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- Risk assessment of reusing treated water from the Viseu Sul WWTP for irrigation and similar usesPublication . Santos, Lenise; Ferreira, José; Silva, Maria; Simões, Luis; Ferreira, Miguel; Brás, IsabelDue to the growing water scarcity, the reuse of treated wastewater arises as a possibility for sustainable water management. However, it is necessary to evaluate the possible risks associated with its activity. This study aims to develop a risk assessment of water for reuse, in terms of public health and water resources, for production and internal use by the Viseu Sul Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) and external use in irrigation of green spaces in Viseu. The methodology used was a semi-quantitative risk assessment. The results demonstrated the viability of the production and use of Reused Water by the Viseu Sul WWTP, with an overall risk to public health of 0.68, and for use in irrigating green spaces in Viseu, with an overall risk of 0.75. The overall risk to water resources was 2.33 for nitrogen and phosphorus and 0.78 for E. coli. All risks were considered insignificant, considering the criteria defined by the method. Based on the information presented, it can be inferred that the use of treated wastewater to meet Viseu's water needs is a viable option.
- Environmental Assessment of Pig Manure Treatment Systems through Life Cycle Assessment: A Mini-ReviewPublication . Ferreira, José; Santos, Lenise; Ferreira, Miguel; Ferreira, António; Domingos, IdalinaThe primary aim of this research was to evaluate and compare the environmental impacts, throughout the life cycle, of the main treatment systems employed by the industry, as well as to identify the processes that contribute most to these environmental impacts. To achieve this, a bibliographical search was conducted using theWeb of Science Core Collection database platform, utilizing the keywords “life cycle assessment”, “pig”, “treatment”, and “manure” or “slurry”. The search was restricted to publications from the last five years (2019–2023), resulting in a total of 66 publications that were then analyzed according to the functional unit (FU) adopted. For the 10 publications whose FUs were expressed in tons or cubic meters of treated manure, a descriptive and quantitative analysis was carried out. It was found that anaerobic digestion has been the most widely used treatment technology for pig manure over the past five years, according to the LCA methodology. These systems, configured as biogas and biofertilizer production facilities, have proven to be environmentally friendly and could play a crucial role in the energy transition and decarbonization of the energy matrix.
- Life Cycle Assessment of Green Space Irrigation Using Treated Wastewater: A Case StudyPublication . Santos, Lenise; Brás, Isabel; Ferreira, Miguel; Domingos, Idalina; Ferreira, JoséWater scarcity is a pressing issue that makes it essential to manage this resource efficiently and sustainably. One solution to combat this issue is the use of treated wastewater (TWW) to irrigate green spaces in cities. However, it is crucial to evaluate the environmental impacts associated with this practice. To this end, life cycle assessment (LCA) is the most advanced tool available. The objective of this study was to assess the environmental implications of usingTWWfor lawn irrigation in the city of Viseu. The ReCiPe 2016 method, supported by SimaPro software, was employed for life cycle impact assessment (LCIA). An attributional approach was used, and the system boundaries were expanded to include the non-discharge of TWW into the receiving environment, the avoided consumption of domestic water, and the avoided consumption of chemical fertilizers. The results revealed that using TWW for lawn irrigation is preferable in terms of human health and ecosystem damage but unfavorable in terms of resource damage. When considering the impact of water consumption on human health and terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, it is recommended to use treated wastewater for lawn irrigation.