Environmental evaluation of the life cycle of elephant grass fertilization—Cenchrus purpureus (Schumach.) Morrone—using chemical fertilization and biosolids

• Published in: Environmental monitoring and assessment Vol. 190; no. 1; pp. 30 - 8
• Main Authors: Neves, Talles Iwasawa, Uyeda, Claudio Augusto, Carvalho, Monica, Abrahão, Raphael
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.01.2018; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agriculture; Agrochemicals; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Biological fertilization; Biosolids; Brazil; Carbon dioxide; Carbon Dioxide - analysis; Carbon footprint; Carbon Footprint - legislation & jurisprudence; Cenchrus - growth & development; Cenchrus purpureus; Chemical fertilizers; Chlorides; Climate Change; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecology; Ecotoxicology; Elephant grass; Emissions; Environment; Environmental assessment; Environmental impact; Environmental Impact Assessment; Environmental Management; Environmental monitoring; Environmental Monitoring - legislation & jurisprudence; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Environmental science; Evaluation; Farm buildings; Fertilization; Fertilizers; Fertilizers - analysis; Gases; Government Regulation; Grasses; Greenhouse effect; Greenhouse gases; Industrial plants; Industrial wastes; Industrial wastewater; Industrial wastewater treatment; Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change; Landfill; Landfills; Legislation; Life cycle; Life cycle analysis; Life cycle assessment; Life cycle engineering; Life cycles; Methods; Monitoring/Environmental Analysis; Policies; Potassium; Potassium chloride; Sewage - analysis; Sludge; Solid Waste - analysis; Solid wastes; Transport; Urea; Waste disposal; Waste Disposal Facilities; Waste disposal sites; Wastewater; Wastewater treatment; Wastewater treatment plants; Life cycle assessment; Chemical fertilization; Elephant grass; Carbon footprint; Biosolids
• ISSN: 0167-6369; 1573-2959
• DOI: 10.1007/s10661-017-6406-4

Law 12305/10, National Solid Waste Policy of Brazil, banned the disposal in landfills of any solid waste that could be converted to another use. Sludge produced at Industrial Wastewater Treatment Plants, which contains components characteristic of fertilizers, falls into this category. This type of sludge, also known as a biosolid, has great potential to replace commercial chemical fertilization. The use of biosolids in agriculture allows for compliance with new legislation, reducing the burden on landfills and reusing a waste product. The present paper utilizes the life cycle assessment methodology to compare the carbon footprint associated with the use of different quantities of biosolid and selected chemical fertilizers in the production of elephant grass. The IPCC 2013 GWP 100a method, which is based on data published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, was selected as the environmental assessment method. The method expresses the emissions of greenhouse gases generated, in kilograms of CO 2 equivalent, over a time horizon of 100 years. The biosolid quantities used were based on the Brazilian Environment Council Resolution 375. The chemical fertilizer used contained urea, simple superphosphate, and potassium chloride. The use of biosolids in the amounts calculated according to Brazilian standards resulted in a carbon footprint approximately 17.7% lower than the use of the chemical fertilization mix, with similar productivity in both cases. The transportation of biosolids to the experimental area was responsible for the majority of emissions associated with the use of biosolids. Urea synthesis was the largest contributor to emissions resulting from the use of commercial chemical fertilizer, accounting for 73.6% of total emissions.