Environmental Assessment of Wastewater Treatment-based Resource Recovery in Nigeria

Charles Amarachi Ogbu

Disertační práce

Abstract:

There has been a global paradigm shift from the removal of nutrients and pollutants from wastewater treatment (WWT) towards the recovery of resources. This is due to the evolution of the sustainability concept and the need to offset the environmental footprints of these processes. Another justification is the high rate of depletion of natural resources, including water, which has left regions of the world water-stressed and others in dire need of one resource or the other. In developed nations, research and infrastructural development have gone beyond mere recovery of resources to investigate the environmental and economic implications of WWT and recovery of these materials. This is mainly done using a systematic Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach. Sadly, LCA’s concept is yet to be fully adopted in developing nations, mostly lower- and middle-income nations. In sub-Saharan Africa, the literature suggests that only a few countries, such as South Africa, Egypt and Algeria, have employed the LCA methodology to wastewater and wastewater-based resource recovery systems to a reasonable extent. Hence, the main objective of this Thesis is to enhance LCA studies of WWT facilities in Nigeria (Africa’s largest economy). Parameters for the Life Cycle inventory will involve field measurements and laboratory analysis of samples from WWT facilities under study. These include water reclamation (flow rate, generation, plant capacity and lifespan, water quality –BOD, COD, TS, and population served), energy recovery (rate of processing, energy generated/recovered, operation assumptions, energy conversion efficiency), nutrient recovery (rate of N/P recovered, fertilizer offset, plant nutrient uptake, population served, nutrient conc. in reclaimed water) amongst others. Finally, mass, substance and energy flow analysis will be done to account for the complete cycle of the system. The assessment model will employ LCA and Life Cycle Costing using OpenLCA software in conjunction with the R module for statistical analysis. All assumptions will be clearly stated for substantive outcomes, and transparency will be shown through data availability. Finally, the level of uncertainty will be determined using sensitivity analysis.

Keywords

wastewater treatment, energy recovery, environmental impact

Jazyk práce: angličtina

Datum vytvoření / odevzdání či podání práce: 14. 9. 2024

Obhajoba závěrečné práce

• Vedoucí: doc. Ing. Tatiana Alexiou Ivanova, prof. h. c. Ph.D.
• Oponent: Aleš Hanč, prof. Ing., Ph.D., Ioannis Vyrides, externi, Devendra Saroj, externi

Česká zemědělská univerzita v Praze

Fakulta tropického zemědělství

Doktorský studijní program:
Sustainable Rural Development