LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT OF CONSTRUCTED WETLAND FOR WASTEWATER TREATMENT

Abstract

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) evaluates environmental impacts and in the present report, it is implied for the evaluation of environmental footprints from Constructed Wetland (CW). The literature studies highlight CWs' growing popularity due to their cost-effectiveness, reduced impacts, and sustainability in wastewater treatment. This report offers a comprehensive overview of CWs, and LCA methodologies, and later compares the environmental footprint of two Indian CW-based wastewater treatment systems: a 150 KLD Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) and a 1.2 MLD Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) across their construction and operation phases. The functional unit considered is 1 m3 of treated wastewater over a lifespan of 25 years. Findings from LCA analysis indicate that the total potential impact for the Climate Change category is 0.523 kg CO2 eq./m3 and 0.372 kg CO2 eq/m3 for the ETP and STP systems, respectively, with higher emissions observed during their operation phases. Despite its smaller scale, the STP exhibits higher emissions during its construction phase. The water quality parameter from each system showcases distinct strengths in pollutant removal.