Water Science and Technology (Jun 2024)
Comparative life cycle assessment of excreta management systems through composting and biomethanization: Case of a low-income tropical country
Abstract
Low-income tropical regions, such as Haiti, grapple with environmental issues stemming from inadequate sanitation infrastructure for fecal sludge management. This study scrutinizes on-site sanitation systems in these regions, evaluating their environmental impacts and pinpointing improvement opportunities. The focus is specifically on systems integrating excreta valorization through composting and/or anaerobic digestion. Each system encompasses toilet access, evacuation, and sludge treatment. A comparative life cycle assessment was undertaken, with the functional unit managing one ton of excreta in Haiti over a year. Six scenarios representing autonomous sanitation systems were devised by combining three toilet types (container-based toilets (CBTs), ventilated improved pit (VIP) latrines, and flush toilets (WC)) with two sludge treatment processes (composting and biomethanization). Biodigester-based systems exhibited 1.05 times higher sanitary impacts and 1.03 times higher ecosystem impacts than those with composters. Among toilet types, CBTs had the lowest impacts, followed by VIP latrines, with WCs having the highest impacts. On average, WC scenarios were 3.85 times more impactful than VIP latrines and 4.04 times more impactful than those with CBTs regarding human health impact. Critical variables identified include the use of toilet paper, wood shavings, greenhouse gas emissions, and construction materials. HIGHLIGHTS This study analyzes the on-site sanitation chain components throughout their life cycle, assessing three types of toilets in Haiti and two sludge valorization scenarios, resulting in six scenarios.; Scenario 6 had the highest sanitary impact, while Scenario 3 had the lowest.; Scenario 4 showed the highest ecosystem impacts, with Scenario 1 displaying the lowest impact.; Key hotspots identified: toilet paper, wood shavings and GHG emissions.;
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