Journal of Water and Wastewater Science and Engineering

Journal of Water and Wastewater Science and Engineering

Cumulative Environmental Impacts of Desalination Plants Based on ReCiPe Indices Used in Life Cycle Assessment

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Faranak Hashempoor 1
Alireza Pardakhti 2
Shervin Jamshidi 3
1 MSc Student, Department of Environmental Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
2 Assistant Professor, Department of Environmental Engineering, University of Tehran,
3 Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Isfahan.
10.22112/jwwse.2023.364061.1328
Abstract
Adverse environmental impacts of desalination plants are barriers for their development. Nevertheless, current Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) methods cannot provide a suitable quantitative framework for comparing and evaluating different practices or strategies. This study introduced a quantitative method based on midpoint and endpoint ReCiPe coefficients used in Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA). Accordingly, both direct and indirect environmental impacts of seawater desalination on humans, terrestrial and marine ecosystems were calculated and compared for coastal and inland operating conditions. The impacts of using renewable energies and Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) systems were also compared by the proposed methodology. For this purpose, the available brine water quality data of operating RO and MED plants located in southern Iran and the Middle East were used. Results showed that LCIA method can properly account the accumulated environmental impacts of desalination. In addition, this research highlighted that the main damage of desalination plants on marine and terrestrial ecosystems is originated from discharging toxins and hazardous wastes through brines. Consequently, it is emphasized that brines should be carefully monitored based on their toxicity. In addition, due to 70-80% effectiveness of ZLD on environmental impact reductions, its application should gain the highest priority for environmental protection.
Keywords
Desalination
Greenhouse Gases (GHG)
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
Renewable Energy
Toxicity
جمشیدی، ش.، و قانعیان، م.، (1398)، "محاسبه ردپای کربن آب نمکزدایی شده در ایران"، هشتمین کنفرانس ملی مدیریت منابع آب، مشهد، ایران.
Aleisa, E.E., Al-Mutairi, A.M., and Hamoda, M.F., (2022). "Reconciling water circularity through reverse osmosis for wastewater treatment for a hyper-arid climate: A life cycle assessment", Sustainable Water Resources Management, 8(3), 83, https://doi.org/10.1007/s40899-022-00671-8.
Alhaj, M., Tahir, F., and Al-Ghamdi, S.G., (2022), "Life-cycle environmental assessment of solar-driven Multi-Effect Desalination (MED) plant", Desalination, 524, 115451, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2021.115451.
Alinejad, K., and Ghannadi, M., (2017), "Concept of DALYs index and its calculation in estimating disease burden", Journal of Water and Wastewater Science and Engineering, 2(3), 14-20.
Aljuwaisseri, A., Aleisa, E., and Alshayji, K., (2022), "Assessing seawater desalination using Reverse Osmosis and multi-effect distillation for Kuwait using Life Cycle Assessment: Fossil fuels versus solar power", IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 1026(1), 012025, https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1026/1/012025.
Bakhshayesh, M., Farahani, M., and Nia, A.B., (2021), Using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to evaluate environmental impact of Kangan Desalination Plant (LCA), Journal of Water and Wastewater, 31(7), 15-34, https://doi.org/10.22093/wwj.2020.214063.2973.
Baustert, P., Igos, E., Schaubroeck, T., Chion, L., Mendoza Beltran, A., Stehfest, E., van Vuuren, D., Biemans, H., and Benetto, E., (2022), "Integration of future water scarcity and electricity supply into prospective LCA: Application to the assessment of water desalination for the steel industry", Journal of Industrial Ecology, 26(4), 1182-1194, https://doi.org/10.1111/jiec.13272.
Bordbar, B., Khosravi, A., Orkomi, A.A., and Peydayesh, M., (2022), "Life Cycle Assessment of hybrid nanofiltration desalination plants in the Persian Gulf", Membranes, 12(5), 1-16, https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes12050467.
Cherif, H., and Belhadj, J., (2018), "Environmental Life Cycle Analysis of water desalination processes", In: Sustainable Desalination Handbook, Plant Selection, Design and Implementation, Elsevier Inc., 527-559, https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-809240-8.00015-0.
DOE, (2016), Water quality standards in Iran, Guideline, Department of Environment, I.R.Iran, 14.
Elsaid, K., Kamil, M., Sayed, E.T., Abdelkareem, M.A., Wilberforce, T., and Olabi, A., (2020), "Environmental impact of desalination technologies: A review", Science of The Total Environment, 748, 141528. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141528.
Elsaid, K., Sayed, E.T., Abdelkareem, M.A., Baroutaji, A., and Olabi, A.G., (2020), "Environmental impact of desalination processes: Mitigation and control strategies", Science of The Total Environment, 740, 140125, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140125.
Elsaid, K., Sayed, E.T., Abdelkareem, M.A., Mahmoud, M.S., Ramadan, M., and Olabi, A.G., (2020), "Environmental impact of emerging desalination technologies: A preliminary evaluation", Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 8(5), 104099, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2020.104099.
European Commission, (2010). International reference Life Cycle Data System (ILCD) handbook: Analysing of existing Environmental Impact Assessment methodologies for use in Life Cycle Assessment, Joint Research Centre - Institute for Environment and Sustainability, 115.
