Lifecycle analysis - Application to pollution control systems

This article is intended to facilitate the choice of a technology for the treatment of gaseous emissions from a wastewater treatment plant at large chemical plant production sites. It takes into account all the environmental effects associated with the various techniques, using life cycle analyses (LCA), and shows the benefits of such an approach, even at the level of the pollution control technologies chosen.

After a brief presentation of LCA in the context of the chemical industry, we will outline :

• the technologies covered by this study (biofiltration, activated carbon adsorption, catalytic oxidation, regenerative thermal incineration);

• the eco-efficiency indicators introduced in this approach (Eco-Indicator 95 method);

• environmental impact indicators (toxicity, greenhouse effect, ozone depletion, smog formation).

As LCAs are based on numerous assumptions, it was necessary to carry out an uncertainty calculation based on the Monte-Carlo method. The results obtained were discussed and used to determine the best possible approach for decision-making on the choice of the most suitable pollution control technology, offering the best possibilities for optimization.