RT info:eu-repo/semantics/article
T1 A comprehensive eco-efficiency analysis of wastewater treatment plants: estimation of optimal operational costs and greenhouse gas emissions.
A1 Maziotis, Alexandros
A1 Molinos Senante, María
K1 Efecto invernadero
K1 Aguas residuales
K1 Economías de energía
K1 Eco-efficiency
K1 Wastewater treatment plants
K1 Linear programming
K1 Ecoeficiencia
K1 Plantas de tratamiento de aguas residuales
K1 Programación lineal
K1 3303.02 Economía Química
AB The transition to a neutral carbon and sustainable urban water cycle requires improving eco-efficiency in wastewater treatment processes. To support decision-making based on eco-efficiency evaluations, reliable estimations are fundamental. In this study, the eco-efficiency of a sample of 109 WWTPs was evaluated using efficiency analysis tree method. It combines machine learning and linear programming techniques and therefore, overcomes overfitting limitations of non-parametric methods used by past research on this topic. Results from the case study revealed that optimal costs and greenhouse gas emissions depend on the quantity of organic matter and suspended solids removed from wastewater. The estimated average eco-efficiency is 0.373 which involves that the assessed WWTPs could save 0.32 €/m3 and 0.11 kg of CO2 equivalent/m3. Moreover, only 4 out of 109 WWTPs are identified as eco-efficient which implies that the majority of the evaluated facilities can achieve substantial savings in operational costs and greenhouse gas emissions.
PB Elsevier
SN 0043-1354
YR 2023
FD 2023
LK https://uvadoc.uva.es/handle/10324/60416
UL https://uvadoc.uva.es/handle/10324/60416
LA eng
NO Water Research, 2023, vol. 243, 120354
NO Producción Científica
DS UVaDOC
RD 29-may-2024