Volume 11 Issue 2
A Comparison of the Environmental Impact of Different AOPs: Risk Indexes
Jaime Giménez,Bernardí Bayarri,Óscar González,Sixto Malato,José Peral andSantiago Esplugas
1Departament d’Enginyeria Química, Universitat de Barcelona, C/Martí i Franquès 1, Barcelona 08028, Spain
2Plataforma Solar de Almería (CIEMAT), Carretera de Senes, km 4, Tabernas, Almería 04200, Spain
3Departament de Química, Edifici Cn, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Cerdanyola del Vallès 08193, Spain
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Abstract
Today, environmental impact associated with pollution treatment is a matter of great concern. A method is proposed for evaluating environmental risk associated with Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs) applied to wastewater treatment. The method is based on the type of pollution (wastewater, solids, air or soil) and on materials and energy consumption. An Environmental Risk Index (E), constructed from numerical criteria provided, is presented for environmental comparison of processes and/or operations. The Operation Environmental Risk Index (EOi) for each of the unit operations involved in the process and the Aspects Environmental Risk Index (EAj) for process conditions were also estimated. Relative indexes were calculated to evaluate the risk of each operation (E/NOP) or aspect (E/NAS) involved in the process, and the percentage of the maximum achievable for each operation and aspect was found. A practical application of the method is presented for two AOPs: photo-Fenton and heterogeneous photocatalysis with suspended TiO2 in Solarbox. The results report the environmental risks associated with each process, so that AOPs tested and the operations involved with them can be compared.
Keywords: AOPs environmental impact; risk assessment; environmental risk indexes; AOPs comparison; sustainability