LCA-based environmental impact assessment of potable water production and distribution : a case study of Bangkok, Thailand | |
| Author | Rusli, Mohd Aidi Bin |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no.WM-13-17 |
| Subject(s) | Drinking water--Economic aspects--Thailand--Bangkok Product life cycle--Thailand--Bangkok |
| Note | A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Engineering in Water Engineering and Management |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Abstract | Life cycle Assessment (LCA) is an important method to assess the environmental impact from a system or project. This study is conducted to assess the environmental impact of Bangkhen water treatment plant in Bangkok. This is a conventional WTP that consist of standard system of screening, clarification, filtration, disinfection, transmission and distribution. Operation phase is the main focus on this study with extension to the distribution to household level to assess the potential impact to the environment. Hence, the detail of every process involved is needed including the energy consumption and all material included from the beginning of the treatment to the household point of use. This study applied ISO 14040 series procedures and guideline where ReCiPe 2008 is used as an impact assessment method. From the analysis that has been done, it was found that for the treatment process stage, electricity consumption is the main sources to the environment. This consumption contributes more than 40% impact to the environment. This contribution is twice as much as the chemical substance contribution to the impact. This is the same as the results for the global warming where electricity contribute twice as much as alum and chlorine. Filtration materials is the least impacted materials to the environment in the treatment stage. For the end point impact, natural resources category is the most damaging with human health as the second damaging category. Ecosystem diversity is the least damaged category for all stages from the analysis that has been done. For the distribution stage, it also found that electricity is the main concern to the environment where it produce more than twice an impact compared with steel pipe contribution as the second biggest contributors. Fossil depletion category is the most impacted category from the electricity usage and natural resources category for most damaged end point category. Meanwhile for end user stage, PVC pipe produce the major sources to the both midpoint and end point impact. It produces 99.99% impact in comparison with other material involved in the system. It makes electricity become insignificant as electricity produce less than 0.01% impact. But from the all stage, the amount of electricity used in this stage is the highest, hence produce twice more than contribution of electricity from treatment and distribution stage. For the comparison between all stages, end user stage produces more impact and damage compared with treatment and distribution stage. |
| Year | 2013 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Engineering and Technology (SET) |
| Department | Department of Civil and Infrastucture Engineering (DCIE) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Water Engineering and Management (WM) |
| Chairperson(s) | Perret, Sylvain Roger; |
| Examination Committee(s) | Babel, Mukand S.;Sutat Weesakul;Bohez, Erik L. J.; |
| Degree | Thesis (M.Eng.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2013 |