Author(s): Santos, Lenise ; Brás, Isabel ; Ferreira, Miguel ; Domingos, Idalina ; Ferreira, José
Date: 2024
Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.19/8723
Origin: Repositório Científico do Instituto Politécnico de Viseu
Subject(s): irrigation; LCA; life cycle assessment; treated wastewater; water reuse
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.
