Page 266 - Materials Chemistry, Second Edition

Support Sustainable Wastewater Treatment in Developing Countries 247

However, most studies related to this theme have been carried out considering the
context of developed countries, mainly Europe and North America (Wang et al., 2012).
Consequently, the results of these studies could not be simply extended to develop-
ing countries such as Brazil, China, India, and South Africa, as these present dif-
ferent characteristics in terms of region, policies, and the economy. As previously
discussed, developing countries present some issues in the context of sanitation that
are normally not present in developed economies, such as budget limitations, intense
growth of urbanization, health and sanitation problems, and scarcity of specialized
and qualified professionals in this field. So, LCA studies dedicated to developing
countries need to take these differences into account to really support wastewater
management by considering regional particularities. For instance, studies focused
on identifying treatment technologies that combine low costs, high efficiencies, and
lower environmental impacts are encouraged in the context of developing countries
(Lutterbeck et al., 2017). However, it is important to note that even among develop-
ing countries, there are also several differences. For example, concerning the BRICS
(Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa), the energy mix, an aspect that could
directly affect the LCA results, is very distinct among these developing countries.
In Brazil, for example, hydropower is the predominant source of electricity, whereas
in China, India, Russia, and South Africa, fossil fuel dominates the energy mix.
Furthermore, even among countries in which fossil fuel predominates, differences
in energy mix are noted; for example, for China, the main fuel used is coal, whereas
for Russia, natural gas is the main source of energy. Other differences related to
regional aspects are also relevant. For instance, the climate in Russia and Brazil
is completely different, which directly affects the wastewater management solution
suitable for each one.
Therefore, it is necessary to be careful to avoid generalizations related to the
applications of LCA results not only from developed countries to developing ones,
but also among developing countries.
Concerning the existing studies dedicated to LCA application in wastewater in
developing countries, 39 papers on this theme were found in the literature.

12.4.1 previous sTuDies
It is important to note that previous works have already presented reviews related to
LCA applications in wastewater management. Table 12.1 shows a summary of the
major aspects of each review evaluated in the present study.
As presented in Table 12.1, Larsen et al. (2007) performed a review including 22
studies reporting scope, impact categories, and LCA methodologies, focusing on
discussions involving toxicity impacts and energy-related emissions. Corominas et
al. (2013), in turn, investigated 45 studies involving LCA applications in wastewater
treatment and compiled general information about LCA, such as scope of the study,
functional unit, impact categories, and LCA methodology. The review provided in
Zang et al. (2015) analyzed 53 studies focused on LCA of activated sludge systems
and evaluated the papers considering scope, impact categories, and LCA method-
ologies. Concerning only LCA involving sludge treatment, Yoshida et al (2013) and
Pradel et al. (2016) carried out reviews focused on studies involving this theme.