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Application of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to Urban Sludge Treatment Techniques for a Comparison Study: A Review

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Advanced Intelligent Systems for Sustainable Development (AI2SD’2020) (AI2SD 2020)

Part of the book series: Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing ((AISC,volume 1417))

Abstract

The objective of this study is to illustrate and schematize the application of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to the evaluation of different conventional and current urban sludge treatment techniques. This contribution encompasses and analyzes more than 45 articles, based on the quantification of the environmental impact of wastewater treatment plant sludge disposal processes and pathways. As a whole, the methodological hypotheses reflect the steps undertaken to carry out the life cycle analysis approach. As for the technical hypotheses, they clarify and examine each sludge treatment process including: incineration, pyrolysis, wet oxidation, anaerobic digestion, composting, agricultural land application, landfill and urban sludge recovery. It is of great interest to introduce effective substitution in the sludge treatment process for energy recovery. The combination of anaerobic digestion with other disposal routes leads to conclusive results. The authors confirm that thermal treatment pathways are of paramount importance. They significantly reduce the volume of sludge, while allowing the recovery of energy and materials including fluidized bed incineration and pyrolysis. This article allows the selection of the most relevant and cost-effective sludge treatment alternatives and scenarios, as it establish an information base for any appropriate future assessment, as part of the development of sustainable and promising sludge management.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Team: Materials, Environment and Sustainable Development, Faculty of Sciences and Techniques, Tangier, Morocco

    Khawla Moulato, Asma Fakih Lanjri, Mohammed Ammari & Laïla Ben Allal

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  1. Khawla Moulato
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  2. Asma Fakih Lanjri
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  3. Mohammed Ammari
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  4. Laïla Ben Allal
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Correspondence to Khawla Moulato .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Systems Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland

    Janusz Kacprzyk

  2. Aurel Vlaicu University of Arad, Arad, Romania

    Valentina E. Balas

  3. Sciences and Techniques of Tangier, Abdelmalek Essaâdi University, Tangier, Morocco

    Mostafa Ezziyyani

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Moulato, K., Fakih Lanjri, A., Ammari, M., Ben Allal, L. (2022). Application of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to Urban Sludge Treatment Techniques for a Comparison Study: A Review. In: Kacprzyk, J., Balas, V.E., Ezziyyani, M. (eds) Advanced Intelligent Systems for Sustainable Development (AI2SD’2020). AI2SD 2020. Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, vol 1417. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-90633-7_19

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