Sustainability
assessment of Hybrid constructed Wetlands vis-à-vis conventional activated Sludge
processes for Municipal wastewater treatment
Sathya Ramalingam and Das Ashutosh
Res. J. Chem. Environ.; Vol. 29(7); 124-134;
doi: https://doi.org/10.25303/297rjce1240134; (2025)
Abstract
One of the life essential tool for estimation of environmental performance of any
system is Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), which is equally, if not more, valid in assessing
the environmental systems themselves, such as sewage treatment plants. The present
study attempts a comparative LCA-based environmental assessment of a Constructed
Wetland (CW) and an Activated Sludge Processing (ASP) based Sewage Treatment Plant
(STP), using the SIMAPRO software, encompassing the evaluation of various impact
categories, in addition to energy demand and water footprint as well.
The studies revealed the STP’s to be higher energy-intensive and emission-generating
processes where as CW’s demonstrated a much lower carbon footprint and resource-consuming
process. In fact, as per normalized impact assessment, CW also proves to be a low
global warming, resource depletion and eco-toxicity and even significantly low energy
and water footprint option.
