Abstract
In this study, the Tool for the Reduction and Assessment of Chemical and other Environmental Impacts (TRACI) of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the methodology of the Centre for Environmental Studies (CML) of the University of Leiden are two approaches applied as provided for in the GaBi5 (Holistic Balancing) Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) software database, to classify and characterize environmental impacts of municipal wastes in Ogbomoso South Local Government Area (LGA), Nigeria. On waste composition, 5 representative households were selected, each from the cardinal polling units in Ibapon (ward 4) for the study. Wastes samples were collected from the households over a period of 5 days, sorted, classified according to their constituents and weighed accordingly. For the Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA), two waste management scenarios/models were developed and compared using GaBi5 software. Scenario 1 involves collection, transportation and landfilling, while Scenario 2 ends with incineration. The Impact Indices determined from both scenarios were: Global Warming Potential (GWP), Acidification Potential (AP), Eutrophication Potential (EP) and Ozone Layer Depletion Potential (ODP). Findings show that the overall mean percent (%) wastes composition for biodegradable, metal, textile, paper, plastic, glass and wood were respectively found to be 55.9, 9.5, 2.4, 6.5, 6.7, 6.6, and 12.2. From the results of LCIA methods studied, landfilling of wastes poses a lesser burden on the environment, using the ODP index, as compared to incineration. It is concluded that of the management scenarios considered, landfilling of wastes is more environmentally friendly and therefore recommended for use in the study area.
Highlights
Management of solid waste has become a heterogeneous task in the 21st century
The Impact Indices determined from both scenarios were: Global Warming Potential (GWP), Acidification Potential (AP), Eutrophication Potential (EP) and Ozone Layer Depletion Potential (ODP)
It is concluded that of the management scenarios considered, landfilling of wastes is more environmentally friendly and recommended for use in the study area
Summary
Management of solid waste has become a heterogeneous task in the 21st century. As such, different modeling tools have been developed in this respect. LCA is a method for assessing environmental burdens associated with processes or products in a “cradle to grave” fashion, i.e. from production of the raw materials to ultimate disposal of waste. LCA has been used in many studies as an environmental tool for comparative assessments of waste disposal options or management scenarios. In 1990, for example, a LCA was completed for the Council for Solid Waste Solutions, which compared the energy and environmental impacts of paper to that of plastic grocery bags. Environmental groups around the world have adopted life cycle analysis; organizations such as Blue Angel, Green Cross, and Green Seal use and continue to improve LCA for the purpose of product labeling and evaluation. As demand for “green” products and pressures for environmental quality continue to mount, it is quite likely that industrial life cycle analysis will become in the 1990s what risk assessment was in the 1980s
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