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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Water 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.
Description
Keywords
irrigation LCA life cycle assessment treated wastewater water reuse
Citation
Santos L, Brás I, Ferreira M, Domingos I, Ferreira J. Life Cycle Assessment of Green Space Irrigation Using Treated Wastewater: A Case Study. Sustainability. 2024; 16(13):5696. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16135696