Frank, H., Fussmann, K.E., Rahav, E., and Bar Zeev, E., (2019), "Chronic effects of brine discharge from large-scale seawater reverse osmosis desalination facilities on benthic bacteria", Water Research, 151, 478-487, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2018.12.046.
Heihsel, M., Lenzen, M., and Behrendt, F., (2020), "Desalination and sustainability: A triple bottom line study of Australia", Environmental Research Letters, 15(11), 114044, https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/abbd63.
Heihsel, M., Lenzen, M., Malik, A., and Geschke, A., (2019), "The carbon footprint of desalination: An input-output analysis of seawater reverse osmosis desalination in Australia for 2005-2015", Desalination, 454(December 2018), 71-81, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2018.12.008.
Huijbregts, M., Steinmann, Z.J.N., Elshout, P.M.F.M., Stam, G., Verones, F., Vieira, M.D.M., Zijp, M., and van Zelm, R., (2016), ReCiPe 2016, A harmonized life cycle impact assessment method at midpoint and endpoint level. Report I: Characterization, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, 194.
Ihsanullah, I., Atieh, M.A., Sajid, M., and Nazal, M.K., (2021), "Desalination and environment: A critical analysis of impacts, mitigation strategies, and greener desalination technologies" Science of The Total Environment, 780, 146585, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146585.
ISO14040, (2006). Environmental management - Life cycle assessment, Principles and framework, 2nd Edition, International Standard Organization.
Jamshidi, S., and Naderi, A., (2023), "A quantitative approach on environment-food nexus: Integrated modeling and indices for cumulative impact assessment of farm management practices", PeerJ, 11, e14816, https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.14816.
Jia, X., Klemeš, J.J., Varbanov, P.S., and Alwi, S.R.W., (2019), "Analyzing the energy consumption, GHG emission, and cost of seawater desalination in China", Energies, 12(3), 1-16, https://doi.org/10.3390/en12030463.
Khosravi, A., Bordbar, B., and Ahmadi Orkomi, A., (2022), Life Cycle Assessment of emerging technologies in industrial wastewater treatment and desalination, pp. 369-398, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-98202-7_15.
Kress, N., Gertner, Y., and Shoham-Frider, E., (2020), "Seawater quality at the brine discharge site from two mega size seawater reverse osmosis desalination plants in Israel (Eastern Mediterranean)", Water Research, 171, 115402, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2019.115402.
Lee, K., and Jepson, W., (2021), "Environmental impact of desalination: A systematic review of Life Cycle Assessment", Desalination, 509, 115066, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2021.115066.
Mannan, M., Alhaj, M., Mabrouk, A.N., and Al-Ghamdi, S.G., (2019), "Examining the life-cycle environmental impacts of desalination: A case study in the State of Qatar", Desalination, 452, 238-246, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2018.11.017.
Mannan, M., Alhaj, M., Nasser, A., and Al-ghamdi, S.G., (2020), "Examining the life-cycle environmental impacts of desalination : A case study in the State of Qatar" Desalination, 452(July), 238-246, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2018.11.017.   
Meron, N., Blass, V., and Thoma, G., (2020), "A national-level LCA of a water supply system in a Mediterranean semi-arid climate, Israel as a case study", International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 25(6), 1133-1144, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-020-01753-5.
Moossa, B., Trivedi, P., Saleem, H., and Zaidi, S.J., (2022), "Desalination in the GCC countries, A review", Journal of Cleaner Production, 357, 131717, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.131717.
Panagopoulos, A., and Haralambous, K.-J., (2020), "Environmental impacts of desalination and brine treatment, Challenges and mitigation measures", Marine Pollution Bulletin, 161, 111773, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111773.
Rosenbaum, R.K., Hauschild, M.Z., Boulay, A.N., Fantke, P., Laurent, A., Núñez, M., and Vieira, M., (2018), Life Cycle Impact Assessment, In: M.Z., Hauschild, R.K., Rosenbaum, and S.I., Olsen (Eds.), Life Cycle Assessment, Theory and Practice, (pp. 167-270), Springer.
Shemer, H., and Semiat, R., (2017), "Sustainable RO desalination, Energy demand and environmental impact", Desalination, 424, 10-16, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2017.09.021.
Shiu, H.-Y., Lee, M., Lin, Z.-E., and Chiueh, P.-T., (2023), "Dynamic life cycle assessment for water treatment implications", Science of The Total Environment, 860, 160224, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160224.
Soliman, M.N., Guen, F.Z., Ahmed, S.A., Saleem, H., Khalil, M.J., and Zaidi, S.J., (2021), "Energy consumption and environmental impact assessment of desalination plants and brine disposal strategies" Process Safety and Environmental Protection, 147, 589-608, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psep.2020.12.038.
Syazira Nazaran, I., Abdul Ghani, L., Muhammad, Z., Saputra, J., Ali, A., and Talib Bon, A., (2021), "Social impact of small seawater desalination plant of local community: A social life cycle assessment", Proceedings of the International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management Monterrey, Mexico.
Zhou, J., Chang, V.W.C., and Fane, A.G., (2014), "Life Cycle Assessment for desalination: A review on methodology feasibility and reliability", Water Research, 61, 210-223, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2014.05.017.
Journal of Water and Wastewater Science and Engineering
Volume 9, Issue 1
Spring 2024
Pages 19-31

  • Receive Date 09 December 2022
  • Revise Date 25 June 2023
  • Accept Date 29 June 2023