Characterization of environmental impact indices of solid wastes in Surulere Local Government Area, Nigeria with GaBi5 LCA modeling technique
Journal Title: International Journal of Modern Engineering Research (IJMER) - Year 2014, Vol 4, Issue 9
Abstract
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is currently being used in several countries to evaluate treatment options for specific waste fractions. The application of GaBi5 (Holistic Balancing) modeling tool is currently apt for the impact assessment of environmental pollution indices arising from wastes. This study focuses on the characterization of environmental impact indices of solid wastes in Suurulere, one of the Local Government Area (LGA)s in Nigeria using GaBi5. Waste classification was carried out in the selected houses of the LGA. Tool for the Reduction and Assessment of Chemical and other Environmental Impacts (TRACI) and the Centre of Environmental Science, University of Leiden, Netherlands (CML) methods of LCA inventory assessment were employed in the study. One kg of municipal solid waste of this area was selected as the functional unit. The Scenario considered in this study with its system boundaries is Landfilling. It consists of three main steps: Collection, Transportation and Landfilling. GaBi5 modeling tool was used to obtain background data for the life cycle inventory and to analyse the wastes completely. Four (4) environmental impact indices evaluated are: Global Warming Potential (GWP), Acidification Potential (AP), Eutrophication Potential (EP) and Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP). Result of the Scenario’s Environmental Impacts shows that the GWP is characterized in the order: Biodegradable > Textile > Wood > Paper > plastic > Metal > Glass. The AP followed similar trend except for paper that is greater than wood wastes. EP has this trend; Metal > Wood > Glass > Biodegradable > Paper > Textile while for ODP it was Textile > Plastic > Paper > Metal > Wood > Biodegradable > Glass. The study also showed that when LCA is applied in conjunction with the waste hierarchy, it can be a useful tool for the planning of municipal waste management plans as it allows municipalities to directly compare the actual environmental impacts of different technologies and planning options. Furthermore, through system expansion, a consequential approach to LCA may encourage municipalities to integrate waste management with processes in other sectors. The GaBi software of LCA solves the problem of imprecision involved in solid waste decision making. The study concludes that the wastes all have detrimental impacts on the 4 measured categories but the highest pollution threat is on the Global Warming Potential. It is recommended that Environmental Protection Agencies at all levels should always analyze and contain the pollution impacts of the solid wastes on the environment.
Authors and Affiliations
S. O. Ojoawo , J. S. Bosu , O. A. Oyekanmi
Keywords
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