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 24-nov-2024