Environmental benefits of using sewage sludge in the production of ceramic bricks

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2022-01-18

Authors

Nara Cangussu (Author) FEUP; Luana Vasconcelos (Author) Other; Lino Maia (Author) FEUP

Journal

Title: Environmental science and pollution research international

Pages: 1-12

ISSN: 1614-7499

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge

Scopus

Scientific classification

FOS: Engineering and technology > Civil engineering

CORDIS: Technological sciences > Engineering > Civil engineering

Other information

DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-18670-9

Abstract (EN): The production of sludge from the sewage treatment plants is increasing as a result of population increase and public policies to improve the sanitation sector. This sludge presents a potential risk to health and the environment representing major challenge for sanitation companies regarding treatment and final disposal of this material. The solution is in the circular economy concept: This sludge presents favorable characteristics to be used as raw material in the ceramic industry. This study seeks to quantify the environmental impacts related to the atmospheric emissions caused and to the consumption of resources when 10% of clay is replaced by sewage sludge in the production of bricks. Life cycle assessment tools were used to establish a comparison between the common scenario of the brick production using ceramic mass only from clay and the scenario with the incorporation of 10% of sewage sludge. The results revealed that the incorporation of the sewage sludge has multiple benefits, regarding the decrease of the environmental impacts in all the categories studied: 15% in the energy savings, 15% in the terrestrial acidification and the formation of fine particles, 10% in scarcity of mineral resources, and 8–10% in formation of photochemical ozone. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

Notes: Publisher's Bespoke License. The published source is acknowledged. The post-print is subject to Springer Nature re-use terms.

No. of pages: 12