Quantifying the environmental sustainability of ultrafiltration membranes in desalination pretreatment processes using life cycle assessment
Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
- 1 Department of Nanotechnology, Agricultural Biotechnology Research Institute of Iran (ABRII), Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran
- 2 Environmental Sciences Research Institute (ESRI), Shahid Beheshti University (SBU), Tehran, Iran
- 3 Chemical, Polymeric and Petrochemical Technology Development Research Division, Research Institute of Petroleum Industry (RIPI), Tehran, Iran
Abstract
This study delivers a comprehensive environmental sustainability assessment of ultrafiltration membranes in desalination pretreatment and advances a decision-support framework to mitigate manufacturing-related ecological burdens. The impact assessment was performed using life cycle assessment (LCA) in SimaPro V9.4 with a cradle-to-cradle approach. The Recipe method, incorporating midpoint and endpoint indices, along with the IPCC method, was used to evaluate the consequences of membrane fabrication via the phase inversion method. Material flows and energy consumption were modeled based on the operating conditions of the membrane manufacturing process. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to identify opportunities for technical improvements at an industrial scale. Results indicated that the most significant environmental impacts are related to terrestrial ecotoxicity and resource depletion. Electricity production notably contributed to most impact categories, especially global warming potential. The sensitivity analysis revealed that reducing electricity consumption at an industrial scale or switching to renewable energy sources could substantially decrease environmental impacts. Consequently, conducting a product sustainability assessment using LCA is vital for identifying environmental hotspots within a product’s or process’s supply chain, followed by process optimization through pollution prevention strategies and environmental performance improvements.
Keywords
Subjects
environment
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