastewater treatment/reclamation

1997 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 37-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Boran Zhang ◽  
Kazuo Yamamoto ◽  
Shinichiro Ohgaki ◽  
Naoyuki Kamiko
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Activated Sludge ◽  
Municipal Wastewater ◽  
Membrane Separation ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Nitrification Rate ◽  
Floc Size ◽  
Denitrification Activity ◽  
Concentration Changes ◽  
Activated Sludge Processes

Activated sludges taken from full-scale membrane separation processes, building wastewater reuse system (400m3/d), and two nightsoil treatment plants (50m3/d) as well as laboratory scale membrane separation bioreactor (0.062m3/d) were analyzed to characterize membrane separation activated sludge processes (MSAS). They were also compared with conventional activated sludges(CAS) taken from municipal wastewater treatment plants. Specific nitrification activity in MSAS processes averaged at 2.28gNH4-N/kgMLSS.h were higher than that in CAS processes averaged at 0.96gNH4-N/kgMLSS.h. The denitrification activity in both processes were in the range of 0.62-3.2gNO3-N/kgMLSS.h without organic addition and in the range of 4.25-6.4gNO3-N/kgMLSS.h with organic addition. The organic removal activity in nightsoil treatment process averaged at 123gCOD/kgMLSS.h which was significantly higher than others. Floc size distributions were measured by particle sedimentation technique and image analysis technique. Flocs in MSAS processes changed their sizes with MLSS concentration changes and were concentrated at small sizes at low MLSS concentration, mostly less than 60 μm. On the contrary, floc sizes in CAS processes have not much changed with MLSS concentration changes and they were distributed in large range. In addition, the effects of floc size on specific nitrification rate, denitrification rate with and without organic carbon addition were investigated. Specific nitrification rate was decreased as floc size increased. However, little effect of floc size on denitrification activity was observed.

scholarly journals Sustainability Assessment of Public Transport, Part I—A Multi-Criteria Assessment Method to Compare Different Bus Technologies

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 825
Author(s):  
Jonas Ammenberg ◽  
Sofia Dahlgren
Keyword(s):  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Sustainability Assessment ◽  
Public Procurement ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
County Level ◽  
Participatory Process ◽  
Problem Context ◽  
The Public ◽  
Sustainability Performance ◽  
Sustainability Assessments

This article departs from the perspective of Swedish regional transport authorities and focuses on the public procurement of bus transports. Many of these public organizations on the county level have the ambition to contribute to a transition involving the continued marginalization of fossil fuels and improved sustainability performance. However, there are several renewable bus technologies to choose between and it can be difficult to know what alternative (or combination) is preferable. Prior research and the authors’ experiences indicate a need for improved knowledge and supportive methods on how sustainability assessments can support public procurement processes. The purpose of this article is to develop a multi-criteria assessment (MCA) method to support assessments of public bus technologies’ sustainability. The method, which was established in an iterative and participatory process, consists of four key areas and 12 indicators. The article introduces the problem context and reviews selected prior research of relevance dealing with green or sustainable public procurement and sustainability assessments. Further on, the process and MCA method are presented and discussed based on advice for effective and efficient sustainability assessments. In the companion article (Part II), the MCA method is applied to assess several bus technologies involving biodiesel, biomethane, diesel, electricity, ethanol and natural gas.

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