Wastewater reuse provides valuable solutions to solve the societal challenges of decreasing availability and limiting access to secure water resources. The present study quantifies the environmental performance of nectarine orchards irrigation using treated municipal wastewater (TMW) and surface water using a unique dataset based on field experimental data. Climate change, toxicity (for human and freshwater), eutrophication (marine and freshwater) and acidification impacts were analysed using the impact assessment method suggested by the International Reference Life Cycle Data System (ILCD). The water footprint associated to the life cycles of each system has been estimated using the Available WAter REmaining (AWARE) method. Monte Carlo simulation was used to assess data uncertainty. The irrigation of nectarine orchards using TMW performs better than the irrigation using surface water for eutrophication impact categories. Compared with surface water resources, the potential impacts of TMW reuse in agriculture on climate change and toxicity are affected by the wastewater treatment phase (WWT). Only eutrophication and acidification burdens are generated by in-field substitution of surface water with TMW. Considering human and ecosystem water demand, the irrigation with TMW increases water consumption of 19.12m(3) per kg of nectarine produced. Whereas, it shows a positive contribution to water stress (-0.19 m(3)) if only human water demand is considered. This study provides important results that allow for a better understanding of the potential environmental consequences of TMW reuse in agriculture. It suggests that embracing the type of WWTs, the replacement of fertilizers, the effects on water scarcity and ecosystem quality might be useful to redefine water reuse regulations and increase public acceptance for the reuse of TMW in agriculture. Moreover, this study reveals the need for developing consensus and standardized guidance for life cycle analysis of water reuse applications. (C) 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
1.Univ Liege, Gembloux Agrobio Tech, Econ & Rural Dev Unit, Passage Deportes 2, B-5030 Gembloux, Belgium 2.UHasselt, Fac Business Econ, Ctr Environm Sci, B-3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium 3.Antwerp Univ, Fac Business & Econ, Dept Engn Management, Prinsstr 13, B-2000 Antwerp, Belgium 4.Univ Bari Aldo Moro Campus, Dept Agr & Environm Sci, Via Amendola 165-A, I-70126 Bari, Italy
Recommended Citation:
Moretti, M.,Van Passel, S.,Camposeo, S.,et al. Modelling environmental impacts of treated municipal wastewater reuse for tree crops irrigation in the Mediterranean coastal region[J]. SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT,2019-01-01,660:1513-1521